Seamus Heaney - Rural Life.

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Seamus Heaney

Rural Life.

Rural life in Ireland during the 1940’s was based on the old traditions of simple, hard working people, who had no choice but to toil for long hours on the land. They were a community that worked and played together. There was not a lot of money to be had, and whatever little income came into the household would be accounted for. If anything were to hinder that, it had to be dealt with. This included disposing of cats and dogs that would regularly appear around the farm. This way of life is alien too many townsfolk, who are quick to criticise what they consider as acts of cruelty.    

In the poem The Early Purges, Heaney’s description of the kittens scraping the sides of the tin bucket paints a vivid scene of living creatures being intentionally put to their death. Kittens, which we, would generally consider to be fluffy, loveable, balls of fun, to the farmer are no more than pests. His use of slang when describing “ the scraggy wee shits “ gives an immediate impression of lack of feeling and cruelty towards animals. Rural life dictates that pests need to be controlled. Kittens are no exception to that rule. They fall into the same category as rats, rabbits and crows. The farmer considers all of them pests. If the kittens had been allowed to live, they would need to be fed. To the farmer this is an additional financial burden, no matter how small, that he does not need. He will not make any money from keeping kittens around.

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His livelihood depends on the success of his crops and livestock.

“ But on well- run farms pests have to be kept down “ His money must be spent wisely.

It is very difficult for me to imagine any six year old child, not only witnessing the kittens being drowned, but also to see their remains lying in a field to “ turn mealy and crisp as old summer dung “. This metaphor makes you visualise the small decaying bodies rotting away in the sun. We know that although Heaney is affected by this episode in his young life, we ...

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