In `Rising Five,' Norman Nicholson conveys the idea that there is no change from the outlook of a child to that of an adult; that we continue to look forward to the `rising soon,' without appreciating the present - the beauty of `the season after blossoming.' This differs from `The Early Purges,' where it appears that Seamus Heaney's outlook on killing farm pests changes from sentimental to nonchalant, as he becomes an adult. The change, or continuation, of the outlooks presented by the poets is the basis of each poem.

In `The Early Purges,' Seamus Heaney begins by reflecting on a particular event that occurred when he was six: seeing kittens drown for the first time. The descriptive language used to depict this event shows the force of the impact upon him as a child. The description is very aural, and the emphasis...