With close reference to at least two poems, discuss Seamus Heaney's presentation of his childhood in Ireland.

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Anna Bowman

With close reference to at least two poems, discuss Seamus Heaney's presentation of his childhood in Ireland.

Death of a Naturalist is about where Heaney played as a child and how he reflects back on it as an adult. Early purges has a similar theme except it is set on a farmyard and is more domestic. Both poems tell a tale of the death of an aspect of Heaney's childhood.

Death of A Naturalist is set in an area called the flax-dam. This is an area surrounding a pond where amongst other plants; cotton plants (flax) grew. Heaney expresses his feelings and thoughts about the Flax-dam with two different voices. The voice of Heaney as an adult is shown when he uses more sophisticated language and polysyllabic words,

"...festered..." and "...sweltered..."

These are two examples of words, which would be so mature for a child to use. As Heaney comes into using the second voice he simplifies his language to that of a child.

"But best of all was the warm thick slobber of frogs spawn that grew like clotted water."

This simile is very strong and describes the way that a child may see frogs spawn and so shows that Heaney is looking back through the eyes of a child.

"...like clotted water..."

Heaney describes the Flax-dam as,

"festered" and "heavy-headed" this creates an image of dirt and danger, in his childhood. He also describes the sun as,

"...the punishing sun..."

This is a dramatic use of pathetic fallacy, which adds an unusual twist to the poem because the sun is usually associated with beauty and life bringing issues, but in Heaney's poem the sun is causing death and decay. This creates a sense of uncertainty. Although the flax-dam is described in this way, in the first stanza there is still a sense of innocence and unawareness.

Both poems have an irregular rhythm, which also creates a sense of uncertainty and unpredictability. Heaney used this unpredictability because at the time (and in parts still is) Ireland was a very dangerous place because of the war that was taking place. Heaney portrays this war image into his poem. The two poems are similar in the way that they both have imagery that suggest life in Ireland was closely linked to war and was at times very difficult. Heaney's use of very strong war imagery in the second stanza of 'Death of a Naturalist' shows us this,
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"I ducked through hedges"

This gives us an image of a soldier running through the bushes trying not to be seen. Words such as,

"invaded" and "rank"

are also used to give the same effect of war. Heaney uses the word rank as a pun. It has two different meanings, smelly and rotten or a rank in the army. Both are images that Heaney includes in his poem frequently. This pun shows us to different aspects if the world Heaney grew up in. They both are linked with danger, the unclean area, which ...

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