Consider how Seanus Heany provides us with a view of his childhood in :: English Literature

Consider how Seanus Heany provides us with a view of his childhood inthe following poems Digging, Death of a naturalist, follower,blackberry picking, The barn and mid term breakSheanus Heany was born in 1939 on a farm in County Derry, NorthernIreland. His poetry is based on the landscape in his farm from hischildhood. In his life there is unrivalled key feature that changed him fromthe rest of his family. This was the level of education that heobtained. He went to a decent school unlike his family that enabledhim to write and not farm. He is currently a professor of poetry atOxford. There are two enormous symbolic features in his poetry. Firstly,the danger in the countryside could be said to represent the danger inNorthern Island at the time. Secondly, there is a strong wizard ofdivision in his family, which could be linked with Heany growing up ina divided country.His first poem in the Death of a Naturalist is very important. Thepurpose of it is to symbolise and introduce his ci rcumstances.Between my finger and thumb the squat pen rests. Look at this firstsentence. It is telling you he is a writer. He is telling you that thepen rests. This means that he is comfortable with it. In a way he issaying that the pen belongs in his hand. Then he goes on to writesnug as a gun. A gun is a weapon. Something used for destructionwhich poetry is not. But, If you look closer you can see that maybethe pen has destroyed something. Heany was brought up in a Irish ruralfamily. He is expected to become a farmer. In this way the pen hastaken something apart from him. It has changed the relationship withhis family and lengthened the gap between them.Throughout nearly each poem there seems to be a barrier. Here it isthe window, under my window. Heany is doing mental work objet dart hisfather is doing physical. Here is an example of how Heany and hisfather are different. My father digging I look down. Even Heanysvision of his father from 20 years is one of digging.His father is natural with the farm work. When he is digging he issmooth and it is a harmonious movement. Bends low twenty years awaystooping in rhythm through potato drills where he was digging. Hisfathers comfort with digging is displayed again. The boot isnestled on the lug which is a word of belonging. His foot fits