Gillian Clarke Comparing attitudes to old age in 'Miracle on St. David's day (Gillian Clarke)' and 'Old man, old man (U.A.Fanthorpes)'

Comparing attitudes to old age in 'Miracle on St. David's day' and 'Old man, old man' In both poems old age is shown to cause disconnection from the people with their surroundings. Parts of the poem 'miracle on St David's day' shows the people do have connections with their surroundings. For example 'he rocks gently to the rhythms of the poems' shows that the man can hear the poem and connects with it. When the …

…almost-dark' shows how he sees things. 'obdurate in your contracted world' shows that he can only see a certain distance and that he feels that distance is all that there is in the world, he wont venture further than he can see. Whereas the man in 'miracle on St David's day' shows the man in the poem to have retained good eyesight as he can see out over the fields of daffodils 'observe the flowers'.