Answer

His bed is described using a simile ‘as in is cot’ to describe the bed like a child’s cot as it is so small and he is so young. It is likely that the boy is a young relative of Heaney’s, although this is not clarified. It could be a younger brother.

 The final line emphasises how tragic the event is as the coffin is so small, showing the youth of the victim. The stanza is only one line and nine words long to place a clear emphasis on how tragic and shocking the event is.