Seamus Heaney Review

'''SEAMUS HEANEY, ANALYSIS (THE SWING, DEATH OF A NATURALIST, THE TOLLUND MAN)'''

“We all learned one by one to go sky high.”

Seamus Heaney’s poetry excavates his past. Certain events infiltrate his poetry and allows him to reflect upon his once naïve self and those who influenced him when he was young. Furthermore Heaney digs into history and others who are expertise in their profession, allowing him to have a decisive moral and ethical view point which is expressed throughout his poetry.

Heaney disapproves of violence and needless death. Throughout his poetry Heaney emanates a frustrated tone at those who allow such violence to occur. His poem  The Tollund Man  expresses disgust at unceremonious death, caused by violence and potentially in the name of religion. Heaney uses the paradox of the man at “Aarhus” and his ritual meaningful death in juxtaposition with the horrific imagery of four brothers who skin is “flecking” along the rail lines. Heaney exonerates Tollund man’s death because it is meaningful, he is to be the “bridegroom” to the “goddess.” He also asserts that religion approves of this death as Tollund man’s body becomes a “saint’s kept body” perfectly preserved. Heaney uses the metaphor of Tollund man carrying seeds and “pods” to nourish the earth and the goddess, the act of his sacrifice becomes somewhat of a sexual union as the goddess “fen” becomes potentially genitalia and her “dark juices” become bodily fluid. Heaney applauds meaningful death however he deplores mass death and even attacks the church labelling it as a “man-killing parish.” Similarly in The Swing Heaney looks at the death caused by “Hiroshima.” Heaney studies the death caused by man’s need for violence and he deplores it through the imagery of the bomb making “light of bones.” Heaney detests such violence and illustrates meaningful death in comparison to demonstrate the need to eradicate such magnitude of losses.

Heaney refers back to his past to inform his present thought process and poetry. In minute detail he recalls aspects of his childhood, his naivety and his growth. Heaney’s poem  The Swing  reflects on his mother’s sacrifice to teach her children how to reach “sky high.” He explores his mother’s expenses, believing that she lived her “life” with a level of fortitude. However Heaney appeared to believe that she was not “meant for” that life. The admiration of his mother is evident throughout the poem and he clearly admires her for teaching him liberation, growth and the ability to sail “beyond” one’s self. The back and forth motion of the swing is mimicked and becomes the metronome of the poem. In contrast Heaney’s poem the  Death of a Naturalist  has a humoristic tone as opposed to the somewhat remorseful and thankful tone in  The Swing. This particular poem excavates Heaney’s childhood and the moment when he realised that the “cocked” frogs were in fact taking part in a sexual act. Heaney illustrates his younger self as one who loves the “thick slobber” of “frogspawn” and onomatopoeically he discusses his admiration of the “bubbles” that “gargle.” Further on when Heaney matures and similarly the “tadpoles” grow into “gross-bellied frogs” he realises his dispassion for the amphibians. Heaney’s ability to laugh at his former self and the time when he decided that biology wasn’t for him, creates a more light hearted tone, much different from most of his other poetry. Heaney’s ability to look back on his past in minute detail informs his current poetry.

Heaney uses the medium of those who have expertise in their field and mimics his own expertise in his writing. Heaney not only reflects back on Tollund man and his meaningful death in  The Tollund Man  but others who were sacrificed. Heaney uses the tri colon of three other men who were unearthed when Tollund man was “Tollund, Grauballe, Nebelgard.” Heaney’s thorough knowledge of past events and these people lends authority to his poetry. Similarly in  The Swing  Heaney looks at the artists “Fragonard… Brueghel… and… Hans Memling.” Equally he explores his mother’s expertise and the ability to capture moments as Heaney does through the medium of poetry. Heaney also uses the device of religion exploring the effect of a “soul” rising and “Nativity” scenes. Heaney’s admiration of these individuals is reiterated through him looking up to his teacher “Miss Walls” who gives the class an elemental biology lesson. Heaney learns from experts as reflected in much of his other poetry which allows Heaney to appear more authoritative.

Heaney’s poetry excavates his own past and the historical past. He uses Tollund man as a device to explore meaningful death and juxtaposes it with the paradox of mass horrific death. Furthermore he uses anecdotal evidence from his past to inform his poetry and look at his mother’s influence on himself as a poet. He looks back on those who are experts in his field and aims to illustrate his own expertise through the medium of poetry.