The structure is divided to 3 parts of 5 stanzas, 3 stanzas and another 3 stanzas. Each stanza brings out something different…This brings out a great amount of enjambment which allows for the emphasis on some lines. The structure and lack of caesura and rhyme scheme also gives the poem a less consistent flow and contributes to the distant, captivated, tone in the poem. The syntax used .. The alliteration..
The reader may find the themes of religion, earth and fertility surrounds the poem. Religion is shown very strongly by references to christianity and the way old rituals and beliefs are shown. References to chriistianity include the visual imagery of the tollund man having “his last gruel of winter seeds caked in his stomach”, this may be a reference to the last supper jesus had, it also shows the amount of detail heaney gets to. Another reference is the line “those dark juices working him to a saints kept body”, this showing the tollund man as an idea of holyness and perfection. The references in the second part of the poem, showing how heaney considers risking blasphemy (“could”, showing he might not), but knows that it would be considered such as doing something like witchcraft which is considered sinful, this further brings out the strenght of religion and custom beliefs during that time. He tries to show how those old beliefs are still present in Ireland by the story of the 4 young brothers, the tone then becomes more harsh. The four young brothers were scapegoats the same way the Tollund man was, this showing the relation of Jutland had to Ireland. The four brothers were killed and their blood was left, the evidence being the “tell tale skin and teeth”. There was a civil war between the catholics and protestants in Ireland and this is brought out. (how? Elaborate? ) The perception of religion to heaney is also brought out through his description of Jutland being “the old man killing parishes” which shows how a place of holyness and religion, peace and love, instead is consists of killings. Heaneys sensitivity towards this is brought out in the last stanza especially. He feels “lost, unhappy and at home”. This being the main paradox of the poem, it is a sentimental line and it is indeed ironic that he feels unhappy being at home. He feels somehow, isolated from his own country and lonely. This is shown by how he lists the names of bodies that were found and feels a sense of “sad freedom” which is an oxymoron that shows how the speaker feels.
Another theme found is nature. There are many earthly elements found. For example, the visual imagery of the “peat brown head”, this showing how closely inclined Heaney, being brought up in Ireland, was to nature and how it is important in Jutland just as it was in Ireland.
The theme of fertility is also brought out in the poem. Heaney uses references such as “bridegroom to the goddess”, and “she tightened her torc on him and opened her fen”, the sexual imagery used is a sin to holliness.
Heaney adress’s the problem and is fully aware of it in Ireland, however does not come up with a solution or stand up to it. He does not talk about what he will do to make things better. However, he does bring attention the tollund man and its importance. The tollund man evokes feelings in Heaney and the readers as well, it was an innocent victim of religion.