...The Turnip Snedder, in true Heaney fashion, is based on an agrarian structure on the surface. Heaney’s fondness for the fusion of the earthy and ethereal is shaped delicately yet again in this piece of his work. Being the poem that serves to launch the rush of conflicting ideas that Heaney presents in District and Circle, the Turnip Snedder has its roots in the photograph that’s reproduced on its book jacket. The photograph found by the Irish painter Hughie O’ Donoghue, contains the image of a man in his Sunday best, standing beside an antique contraption of wood and metal used for the purpose of crushing turnips.And despite its unremarkable personality that’s the precise object that flagged Heaney’s train of thought and resulted into another epic masterpiece. Heaney’s ability of cleverly mingling the old ghosts with the new visions and to play with satire and stark opposites is as much apparent in District and Circle as in any other of his books and The Turnip Snedder is a perfect kick start for such a piece of work. The Snedder on its examination proves to be a cumbersome and barbaric looking thing, as much a weapon as a tool. In the times when efficient and shiny battery or solar-operated machinery was not yet introduced the Snedder was a helpful mate of the farmer and his men. Despite all its ugly and hefty appearance it had the precision needed to do the job. And as a job connected to earth and harvest requires hard work, sweat and strength, it can be agreed that a...
Words: 2076 - Pages: 9
..."Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests. I’ll dig with it." Digging Seamus Justin Heaney, a contemporary Irish poet who won the Nobel Prize in 1995, is widely considered one of the main twentieth century writers. In fact, many critics considered him the most important Irish poet since W. B. Yeats. Born in a farming family in Northern Ireland, Heaney suffered many divisions in his life – personal, social and political all together. He sat an aim for himself to be like his ancestors, who protected their lands in the face of the English colonization, and become a defender of Ireland in his own way. In 1966, he wrote his famous poem Digging, which defines his mission as a poet, and placed it as an introductory to his collection Death of a Naturalist. A reader of Heaney's works will notice that the analogy of digging is running throughout all of his poems, whether it is a physical excavation or an intellectual one. This image of digging is depicted in his themes and poetic discourse to form an Irish identity that divorces itself from the English rule by combining both earthy roots and airy imagination. To begin with, there are certain features that characterize the themes in Heaney's poetry. In most of his poems, Heaney illustrates the Irish landscape and the rural life of the farmers to show the strong ties between his people and their land. Moreover, he spoke in one of his essays about the influence of the bog lands in which dead bodies were excavated. He believes...
Words: 394 - Pages: 2
...Contents Seamus Heaney’s Life: Biographical Life………………………………………………………………….......Page 1 Timeline of Events……………………………………………………………………Page 2 Political History (Northern Ireland – 1960/1970)…………………………………..Page 3 Seamus Heaney’s Work: Evaluation of Poetry influences…………………………………………………….Page 4 Seamus Heaney’s Poetry……………………………………………………………Page 5 Digging…………………………………………………………………………………Page 6 Analysis and Explanation of Digging…………………………………………….....Page 7 References…………………………………………………………………………....Page 8 Biological Life Childhood: Seamus Heaney was the eldest child from among the nine siblings in his family; he was born on 13th April 1939 in Mossbawn (Northern Ireland), which was their own family farmhouse. But later in 1953 (14 years later), Heaney’s family had decided to move location to Bellaghy which is just only a few miles from their farmhouse. His background consists of two different traditions which come from both his parent’s families, an Ireland from the Cattle-Herding Gaelic (Father’s family – Patrick Heaney) and the Ulster from the Industrial Revolution (Mother’s family – Margaret Kathleen Heaney). He studied at Anahorish Primary School in the local area; and as he grew older, he started to attend St. Columb’s College where he was awarded a scholarship at the age of 12. Career: Heaney who was only 18 years of age at the time when he had decided to travel to Belfast where he was given the opportunity to study English Language and Literature...
Words: 926 - Pages: 4
...A group of a few women born in the second decade of the century might together illustrate the diversity of the twentieth-century novelist's interests. Elizabeth Taylor (1912-1975), the author the novels The Soul of Kindness and Blaming, is a refined stylist whose swift flashes of dialogue and reflection and deft sketches of the wider background give vitality to her portrayals of well-to-do family life in commuter land. Some of her later novels are In a Summer Season (1961), and The Wedding Group (1968.) Elizabeth Taylor has humour and compassion as well as disciplined artistry, and has logically been compared with Jane Austen. So has Barbara Pym (1913-1980) who tasted fame, sadly enough, only at the end of her life (her real name was Mary Crampton). Another restrained and perceptive artist, she is a master of J f ingenuous and candid dialogue and reflection which are resonant with comic overtones. Critics I called her "modern Jane Austin. Excellent Women (1952) and A Glass of Blessings (1958) were reprinted in the late 1970s when Philip Larkin and David Cecil drew attention to the quality of her neglected work. Later novels, The Sweet Dove Died (1978) and Quartet in Autumn (1978), are no less engaging in their blend of pathos and comedy. One might well put beside these two English writers the Irish writer Mary Lavin (1912-1996), whose short stories focus on the ups and downs of family life with quiet pathos and humour. Her novels, The House in Clewes Street (1945)...
Words: 4940 - Pages: 20
...experiences as an adult, you see the deeper meaning on how each story impacted you. Seamus Heaney’s poems “The Barn” and “Blackberry-Picking” are about a child’s point of view of experiences living on a farm. “The Barn” is about a family’s barn on a farm and “Blackberry-Picking” is on the subject of going out to pick and eat blackberries on the farm. Even though, they are about two different experiences they share a common theme of hard realities faced in life. Through the use of imagery and tone, Heaney is able to show how fear and disappointment comes into a child’s life. “The Barn” comes from the point of view of a child in the barn on a farm. For this child, the barn was a terrifying scene. With a young imagination, you get descriptive pictures of what they felt. In line 3 the speaker describes the barn as being “musky dark”. “The floor was mouse-grey, smooth, chilly concrete. (5) After hearing those phrases, you start to picture what this barn...
Words: 931 - Pages: 4
...Train by Gillian Clarke, and Storm on the Island by Seamus Heaney. These poems all portray a feeling of confusion, often it is linked with the theme of war. In Patrolling Barnegat, Walt Whitman uses repetition to enhance the power of the storm he is describing. "Wild, Wild the storm, and the sea high running" The repetition of wild in this line helps to enforce the power of the storm and nature. Whitman also uses personification in this line where he compares the movement of the sea to a person running, as if he is saying that the sea will move for nobody. He is also making it sound as if the sea is rushing to get somewhere as if it is on a mission. Whitman also incorporates rhyme in his poem. This gives his poem a strong rhythm and this rhythm ties in with the image of the rolling sea, and gives this image more effect. In Storm on the IslandSeamus Heaney also describes a vivid, powerful storm. He describes the storm like he has learnt from past experience. He describes preparing for the storm as if he has gone through it many times before. "Can raise a tragic chorus in a gale" Here Seamus Heaney is comparing the storm to a tragic chorus, which could be associated with an opera - a form of entertainment. Seamus Heaney is using 2 opposites to help describe the ferocity of the storm and give the reader a clearer picture of what it would be like to be where he is. Also Heaney uses no punctuation at the end of his lines, so it...
Words: 1085 - Pages: 5
...2014 Digging In Seamus Heaney’s, “The Digging” the author tells a story that emphasizes strength and family values to portray that your upbringing and family roots do not have to define your route in life. Heaney also incorporates different rhetorical devices throughout the poem to make the text more vivid. Through this use of language and text manipulation, the reader can grasp the weight of this poem for Heaney, while also identifying with his early background in life. Heaney begins the poem from the perspective of a young man, who has taken a different path in life from that of his family. The son immediately identifies himself as having a different outlook on life by emphasizing the weight of his pen “Between my finger and my thumb/The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.” (Heaney 1-2). This comparison between his pen and a gun shows how powerful he believes his pen can be in regards to the work of his father. We are then shown a scene of his father working outside of his window, which relates to overall theme of the poem and the strength needed to perform hard labor. Through this use of language Heaney shows us the power struggle for the son in this poem, the son sees strength not through the use of manual labor but by other means, while the father values physical strength. Any type of work that requires manual labor can be extremely taxing if done for long periods of time, while visibly showing on the workers who spend their lives doing it. Heaney shows us just how...
Words: 1333 - Pages: 6
...Without sympathizing someone's emotions it could lead to solitude, which could linger devastating ones being. In both novels Beowulf, by Seamus Heaney, and Grendel, by John Gardner, it primarily focuses on the malicious conflict between the human civilization and creatures out of the ordinary, considered to be monsters. The main discrepancy was a monster named Grendel and Beowulf a hero from a kingdom terrorized for years, by Grendel himself. The monster was said to have killed many people, however, his reasoning was unsure. Without remorse the warrior slain the monster to stop the terror in which Grendel created; however, the reason the beast killed so many people was because of the lack of understanding between him and the society, this in...
Words: 1303 - Pages: 6
...which he was most proud. He concludes by vowing that from now on he will be more careful with those he loves; he will be wary of liking and so needing them too much. Commentary: The poem is a moving exploration of a father's feelings on the loss of his son, made all the more poignant by the difference between its affectionate, resigned tone and Jonson's usually satirical and biting comic voice. About the poem The poem records and laments (expresses sorrow for) the death of the poet's first son. We call such poems elegies or describe them as elegiac. Jonson contrasts his feelings of sorrow with what he thinks he ought to feel - happiness that his son is in a better place. The death of a child still has great power to move us - Seamus Heaney records a similar experience in Mid-Term Break. It would have been a far more common event in 17th century England, where childhood illnesses were often fatal. The modern reader should also be aware of Jonson's Christian faith - he has no doubt that his son is really in a “state” we should envy,...
Words: 630 - Pages: 3
...Nick Bailey Professor Scott Keeton English 2110 11 October 2015 The Story of the Man, the Hero, and the Legend: Beowulf Beowulf is one of the most important stories in all of literature. It’s a tale of a man who challenged beasts, and rose to the likes of a god, but still had time and age catch up to him, and cause his fall. It’s a classic tale of the hero’s journey to fame and glory, of a man who truly went above and beyond the call of duty to protect and serve the lands he roamed. It’s tale is a classic one, one that’s been cited countless times throughout the ages, but its unique approach towards hubris and character study makes it one of the most memorable in all of fiction, and one that must be analyzed to be truly understood. The story of Beowulf stars the main character, Beowulf, and follows him on his journey to defeat Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, a dragon, and, at a far deeper level, his own mortality. The story begins with Beowulf being seen as a hero of legend, and a boaster; he often shows this through recounts of his stories of greatness in the past, like his swimming race with Breca, of his superhuman accomplishments and stupendous deeds. Despite that, he is defend his honor from those who wish to diminish it, as he once told to Unferth, a warrior who tried to belittle his accomplishments against Breca. “"The fact is, Unferth, if you were truly as keen and courageous as you claim to be Grendel would never have got away with such unchecked atrocity...
Words: 738 - Pages: 3
...Roots Seamus Heaney was born in 1939 in Northern Ireland. Heaney wrote Death of a Naturalist in 1966. Death of a Naturalist included the poem “Digging”; it is the first poem of the collection. “Digging” is a free verse poem written in first person narrative. Digging contains eight stanzas containing two couplets. In Seamus Heaney’s poem “Digging” the narrator is comparing his digging to his ancestors. The theme is heritage; the narrator takes a look back at his heritage to examine his career choice. Heaney shows the theme using symbols. Using digging as a metaphor for writing, Heaney shows the connection of the narrator with his early life on the farm and the lives of his father and grandfather.In the first stanza, Heaney introduces the readers to the narrator’s pen, which the narrator is content to hold as he finds a sense of belonging and comfort. The pen is described as a weapon, “snug as a gun” (L2), this gives the impression that the pen fits naturally in his hands and symbolizes a form of protection from the criticisms about his choice of “being a writer” (Miller). The pen also symbolizes “fate” (“Pen”). Writing is his fate instead of farming like his ancestors. Even though the narrator chooses not to become a digger, he still finds a similarity between the two occupations. The narrator recognizes that his skill with a pen is compatible to his father’s skill with a spade, as he suggests his pen symbolizes a spade to which he can “dig with it” (L 31). The narrator is...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...Two deaths, and two families, but two worlds that are feeling the same emotion and loss. In “The Vacuum” by Howard Nemerov, and “Midterm Break” by Seamus Heaney both authors use the idea of death to create an image into their inner workings. The use of imagery and alliteration is depicted throughout both poems and location is welcomed. Both authors equalize the playing field by describing the location within the first few stanzas. This helps to keep the idea of location from affecting the overall appearance and flow of the poems. A quite cul-de-sac “The Vacuum” by Howard Nemerov takes place in a home. The home appears to be filthy and have a silence in the air that won’t go away. The floors are also dirty “Eating the dust and the woolen mice, and begin to howl” (Nemerov 9-10) giving insight that because of his loss he may not clean as much as used...
Words: 437 - Pages: 2
...2012: Studied Poetry: 2 (b) Explain why you found the work of your chosen poet impressive Seamus Heaney – “Mid-Term Break” and “Mother of the Groom” |Point |Quote from “Mid-Term Break” |Quote from “Mother |Explanation | | | |of the Groom” | | |Universal and personal themes – family, loss of a loved |“At ten o’ clock the ambulance arrived with the corpse” |“hands in her voided lap” (loss) |Engaging poetry, the reader can relate to Heaney’s | |one |(loss) | |experiences as they are likely to have experienced them in| | | |“kicked when lifted and slipped her soapy hold” (loss) |some form themselves | | |“I met my father crying” (family) | ...
Words: 494 - Pages: 2
...glish literature How to Write an A* GCSE English Literature Poetry Response Copyright © 2008 www.englishteaching.co.uk + www.english-teaching.co.uk How to Write an A* GCSE English Literature Poetry Response 2 The Poetry Component of the GCSE Literature Paper The poetry task is the second question on the GCSE English Literature exam paper. It is perhaps the more demanding of the tasks on the paper, because unlike the question on the prose, in this section you are being asked to compare four poems simultaneously throughout your answer. In the exam you should spend one hour on this section of the paper. Given the greater demand of the task, your response to the poetry is worth more marks than the response to the prose. In order to perform at the highest level on this paper, it is important that you develop a nuanced and sophisticated comparative written style. However, this is achievable if you adopt a systematic approach to ordering and writing your responses. It does, however, demand considerable practice prior to the final examination. What is the Examiner looking for in a response to the Poetry? The exam is designed to test your ability to do the following things: Can you respond to the poems critically, in detail, and sensitively using textual evidence? Can Can you explore language, structure and form contribute to the meaning of texts? Can Can you compare the ways that ideas, themes and relationships are presented in the poems by...
Words: 5638 - Pages: 23
...message in “Cathedral”, Seamus Heaney’s poem “Digging” also gives off the positive of finding your values and holding onto them. Based upon his real life, the poem “Digging” demonstrated one could break away from the tradition and the expected norm but also appreciate it from afar. The poem starts with Heaney observing his father digging, admiring his work with the spade. Then he remembers how his grandfather was also skilled at digging, even better than his father was. Although, he comes from a line of farmers who dig and admires the generations that came before him, he chooses to walk another path, deciding to be an academic. The poet states, “Through living roots awaken in my head./ But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.” (ll 27—28), which shows his appreciation but also his decision to find his own values in life. As spoken eloquently by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we should not conform to our society when a friend or a group of people is in danger. By failing to take action, we ourselves have condoned the malicious action spurred by conformity. As different literatures illustrates, absolute conformity is harmful and has many negative consequences that could hurt anyone. Dickinson stated how society could outcast and belittle people due to conformity, Jackson showed mindless conformity can lead to barbaric outcome, and Robinson showed preconceived notion caused by conformed belief could make people ignorant. But on the positive note, both Carver and Heaney displayed the merit...
Words: 1473 - Pages: 6
