Loss in poetry is often portrayed as deeply emotional and consuming to those affected. It is explored as something that can be both gradual and sudden however is always poignant. In 'Effects' by Alan Jenkins, loss is explored through the speaker's confrontation with his mother's and the recurring motif of her hand, while in Adam Thorpe's 'On Her Blindness' it is expressed through the son's response to his mother's gradual loss of sight and eventual death. Both poems depict loss as inevitable and personal, yet while Jenkins' cyclical structure and imagery suggest the speaker's memories trap the reader in regretful grief, Thorpe's convoluted couplets suggest unity even after death through shared memories. Both Jenkins and Thorpe explore loss as a gradual process of separation instead of a single event, focusing on the slow intimacy of the speaker's remorseful 'disdain' for his mother in 'Effects' and the speaker's mother's loss of identity and world due to her blindness in 'On Her Blindness'. Jenkins does this through the repetition of 'not' in reference to failing to look after his mother in her old age: 'not all the weeks I didn't come', 'not later in the psychiatric ward' this emphasises Jenkins' regret and shame he feels for letting his mother die alone. Jenkins further emphasises these feelings of guilt when hereplies her last words: 'please don't leave/ but of course I left' the use of direct speech suggests the speaker is somewhat haunted by her plea, more specifically how he behaved in response. The long flowing syntax and singular stanza structure reflects the speakers outward emotions lie a rambling confession, perhaps symbolising the heavy weight of guilt the speaker has been carrying. Alternatively, this could represent the inevitability of the loss, 'but of course' further emphasising it, making it seem like her death was bound to happen. Thorpe works in contrast to Dervin building on a series of enjambment throughout the poem to reflect the internal fragmentation of the mourner's identity as she becomes isolated. Additionally, the metaphor 'each ritual imposed' mirrors her retreat from the physical world as her blindness isolates her. Thus both poets depict loss as a prolonged disintegration of indentity and connection one through memory's burdens, the other through body's betrayal. While both poets portray loss as a gradual process, they also explore death as a final loss, highlighting its permanence. In 'Effects', the poem begins and ends with the motif of the mother's hand. 'I held her hand' and 'the hand I held', which forms a cyclical structure that mirrors the life cycle itself. The ending line of the poem 'the little bags of effects to me' also implies death's finality, her life has been reduced toobjects, and that's all that is left of her. The final lines are also written in couplets, which gives a sense of closure to the reader and the speaker, confirming her death is the end. Thorpe also utilises couplets; however, his bring different effects of balance and suggest the speaker has found acceptance in the loss of his mother, which also contrasts Jenkins' unbroken stanza, which connotates feelings of emotional outburst. Thorpe also explores death as an end point but uses a calmer tone to symbolise the power of accepting final loss. The poem writes, 'dying has made her no more sightless but now she can't pretend.' This declarative tone and end stop suggest the speaker has found peace rather than emotional turmoil. In the effects, Thorpe leaves us with a final image similar to Jenkins, 'It was up to us to believe she was watching, somewhere, in the end.' This could be seen as an alternative argument suggesting that the speaker's memories have turned the final loss of their mother into continuity. Thus, both poets portray death as the final loss; however, Jenkins does this through circular structure, which reinforces the weight of grief, whereas Thorpe uses a coupled form to turn death into acceptance. Finally, both poets portray loss through the exploration of how memories and possessions can preserve the presence of loved ones after death and aid the speaker's grief. Jenkinsexplores how objects and physical belongings can carry memory and identity through the image of the 'thick rubber band', which acts as a trigger for the speaker's recollection of his mother. The rubber band was 'her name on it smudged black ink' and was on the hand I held. The hand being a recurring motif throughout the poem, functions as a cue for his memories and suggests that even something as ordinary as a rubber band has become precious to the speaker because of the emotional connotations it now holds, connecting them to their deceased mother. Jenkins also uses a single, unbroken stanza with multi-clausal sentences to convey the speaker's grief. Thorpe achieves a similar effect through couplets and enjambments, creating a sense of continuity that represents the ongoing presence of their mother in memory. Thorpe contrasts Jenkins through the conversational tone of 'On Her Blindness', using humorous comments such as 'bumping into walls like a dodgem' to preserve their memory as joyful. He further contrasts Jenkins by including more positive recollections of the mother, like when 'she smiled as when the kids would offer the latest drawing, or show their new toy'. By remembering her resilience, the speaker is able to preserve admiration for their mother. Ultimately, both poets suggest that memory and imagery allow the dead to remain connected with the living. Ultimately, both Jenkins and Thorpe explore loss as a deeply human experience that shifts between pain, reflection, and acceptance. While Jenkins’ Effects conveys grief as something overwhelming and consuming, using cyclical structure and detailed imagery to emphasise the weight of absence, Thorpe’s On Her Blindness presents loss with a quieter sense of peace and humour, reflecting on the endurance of love and memory beyond death. Both poets show that even though death marks an undeniable finality, memory allows the dead to remain present in the minds of the living, suggesting that loss, though inevitable, can lead to understanding and continuity.