Heaney's Use of Childhood Memories in The Death Of A Naturalist

Heaney's Use of Childhood Memories in The Death Of A Naturalist

Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet who was born in April 1939 and still

lives today. Seamus Heaney was a very bright boy who as a country boy

attended local primary schools and colleges to gain scholarships at

Colleges. At college Heaney was taught Latin and Irish and moved on to

Queens University in Belfast. In the course of his career Seamus

Heaney has always contributed to the promotions of artistic and

educational causes both in Ireland and abroad.

Heaney’s poems are all about childhood. The have the theme of childish

adventures. ‘Blackberry Picking’ is at one level about picking

blackberries and all the fun that goes with them. Yet, as there is to

all the poems, there are many hidden meanings. In general, all the

poems are about growing up and leaving the past behind. They go

through many of the feelings that are felt during this period of time.

He also has many other poems such as ‘Death Of A Naturalist’,

‘Mid-term Break’ and ‘Digging’. This essay discusses the ways that the

poet Heaney has used his childhood experiences to create this

collection of poems.

‘Mid-Term Break’ is an incredibly sad poem. It is basically about a

little boy, who was actually Seamus Heaney's brother, who was sadly

killed by a speeding car. Seamus Heaney describes in the poem of what

he did that day when he's younger brother was killed. The stanza

begins with the "morning" in line one, but it is two o'clock in line

three, showing that many hours have passed in waiting. Enjambment is

used to link one part of the poem to the next. For example, it says

‘hands’ then a space, then ‘And tell…’...

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...row up, he then

finds himself scared of them. As now he has developed a kind of

conscience and has obviously been taught to fear the unknown. In depth

it may mean that he has been shocked by some of the changes in his

life, yet they have been for the best.

Looking at the poems, I have learnt that Seamus Heaney's poems can be

very meaningful and in depth. You could have so many ideas of what the

poem is suggesting, which makes you think what’s happening, and what

the poem is all about. Heaney has used his memories to produce the

poems. He uses them as a kind of diary and a list of his reflections.

It is very autobiographical and can be read as quite personal. He has

lost his innocence in life, and gained knowledge, it shows that you

learn from experience. Everyone grows up, and these poems show the

stages of this.