The mood in stanza one is joyful and also playful: “We trekked and picked,” “Where briars scratched and wet grass stained our boots.” A childlike picture is created by the phrase “Among others red, green hard as a knot.” This vibrant and vivid description is like a child’s description. However, the use of the word “lust” demonstrates that adulthood is continuously sneaking up on childhood, because lust is it not a childlike feeling. The mood slowly changes because of words and phrases suggestive of adult emotions. Towards the end of the first stanza the mood becomes gluttonous and ominous. The use of similes, such as “like a plate of eyes,” suggests that adulthood is watching you. In stanza two the mood is somber and gloomy. There is no immediate change in mood from stanza one to stanza two, because the ending of stanza one is also quite oppressive and negative. It says “we hoarded” which is antithetical to “picked” as we are told in the first stanza. This is more of a selfish and greedy attitude. Heaney writes “A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache.” This image is dull and gloomy, and further contrasted to the colours in stanza one. It tells us that adulthood is grey and mundane.
In this poem the tone is gradually modified. Initially hopeful and apprehensive, it slowly changes to sadness and there is also anger in the tone of voice: “It wasn’t fair.” By the last line the tone suggests disappointment. This is just like the message conveyed in the poem: in childhood we are hopeful for the future, but by the time it comes to adulthood we already know it isn’t going to be that great. Finally when we are adults, we are dissatisfied and down-hearted by the reality we face.
In my opinion “Blackberry Picking” is very effective in terms of language and tone. It delivers an important message. Although it is difficult to understand at first, it is an amazingly descriptive poem, and demonstrates the harsh reality of adult life.
Similar to “Blackberry Picking,” “Death of a Naturalist” is also about childhood and adulthood. For Heaney “Death of a Naturalist” is the death of innocence and childhood. It is the birth of a poet, and the beginning of adulthood. Like “Blackberry Picking,” it is an extended metaphor. The first stanza represents childhood and the second stanza represents adulthood.
The poem is written from the perspective of an adult, a reflection on a childhood experience, like “Blackberry Picking.” There are infantile descriptions in the poems: “the mammy frog laid hundreds of little eggs.” Here we see simplicity and innocence. Just like how a child would describe the incident. Heaney brings purity to the poem by these descriptions. It is effective and we see how innocent and pleasant life is as a child.
Alliteration is used efficaciously to create a sense of monotony: “On shelves at school, and wait and watch.” This repetitiveness is quite comforting to the reader. In stanza two however, alliteration is noted by the constanant C, which is hoarse and forceful, just like the verse itself. Heaney changes what is a simple and a natural event, into something sinister and intimidating. He uses onomatopoeia to make child-like, and also war-like, ideas much more realistic. “Bubbles gargled” is both friendly and pure. Conversely “slap and plop” is uncouth and pugnacious. In stanza two he says “pulsed like sails.” This simile illustrates to us what the frogs are like to him. Heaney’s use of language in this poem is little clearer than in “Blackberry Picking.” It is not easy to grasp, nevertheless exceptionally effective, even at first glance.
In the opening stanza Heaney uses simple and child-like imagery: “Bubbles gargled delicately.” This is soft and pleasant. The words “warm thick slobber,” are also very innocuous. They are comforting and affectionate. But a change is noticeable in stanza two, the imagery is now war-like. Words like “Invaded,” “cocked,” “mud grenades,” “vengeance,” are suggestive of war and weaponry. Even so they are effective in showing the fears and emotions in the mind of the young boy. The descriptions show the threat of adulthood, it is a threat very important to Heaney, as it is continuously mentioned.
Heaney uses an informal tone in this poem, witnessed by his use of childlike phrases: “daddy frog” also, “mammy frog”. This comfortable tone personalises the incidence to Heaney. The mood in stanza one is playful, but not necessarily inviting. There are intrusions of adulthood in this stanza, like “flax had rotted there, weighted down.” This is almost a claustrophobic description. There is frequent mentioning of rotting: “festered,” “rotted,” suggesting the decay of childhood. in stanza two the child-like atmosphere disappears and it is now daunting and violent, emphasised by the war-like imagery. We see the loss of innocence here both mood and tone are menacing and unwelcoming. Heaney does this to warn us against adulthood. He wants us to be on guard and not like him who “sickened, turned and ran”. In the second stanza it is as if Heaney believed the frogs were conspiring against him. This feeling is made because of Heaney’s insecurity. His fear of adulthood is triggered off here, and is represented by the frogs.
The poem has uneven lines and no particular rhythm or rhyming pattern. Heaney does this because he wants us to pay attention to the message conveyed. Frequently lines roll into one another. This gives the effect of time running on continuously. There are two lengthy stanzas in this poem, almost like a story.
In “Blackberry Picking,” we are informed that we should have low expectations of adulthood, so we will not be disappointed. However the message in “Death of a Naturalist” is not so simple. Heaney firstly makes us aware of the harsh existence of adulthood, and how disturbing it was for him. By the knowledge of this experience we are warned against adulthood. We acknowledge that adulthood is daunting and a foreboding event.
“The Barn” is also set during Heaney’s childhood. This event takes place in a barn, most likely at the family farm, Mossbawn. As an adult the dark and dusty barn, now reminds the poet of the hardships in adulthood. It is a metaphor for adulthood: a place of danger and doubts. It demonstrates Heaney’s fear of the adult world. He recalls the frightening images he saw as a child. He let his imagination run away as a child. Here he sees the barn as engulfing and intimidating.
In this poem Heaney describes everything through the eyes of a child, but the mind of a poet. For example, to a child the floor is grey, but to the experienced poetic mind it is “mouse-grey.” This symbolises the dullness of adulthood. It is very plain, and tedious. This description reminds us of “a rat-grey fungus” in “Blackberry Picking.” It also suggests that adulthood is recurring. Other examples of poetic language can be seen throughout the poem: “The musty dark hoarded an armoury of farmyard implements.” Although Heaney was familiar with these simple farmyard tools, (“harness, plough socks,”) he makes them seem much more sinister, especially since they were actually used as implements of war in Irish history. He creates an ominous atmosphere by using words like “hoarded” and “armoury.” The word “hoarded” was also used in “Blackberry Picking,” “we hoarded the fresh berries.” This word conveys the idea of greed and selfishness. We also see the recurring nature of maturity again, like the descriptions “mouse-grey” and “rat-grey.”
Heaney uses similes such as “like grit of ivory,” and “solid as cement,” both suggesting very inflexible and rough textures. They also suggest bleakness and chill, whereas the simile “like an oven” suggests warmth, demonstrating ambiguity. Another example of his uncertainty is “you felt cobwebs clogging up your lungs / And scuttled fast into the sunlit yard.” Here it appears to be claustrophobic, but all too soon it appears to be fine: “sunlit yard.” There is always the feeling of enclosure in this poem. No escape, no way out. The only other signs of life are the bats: dark and sinister creatures.
“No windows, just two narrow shafts,” “the dark gulfed like a roof space.” These are examples of the claustrophobia of the barn. How sheltered and remote it is from any sign of happiness. It appears that the barn is a place far from optimism and pleasure. It is shady and murky. All this is a metaphor for adult life. We are alone in adulthood. It is dangerous and dark. Adulthood is boring and monotonous too.
There is a sinister tone to the poem. It is almost chilling. What seems to be a normal place is now frightening and creepy. It transforms a normal farmyard barn into an adult apparition, full of doom and insecurity. It is distorted into a horrifying place, we are frightened of it and its possessions. This is similar to “Death of a Naturalist” where a natural event is twisted into a violent and uncontrollably fearsome incident.
This poem suggests that we must protect ourselves (“armoury”) from other people and dangers we face as adults. We face being taken over by the force of greed and power. As children we have protection from adults, but who will shelter us in adulthood? No-one, we must fend for oursleves, the security we once had as children quickly evaporates leaving us isolated without hope or comfort. “Mouse-grey,” “solid as cement” and “chilly concrete” are all suggestive of the discomfort ahead.
Overall the poem describes the negative side to adultery, monotonous, boring, defensive, greedy and engulfing. Heaney drags out all of the aspects we loathe most about being an adult. Then he places them in an intimidating setting, through a child’s perspective and allows us to interpret the experience for ourselves.
Heaney presents a generally pessimistic, almost fatalistic view of adult life. His poems illustrate dangers and isolation vivid in adult life, in contrast to the dependence we rely on in childhood. They explain to us the dramatic change from innocence and purity as infants to corruption and voracity in adulthood. The poems are used to convey young Heaney’s insecurities and uncertainties, coupled with a faint progression through the conclusion of each of the poems: something has been learned or achieved. What more can one hope for from these significant childhood incidences?
