The Underground

Seamus Heaney

VAULTED TUNNEL of the underground

GOING AWAY COAT

AND ME, ME THEN LIKE A FLEET GOD GAINING UPON YOU BEFORE YOU TURNED TO A REED

One Greek myth tells of the Greek God Pan chasing a nymph Syrinx through the fields in an effort to have sex with her. The other gods saved Syrinx by turning her into a reed.

A RED STAIN ON THE WHITE COAT IS A REMINDER OF THE ENDING OF VIRGINITY

AS THEY RUSH THE BUTTONS FALL OFF THE COAT AND LEAVE A TRAIL BEHIND THEM BETWEEN THE UNDERGROUND AND THE Royal ALBERT HALL

THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL THE COUPLES DESTINATION FOR A CONCERT THE PROMS

HONEYMOONING, MOONING

AROUND

And now...

The speaker compares himself to Hansel who found his way out of the woods by following stones he had dropped in a trail

The speaker retraces his path by following the buttons back to the station

To end up in a draughty lamplit station After the trains have gone, the wet track bared and tensed as I am

The speaker is possibly feeling more vulnerable, maybemore alone, not as close to his wife as he was in the period of their honeymoon

...as I am, all attention For your step following and damned if I look back.

The speaker is wondering is his wife still there, is she still close to him? Does she still love him as much? This tells us that now while he still loves his wife he is not sure if her love is the same as his and if their love is now as it was at the when they were on their honeymoon.

THEME LOVE LOVE CHANGING IN MARRAIGE FROM THE LUSTFUL HEADY LOVE OF THE HONEYMOON TO THE MATURE LOVE EXPERIENCE LATER IN MARRAIGE AND THE POSSIBLE UNCERTAINITIES THIS BRINGS TO THE SPEAKER