Transformations

Prompt: Seamus Heaney's poetry is primarily focused on transformations

Critique 1
Within his poetry Heaney comments on the transformative nature of love, identity and life. The transformative value can be described as a force-of-nature, Heaney often presents this transformative quality (whether it be death, coming of age or love) as being necessary in establishing growth and refinement. Heaney often presents a shift in time, place or perspective to symbolise this transformative quality. Often this shift will be juxtaposed by a constant and through drawing on this comparison Heaney is able to draw on change and growth evident within his poetry. In ‘Death of a Naturalist’ the reader is confronted with the change of the subject highlighted by the change facilitated ‘in rain.’ Heaney is able to play on the transformative qualities of rain, alluding to the potential for growth and luminance. The shortened line ‘in rain’ runs in opposition to the rest of the poem. It plays on the rhythm sound of the poem and its consistency. The line signals a change in the awareness of the speaker, yet a consistency of place. The reader becomes aware of the dangers of nature and loses his whimsical fascination. The ‘death’ the poem alludes to is his coming of age and awareness of the wider dangers within the world.