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Seamus Heaney
A Study Guide | © Cian Hogan

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 1

Sea mus H eaney ( 19 39–2013)

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Sea mus Heaney was bo rn i n 1939 in th e tow n lan d of Mossbaw n , Coun ty

Der r y, i n North er n Ire land. B y t he m id -1 96 0s ,

hi s p oetr y wa s ap pear i ng re gul ar l y i n li te rar y

mag az in es . S in ce the n he ha s ach i eved w h at

c an o nl y b e d esc r ibed as a mete ori c r i se t o

f am e. In 1995 h e w o n th e No bel Pr i z e f or

Li t e ratu re an d i s no w wide ly regarded a s o ne

o f t h e leadi ng p oets o f h is gen eratio n a nd th e

greatest I ri sh p oet si nc e Yeats . Th e po em s o n

your course by Seamus Heaney are

rep resen tative of h is b od y o f wor k a s a w h o l e.

The y a re by t urns m y t h o l o g i c al a n d gro u n ded i n ever yday real i ty, ero t i c

a nd in n oce nt, r ural and c o s mopo li tan. Hean ey’s poetr y is, to bor row from

H aro l d B l o om, ‘ key ed and pi t c hed un li ke an y oth er sign ifican t poet at wo r k

i n th e la ngu age any whe re’. I n his Nobel Pr iz e acceptan ce speech , Hean ey

p ra is e d t he undi s pu t e d ac hi evement o f W.B. Yeats, w h ose w or k h e f el t

‘d o e s what t he ne c essary poetry always d o es, w h i c h i s to to u c h th e b ase o f

o u r s ym p ath et i c n atu re whi l e t aki ng i n at th e same time th e u n sympath et ic

n at ure of th e w or l d’. Thi s c oul d easily be read as an assessmen t of

H ean e y ’s o wn p oe tr y.

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Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 2
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A Con s tab le Call s

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H is b icy cle s to od at t he wi ndo w-si ll ,

The r u bb e r co wl o f a m u d - s p l a sh er

Sk irti ng t he f ro nt mudguard,

I t s f at b la ck h andl e gri ps

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H eat i ng in s unl i gh t, t he ‘ s pud‘ 5

Of t h e dy namo gl eami ng and c oc ked back ,

The p e d a l t reads han g i n g re l i e ved

Of t h e bo o t of t he l a w.

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H is cap w a s u ps i de d o wn

On t h e f loo r, next h i s c hai r. 10

The l i ne o f it s pres su re ra n l i ke a bevel

I n hi s s l ig ht l y s weat i ng hai r.

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H e h ad uns trapp ed

The h eav y l edge r, an d my f at h e r

Was mak i ng t i l l ag e returns 15

I n ac re s , roo ds , an d pe rc hes .

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A r it h m et ic and f ear.

I sat s ta r in g at th e po l i s he d ho lster

W it h it s b utt on ed f l a p, t he brai d co rd

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 3

Loo p e d i nto the re vo l v e r b u tt . 20

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‘A n y ot he r ro o t c ro ps ?

M a ngo l ds ? Mar row s t e ms ? A ny t hi ng l ike th at?’

‘N o.’ B ut was t he re no t a l i ne

Of t u rni ps w he re th e s e e d ran ou t

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I n t h e po t ato f i e l d? I as s ume d 25

Sma ll g ui lt s an d s at

I m a gi ni ng t he b l ack ho l e i n t he barracks.

H e st ood u p, s hi fte d t he bat o n-case

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Fa rt h e r ro und o n hi s bel t,

C l os ed t he d ome s da y bo o k, 30

Fi tt e d hi s cap bac k w i t h t w o h a nd s,

A n d lo o ke d at me as he s ai d goodbye.

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A s h a do w bo bbed i n t h e wi n d ow.

H e wa s sn app i ng th e c arri e r s prin g

Ov e r th e l e dg er. H i s bo o t pus hed off 35

A n d t he b i cy cl e t i cke d, t i c ke d, ti cked.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 4

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Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 5
1. Con ten t

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Sp eaki n g of h is se n se of identit y as a Cath olic in an inter v ie w wi th

Sea mus D eane, Heaney had t he fol lo wi n g to say:

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Po e t ry i s born out of t he wa te rmarks a nd colourings of th e se l f.

B ut t hat se lf in som e ways t akes its spiritua l pulse from th e

inward sp iri t ual st ruc t urin g of th e community to w h ich it be long s:

an d t h e c om mu n it y t o whic h I be long is C a th olic a nd Na tiona list. I

b el i ev e t ha t t he poet ’ s force now, a nd h ope fully in th e future , is

to m ai nta in the e ffic ac y of his ‘myth os’, h is ow n cultura l a nd

p o li ti c al c olou rin gs , rat her tha n to se rve a ny pa rticula r mome ntar y

st r a te g y an d hi s polit ic al lea de rs, h is pa ra milita ry orga nisa tion o r

hi s o wn lib eral s elf m ig ht want h im t o se rve . I th ink th a t poe try an d

p o li ti c s ar e , i n d ifferen t ways, a n a rticula tion, a n orde ring, a giv ing

fo r m t o i n c hoa t e piet ies, prejud ices, w orld-vie w s, or w h a te ve r. A nd I

th i nk t hat my own poet ry is a kind of slow , obstina te , pa pish burn ,

e m a na t in g from t he groun d I w as brou gh t up on.

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Certain l y it is d ifficu lt to read t h is poe m wit h ou t se nsing th e ‘papis h

b u r n’ of w hi c h Heaney s peaks . The po em open s w ith a depiction of th e

c on st abl e ’s b i ke th at s t o o d at th e ‘w in dow- s ill’ . W h i l e th ere i s n o thi n g

u nu su a l a bo ut any o f i t s c o mponent parts, it is difficu lt n ot to feel th at th i s

b i ke co ns ti t ute s a th reat . A gun c omes to min d w h en , in th e secon d stanz a ,

w e learn t hat th e ‘ “ spud” | Of the [bike ’s ] dyn amo’ was ‘cocke d back.’ A

s e ns e of t he c on s tab l e’s pres e nc e is c on veyed by th e bike’s pedal

trea ds , whi c h h ang ‘ reliev ed | O f the bo ot of th e law.’ I n t h e n ex t s t a n z a ,

fu rt he r i nf o rmat i on regardi ng t his man ’s ar r ival is provided.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 6

 So m et hin g o f t h e qu alit y of t h e welcome t h at t h is man has be en

a ffo rd e d i s c on ve ye d whe n we are to ld th at h is cap lay ‘u ps ide down | On

t h e f lo o r, nex t hi s cha ir ’. I n t h e fin a l c ouplet , Heaney intimates that the

c on st abl e i s a ph ys i c al l y unappeali ng m an . He is ‘sw eatin g’ an d th e lin e of

p res s ure o n h i s h ead c aus e d by the tigh tn ess of h is cap su ggests th at he is

o v e r we ig ht . A s t he c hi l d narrat or l oo ks on , th e con stable open s h is ledg e r

a nd hi s f ath er make s hi s re t urns i n i mper ial measu remen ts:

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He ha d unstra ppe d

The h eavy le dge r, and my fathe r

Was makin g t illage re t urns

In acres , roods , and perches .

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The o pe n ing l ine o f t h e n ext stan z a co n veys th e i n ten si ty o f th e sc e ne .

‘Fea r’ mi ngl e s wi th ‘ Ar it hmet ic’ a n d t h e i n f e re n c e s o f v i o l e n c e t h at w e re

s u gg e s te d b y t he c o ns t abl e ’s bike in th e previou s stan zas n ow become

o v e rt . Th e s peaker ’s att ent i o n i s drawn to th e ‘ polis h e d h ols te r ’ an d t h e

‘re v ol ve r b utt .’ I n th e next s t anza, th e speaker ’s apprehension leads him to

w o nde r i f h i s f ath er i s bei ng enti rely tru th fu l w h en h e an sw er s ‘No ’ to t h e

c on st abl e ’s q ues ti o ns c o nc erni ng ro ot c rops. His w or r y is h eigh ten ed as h e

b e g i ns t o f ret abo ut po s s i bl e impr iso n men t an d th e ‘ black h ole in t h e

b a r ra cks.’ O f c o ur s e , t he c o nstabl e does not take any action. He simpl y

c lo s es hi s ‘ d o me sd a y bo o k , ’ places h is ‘ cap’ on h is h ead an d looks at th e

s p ea ke r a s he s ays ‘go o dby e ’. I n th e fin al stanza, the constable’s shad ow

b o bs in th e w i ndo w as he pre pares to l eave. Th e closin g lin e of th e poe m,

w i th t h e t i ck i ng of t he c o ns t able’s bi ke as it moves in to th e distan ce, is

h i g h l y s u g g e s t i v e o f t h e m e n a c e t h a t h e re p re s e n t s i n t h e p o e t ’s

i m ag in at io n.

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Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 7
2. Sty l is t ic Featu re s

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Thi s po e m, wh ich fir st a ppeared i n t h e colle ct ion S in gin g S chool, i s

o n e o f s ix auto bi o graphi c al works th at detail Hean ey’s grow in g sen se o f

i d e nt i t y bo th as a po e t and a No rth ern Ir ish Cath olic. ‘A Con stable Calls ’ i s

hi s m os t o ve rt l y p o l i t i c al po em on the Leavin g Certificate syllabu s. Th e

p o lit ica l a g en da c an f i rs t be s e en i n th e poem’s title. Th e w ord ‘con s ta b le ’

i s h ig hl y su gg es ti v e o f B ri t i s h ru le. Th e poem recalls th e visit of an RUC

m an t o h is ho me i n o rde r t o c oll ect agr icu ltu ral statistics. Told pr in cip al ly

th ro ug h t he e ye s o f a c hi l d, t he reader is also made aw are of a secon d

v o ice . Alt ho ugh i t i s no t f ull y artic ul ated, th ere is a sen se of ad u lt

r e s e n t m e n t f o r t h e l a w . To b e g i n w i t h , t h e c o n s t a b l e ’ s b i k e i s

re pre se nt at ive of th e re p re s s i on th at th e po et assoc i ates w i th th e Ro y a l

U ls t e r Co ns tab ul ary. The ‘r ubbe r cow l’ an d ‘fat black h an dle grips ’ recall

th e bato ns and r ubber bul l ets th at w ere frequ en tly u sed by th e RU C

d u r in g th e Tro ubl e s . The as s oc iati on w ith violen ce is main tain ed in th e

d e s cri pt ion of th e ‘ dy na mo .’ The fact that it lies ‘ cocke d back ’ is strong l y

s u gg e s ti v e o f a g un t hat i s ready to fi re. S imilar ly, th e men tion of th e ‘ b oot

of th e la w’ b ri n gs t o mi nd th e jac k booted policin g th at w as ofte n

a ss oc i at ed w i th t he R U C . One of th e most in terestin g stylistic featu re s o f

th i s po e m i s t he ma nne r i n whi ch Hean ey man ages to in fer th e n atu re o f

th e d ee p- roo te d di v i de t hat exi sts betw een th e predomin an tly Protest an t

p o lic e f o rce and t he Cat ho l i c min or ity. Th e cacoph on ou s ‘g’, ‘s’ an d ‘ k’

s ou n ds o f th e f i rs t tw o s t anzas fu rth er ad d to th e u n der lyin g ten sion of th e

c on st abl e ’s v i s i t. Th e f ac t t hat th e po et ’s paren ts do n ot afford th e ma n

a ny th in g n ear i ng a h o s pi t abl e welc ome speaks volu mes abou t th e divisi on

th at exi s ts i n th i s s o c i e t y. Rath er th an take h is cap, as w ou ld n or m al ly

hap p e n w it h a v i s i to r, i t i s l eft on the gro u n d.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 8

 In th e s ec o n d m ov e me n t , Heaney allows th e ch ild’s v oice t o in tr ude.

The s e n se o f curi os i t y a n d wo nd er th at sh o u l d be a c h i l d’s reac ti on to th e

a rr i v al of a po l i ce man i s s uppl anted by appreh en sion an d palpa b le

te ns ion . Th e de s cr i pt i o n o f t he co nstab le w or ks to deh u man ise h im. L ike

hi s b ike , he i s de s cr i bed as s e ri es of separate compon en ts, redu cin g h i m

to l i tt l e more t han an ext ens i on o f h is job. Th e ‘u n iform ,’ the ‘polis h ed

h o ls t er ,’ th e ‘ ca p,’ ‘ bra id co rd ’ an d, more omin ou sly, th e ‘ re volve r b u tt ’

te ll u s n ot h i ng abo ut t hi s man himself except th at h e is a represen tative o f

th e la w.

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In th e e nd , he is a ‘ sha dow’ th at j eopardises th e secu re atmosphe re

o f h om e . Th e f act t hat he represents Br itish r u le is allu ded to in t h e

i m pe ri al m eas ureme nt s us e d by hi m to qu an tify th e far m’s retu r n s. Th e

‘a cres , roo d s, and p e rc h e s ’ a re mo re t h an j u st measu remen ts – th ey a re

c lear rem in de rs of B ri t i s h rul e an d th e H ean ey family’s place in th e soci al

hi e rarch y of North er n I re l and. Fu rth ermo re, th ere is an obviou s in con gr ui ty

b e t w e e n th e ro uti n e nat ure o f th e c on stable’s visit an d th e fact th at he i s

a rm e d. I t i s i nte res ti ng t hat t he enc ou n ter w ith th e con stable sh ou ld t ake

p l ac e o n a f ar m, e s pe c i al l y when on e con sider s th at so mu ch of th e

v i o le nc e an d t en s i on t hat has been part of Irelan d’s h istor y h as cen tred o n

th e st r u gg l e f o r l an d. One o f t he mo st u psettin g aspects of th e en cou nt er

w i th t he c on s tab l e i s t he manner i n w h ich it in volves th e emascu lation of

th e fat h er i n t he e y es o f t he so n. The you n g speaker sh ou ld n ever h av e

had t o w i tn es s h i s f at her ’s ‘ f ear’ that th e far m’s ‘ A rith me tic’ migh t n ot

s at is f y th e c on s tab l e ’s i ns pec t ion . In th e fou rth movemen t of th e poe m,

H ean e y al l ow s t he t e ns i o n t o mo un t. Th e speaker is complicit in h i s

fat h er ’s lie an d he i m agi ne s t hem bein g th row n in jail for n ot declar in g th e

tu r ni p patc h:

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[… ] I as s u me d

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 9

 Sm all gu ilt s an d s at

Imagin in g t h e black hole in t he barracks .

He s t ood u p, s h ifte d the bat on-case

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The re p e t it io n of the c o n s o n a n t sou n d s ‘ b’ an d ‘c k ’ rei n fo rc es th e sen se o f

d read t hat th i s i mag i ne d pl ac e creates.

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The fi fth mo v e me n t b r ings w ith it th e relief at th e const abl e’s

d e p artu re . Ho wev er, we are aff orded o n e last glimpse of th e ‘baton ca s e,

’t h e be lt’ and of co urs e t he ‘do mes day b o o k.’ The ‘S mall gu ilts’ of th e

p rev iou s st anza s ee m t o have pre-empted th e men tion of Doomsday. It is

ty pi c al of Heaney ’s po et ry t hat an al lu sion sh ou ld be so mu lti-layere d .

Tho ug h ts of gui lt a n d Do o ms da y a re n ot o n l y su ggesti ve of a Catho l i c

m i nds e t , bu t al s o h i nt at t he hi stor y of th e Br itish Empire. Th e Domes d ay

B oo k w a s co mmi s s i o ne d i n 1085 by Wi lliam th e Con qu eror, w h o in vad ed

En g lan d i n 1 06 6. A s t he po em cl oses, th e men acin g alliteration of th e

b i cy c le t hat ‘ t ic ked , ticked, ticke d ’ h in ts at th e trou blin g times to com e i n

N ort he r n I rel an d.

Ac c o rdi n g to D an ie l Tobin, ‘ the poem en ds with th e h au n tin g sou nd

of th e c o ns t abl e b i cy cl e t i cki ng down th e road like a bomb abou t to go off.

A n ai r of o p pressi o n ho v e rs abo ut the scen e, an d w h ile w e kn ow t hat

ne i th er th e f at he r n o r t he so n wi ll respon d violen tly to th at oppression , th e

po e m ne ve rt he l ess sug ge st s t hat a vi ol en t reprisal w ill someday deton at e

i n t h is exp l o si ve so ci al cl i mat e ’ . Hea n ey i s so su c c essfu l i n evo k i n g ten si o n

a nd a s e ns e o f d read t hat w e share in th e speaker ’s relief at th e

c on st abl e ’s d ep art ure .

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3. E ss ay Wri t in g

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 10

I f y ou a re th i nki n g o f maki ng referenc e to ‘A Con stable Calls’ in an y ess ay

o n Hea ne y’s po et ry t hat y o u may be asked to make, you may w ish to

c on si de r s ome o f th e f o l l o wi ng po in ts.

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a. Th e po e m pro vi des u s w i t h a n i nt ere sti n g per spec ti ve o n th e di vi si o ns

t h at ex ist i n No rt h ern I ri s h s o c iety.

b. H ean ey m akes i nt eres t i ng us e of s ou nd devices su ch as alliteration an d

co ns ona n ce t o he i g ht en t he ten si o n sur rou n din g th e con stable’s visit .

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c. M any o f Heaney ’s p o e ms deal wit h the th eme of violen ce. It may be

i n te re st i ng to c on s i de r a c o mpar iso n betw een th is poem an d ‘ Th e Tollun d

M a n’.

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Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 11
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M os s ba w n: Tw o Poe ms i n De di catio n

fo r M ary H ean ey

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I Sun li gh t

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The re w as a sunl it ab s e n c e .

The h e l met ed pump i n t h e y a rd

heat e d it s i ro n,

w at e r h on e ye d

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i n t he slu n g bu cke t 5

a nd t h e su n s to od

l i ke a g ri dd l e co ol i n g

a ga in st t he w al l

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o f eac h l o ng aft er no o n.

So, h er han ds s cu ff l e d 10

o v e r t he bake bo ard,
th e re dd en i ng s to ve

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s e nt i t s pl aq ue of h eat

a ga in st h e r whe re s he s t o o d

i n a f lo ur y apro n 15

b y t h e wi ndo w.

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N ow s he d us ts t he b o ard

w i th a g oos e’s w i ng,

n o w si t s, bro ad- l app e d,

w i th wh it en ed n ai l s 20

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 12

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a nd mea sli n g s hi n s :

he re i s a s pac e

a ga in , th e s co ne ri s i ng

to t he t ick o f tw o cl o c ks .

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A n d h ere i s l o ve 25

l i ke a t in sm i th ’s s co o p

s u nk pa st i t s g l eam

i n t he mea l -b i n.

C r it i c al Co mmen tar y : M o s s bawn: Two Poems in Dedication (I) S u n ligh t

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1. Con ten t

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In t h i s beau t i f ul an d h eart- w arming de dicat ory poem, Hean ey e v oke s

a s e n se o f ge nui ne l o ve , a c on necti on w ith a passin g w ay of life and a

c h ild l ike se ns e o f s e c uri t y. The poem op en s w ith a depiction of th e sile nc e

th at t h e po et as s oc i at e s wi t h Mo ssbawn . In th e yard, th e pu mp is w ar m ed

b y t he s unl i gh t whi l e t he wat er i n th e ‘ s lu n g bu cke t ’ is ‘ h on e ye d.’ Th e

ti me le s sn es s of th e s c ene i s emphasi sed by th e image of th e su n stan d in g

l i ke a ‘gr i dd le c o o li ng | a ga inst the w all.’ Once the scene is set, the po et

m ov e s in to t he i n te ri o r o f M o ssbawn , w h ere h is au n t ’s ‘ h an ds s cu ffle d |

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 13
ov e r th e ba ke bo a rd , | the redde nin g s tove. ’ As w ith th e yard ou tside, t h e

p o et e m ph as i s es t he warmt h o f the place. A ‘plaqu e of h eat’ r ises u p

a ga in st he r as s he s t ands ‘ in a flo ur y apron | by th e win dow .’ I n t h e f i ft h

s t an z a, t h e po et ’s att ent i o n remain s foc u sed on h is memor ies of h is au nt

p e r f or mi ng he r ho us e ho l d c ho res:

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No w she dusts the board

wit h a goos e ’s wing,

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W hi l e M o s s baw n o bvi o us l y o ccu pies a special, even myth ical place in

H ean e y ’s i mag i nati o n, he do es no t seek to embellish or air br u sh h i s

m e m or y o f h i s aunt . She i s descr ibed as bein g ‘ broad- lappe d ’ an d a s

hav in g ‘m ea s li ng s hins.’ In the same stanza, the speaker again emphasises

th e peac e an d t he ‘spa ce ’ t hat th is pl ace afforded h im. Th e ‘two cloc ks’

th at p re s umabl y s ym bo l i s e t he past and th e presen t ‘tick’ in u n ison as p as t

a nd p re s en t are uni f i e d by t he po em’s u pliftin g message. Th e fin al stan z a

o f t h e po em aff i rm s H eaney’s central belief th at it is th e ordin ar y,

ev er y d ay, d ome s ti c qual i t y o f h is l ove for Mossbaw n an d h is au n t w h o

l i v ed t h ere th at make s i t s o s pe ci al:

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A n d h e re is love

like a t in s mith’s scoop

s u n k past its gleam

in t h e meal- bin.

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The ‘t i n smi th’s sc o o p,’ wo r n and in some respects unremarkable, becomes

a m e t a ph or f o r th e warmt h and lo ve that Mossbaw n represen ts.

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2. St y l is t i c Feature s

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Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 14
 H ean ey g re w u p on a Co un ty De r r y far m n ot far from Mossba wn .

M os s ba w n l i es 30 mi l e s no rt h- west of B elfast, betw een Castledaw son a nd

To om e Br i dg e, al o n g the Bann River ju st north of where it emerges f ro m

Lou g h N eagh. Mo ss b a wn h o l ds a vita l pl ac e i n Hean ey’s i magi n ati on . In

Pre o ccu p at io ns, H eaney has descr ibed th e p l a c e as a ‘n ave l’:

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I wo u ld be gi n wit h t he Gree k w ord, omph a los, me a ning th e na ve l ,

and henc e the st on e th at ma r k e d the ce nt re of the w or ld ,

an d r epe a t it , omp halos, ompha los, omph a los, until its blunt a n d

fa ll i n g m us ic be c omes t he m usic of some body pumping water at

th e p um p out si d e our b ac k door.

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I n t h is po e m, H ean e y bal anc es natu ral speech w ith a gen u in e dedicat io n

to wh at h e h as d es c ri bed as a ‘ mus ically s atis fyin g orde r of s ou n ds .’ As a

re s ul t , t he reade r fe e l s t h at h e or sh e i s sh ar i n g i n w h at i s, i n th e w o rds o f

th e S w ed ish A cad em y, a mo ment o f ‘lyr ical beau ty an d e th ical de pth.’ The

i n ti mate do mes ti c i mage s t hat do min ate th e poem are match ed by a r i ch

a nd s en su ou s l an guage t hat enabl es th e reader to sh are fu lly in th e

exp e r i e n c e. I n pa rt i c ul ar, t he al li terati ve combin ation of w ords su ch as

‘ h e l m e t e d ,’ ‘ h eat e d ,’ ‘ h o n e y e d ,’ ‘ s l u n g ,’ ‘ s u n ,’ ‘ s t o o d ,’ ‘ s c u ff l e d ’ a n d

‘s t ov e ’ wo rk to creat e an eas y goi ng, rela xed sen se of h omely comfort. Th e

n at ural ne ss o f th e l anguage i s mi rrored in th e sen su ou s imager y u sed b y

H ean e y. Th e f i r s t t wo s t anzas stress th e elemen tal place th at Mossba w n

ho ld s in t h e po et ’s i magi nat i o n. In fac t, images associated w ith tw o of t h e

el e m en t s , w ate r and s unl i ght , do min ate fir st stan z a:

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The re was a s u n lit abs ence.

The h e lme t e d pu mp in the yard

heat e d it s iron ,

wat e r h on e ye d

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!
A cc o rd in g t o Mi c ha e l Parke r, Heaney’s search for ‘myth an d symbol h as

c a us e d hi m t o ret ur n f re q ue nt l y to the Mossbaw n pu mp as a sou rce for h is

c reati v e e ne rg y [… ] I t i s a re currin g fec u n d image in several volu mes. W it h

i ts p ha ll i c sh ape an d l i f e gi v i ng water, it symbolises th e creative u n ion of

hi s p a re nt s , t he mal e and f e male, the mysteriou s fu sion of fixity an d flu id it y

wh ic h g iv es t he wo r l d and Art i ts shape; it is a sou th Derry equ ivalen t of

t h e Pie ran spr i ng .’

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The i nt eri o r wor ld at Mossbawn is n o different in t h at it is a ls o

a ss oc i at ed w i th a l i f e - gi vi ng, c reative en ergy. Th e h eat th at eman ates fro m

th e s t ov e i s a remi n de r no t o nl y of th e w ar mth th at Hean ey associates wi th

M os s ba w n, bu t o f h i s aunt ’s c reative sp ir it. Th e act of bak in g bread an d

th e s ig ht o f t he s c o nes ri s i ng are o bviou s remin der s of th is creativ it y.

The re a re freque nt re f e re n c e s to ti me th rou gh ou t th e po em. In th e fi r s t

i n st an ce , th e s un’s mo ve me nt i s li kened to a ‘griddle coolin g | again s t t h e

w al l | o f ea c h lo ng a ft er no o n.’ Here, th e long vowel sounds slow down the

p rog re s sio n of th e po e m and c reate a laz y, h az y feelin g th at w or ks to

c ap t u re a s en s e of t i me l es s ness. As th e poem reach es its con clu sion , t h e

s p ea ke r re f er s to th e s c o nes ‘ris ing | to th e tick of two clocks.’ This i s a

d i ffi c ul t l in e to i n te rpret . H eaney may ha ve th e n otion of past an d prese nt

i n mi nd . Ce rt ai nl y, Mo s s bawn, wi th i ts w ater pu mp, ‘goos e ’s win g’ du st er

a nd h om emad e b aki ng, i s a remin der o f an oth er time. How ever, th e tw o

c lo c ks t ic ki n g may al s o re f e r t o the beatin g of th e tw o h earts of au n t a nd

c h ild . W hat ev er t he c as e , i t i s c lear th at th e poet is savou r in g h is memor ie s

o f t h e u ns po ken l ov e and warmth that h e ex per ien ced du r in g th is per i od

i n h is l i f e. In t he f i n al i ns t anc e , th is l ove is liken ed to a tin smith ’s scoop:

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And here is lov e

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 like a t in s mit h ’s scoop

sun k pas t it s gleam

in t h e meal- bin .

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Tin is a soft me t al t h at i s re l at i vel y frag il e. As su ch , it i s a prefect metaph o r

fo r t he un as s umi ng, uns po ke n l ove that lies h idden , ‘s u n k […] | in t h e

mea l -b in .’ Th e meal - bi n l i nks th is metaph or to th e k in d of n u rtu r in g a nd

s u st ai ni ng l o ve t hat H eaney as soc iates w ith h is au n t an d Mossbaw n .

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3. E s sa y Wr it ing

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I f y ou a re t hi n ki n g o f maki ng referenc e to ‘Mossbaw n ’, you may w ish to

ke e p s o me o f t he f o l l o wi n g p o in ts i n m in d.

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a. I n muc h o f the po et ry o n th e co ur se, Hean ey moves easily from t h e

h ome ly im age s of f arm and vil l age to larger issu es of h istor y, lan gu a g e

an d nat io nal id en t it y, c reat i ng what he on ce called ‘th e mu sic of w h at

h ap pe ns ’. ‘Mo s s b awn’ i s an o bvio us an ex ample of Hean ey’s d eep

co nn e ct ion to hi s ro o t s i n De r ry.

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b. Th e l an g uage o f the p o e m evo kes th e i mportan c e th at Hean ey attac h e s

t o M os s bawn in a b eaut i f ul ma nner.

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c. D e sp it e t h e al mos t my t hi c al sign if ica nc e th at Hean ey affords th e peop le

an d p la ce s s urro undi ng M o ssbaw n, h i s depiction remain s at all ti me s

b e li e v a bl e and reali st i c .
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Cr it ical Co mm ent ary : Th e Forge

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1. Cont en t

This p o em uses th e rel at i vel y fam i li a r i m ag e o f the blac ksmith to c ast light o n th e

poe t ic p ro c es s. The so nnet opens w i th a m e m o ra bl e l i n e o f po e t ry t hat pro v i d e d

t he ti tl e to Heaney ’s s e cond publ i she d c o l l e c t i o n , Do o r i n t o t he Da rk :

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All I know is a door into the dark.

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Draw in g o n hi s ch il dh ood fasci n at i o n an d m e m o ri e s w i t h t he l o c a l f o rge , t he

poe t pai nt s a vivi d pi cture of th i s pl ac e . We a re t o l d t hat o u t s i de , ‘o l d a x l e s a n d

i ron ho ops ’ li e ‘r ust in g’. Then, i n th e t hi rd l i n e , att ra c t e d by t he ‘s ho rt -pi t c he d

r i ng’ of th e anvi l, th e poe t ’s attent i o n i s dra w n i n t o t he i n s i de o f t he f o rge . O n e

c an i magi ne t he young poe t ’s e ye s a dj u st i n g t o t he da rk n e s s o f t he f o rge , w hi c h

i s ill umi nat ed b ri efl y b y an ‘ unpredi c t abl e f a n t a i l o f s pa rks ’. Al t ho u gh t he s pea ke r

doe s n ot se e t he anvil , h e feel s that i t ‘m u st be s o m e w he re i n t he c e n t re ’:

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Horned as a unicorn, at one end square,

Set there immovable: an altar

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The refere nces to th e ‘ uni cor n’ and t he ‘al t a r ’ c o n ve y the almo st mythic al, e ven

s acred , lig ht in w hi ch the young po e t v i e ws t he w o rk i n gs o f t he f o rge .

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In the ninth line, the poet turns his attention to the smith. We learn that he

‘ex pe nd s h im sel f i n shape and m u si c ’. Thi s i s a ro u gh, po we rf u l man wh o se

ph ysi cal p res ence i s pal pabl e . A m an f ro m a n o t he r e ra , he i s ‘l eat he r-a pro n e d ’,

h as ‘hai rs in his nose’ and ‘grunts’ at t he p a s s i n g ‘t ra ff i c ’. The po e m e n ds w i th a

c lear affi rm at ion of th e smi th y’s mas te ry o f h i s a rt : he beat s ‘rea l i ro n o u t , t o w o r k

t he be ll ows ’.

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2. St yl is t ic Features

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This p o em is one of the m os t m emo rab l e ex ample s o f Hean e y’s me ditative sty le .

From a s t ric tl y f or mal point of view, ‘ The Fo rg e ’ i s a s o n n e t . H o w e v e r, t h e p o em

u nd er m in es th e conventi onal sonne t f o rm i n t hat bo t h t he s ha pe a n d t he rhymi n g

s ch em e of ‘ The Forge ’ depart fro m t he t ypi c a l s o n n e t . In t he po e m , t he f o rg e

be com es an all eg ory or symbol fo r th e art i s t i c pro c e s s i n ge n e ra l a n d t he art o f

wr it ing p oe tr y in p art i cul ar. Th e st yl i st i c c o m pl ex i t y o f t he po e m c a n at f i rs t b e

s e en in th e ope ning l i ne, where t he i n te rn a l rhym e s a n d ha l f rhym e s t hat ex i st

be tw ee n such word s as ‘ know’ a n d ‘do o r ’ a n d ‘do o r ’ a n d ‘da rk ’ c reat e a a

me morabl e int er pl ay that engage s t he rea de r ’s att e n t i o n f ro m t he o u t s e t . The

e m ph asis o n s ound conti nue s th ro u gh o u t t he re s t o f t he po e m . No t i c e ho w th e

‘ sh ort -p it c hed’ d es cri pti on of th e s o u n d o f t he ha m m e r s t ri k i n g t he a n v i l e v o ke s

i n it s con s onance the sound o f me t al o n m e t a l . Thi s a c t i o n l ea ds t o ‘a n

u np re dic tab le fantai l of sparks’. He re , Hea n e y l i n ks s o u n d t o t he u n pre di c ta b l e

n at ure of t he beauty that resul ts f ro m art i s t i c c reat i o n . The v i t a l e n e rgy t hat

c apt iv at es the y oung poet i s ca ptu re d i n t he ‘hi s s ’ o f t he ‘n e w s ho e ’ a s i t

‘ t oug he ns in w at er ’.

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At th e heart of th is pro cess l i e s th e a n vi l an d t he f i gu re o f t he bl a c ks m i t h. Whi l e

Heane y g o es out of hi s way to stres s th e s ac re d, u n f at ho m a bl e n at u re o f w hat t hi s

man ac hie ves , he is ea ge r to empha si s e h i s ea rt hy o rdi n a ri n e s s . What t hi s m a n

doe s is c lo a ked i n dar kness and th e re by sh ro u de d i n m ys t e ry. Fo r a bri e f m o me n t

i n t h e son n et , the as so ci ati ons be tw e e n t he s m i t hy’s w o rk , t he u n i c o rn o f c l a s si c a l

myt ho log y and e ven the sacrame n ta l a l ta r l e n d hi m a pri e s t -l i ke a s pe c t . It i s a s i f

h e is a ho ly man t ran substanti ati ng th e c o m m o n a n d e v e n ba n a l o c c u rre n c es o f

e ve r yday li fe i nto s ome ki nd of ra re f i e d a rt e f a c t . Ho w e v e r, Hea n e y qu i c k l y

c oun t er s hi s i nst inct iv e urge to glo ri f y th e a rt i s a n by de s c ri bi n g hi m i n t he m o st

o rd ina ry of way s.

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At th e en d of th e p oem , th e speake r e mph a s i s e s t he s e c u l a r rat he r t ha n s pi ri tu a l

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a s p e c t o f t h e b l a c ks m i t h ’s w o r k . U l t i m at e l y, t h e s m i t h d o e s n o t c a s t a n y

i l lum in at io n on li fe, but rather beats ‘ real i ro n o u t ’. The ‘rea l i ro n ’ i s t he e n d

produ c t, w hi le t he un knowabl e an d u l ti m at e l y i n de s c ri ba bl e c reat i v e i n s pi rat i o n

rem ains d eep In th e d ar knes s of t he f o rge . The c o rre spo nde n c e be twe e n the

‘ sh ap e an d m usi c’ that Heaney dra ws o u r att e n t i o n t o i n t he s e s t e t hi ghl ig h ts

bot h t h e abs tract and concrete n atu re o f c reat i o n . The ‘s ha pe ’ o f t he a rti f i c e

e m ph asis es it s concre te real i ty, whi l e i ts ‘ mu s i c ’ i s i t s a bs t ra c t n at u re .

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The fo rg e and the smi t h y have l on gs t a n di ng asso c iatio n s with artistic e n deavo ur

i n b ot h c las si cal and conte mpora ry l i te rat u re . In hi s f a m o u s po e m ‘S a i l i n g to

B yz ant iu m ’, W. B. Yeats cel ebrates the an c i e n t Byz a n t i n e go l ds m i t hs , w hi l e Ho m e r

de vot es a famous pa ssage i n th e O dyss e y t o t he s t o ry o f He pha e s t u s , th e

blac ksmi th t o th e g ods. In A Portra i t o f t he Art i s t a s a Yo u n g Ma n , Ja m e s J o y c e ’s

Ste ph e n D e dal us p ro mi sed to ‘ fo rge i n the smithy o f [his] so ul the un c reate d

c ons c ie nc e of [hi s] ra ce ’. Howeve r, pe rha ps i t i s S ha ke s pea re ’s ‘qu i c k f o rge a nd

wor k ing -h ous e of th ought ’ i n Henry V t hat Hea n e y ha s i n m i n d i n t hi s po e m .

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Final ly, it is interesting t h at t he p oe m e n ds with a warn in g o f so rts. Altho u gh

t he p oe t em ph asi ses th e powe r a n d m yst e ry o f t he a rt i f i c e r ’s a c hi e v e m e n t , he

a l so ac kn o wl ed ge s the th reats to hi s ex i st e n c e t hat l i e be yo n d t he f o rge . O u t si d e ,

‘a c latt er | Of h oofs’ i s n o w b u t a d i s t an t me mo ry an d the traff i c that f l ashes b y

rem ind s u s of a faste r m od er n wo r l d t hat has little ne e d f o r the sk ills o f th e

blac ksmi th . Of cour se , i t i s not di ff i c u l t t o s e e t hat po e t ry f a c e s s i m i l a r t hreat s t o

i t s exis te nce from t he modern worl d.

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3. Es s ay Wr it ing

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I f y ou are thinki ng o f maki ng re f e re n c e t o ‘ The Fo rge ’ i n a n y re s po n s e to

Heane y’s poe tr y that you may be as ke d t o m a ke , yo u m a y w i s h t o ke e p th e

f o llow ing poi nts in m i nd.

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a . H ean ey makes use of th e sonne t f o rm i n t hi s po e m . It m a y be po s s i bl e t o

c om p are an d cont ras t the form of t hi s po e m w i t h t he o t he r po e m s o n t he c o ur s e .

b. Heane y i s i nt eres ted i n t he art i s t i c p ro c e s s . In t hi s re s pe c t , yo u m a y be a bl e t o

de vot e an e nti re p arag raph to th i s as pe c t o f Hea n e y’s w ri t i n g. It m i ght be u s e f ul

t o co mpare th is poe m wi th ‘ The Harv e st B o w ’.

c . This i s a com pl ex a nd i nte resti ng po e m t hat i s ri c h i n c l e v e r l a n gu a ge de v i c e s

a n d lit e rar y al lus ion.

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Critical Commentary: Bogland

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1. Content

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In 1969, Heaney read The Bog People, a study of the discoveries made by the Danish

archaeologist P.V. Glob, which had a profound influence on his work. A close examination of

Heaney’s earlier poetry demonstrates clearly the extent to which he was influenced by

Glob’s writing. However, even before Heaney first read The Bog People, he was using bog

imagery as a metaphor for the elemental. ‘Bogland’ opens with a negative statement that

seems designed to offer an alternative to our traditional image of the wide, sweeping

prairies of North America:

We have no prairies

To slice a big sun at evening –

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Instead of wide-open spaces, the countryside offers us a landscape where ‘the eye

concedes to | [the] Encroaching horizon’. In the second stanza, Heaney develops this idea

further. The reflection of the sun setting over a mountain lake, or a ‘tarn’, is likened to

‘cyclops’ eye’. Where the American prairies contain vast stretches of unfenced country, the

Irish alternative is ‘bog that keeps crusting | Between the sights of the sun’. The third stanza
marks the beginning of a series of examples that demonstrate the natural, cultural, historical

and social importance of bogland. The ‘skeleton | Of the Great Irish Elk’, which the poet

describes as being ‘An astounding crate full of air’, has been found buried in the bog. The

Great Irish Elk, or Giant Deer, was a species of Megaloceros and one of the largest deer

that ever lived. While its range extended across Eurasia, it is in the boglands of Ireland that

the greatest numbers of these creatures have been found. In the fourth stanza, Heaney

mentions the bog butter. In some cases, churns and wooden containers of butter dating

back over three hundred years have been found in the bogs. The high level of acidity in

bogs acts as a preservative that previous generations valued highly. In the speaker’s

opinion, the bog itself is:

[…] kind, black butter

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 25

 Melting and opening underfoot,

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Many students find this fifth stanza puzzling. When Heaney says that the bog is ‘Missing its

last definition | By millions of years’, he is referring to the fact that the bog will eventually

become coal. Over time, pressure will force the massive accumulation of dead plant life in

the peat into bitumen, which will eventually be transformed into coal. However, for the time

being, all that is to be found in these boglands is ‘waterlogged trunks | Of great firs’. In the

final two lines of the penultimate stanza, Heaney alludes once again to North America. In

the 1700s, the ‘pioneers’ were a groups of men and women who were the first Europeans

to settle the American frontier. Whereas the American pioneers extended the frontier

beyond the Appalachian Mountains and in later westward expansions beyond the

Mississippi River, the Irish pioneers ‘keep striking | Inwards and downwards’. The sense of

expanding into virgin territory that was so much a part of the American experience seems

absent here. Within the context of the Irish experience, ‘Every layer […] | Seems camped on

before’. In the poet’s imagination, the cultural depth that he associates with the bogholes is

mirrored by a physical one that extends as far as the Atlantic Ocean and beyond. The

hyperbole of the final line emphasises this depth further. The ‘wet centre’, we learn, ‘is

bottomless’.

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2. Stylistic Features

This poem, which is one of a number of poems by Heaney that are inspired by the wetlands

of Ireland and Northern Europe, concluded his 1969 collection, Door into the Dark. In his

presentation speech on the occasion of Seamus Heaney’s Nobel Prize in 1995, Östen

Sjöstrand, a member of the Swedish Academy, said that Heaney ‘has little time for the

Emerald Isle of the tourist brochures. For him Ireland is first and foremost The Bogland.’

Speaking about his own interest in boglands during a lecture called ‘Feeling into Words,’

given to the Royal Society of Literature in London on 17 October 1974, Heaney said:

I began to get an idea of bog as the memory of the landscape, or

as a landscape that remembered everything that happened in and to

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 it. In fact, if you go round the National Museum in Dublin, you will

realize that a great proportion of the most cherished material

heritage of Ireland was found in a bog.\]

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He also added that he:

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had been reading about the frontier and the west as an important

myth in the American consciousness, so I set up – or rather, laid

down – the bog as an answering Irish myth.

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According to Neil Corcoran, this poem can be regarded as a kind of ‘answering Irish poem

to Theodore Roethke’s American “In Praise of Prairie”, in which “Horizons have no

strangeness to the eye”, and “distance is familiar as a friend. | The feud we kept with space

comes to an end”.’

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Perhaps the most striking stylistic feature of the poem is the manner in which Heaney’s

mastery of form mirrors his descriptions of the bog. Run-on lines, metre and rhythm

combine to produce memorable sound patterns that capture fully the sense of the bog.

The run-on lines in particular help to create a sense of the interconnected layers of bog that

connect the present with the past and store a wealth of culture and history:

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The ground itself is kind, black butter

Melting and opening underfoot,

Missing its last definition

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According to Edna Longley, ‘The poem alternates ampler development with sharp

insertions. Thus the abrupt “They’ll never dig coal here” interrupts assonances which imitate

the wet softness of bog “Melting and opening underfoot”. “Bogland” might be called not
so much “a prospect of the mind” (to use Heaney’s favourite Wordsworthian phrase for

poet landscape) as a prospecting of the mind.’ For Heaney, the bog is a mythological

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landscape, a symbol of cultural identity and race memory. In this respect, he is heavily

influenced by the writings of the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung. This revolutionary and

extremely influential thinker founded a type of psychoanalysis known as analytical

psychology. Jung was virtually alone amongst 19th-century thinkers in believing that human

beings had placed far too much emphasis on science and needed to return to the realms

of the mythological and the spiritual in order to obtain a true understanding of what

defines our humanity. In particular, Jung believed that beneath the personal unconscious

lay the collective unconscious. According to Jung, this collective unconscious could be

inherited as a race memory and passed on from generation to generation. In Heaney’s

imagination, the bog acts as a storehouse for our collective unconscious. Speaking directly

about this poem, Heaney has said: The title of the poem refers to the bogs I knew while I

was growing up and the stories I had heard about the things that could be preserved in

the bog such as supplies of butter that were kept there, and about the things that were

even more astonishing to a child, such as the skeleton of an Irish elk which our neighbours

had dug out. In the same address, he emphasised the lifelong hold that the bogland has

held on his imagination:

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When I was a child and an adolescent I lived among peat-diggers

and I also worked in the peat bog myself. I loved the structure the
peat bank revealed after the spade had worked its way through the

surface of the peat. I loved the mystery and silence of the place

when the work was done at the end of the day and I would stand

there alone while the larks became quiet and the lapwings started

calling, while a snipe would suddenly take off and disappear...

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In one respect, it is not surprising that Heaney should identify so strongly with the boglands

of Ireland. In 1969, the date of the poem’s publication, Derry’s Bogside was at the centre of

the civil rights marches in Northern Ireland. Furthermore, the English word ‘bog’ comes

from the Irish for ‘soft’. However, in English the word has often been a synonym for

backwardness, shame and even filth. ‘The bog’ is slang for a toilet and ‘a bogger’ is often

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used as an insult in Hiberno-English. Yet Heaney dismisses such connotations for a view of

the bog that is altogether more favourable.

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3. Essay Writing

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If you think you would like to make reference to ‘Bogland’ in any response to Heaney’s

poetry that you may be asked to make, you may wish to keep the following

points in mind.

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a. The poem is one of two poems by Heaney on the course that have the bog as their

central metaphor . As such, you may wish to compare this poem to ‘The

Tollund Man’.

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b. The language and metre of the poem attempt to capture the sense of the Irish bog.

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c. Although Heaney is not an overtly political poet, it is possible to assign political

significance to this and Heaney’s other bog poem on the course. It might be possible to

mention this in a paragraph on Heaney’s attitude to violence.

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1 . Co nt e nt

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H ean e y w a s i ns pi re d t o wri t e t his poem after h e h ad read Th e Bog Peop le ,

w r itt e n by t he Dan i s h arc hae ol ogi st P.V. Glob an d pu blish ed by Fabe r &

Fa be r i n 19 69 .

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 32

Sp eak in g o f th i s p o em, H eaney h as said th at h e w as draw n to th e

d e s cri pt ion o f th e vi o l enc e and defin ite sen se of place as ou tlin ed b y

G lo b. The f ol l o wi ng i s a bri ef

ext ra c t f rom G l o b’s b o o k:

!
An ear l y spr i ng day – 8 May 1950. Evenin g was gath er in g ov er

To ll a nd Fe n i n B j aeldskov Dal. Momentarily, the sun burst in, bri ght

a nd y et su bd ued , t hro ugh a gate in blu e th u n derclou ds in th e we st ,

b r in g in g ev er yt hi n g my s t eri o us ly to li fe. Th e even in g stilln ess w as o n l y

b roke n , n ow an d aga i n, by t he grati ng l ove-call of th e sn ipe. T h e dead

m an , to o, d ee p do wn i n t he amber-brow n peat, seemed to have come

a l iv e . H e l ay o n h i s d amp bed as tho ugh asleep, restin g on his side,

th e h ea d i n cl i n ed a l i tt l e f o rward, ar ms an d legs ben t. His face wore a

g e n t le expre s s i on – t he e y e s t i gh tly c lo sed, th e lips softly pu r sed, as i n

s il e n t pray er. I t was a s t ho ugh t he dead man ’s sou l h ad for a mom en t

re t u rn e d f ro m anot h e r

wo r l d, t hro ugh t h e gat e in the west er n sky.

!
!
H ean e y ’s p oe m op ens wi t h a c ommi tmen t by th e speaker th at someday h e

‘w il l go t o A arh us ’. The purpo se of th is in ten ded visit is to see th e ‘p eat-

b row n h ead ’, th e ‘e y el i ds ’ and the ‘po in ted sk in cap’ of th e Tollu n d M an .

The n, in t he next s t a n z a , t h e po et im agi n es ‘ th e fl at c o u n tr y n ear by |

W he re t he y d ug h i m o ut ’. I n th e fi na l lin es of th e secon d stan za, t h e

c on t e n ts o f th e dead man’s s t omac h are en vision ed by th e poet in alm os t

fo re n sic de tai l . I n t he t hi rd stan za, th e man ’s n aked vu ln erability i s

j u xt a po s ed i n a s ho c ki ng f as hi on wi th th e eviden ce of h is execu tion :

!
Nake d exce pt for

Th e cap, n oose and girdle ,

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 33

 I will st an d a long time.

Br i d e groom t o t h e goddess,

The f in al li ne o f t he t h i rd s t a nz a ca sts l i gh t on th e reaso n for th i s m an ’s

d eat h: h e w as o ff e re d up as a sac ri fice, or as a ‘Br idegroom to t h e

g o dd e s s’. In kee pi n g wi t h t he f act th at th is act of sacr ifice w as in ten ded t o

fo rm p art o f a f e rt i l i t y ri t e, t he lan gua ge in th e fou rth stan z a becom es

m ore s ex ual i n n atu re . We l earn that th e earth goddess ‘tigh ten ed h e r

to rc’ a nd th en o pe ned t he gro und to en velop h im, h er ju ices (th e acid i ty

o f t he wat e r i n t he b o g) pre s e rvin g hi s body u n til it becomes in th e poet ’s

i m ag in at io n a ‘ s ai nt ’s kept bo dy’. Wh ere th is man on ce lay deep in t h e

b o g, ‘ hi s s tai n ed f ac e’ no w ‘ Re poses at Aar h u s’.

!
I n t h e six t h s tan za, t he po et t e l ls us th at h e ‘cou ld r isk blasph emy’ an d

‘Con se crat e ’ th e b o g. U nus ual ly, gi ven th e pagan n atu re of th e r itu al t h at

l e d t o t h e To l l und M an’s death, the lan gu age u sed h ere is ove rtl y

C h ri s ti an . Th e praye r t hat t he speaker feels th at h e w ou ld like to in to ne

c on ce r ns t he g er mi nat i o n o r reani matio n of th e ‘Stock in ged cor pses ’ o f

‘l ab o ure rs ’ who di e d as a res ul t of a Black an d Tan s atrocity in Northe r n

I re la n d du ri n g th e 1920s . I n t he n ext stan za, Hean ey provides u s w it h a

s e r ie s o f d i s tu rb i ng gl i mps es i nto th e l evel of th e violen ce th at w as met ed

o u t t o t he s e b rot he rs . We l earn that th eir ‘sk in an d teeth ’ flecked th e

s le ep er s of t he rai l ro ad f o r ‘ mi l es alo ng th e lin es’. Th en ,

i n an a br u pt an d j arri ng c hange that l in ks th e pligh t of th ese fou r you ng

b rot he rs t o th at of t he To l l und Man , w e are tran sported back in time to t h e

d ay wh e n he ‘ ro de t he t umbri l’ o n h is w ay to certain death . In an almo st

i n ca nt at or y f as hi o n, t he po et then l ists th e n ames ‘ Tollu n d’, ‘Grau bal le ’

a nd ‘ N eb el g ard’, al l we l l - kno wn sites w h ere sacr ificial victims h ave b ee n

fo un d.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 34

 In th e fi n al st an z a, th e speake r t ells us th at he imagin es h e will fe el a

s t ra nge s e ns e of aff i ni t y wi t h t he ‘ol d man -k illin g par ish es’. S u ch a sen se of

ki ns hi p t hat wi l l cau s e hi m t o ‘ feel l ost, | Un h appy an d at h ome’ resul ts ,

o n e c an on l y i mag i ne , f ro m th e shared h istor y of violen t sacr ifice th at

exi st s b e t we en No rth e rn I re l and and Ju tlan d.

!
2 . St y li s ti c Feat ures

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Thi s i s a c ompl ex p o e m t h at b oth rew ards an d deman ds o u r c lo s e

att e nt ion. I n th e po e m, t he To l lu nd Man is emblematic of th e victimisat io n

a nd vi o le nc e th at have do mi nated recen t h istor y in North er n Irela nd .

Ös t e n S jö s trand, a m embe r o f the S wedish Academy w h o aw arded Hea ne y

th e N ob el Pri z e i n 1 995, has s aid o f ‘ Th e Tollu n d Man ’ th at ‘in h is fig ure

H ean e y co nj ures f o rt h, brut al l y and mo vin gly, a cu ltu re th at is both a li en

a nd f am il i ar, a d i s ti n c t i ve s ubj ect of ri tu al sacr ifice, h u man voices silenc ed

b y t h e bo gg y l an ds c ape ’. From th e o u tset th ere are obviou s paral le ls

b e t w e e n th e r i tu al i s t i c vi o l e nc e th at l ed to th is man ’s br u tal death an d th e

a wf u l v io l en ce th at has be e n part of Irelan d’s h istor y. Th e poem w as

i n sp ire d by t he ac co unt s o f t he ri tual istic death s th at Hean ey read in th e

l at e 1 96 0s . A cc ord i ng t o t he poet:

th e u n fo rge tt able photographs of t h ese victims ble nded i n

[h i s ] min d wi t h p h ot ograph s o f atrocit ie s, past an d prese nt, i n

th e l on g ri te s o f Ir ish political an d religious st r uggle s.

!
A rc ha e o log y and th e ac t o f diggin g h ave fascin ated Hean ey th rou gh ou t

hi s po e t i c c aree r. I n t hi s po em, H eaney imagin atively digs dow n th roug h

th e la ye rs of th e p as t i n o rde r to cast l igh t on th e presen t. Th e lin ks th at

exi st be t we en th e v i o l e nc e t hat led to th e Tollu n d Man ’s death a nd

I re la n d’s sad hi s to ry are many. Fir stly, th is man w as sacr ificed to a fem al e

g o dd e s s a s p art o f a f e rt i l i t y ri te. Th e myth ology su r rou n din g th e Ir is h

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 35

Re p ubl i ca n c au s e h as al way s id en tifi ed Irel an d as a femin in e presen ce .

Se co nd ly, th e rel i g i o us nat ure of h is sa cr ifice is mir rored in th e secta r ia n

n at ure o f t he vi o l en c e t hat has dogged North er n Irelan d’s recen t past. Th e

re l ig i ou s i magery i n t h e p o e m i s p arti c u l ar l y i n teresti n g. Th ro u gh t h e

religious symbolism, Heaney skilfully interweaves pagan ritual with

C h ri s ti an it y i n ge neral and Catho li ci sm in particu lar. Th e fir st in stan ce of

re l ig i ou s i magery i n t h e p o e m i s to b e fo u n d i n th e po et ’s pro mi se t o

u nd e rta ke a p i l gr i mage t o vi ew the Tollu n d Man ’s ‘kept body’. In t h is

m an n er, th e To l l und M an i s i denti fied w ith th ose sain ts w h o appear to

hav e be en i n co rr upt i bl e . The speaker tells u s th at h e is w illin g to ‘ r is k

b l as ph e my ’ b y ve nerat i ng t hi s pagan fig u re. Th is, h e h opes, w ill resu lt in a

c on se crat i on of th e l and, whi c h i n tur n w ill lead to a tran sfor mation of th e

‘c a u ld ron b o g’ o f i nternecine violence i n to a ‘ h o l y g ro u n d ’ o f c o mm o n

p u r po se . In ord er to emphas i se th e religiou s sign ifican ce of th e Tollu nd

M a n, Heane y cap i tal i s ed t he ‘ h’ i n ‘H im’ in th e six th stan z a. Given th at t h e

To ll u nd M an w as s acrificed as part of a fertility ritual of renewal a nd

re v i v al , t h e s peake r fe e l s h e can go so far as to h o pe fo r a mi rac u lo u s

g e r mi nati o n o f th e dead vi c t i ms of vio len ce in h is cou n tr y.

!
The parall el s be t w e e n t he se two parts of Eu rope , separat ed b y

c ul t ure, ti me an d ge o graphy, are su ch th at th e poet feels ‘at h ome’ in t h e

‘m an- ki lli ng par i s he s ’. I n t hi s s ense, th e poem does appear to offer a sma ll

a mo unt of ho pe f o r an e nd to the violen ce th at h as plagu ed mod er n

I re la n d. Acc ord i ng t o A ndrew Fo ley: If H ean ey’s w or k gen erally emph asi se s

t h e i n e ff i c a c y o f C h r i s t i a n s y m b o l s s u c h a s t h e c r o s s t o p r o v i d e

c on so lat io n o r res o l ut i o n o f a co nfl ic t in w h ich Ch r istian ity is after a ll a

c on t ri bu t i ng f ac to r, t he n a po em li ke ‘ Th e Tollu n d Man ’ may be regard e d

a s Hea ne y ’s att emp t t o o ff e r more ‘ befittin g emblems of adver sity’ to he lp

u nd e r st and an d co unt er t he ‘ rage’ o f Ir ish religiou s an d political en mity.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 36

I t i s cl ea r th at H ean ey i s bo t h repul sed an d fascin ated by th e Tollu n d Ma n.

The d e p ic ti on o f hi s p e r s e v e red bo dy, w h i c h at fi r st seems to emph a si s e

hi s re s tf u l natu re, yi e l ds t o t he forensi c, even voyeu r istic, descr iption of h i s

i n nards :

H is l as t gr u e l of w in te r seeds

Cake d i n h is st omach ,

!
The h a rs h c aco phon o u s s o u n d o f w ord s su c h as ‘ Caked’ an d ‘ stomac h ’

s t re s s es th e d i s gu s t t he po e t f eels. Fu rth er more, th e idea th at w e are p r iv y

to t hi s man ’s i n s i de s c al l s att enti on to th e violation th at is part of su ch

v i o le nc e . Ot he r Nort he rn I ri s h poets su ch as Mich ael Lon gley h ave ma d e

s im il ar po i nts abo ut vi o l enc e . It is as th ou gh h u man dign ity is effaced b y

th e c ru e l ty o f vi o l en c e. Fi nal l y, wh en on e con sider s th e h istor ical ch ang e s

th at h av e sw ep t as i de t he f e rt i l ity ri tual s in w h ich th is man participated, h is

d eat h s e e ms p art i cu l arl y po i nt less. Cou ld Hean ey be su ggestin g th at an y

v i o le nt d eat h f or an y c aus e , re l igio us o r oth er w ise, is poin tless?

!
3. E ss ay Wr i ti n g

!
I f y ou t hi nk t hat y ou wo ul d l i ke to make referen ce to ‘ Th e Tollu n d Man ’ i n

a ny re s po ns e to H ea ney ’s po e t ry that you may be asked to make, you ma y

w i sh t o ke ep s ome o f t he f o l l o wi ng po in ts in min d.

!
a . Th i s is a co mpl ex po em t hat draws o n th e past in order to provide us

w i th a p ow er f ul pl at f o rm f ro m wh ic h the poet attempts to iden tify cent ral

tr u t h s abo ut th e Ir i s h experi e nce.

b. Thi s i s o n e o f t wo b o g p oems on th e Leavi n g Certi ficate cou r se. A s

s u ch , i t m ay be u s ef ul t o devo te a paragraph to a compar ison wi th

‘B o g la n d’.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 37

c. H ean ey ’s poe t ry f re quent l y deal s wi th violen ce an d religion . It may b e

p os sib le to de v ot e an e nt i re paragra ph to th ese th emes in h is po et ry

an d t o d raw s ome i nt eres t i ng para llels betw een ‘A Con stable Calls’ an d

‘ Th e Tol l und Man ’.

!
!

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 38

!
Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 39
!
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C r it i c al Co mmen tar y : The H arvest Bo w

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1 . Co nt e nt

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Thi s d e e pl y pers on a l p o e m ex pl ores th e po et ’s memor y of h i s fat h er

m ak in g a h arv es t b o w. A s t he father w or ks silen tly on th e bow, it is a s if

a sp e ct s of h i s p er s o nal i t y are i nco rpo rated in to it:

!
As y ou plait e d the harv est bow

You implicat e d t h e mellowed silence in you

In w h eat t h at doe s not rust

!
The ‘ wheat that do e s n o t r u s t ’ is a remin der o f th e w ay i n w h i c h th e bow i s

a n e nd uri ng p art o f t he nat ural cyc le.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 40

 In t he n ext li ne , t h e bow ‘br ightens’, be coming t ran sforme d in t h e

p o et ’s im a gi n ati o n i nt o a ‘ knowabl e co ron a, | A th row aw ay love-k n ot o f

s t ra w’. Th e s ec on d s t anza f o c uses on h is fath er ’s h an ds, an d th e ma n’s

c on ne c t io n t o t he nat ural c y c le i s emph asised on ce again . Th ese h a nd s

hav e w or ked o n ‘as hpl ant s and c ane sti cks’ an d ‘gamecocks’. S u ch w as h i s

fat h er ’s s ki l l t hat hi s ‘ f i ngers moved so mn ambu lan t ’ on th e h ar vest bow. In

th e fi na l co upl e t of t hi s s t anza, the po et takes th e bow an d h olds in it h i s

han d . I mag i ni ng t hat he i s t o uchi ng th e item as a blin d per son w ou ld read

‘b ra ill e ’, h e man age s t o gl ean or gath er u n said tr u th s.

!
In th e th i rd st an z a, t h e p oe t l ooks t h rou gh th e ‘golde n loops’ of t h e

har v e st b ow an d i n t he pro c e s s a doo r in to th e past is open ed. Images o f

hi s re lat io ns hi p wi th hi s f at her are brou gh t to th e fore. He can see th e tw o

o f t he m w al ki n g ‘ be t wee n t he rai lw ay slopes | In to an even in g of lon g

g ra ss an d mi dg es ’. O n a ge neral level, an au ction n otice on an ou th ou se

w al l re m in ds us of t he t y pe o f c han ge th at th e bow in h is fath er ’s la p el

s e e m s t o d ef y. Ho wever, t hi s au cti on n otice is also a remin der of a

p art ic ul ar ly p ai nf ul m o me nt i n H eaney’s ear ly life. Follow in g th e death of

hi s y ou n ge r bro th er, C hri s t o pher, wh o w as k illed by a car w h en h e ran ou t

from be hi nd a b us , t he H eaney s sol d the family h ome at Mossbaw n .

!
H ean e y has s ai d t hat t he mo ve from Mossbaw n sign alled th e en d of h is

c h ild h o od . Warme r memo ri es do min ate th e fou rth stan za, w h ere th e p oe t

re me mb e rs fi shi ng t r i p s wi t h h is fath er. Th e j o y o f th ese ou ti n gs w as s uc h

th at t he y ou ng s peake rant i c i pated th e l on ged-for lift to h is spir its th at h e

a ss oc i at ed w i th t he s e eveni ngs. The po et th en recalls th e tick in g sou n d o f

hi s f ath e r ’s s ti c k as i t ‘ B eat s out of tim e’. In th e closin g cou plet of t h e

s t an z a, t he s peaker pi c t ure s hi s father on ce more as a qu iet ‘ton gu e-ti ed ’

m an wo rk in g o n th e s t raw o f t he har vest bow. Th e italicised open in g li ne

o f t he f in al s tan za al l ude s t o t he poet Co ven tr y

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 41

Pat e m ore, who c l ai me d t hat t he pu rpo se o f a rt w a s ‘ to b r i n g p ea c e’. Th e

s p ea ke r f e el s t hat t hi s c o ul d be the ‘m otto’ of th is ‘frail’ yet obvious ly

p o we r f ul har ve s t bo w t hat he has ‘ pin ned u p’ on th e ‘dresser ’. In th e f in al

l i ne s o f th e po em, t he po e t attempts to make con crete th e relation sh i p

b e t w e e n th e n atu ral and human wo rl ds. Th e bow is liken ed to ‘th e spir it o f

th e co rn ’ or rabb i t th at has s l i pped its ‘ sn are’ an d elu ded captu re.

!
!
2. St yl i st i c Featu res

!
!
Thi s b ea u ti ful me mo r y p o e m i s o n e of Hean ey’s mo st an th ol o gi sed pi e c es

o f w ri ti ng . Th e b ow t hat o c c as i ons the p oet ’s h eartfelt tr ibu te to h is fat h er

a l so c reat es a number o f t angi ble li nks w ith su ch var ied th emes as th e

p as s in g o f ti me , n at ure and t he wo rth an d pu r pose of artistic en deavo ur.

I n Robe rt F. Gar ratt ’s o pi ni o n, ‘ the poem draw s its pow er fu l effect from a

d e l ic at e c on ce i t, w hi c h devel o ps throu gh ou t th e piece from w h at it is in

a ct u a lit y – a wov en badge o f straw sign ifyin g th e h ar vest – to w h at i t

re pre se nt s s ymbo li c a l l y ’. Th e bo w i s o f c ou r se a po w er fu l an d i n terest i ng

m e t ap ho r. Fi rs tl y, i t repres e nts a l in k w ith th e tradition s of th e ru ral

c omm u ni ty. Th e b ow was made i n celebration of th e bou n ty of th e h ar v es t

a n d o f t e n h u n g a b o v e t h e k i t c h e n d o o r. T h e a d v e n t o f i n t e n s i v e ,

m e ch a ni se d f armi n g and t he waves of m igration s from th e lan d th at h ave

ta ke n pl ac e s i nce H eaney wro t e th e po em h ave th reaten ed th e w ay of li fe

th at th e bo w re pre s e nt s . Fo r Heaney, th e bow is a poten t remin der of ou r

c on ne c t io n t o t he l and. I n t he po et ’s i magin ation , th e art of mak in g t h e

b o w p ro v id es a l i nk t o a t i me when the ‘spir it of th e cor n ’ w as an in teg ra l

p art o f t he ru ral c om muni t y ’s li fe. S uc h pre-Ch r istian r itu als are of cour s e

n o w lo s t to u s , b ut t he bo w, made from ‘w h eat th at does n ot r u st ’, is a

s y mb ol of o ur co nnec t i o n t o s uch tradi tion s.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 42

!
Se co n dl y, an in t e re st in g a spe ct o f th e bow is t h e man ner in wh ich i t

re v ea ls as pec ts o f H ea n e y ’s relatio n sh i p w i th h i s fath er. Noti c e h o w t h e

s p ea ke r n e ve r rec al l s any i ns t ance of di rect commu n ication w ith th is fath e r.

The b ow, ho weve r, a l l o w s t h e po et to for m a c o n n ec ti o n w i th h i s fath e r

th at trans ce nds t he s po ken word. Th is ‘frail device’ commu n icates a n

‘u ns ai d’ mes s age o f l o ve and traditi on . Th is message is liken ed by th e

p o et t o a f o rm of ‘ b rai l l e ’ t hat , w hen un der stood, allow s h im to glean ‘t h e

u ns ai d o ff t he p al pabl e ’. Thi s ‘u nsai d’ k n ow ledge seems to speak of th e

en d ur in g val u e o f c o mmuni t y and tra dition . Despite th e remin der s o f

c h ang e t h at are pre s ent i n t he po em i n th e for m of ‘old beds’, ‘plou gh s in

he d ge s’ a nd ev en ‘A n auc t i o n noti ce’, th e ‘or igin al tow n lan d’ th at in sp ire s

H ean e y ’s i mag i nati o n s t i l l exi s ts. Th e separaten ess of th e fath er an d s on ,

w h i c h i s e m p h a s i s e d b y t h e p e r s o n a l p ro n o u n s ‘ Yo u ’ a n d ‘ M e ’, i s

c ou nt e re d i n t he e nd by t he in cl usi ven ess an d w ar mth th at th e b ow

s y mb oli s es . Th i s i n c l us i ve nes s i s fu rth er ex pressed by th e fact th at in it s

c ur re n t i nc arn ati o n, t he bo w s eems to act as a symbol of th e poet ’s lo v e

fo r hi s w if e :

!
The en d of art is peace

Coul d be t h e mott o of t h is frail dev ice

That I h av e pin n e d u p on our deal dresser –

!
A n i n te re s ti n g as pe c t o f t he poem’s stylistic featu res is th e man n e r i n

w hi c h t he c as ual n at ure o f t he po em’s for m creates th e sen se of t h e

s p ea ke r ’s mi n d wanderi ng bac k th ro u gh time. W h ile each of th e f iv e

s t an z as re l i es on th re e rhy mi ng co upl ets, th e r u n -on lin es an d lack of

em p hati c rh yme s pu s h t he po em fo rw ard in a gen tle, u n forced mann er.

H ow e ve r, d es pi t e th e meandering natu re of th e poem, its fin al message is

c lear. A rt ist i c en deavo ur, whet her spo ken or n ot, h as th e ability to

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 43

trans c en d di v i s i on . The ref e renc e to Coven tr y Patmore’s belief th at th e

‘e nd o f art i s p ea c e’, which the poet fee l s ‘ Co u l d b e th e mo tto o f th i s fra i l

d e v i ce ’, is won de rf u l l y upl i ft i ng.

!
3. E ss ay Wr i ti n g

I f y ou a re t hi n ki n g o f maki ng referen ce to ‘ Th e Har vest Bow ’ in a ny

re s po ns e to Heane y ’s p o e t r y t hat yo u m ay be asked to make, tr y to ke ep

th e f ol low in g po i nts i n mi nd.

!
a . Th i s p o e m i s o n e o f a n u m b e r o n t h e c o u r s e t h a t d e a l s w i t h

re l at ion sh ips . G ive n t h e p re d omin a n ce o f th i s th eme i n H ean ey’s poe tr y,

yo u m ay wi s h to d ev o t e an ent i re paragraph to th is aspect of h is w or k .

b. The po e m’s fo rm wo r ks t o c reate th e i mpressi on th at th e speaker ’s mi n d

i s w and er in g bac k th ro ugh t he years.

c. I t h as b e e n sai d o f Heaney ’s poetr y t hat h e ‘treats of n atu re w ith a love r ’s

i nt e ns i ty ’. Thi s poe m embodi es Hean ey’s deep con n ection w ith t h e

nat u ral w o rl d.

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Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 44
!
C r it i c al Co mmen tar y : The U ndergrou nd

__ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ______________________________________

Se e t he t ext o f th e po e m o n p. 71.

1 . Co nt e nt

__ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___________________________________________

Thi s p o em, whic h w a s f i r s t p u bl ish ed i n H ean ey’s 1969 c ol l ec ti o n , Stati o n

I sl and ,

has at it s heart a c l e ver al l usio n to th e Greek myth of Or ph eu s a nd

Eu r y di c e. In t hi s

G re e k my th , O rp he us marri e d the nymph Eu r ydice. A sn ake bite t h at

re s ul t e d i n

he r deat h f o rce d h er t o de s cend to th e u n der w or ld. Or ph eu s w as so

d i st raug ht t hat

he d e s ce nd ed i n to t he underwor ld in order to beg for h er release. Th is

d e s ce n t in to

t h e u n d e r w o r l d i s s o m e t h i n g o n l y a s m a l l n u m b e r o f m o rt a l s h a v e

s u cce ssf u ll y d on e

i n G re e k m yt ho l og y. Whe n he was granted an au dien ce w ith Hades an d h is

w i fe

Pe rs ep h on e, w ho r ul e d t h e und erw or ld, Orpheus played a beautiful ly

m e la n ch oly

m e lo dy on hi s l yre t hat mel t ed th e h earts of th e k in g an d qu een of t h e

u nd e r w or l d.

H ad e s a ll o wed Or ph e us t o as cend fro m th e u n der w or ld w ith h is w ife on

th e p ro v is o

t h at h e n o t l o o k at E u r y d i c e d i re c t l y. A s t h e p a i r w a s l ea v i n g t h e

u nd e r w or l d,

Or p he us gl an ce d o ver hi s s ho ulder i n th e direction of Eu r ydice in order to

m ake

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 45

s u re t hat s he w as i n f ac t ac c ompan yin g h im. S h e w as in stan tly w h isked

a wa y a n d

c on d em n ed t o rema i n f o rever i n th e un der w or ld. W h en Or ph eu s mad e a

s e c on d

att e mp t at f ree i ng hi s wi fe , t he Thraci an maiden s drow n ed ou t h is mu si c

a nd he w a s

ki ll e d a n d h i s l yre was c arri e d to th e h eaven s to become a con stellation . It

m ay b e

p o ssi bl e t hat H ean ey had G eorges Fran ju ’s 1958 film La Première Nu it i n

m i nd whe n

he w rot e t hi s po em. I n t hi s f i l m, th e stor y of Or ph eu s is retold th rou gh t h e

ey es o f a

s ch oo l bo y i n t he mo de rn s e tt i ng of th e Par is Métro.

I n Heane y’s po em ‘ The U nde rgrou nd’, th e speaker an d h is w ife assu me th e

rol e s

o f m od er n -d ay O rp he us and Eurydi ce. Th e poem open s w ith a descr ipti on

o f t he

p ai r i n t he ‘ v aul te d t unnel ’ of th e U n dergrou n d. Th e speaker ’s w ife i s

d e s cri be d
a s w ea r in g h er ‘g oi ng- away c oat ’. Th en , in an u n u su al simile, th e p oe t

c omp are s

hi ms el f t o a ‘ f l e et g o d’ gai ni ng o n her before sh e is ‘tu r n ed to a ree d ’.

Pe rh ap s th e

p o et i s a llu di n g t o t he G ree k myth of Syr in x . Syr in x w as th e dau gh ter of

th e m in or

37 8 | Po e m s

d e i t y a n d r i ve r g od Lado n. She w as c h ased by th e god Pan , w h o w a s

en a mo ure d wi th

he r. Fr ig ht en ed , s he c al l ed o ut to her fath er for h elp. In order to save h er

from Pan ,

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 46

he t u rne d he r i nto a wat e r re e d.

I n t he s ec o nd qu atrai n, t he po et descr ib es h ow h is w ife’s coat bu tton s f el l

o ff on e

b y on e ‘ in a trai l | Be t we e n t he Un dergrou n d an d th e Albert Hall’. Th e th i rd

s t an z a

p ro v i d e s u s w i t h g l i m p s e s o f t h e h o n e y m o o n e r s ‘ m o o n i n g a ro u n d ’

Lon d on , ‘ l at e f or

th e Pro ms ’. Th ere i s a perc e pt i bl e ch ang e in ton e in th e n ex t lin e:

Ou r e ch oe s d i e i n t hat c o rri do r an d no w

Th e l o n g v o w e l s o u n d s o f t h i s l i n e c reat e a h a u n t i n g q u a l i t y t h at

em p ha si s es t he

p as s age of ti me . In t he f i nal c ou plet of th e stan z a, th e poet sees h ims el f

a s a Ha n se l l i ke

fi g ure w h o, f o l l ow i ng t he button s th at h is w ife lost from h er coat yea r s

ear li e r,

re t rac e s the pat h ba c k t o ‘a d ra u gh ty la mpl i t stati on ’.

I n t h e fi nal l i nes o f t he f i nal stan za, the poet descr ibes h imself as be in g

te ns e as

he w ai ts f or hi s wi f e t o re t urn. U nl ike O r ph eu s in th e u n der w or ld, h e t el ls

u s t hat h e

i s ‘d a mne d’ i f he l o o ks bac k.

2 . St y li s ti c Feat ures

__ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___________________________________________

H ean e y i s f as ci n ate d by t he moti f of th e jou r n ey to th e u n der w or ld. Th e

fi g ure s o f

D ant e, O r ph eu s , He rme s and Vi rgi l, al l of w h om are associated w ith th e

d e s ce n t to

th e un d er w or l d, h ave f eat ure d i n hi s po etr y. Of cou r se, th is in terest is a ls o

fo un d

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 47

i n Heane y’s bo g p o e ms , where the speaker u n dertakes an excavation t h at

ta ke s us

d o wn th ro ugh l ay er s o f s o i l and h isto ry.

I n ‘ Th e Un de rgro und’, H eaney demon strates h is master y of for m a nd

s ou n d.

The p oe m memo rial i s e s t h e H ea n eys’ h on eymoo n i n Lon don i n 1965. Fro m

th e

o u ts e t , t he s ou nds i n t he poem match th e poet ’s th ematic con cer n s.

N ot i ce h ow i n

th e f ir st lin e t he l o ng vo we l so un ds in th e w ords ‘vau lted’ an d ‘tu nn el ’

c reat e a n e ch o

th at draws t he reade r ’s i magi nati on to an u n dergrou n d w or ld of mystery :

The re w e were i n the v a u l t e d t u n n el r u n n i n g,

Thi s h a unt ing quali t y i s b a l a n ced , h o w ever, by a sen se of en ergy t h at

s u gg e s ts

s om e th in g i mp ortan t i s go i ng to happen . In fact, th e fir st sen ten ce of th e

p o em ta ke s

th e read er i n a headl o ng rus h throu gh th e fir st tw o qu atrain s. Th e spar s e

p u nct uat i on
Sea mus H eaney | 37 9

( ju st t w o c o mmas i n e i ght l i ne s) barely gives us time to draw a breath. Thi s

s e ns e of

m ov e me n t i s f u rt he r mai nt ai ned by the sou n d patter n s an d clever u se o f

p res e n t and

p as t pa rt ic i pl e s i n t he s e c o nd stan za. Th e presen t participles ‘r u n n ing ’,

‘s p ee di ng ’

a nd ‘ga in in g’ al l c reat e a s e ns e o f exc itemen t an d movemen t. Mean w hi le ,

th e p as t

p art ic i pl e s ‘ j ap ed ’ and ‘ f l appe d’ captu re th e sou n d of Hean ey’s w ife’s coat

a s t h e wi nd

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 48

ru sh e s a g ai ns t i t. Fo r any o ne wh o h as been in th e Lon don Un dergrou nd ,

th e se ns at i on

o f r ush in g ai r t hat i s c reat e d by the pressu re of th e train s as th ey en ter t h e

tu n ne l is

i m me d iat e l y bro ugh t t o mi nd. Of c ou r se, th is u n u su al combin ation o f

p res e n t and

p as t pa rt ic i pl e s mi r ro rs t he po em’s preoccu pation w ith th e passin g of

ti me .

A n int eres ti n g s ty l i s t i c f eat ure of th e po em is th e man n er in w h ich Hean ey

m i xe s

c on t e m po rar y and e ven c o l l oqui al l an gu age w ith allu sion s to Gree k

m y t ho l og y.

Ob v i ou sly, th e po em ref e renc es th e m yth of Or ph eu s an d Eu r ydice, b ut

th e re is al s o

th e e rot i c ref e ren ce t o Pan’s pu rsu it of Syr in x . Yet Hean ey ch ooses t o

c ou ch th e s e

re f e re nc es in l angua g e t h at c a n be d esc r i bed as pl ayfu l . (‘ Th ere w e w ere ’,

‘A n d me ,

m e t h en ’, ‘damn ed i f I l o o k bac k’ ).
Fo r m o s t re a d e r s , t h e m o s t t h o u g h t - p ro v o k i n g a s p e c t o f ‘The

U n de rg ro un d’ i s

th e ma n ne r i n whi c h t he po e m draws atten tion to th e passin g of time. Th e

p o em

o p e n s i n t h e L o n d o n U n d e r g r o u n d o n t h e d a y o f t h e s p e a k e r ’s

ho ne y mo o n. A s w e

h a v e d i s c u s s e d , t h e p o e m ’s l a n g u a g e c a p t u re s t h e a n t i c i p at i o n a n d

exc it e m e n t o f

th at da y. Ho wev er, whi l e t he po em c on clu des in th e same Un dergrou nd

s t at i on ,

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 49

w e can n ot h el p bu t f e e l t hat muc h has ch an ged. Th e en ergy an d vitalit y o f

th e f ir st

s t an z a hav e f ade d l i ke ‘e c ho es ’ i n a ‘c or r idor ’.

The i n cl us ive pers on a l p ro n o u ns ‘w e’ an d ‘ Ou r ’ are tran sfo r med i n th e f i na l

s t an z a t o t he i ndi v i dual ‘ I ’ as the po et en ds u p in a w et an d ‘drau gh t y

l a mp li t

s t at i on ’. As th e p oe m draws t o a cl ose, Hean ey remin ds th e reader of t h e

o r ig in al

m y t h of O rp he us an d Eury di c e, tho ugh th ere is a tragic rever sal of t h at

m y t h in t hi s

p o em . I n t he e nd, i t i s t he po et wh o i s damn ed if h e looks back , n ot h is

l ov er.

3 . E s sa y Wri t i ng

__ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___________________________________________

I f y o u a re t hi n ki n g o f ref e rrin g to ‘ Th e Un dergrou n d’ in a per sona l

re s po ns e to

Sea mus Heaney ’s po et ry, y o u may w ish to keep some of th e followi ng

p o in ts i n

m i nd.
38 0 | Po e m s

a . I t has be en s ai d o f H eaney that fo r h im, ‘myth ex presses th e pas t ’s

p e n et rati o n

o f t he pres en t, th e pre s e nt ne s s of th e past ’. Th is poem provides u s w ith an

i n te re st i ng examp l e o f H eaney ’s use of m yth ology.

b. Th e m ot i f o f t he un d e rg ro un d app ear s in man y of Hean ey’s poems. A s

s u ch , i t

m ay b e in te res ti n g t o c o mpare thi s poem w ith ‘ Th e Tollu n d Man ’ o r

‘B o g la n d’.

c . G iv en th at Heaney has wri tt e n abo ut h is relation sh ip w ith h is w ife in ‘ Th e

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 50

Sku nk’, it mi g ht b e wo rt hwhi l e c ompar in g or con trastin g th at poem wi th

‘ Th e

U n de rg ro un d’.

Cian Hogan English Notes Ⓒ 2013 51