Blackberry Picking Analysis

Throughout the poem, there are several examples of alliterations. The

alliterations Heaney uses help contribute to the rhythm of the poem. Alliterations are a

repetition of the same letter sound across several lines of text, which make them easy to

read, which gives them a flow. For example, when describing how the berries are kept

after being picked, Heaney uses the alliteration of, “filled we found a fur,” to describe the

fungus they found on the berries. This alliteration describes what the speaker sees and

does so in a way that flows nicely with the rhythm of the poem. There are several more

alliterations like this within the second stanza. These alliterations add details to the

picture that the author is trying to paint. By saying they “We found a fur,” instead of,

“We found a fungus,” the reader gets a better image of what that fungus looks like. The

author’s choice of words also helps to make reading this line smooth. Had this not been

an alliteration, the reader would have had to stop and pronounce each word individually

as they would have different letter sounds, affecting the rhythm of the poem.

Heaney’s use of allusion within the poem helps the reader to have a better

understanding of the scene by recalling thoughts from another piece of literature.

Although there is only one allusion, understanding it can really deepen the reader’s

understanding of what Heaney is describing. By definition, an allusion is an expression

which calls something from another text to mind without directly mentioning it. “Our

hands were peppered with thorn pricks, our palms sticky as Bluebeard’s,” is an allusion

that describes the speaker’s hands after picking blackberries. Allusions like this one can

be difficult to pick up on, if the reader doesn’t have any prior knowledge on Bluebeard.

With a little research, a reader will quickly learn that Bluebeard is a serial killer who is
notorious for killing his wives. With this knowledge, the reader is able to relate the

image of having sticky hands from picking blackberries, to a serial killer’s sticky hands

covered in blood. The effect of this allusion gives very violent qualities to an activity that

is supposed to be fun and peaceful. The comparison of these completely opposing

qualities are only possible by the use of an allusion.

Metaphors can be found throughout the poem. They are used to describe an

object or action in an untrue way, stating that one thing is another. However, out of all

the metaphors, “you ate that first one and its flesh was sweet like thickened wine:

summer’s blood was in it,” creates an affect unlike the rest. In this instance, the speaker

is describing the taste of the freshly picked ripened blackberries. Here, the metaphor is

summer’s blood. This is a metaphor since it compares the action of eating the berries

and someone saying that summer’s blood is in it. Summer’s blood is not an actual thing,

therefore this phrase’s only purpose is to help the reader understand how ripe the

berries are. Because the poem takes place in the summer season, the blackberries are

ripe. When eating a very ripe berry, one may say its texture is like that of thickened

wine. Blood, like wine, can be thick. Therefore, someone describing the thick texture of

blood and ripeness of a blackberry in the summer, may say that “summer’s blood is in

it.”