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Hasan Palejwala Miss Parsons English A1 13th October 2010

Commentary on Seamus Heaney s Blackberry-picking Blackberry-picking was written by Seamus Heaney and it addresses the theme of childhood innocence. Heaney uses a number of literary features in order to create a contrast between Heaney s perception of the world as a child, and his new perception as he begins to grow up. The poem takes place in a rural setting reflecting Heaney s upbringing as many of his early poems were inspired from memories of his childhood. The poem begins with Heaney going blackberry picking. He is optimistic and see s the world as his playground. However in the second stanza of the poem, the apparent flawlessness of the world he lives in is exposed as the blueberries he picked are taken over by fungus and they go sour. The poem can be seen as an extended metaphorrepresenting growing up

The poem is broken up into two stanzas, with the first being twice as long as the second. The structure of the poem is very important, as the two stanzas represent the two stages of Heaney s childhood. The first stanza, which is written from the perspective of a child, appears to have a happy atmosphere with the first sentence including the phrase For a full week, the blackberries

would ripen. (Heaney, line 2) The imagery of blackberries ripening reflects summer and connotes prosperity and hope. Moreover, the diction used within the stanza is indicative of a child s perspective, further reinforces the happy atmosphere. Heaney writes Until the cans were full, /until the tinkling bottom had been covered/with green ones, and on top big dark purple blobs (1214). The use of the words tinkling and blobs, indicate the childish nature of the narrator with their playful sound. Whilst the general tone of the first stanza is happy, the atmosphere changes drastically upon entering the second stanza with the opening line being we hoarded the fresh berries in the byre (17). The use of the word hoarded, remove any childish connection to the author as the connotations of hoarded infer manual labor and scarcity. Moreover the once glossy purple (3) blackberries of the first stanza are now described as covered in a rat-grey fungus (19) which creates an image of an uncleanly environment furthering the removal of the poet from any association with childishness and creates a dingy atmosphere, reflecting unhappiness. This is enhanced by the image of a byre in which the activities are taking place. Furthermore, the length of the stanzas is also important, as they may be an indication as to how the poet values each of these times in his life. The first stanza is filled with details and lists such as Round hayfields,

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cornfields and potato-drill/We trekked (11-12) and Then red ones inked up and that hunger/sent us out with milk cans, pea tins, jam-pots (8-9). This illustrates to the reader that as a child, Heaney was more aware of the world and enthusiastic towards his surroundings. The second stanza is much shorter as the poet no longer observes the beauty he used to; or rather he observes the flaws in it that he was blind to in his youth. This stanza is missing the longwinded sentences of the first stanza, and they are replaced with short vulgar sentences such as A rat-grey fungus, Glutting on our cache (19) and The juice was stinking too (20). Although in this memory, Heaney was still a child, he is looking at it this memory from his grown up perspective, and he acknowledges the foolishness of his youth, however it is a foolishness he wishes to return to, which is indicated in the closing line of the poem Each year I hopes they d keep, knew they would not (24). Here he is referring to the blackberries, as he acknowledges that nothing can last. In this sense the blackberries are a metaphor for growing up, as they are beautiful in the beginning, however as time goes on, they become rotten and their flaws are exposed as the sweet flesh would turn sour (21). Heaney s wish that the blackberries would stay is his cry to the universe to return him to that point in his life when he was truly innocent. This could also be an allusion to the death of his younger brother, which was a momentous turning point in his life. The death of his brother an innocent opened Heaney s eyes to the unforgiving nature of the world and he lost his innocence.

Despite the seemingly happy tone of the first stanza, Heaney uses similes and metaphors in order to allude to the negative aspects of everything he saw as beautiful as a child. When describing the blackberries, Heaney writes its flesh was sweet/Like thickened wine: summers blood (5-6). Here, Heaney us comparing the juice of the blackberry to blood, which creates a vulgar image. Furthermore, the connotations of the word flesh add to this imagery. Moreover, Heaney continues to describe the blackberries as burned/like a plate of eyes. (14-15) . By doing this Heaney is adding to vulgar imagery and he creates an almost gothic atmosphere. Lastly, while Heaney describes the process of picking the blackberries he writes our palms sticky as Bluebeard s (16). Here, Heaney is referring to Bluebeard, the pirate and murderer, further implying that the blackberry juice is like blood on their hands. Heaney uses metaphors to create this imagery as it is subtle, and a child would be oblivious to them, however when he looks back as an adult he realizes all the negative aspects of his childhood.

Throughout this poem Heaney utilizes many literary features in order to create a number of emotions within the reader. He wants the reader to be able to see life how he used to see it and how he sees it now. This poem can be compared to Death of a Naturalist and Mid-Term Break ,

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both also by Heaney. Both these poems similarly deal with the idea of childhood innocence, with Mid-Term Break being especially moving as it is about the death of Heaney s younger brother. Blackberry picking looks at the flimsiness of perception in a way that both entertains the reader but also makes them question their own perceptions. Most importantly, Blackberry picking highlights the oblivious but wonderful time that childhood is, a time Heaney wishes he could return to.