"Blackberry Picking" by Seamus Heaney

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Essay on “Blackberry-Picking”

        The poem “Blackberry Picking” by Seamus Heaney is a very meaningful poem that is not what it appears to be at first.  Through the use of strong language and many poetic devices, Seamus Heaney has given a whole new meaning to the idea of picking berries.  The child in this poem is having a good time picking berries at the beginning, but near the end of the poem, he finds that all his berries have spoiled.  This basically describes the meaning behind the poem.  To the child, the berries appear as hope, hope that there is something good and fun in life.  His view, however, changes as the berries spoil.  The hope as faded, and what he sees is the truth.  Nothing in life, if you’re a child or you’re an adult, is perfect.  The child however is in this maturing age where what he thought was a fun time came out to be a disappointment in life.  This idea can be seen clearly in the title.  A blackberry is a berry, which tastes good, but the name totally contradicts that.  This contrast of good and bad is a little of what Seamus Heaney was trying to convey through his poem.   Seamus Heaney has tried to convey the idea of the blurred line between hope and disappointment.  A child, or any person in that matter, has a type of hope that carries them along, but this hope can lead them into disappointment.

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        Seamus Heaney starts the poem by creating a rather peaceful or happy picture.  He says that it is “Late August”, and that gives the reader the imagery of summer.  Summertime is a joyous time for children and even adults.  Through the first lines, the author creates a rhythm for picking berries.  Seamus Heaney describes the first berry as being “glossy”.  This word creates an image of a shiny and sleek berry that only enhances the appearance of the berry to the child.  It is described as a sweet thing that you would want to eat right away.  Seamus Heaney ...

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