How Heaney Moldes His Roots Through Farming And Forging

In Seamus Heaney’s poetry, there is a recurring theme of his talking of the past, and more predominantly about significant moments in time, where he came to realisations that brought him to adulthood. In “Death of a Naturalist” Heaney describes a moment in his childhood where he learnt that nature was not as beautiful as seem to be when he was just a naive child. Heaney does this on a deeper level in “Midterm Break” describes his experience of his younger brothers funeral and the mixed, confusing feelings he encountered, consequently learning that he no longer was a child, and had no choice but to be exposed to reality. Robert Frost in one sense also describes particular moments in time, where his narrator comes to realisations. However,

Two of the poems written by Seamus Heaney, “Digging” and “Blackberry Picking”, contain recurring themes while both discussing entirely different scenes. The first poem, “Digging”, talks about Heaney’s memories of hearing his father digging in the potato garden outside the house. The second poem, “Blackberry-Picking”, carries a similar solemn tone, while describing another memory of Heaney’s of his experience with picking blackberries. These poems by Heaney share similar themes of reflection of his past experiences in which he dissects important life lessons from everyday events such as the passage of time and the uncertainty of life.

The clever use of vocabulary to describe the digger assists the audience in visualising the digger, for example, “his body ached from the marching,” “the old digger then climbed to his feet” and the repeated use of the term “old digger”. The striking use of the words “ached” and “climbed” emphasize his age. The repeated use of the word hero, emphasises the theme of the poem. Hamilton also uses simple, but very effective language. The words and phrases are carefully chosen in this poem, making the poem easier to comprehend. Punctuation enhances the flow of the poem, such as the use of dashes after phrases for pauses. The use of direct speech throughout the poem offers depth to the poem, it immerses the audience into the moment and the conversation as though they were

Burial Rites, a novel written by Hannah Kent is heavily based on story telling and the effect it has. Through the course of the novel, readers observe the significance story telling has for both the individual and the community. For an individual story telling can make the speaker feel empowered whereas for the community story telling’s main significance is the entertainment it provides. Since Kent’s purpose of Burial Rites is to tell the life journey of Agnes Magnusdottir in an ambiguous light, story telling also becomes important for the reader.

Like a shovel to dirt as a pen to paper. In “Digging,” Seamus Heaney uses specific elements such as diction, and imagery to convey his meaning that children don’t always want to be like their past generations of men.

because he is so much smaller than his father, but he also looks up to

Heaney’s attitude towards death is presented in different perspectives within Funeral Rites. A pun, based on a homonym, embedded within the title itself, suggests one’s right to have a funeral : for there to be an occasion for family and friends to mourn one’s death whilst celebrating their life. In Funeral Rites, Heaney demonstrates the beautiful serenity associated with death, while also highlighting the tragic aspect of death and dying. Funeral Rites is composed of three parts (the first of which I am going to focus on in this essay), with Heaney focusing on different attitudes towards death and dying within each section. For example, in the first section, Heaney concentrates on funerals in the past, as established by use of the past tense. The transition to present tense in the second section is confirmed by the strong adverb ‘Now’, and future tense in the third section highlights the change in customs within the change in time period. With Funeral Rites’ distinct structure, Heaney is indicating his nostalgia for the past, as well as highlighting his outlook on the situation in Ireland.

Work is one of the many personal commitments we have in life that fulfill our passion and needs. “Digging” and “Warren Pryor” are both related to work, and how having a certain occupation should be personally fulfilling. In these poems, the author portrays two different points of view. Underlying the true intention, both poems reveal the strong admiration both leads had upon their parents and what kind of work they had done. Both Seamus Heany’s “Digging” and Aiden Nowlan’s “Warren Pryor” suggest that when an individual has close relationships, they are often prone to influences, and as a result may choose their occupation accordingly.

This theme of servitude is further emphasised in ‘At a Potato Digging’ by the structure and rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is ABAB- it is repetitive and this reflects the monotonous nature of the work. The poem also uses enjambment throughout to symbolise the continuous motion of their labour: ‘Some pairs keep breaking ranks to fetch/ A full creel to the pit and straighten, stand/ Tall for a moment but soon stumble back…’ This example of enjambment between stanzas two and three show us that although the labourers may have moments of dignity and accomplishment they must ‘fall’ back to work in order to survive.

Judith Wright’s ‘Legend’ responds to various aspects of the human condition present in our society today. The poem is focused primarily on the actions of a Blacksmith’s boy, a vassal for humanity’s growth in response to age and change.

How much does an artist’s life affect the art they produce? One’s art certainly can be an expression of one’s surroundings and in this manner the surroundings are woven like a thread into their body of work. Seamus Heaney, born and raised in Northern Ireland, has grown up with many strong influences in his life that are visible in his poetry. As Robert Buttel claims in his article on Seamus Heaney “the imprint of this poet’s origins is indelibly fixed in his work” (180). Living in the “bogland” as Heaney has described Northern Ireland left an imprint on his poems, as he often depicts the lush green countryside and pastoral scenes of his youth. However, he also acknowledges his modern society.

That upbringing significantly contributed to his style as a writer as well. Heaney soon realized that warfare does not only come in the form of physical battle, it also comes in the form of language and writing. The poem, Digging by Heaney shows how he finally comes to understand the necessity

In the poem, Beowulf, by an unknown poet, as translated by Seamus Heaney, we see many monstrous behaviors. A few of the examples stand out more than the rest: wanton destruction, a woman acting as a man, and the act of killing one’s kin.

conversation. It isn't like a poem at all. It says "By god the old man

This essay will analyse the challenges Seamus Heaney faced during the process of translation and writing, including his own conscious effort to make the play suitable for a modern audience. It will demonstrate how Heaney’s use of language and poetry aided in presenting modern ideas through the timbre of Irish/English diction and idiom in an attempt to make the play more ‘speakable’. Identifying features of Greek theatrical conventions and how Heaney used these to shape his play. Heaney also presents social and political issues through The Burial at Thebes in a way that resonates with a contemporary audience.