Other cultures poetry - "I think childhood is, generally speaking a preparation for disappointment." How does Seamus Heaney prove this in the poems 'death of a naturalist' and 'blackberry picking'?

Felix Hughes 10o

Other cultures poetry coursework assignment

“I think childhood is, generally speaking a preparation for disappointment.” How does Seamus Heaney prove this in the poems ‘death of a naturalist’ and ‘blackberry picking’?

Both these poems deal with a Childs experience of nature, they both start with encouragement, and fun, and one experience changes that Childs interest. Both poems begin with excitement, which then leads to disappointment and fear. I agree with Seamus Heaney’s statement because he uses the end point as a preparation for fear and disappointment.

The structure of the poem is similar to the idea of childhood. Both poems are laid out in a clear two-part structure. In both poems the first verse concentrates on the Childs interest in the subject before the event, and the second verse concentrates on the disappointment and fear of that event. Both poems are written in iambic pentameter and blackberry picking has half rhyming couplets.

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In both poems Heaney begins with the child enthusiasm. In death of a naturalist, heaney uses onomatopoeic words to exited the reader, there is a positive description of the child collecting frogspawn, ‘I would collect jarfuls of jellied specks.’ jellied specks is describing what the frogspawn would look like. In blackberry picking the writer uses colour to give the reader a sense of being there, ‘red, green, hard as a knot…a glossy purple clot.’ He also uses a list to convey excitement of the child going to collect blackberries, ‘… with milk cans, peatins, jampots.’ He uses sensuous words like ‘sweet… lust for picking…sticky.’ These words are to give you a sensuous felling and let the reader see what Seamus Heaney means when he describes the blackberries.

Both poems change their mood in the second verses. They both lead from happiness and enthusiasm to disappointment and fear.

Heaney uses a lot of military terms to give the reader a sense of order. He also uses many onomatopoeic words like,’ clap, plop, clutch, pulsed, and croaked.’ Shocking language is also used to make the reader aware of the threat the frogs pose on the character.

Seamus Heaney uses language to convey a message to the reader. In the last line of blackberry picking, there is a detached adult voice saying ‘each year I hoped they’d keep, knew they would not.’ This is not the type of language a child would use.

Both poems are from a Childs point of view. I know this because the poet uses a list in blackberry picking. In death of a naturalist, a child is speaking when he innocently misunderstood the frogs.

Therefore I agree with Seamus Heaney statement, both poems stand as metaphors for life. The message in blackberry picking is even though you know it will not happen, you still hope, and in death of a naturalist the message is no matter how much interest you have, it will run out in time.