There are a variety of alliterations and assonances used in the poem Death of a Naturalist. For example the opening line of the poem is a combination of both assonance as well as alliteration, “All year the flax-dam festered in the heart” it instantly starts to create the atmosphere of decay. The reader will get he sense of dying form the very start. Which is interesting as it sets the mood for the entire poem. Through out the poem many other phrases are used which appeals to the readers senses. For example, “daily it sweltered in the punishing sun” gives the reader the impression of the hot weather that causes the decay. The statement is a personification of the oppressiveness of the sun. These descriptions do not seem to trouble the young boy in the first stanza, but it definitely foreshadows as to what is yet to come in the poem. However not all imagery present in the poem are vile, there are imagery created in the poem that have a more gentler approach. For example the line “ Bubbles gargled delicately” creates a gentler image focusing on the sense of sound. It portrays the bubbles as sensual things, which catches the reader’s attention and set a more relaxing tone and feeling to the poem.
Heaney uses a wide range on onomatopoeia throughout the poem to appeal to the sound part of the senses. Word such as slobber, pop, slap crocked and fating portrays the realism of how the flax dam is. This helps the reader to visualize the flax dam, as most readers might not be aware of what a flax dam is. The word slobber is an interesting choice of onomatopoeia as it effectively conveys the boy’s relish for the world around him. Onomatopoeic use of words such as “clotted” and “jellied” shows how the persona vied the natural world. Also how he compared frogspawn to cream and jam, some thing that could be touched and enjoyed. Onomatopoeia is used to describe the nature and the surrounding a lot in the first stanza of the poem. In the second stanza onomatopoeic is used It is also used to illustrate the uncertainty that is going through the persona’s mind. Sibilant words are also used in the poem. This appeals to the sense of sound as the reader examines the poem.
Diction used in the poem s definitely carefully thought out. Heaney has chosen diction that connects the reader with the emotions of the persona in the poem. Use of Harsh words is a common theme through out the poem. For example the diction used in the poem includes: “slap”, “ slime”, “sod”, “spawn” exemplifies the uncertainty as well as the tension the persona’s under going. In the first stanza the diction is also relatively childish, such as “mammy frog” and “daddy frog”. The last two-word line suggests that it is the end of a period of innocence and foreshadows a change in the next stanza. Diction used in the first stanza suggests the profusion of life and immatureness, where as the tone changes dramatically in the second stanza. The sounds are no longer gargling but rather “ coarse”, “ brass”, and “ farting”. Heaney uses much harsher words to indicate how the nature is viewed by the persona. As Heaney approached he heard a 'coarse croaking' that was a new sound in that setting; he uses the metaphor 'The air was thick with a bass chorus' to describe how the sound filled the place. Frogs are everywhere and they are ugly, 'gross-bellied'. Through this selection of diction the reader can understand that the persona is no longer inspired and curious to learn about nature, but rather threatened by its existence. This is further shown by the use of words “ mud granite” which sets a more threatening tone. Introducing threatening weapons is an interesting choice as it definitely gives the effect of danger the persona’s feeling.
In conclusion the poem recreates and examines the moment of a young boy questioning if life is really what it seems. This experience has transformed the boy’s view on nature but on a much deeper level perception of the world and life. He understand as he grows mature that it is no longer a place for unquestioning sensuous delight, but it a dynamic world on uncertainty. Thee poem centers on the idea of childhood memories that begin as innocent, pleasurable experiences rooted in nature but ends with disillusion. Heaney addresses all possible senses of the reader through out the poem by using effective imagery techniques. Heaney uses other literary devices to re create these imagery that awaken the senses of the reader. Heaney addresses the issue that though admiration and enjoyment play a huge role in our life experiences, perhaps there is more to what we feel and see. That the innocence of childhood and the wonders of nature are in fact transient, and disappointment is inevitable and has to be confronted. Through effective use of diction, Heaney builds up a convincing account of a childhood experience that deals with excitement, pain and confusion of growing up.
