Heaney uses words such as, “purges”, “the water pumped in”, “scraggy wee shits”, “dunghill” and “dung” to suggest that the kittens seem like waste. The title reflects the idea of waste, as the word “purges” means getting rid of undesirables. “The water pumped in,” indicates what happens when flushing a toilet, therefore getting rid of waste. Dan Taggart calls the kittens, “scraggy wee shits” which shows that he doesn’t care about the killing of the kittens and treats them as waste to be got rid of. He justifies his actions by suggesting the kittens have no value. A “dunghill” can be used for getting rid of “dung” and the kittens are “sluiced” on the dunghill. The word “sluiced” means ‘flushed’ indicating a toilet, so the kittens are therefore treated as waste.
Throughout the poem we are viewing the killing through Heaney’s eyes and it is evident that he does not like the killing as he uses words such as “soft”, “tiny” and “frail” to suggest the kittens are innocent and harmless. The words, “For days I sadly hung round the yard, watching the three sogged remains” and “the fear came back” suggest he was affected by the carnage and murder he witnessed. However, toward the end of the poem he is forced to accept the killing and torture. Heaney became numb, unfeeling and almost deadened. This is shown in the words, “I just shrug, ‘Bloody pups’. It makes sense”. He is almost imitating Dan Taggart at this point to justify his actions, so he doesn’t feel guilty. Heaney is deceived by Dan Taggart to protect him from his compassion. Towards the end of the poem he seems to understand the killing, but his description of the kittens throughout the poem suggests differently. He seems confused, saying two separate things at the same time. The poem is ambiguous and vague, as Heaney changes significantly and considerably towards the end of the poem. This childhood experience allows him to express two different feelings. He feels guilt, but is also pressurised to become accustomed to the killing of the “pests”.
Another poem that deals with a childhood experience is “An Advancement of Learning”. The poem tells how apparently trivial events can change how you behave, mentally and physically. In this case Heaney confronts a rat and it is immediately apparent of his fear. The words used in the poem are closely related to rats. For example the words, “The river nosed past” is associated to rats, as they are well known by their prominent nose. Also words such as, “pliable, oil-skinned” and “dirty-keeled” are used to emphasise Heaney’s disgust at their unhealthy and dirty appearance. Heaney uses alliteration and images in the poem to create an effect and to leave an impression on the reader. The alliteration, “Something slobbered curtly close, smudging the silence: a rat slimed” is very effective as the words are closely related to rats as rats are thought of as from the sewer and so an image of a slimy, smelly and slippery character is created. Another effective word is the verb, “nimbling” as it has been changed from the adjective “nimble”. This creates an unusual effect on the reader. Words such as, “throat sickened”, “cold sweat” and “panic” all suggest that Heaney is not only mentally effected but he is also physically effected. The sight of a rat is enough to make him feel physically sick and causes him to sweat. The poem therefore creates a sense of panic and fear of the rat.
This encounter with the rat is almost presented as a battle scene. The words, “retreated”, “Bridgehead” and “trained” are all used to indicate the feeling of a battle. This theme may reflect Heaney’s life as he lived in the time of the Irish Civil war. The poem may therefore have been affected by his childhood experiences of war.
Poem is about how we lose innocence. It is ambiguous and ironic - poet appears to endorse the view that "sentiments" displaced by "living" are "false", but ends with an unconvincing cliché: "Pests have to be kept down", and a cheap jeer at townies. In fact the young Heaney's reaction is the one the poet really approves.
The Poem recalls a particular incident (the "first" time Heaney, as a boy, witnessed the farmhand killing kittens) and how he (the poet) became used to this in time. Now, he writes, he has a similar indifference to the death of animals. Dan Taggart justifies action by suggesting the kitten have no values "scraggy wee shits" and adult Heaney does the same, even swearing like Dan Taggart "bloody pups". We see older person try to deceive child to protect him from his compassion ("Sure isn't it better for them now?" - but the child is not convinced).