Death of a Naturalist

1 All year the flax-dam festered in the heartOf the townland; green and heavy headedFlax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.
Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
7 There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
10 In the shade of the banks. Here, every spring would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window-sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch until
The fattening dots burst into nimble-
Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
15 The daddy frog was called a bullfrog
16 And how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too
For they were yellow in the sun and brown
In rain.

Then one hot day when fields were rank
With cowdung in the grass the angry frogs
Invaded the flax-dam; I ducked through hedges
To a coarse croaking that I had not heard
Before. The air was thick with a bass chorus.
Right down the dam gross-bellied frogs were cocked
On sods; their loose necks pulsed like sails. Some hopped:
The slap and plop were obscene threats. Some sat
Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting.I sickened, turned, and ran. The great slime kings
Were gathered there for vengeance and I knew
That if I dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it.

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

METAPHOR

OXI-MORON

Lines 1-7

There is a mixture of positive and negative language used in the first 7 lines of the poem. The lines are very descriptive using positive adjectives such as "green", "delicately" and "wove." However, there are also negative descriptive words and phrases, for example, "All year the flax-dam festered," and "the punishing sun." Heaney also uses metaphors and an oxi-moron in the poem. The metaphor refers to the sound of the atmospere around the swamp as a "thich gauze." He uses an oxi-moron to describe the bubbles "gargling delicately." This gives the impression that the sound of the 'gargling' was not a distubring or offensive sound, but a reassuring background noise that is comforting to Heaney.

Lines 8-16

"Miss Walls would tell us how the daddy frog was called a bullfrog And how he croaked and how the mammy frog" - this gives an indication of Heaney's age in this poem. He is refering to a time when he was just a small child in primary school.
Also, there is another indication when he says: "But best of all was the warm thick slobber" - the kind of thing a child would love but an adult would find completely unappealing - for example, splashing in puddles, getting muddy etc...
Onomatopoeia is used in the poem as well, "slobber" - really gives the reader the imagery of the setting of the poem.
A simile is used to describe the frog spawn; "like clotted water."  - Imagery, as well as giving the reader an idea of the texture of it as well.
It is in this section of the poem where you know that his interest in nature has been brought up at school; learning about frogs and observing them. There is something really innocent about the tone of the first half of the poem.

In the second half of the poem, the tone of the peom completely changes and becomes quite aggressive. There are a lot of negative descriptive terms used, for example, "rank," "angry," "invaded."
The second stanza also talks about the change in season, going from hot, burning summer to the Autumn time when the weather is getting wetter and colder.
The frogs that were once harmless frogspawn and cute little tadpoles have transformed into big gross slimy frogs. The reader egts the impression that the poet was suprised by this- he didn't know/understand that they would change (another indication of his age). The way he describes the frogs in such a negative way shows that he is quite frightened of the frogs and he finds them disgusting; he says they are 'invading' and the sounds as they plop in the swampy water is like an ''obscene threat''.

In this poem, Heaney is describing a time when he felt really inspired and fascinated by something, and how quickly that was changed. The title: 'Death of a Naturalist'  is not refering to an actual death of a person, but a metaphor of the ''death'' of an idea. Maybe for a short while, Seamus Heaney was so fascinated in nature - the frogs in particular, that he describes himself as a ''Naturalist.'' The ''death'' is when he sees the frogs in there fully grown form and is suddenly put off the whole idea.  

Storm on the Island

Key Themes:


- Natural Power
- Fear and Isolation
- People's relationship with nature




Key Techniques:


- Blank Verse (no rhyme)
- Enjambment (lines run over)
- Caesura (A delibarate break/pause in the line - semi colon or colon)
- Assonance - the repetition of a vowel sound - eg. roof, good
- Oxi moron
- Metaphors and Similes




Lines 1-5


- First line - ''we'' is repeated, letting the audience know he is not alone, set the tone as secure - comforting
- They prepare themselves for the storm by building strong, stable houses - squat, thick rock walls, rooves made with good slate - shows that they are prepared and able to withstand the storm.
- On line 1 there is an example of caesura, to make you pause.
- In line two, there is an example of assonance - ''roof'' and ''good''  - the repetition of a vowel sound.
- At the end of lines 1 and 2 there are end stops or breaks - they are commas or full stops. The rest of the verse uses enjambement - it flows. This is because the fist two lines of the poem are about how they have prepared for the storm; however, the rest of the poem is about the storm itself and its' effects.
- The poem only has one stanza - to give the impression that the storm is never ending , it's continuous. 
- In line 3, the word 'wizand' can mean old, shrivelled or wise/experianced - positive thing - they don't have to do anything with it as nothing grows on it ''the earth has never troubled us''

Lines 6 - 10

- There is an example of enjambement in lines 6 - 10, particularly effective use of enjambent is when caesura is used on line 7 - the line begins ''Blast:'' (caesura also used) - it is unexpected/sudden - like lightening or thunder for example.
- Line 7 - conversational tone - "you know what I mean" - addresses the reader/draws the reader in - to make the reader feel the same way - share, for reassurance. Seamus Heaney feels isolated/alone - he talks about the lack of trees etc, he is asking the reader for reassurance.
- Line 8 - ''Chorus''  - repeated - the storm keeps coming back.
- Line 10 - the wind is personified - "it pummels your house" - quite violent vocabulary used.
Lines 11 - 19

- Line 11 - ''No trees, no shelter'' - in list form to emphasis how alone he is - the repetion of the word ''No''
-  Lines 12 and 13, the sea is personified - ''the sea is company'' - the sound of it is reassuring to him. 
- "Exploding comfortably" - oxi-moron, comfortably could be used because the sea is a comfprtable distance away - he can hear it but it is not damaging towards him or the island.
- Line 15 ''Spits like a tame cat turned savage'' - simile - using emotion/aggression - creates imagery.
- Also, ''spits'' - use of onamaopoeia.
- Lines 17-18 - Language related to artillary/war - ''bombarded,'' ''strafes'' etc.
- Line 19 - ''Huge nothing that we fear'' - oxi moron. Also, the idea that you can't see the storm yet you still fear it.

Follower - Seamus Heaney

My father worked with a horse plough,                             1
His shoulders globed like a full sail strung
Between the shafts and the furrow.
The horses strained at his clicking tongue.

An expert. He would set the wing                                     5
And fit the bright-pointed sock.
The sod rolled over without breaking.
At the headrig, with a single pluck.

Of reins, the sweating team turned round
And back into the land. His eye                                        10
Narrowed and angled at the ground,
Mapping the furrow exactly.

I stumbled in his hobnailed wake,
Fell sometimes on the polished sod;
Sometimes he rode me on his back                                  15
Dipping and rising to his plod.
I wanted to grow up and plough,
To close one eye, stiffen my arm.
All I ever did was follow
In his broad shadow around the farm.                              20

I was a nuisance, tripping, falling,
Yapping always. But today
It is my father who keeps stumbling
Behind me, and will not go away.

Follower - Seamus Heaney

Follower - Seamus Heaney

"His shoulders globed like a full sail strung" - This line in the poem could be a physical description of his Father's shoulders -however, it is more likely to be a metaphor of his Father's strength and the way that his body is braced could signify that he is protective. It could indicate that Seamus admired his Father.

"The horses strained at his clicking tongue" - Could mean that he was very precise with his work and did not quit until the task was complete up to his standard - the horses tiring could show how persistent and dedicated his Father was, to the point that even the horses were tiring.
This could also mean that his Father was very powerful and he had control over the horses.

"With a single pluck/Of reins, the sweating team turned around." - The ''single pluck of reins'' shows that his Father had complete control over the horses -- they did not hesitate or disobey. The action, "pluck," is not violent or cruel, he is good to his animals. "The sweating team'' is another example to show the dedication to the job.


"Dipping and rising to his plod," - the dipping and the rising could show a pattern -- like a routine, precise/planned - his Father is a proffessional, he has a method in his work. This could also be linked to the metre of the poem. The phrase leads to imagery as well.

Seamus Heaney

"I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake" - This line tells the reader a little about Seamus Heaney. It gives the imprerssion that he follows his Father around, interested in his work. He is inspired by his Father and fascinated. The word ''stumbled'' could insinuate that he is hurrying along behind him, trying to keep up, and tripping in the mud.

"I was a nuisance, tripping, falling/Yapping always" - Shows that he is following his Father and he feels like he is annoying him. this gives the impression to the reader that Seamus is just a small child and he is following his Father liek a lost puppy every where he goes. He could be talking copnctantly, or asking his Father questions about the job. you get the impression that he is only young because he is tripping and falling, he is obviously not too experianced in working on the field. The word "Yapping" links to a dog, aimless/pointless background noise; loud and possibly irritating.

In this poem, Seamus Heaney reminds me of a 'lost puppy.' The way that he follows his Fasther around, ''yapping,'' and getting under his Father's feet and getting in the way, but determined to keep up and see what's happening.

In the last two lines of the poem the relationship changes between Seamus and his Father. "But today, It is my father who keeps stumbling, Behind me, and will not go away." It suggests that this is far into the future, when Seamus is a man and his Father is now too old to plough the feilds. It gives the idea that his Father follows him to gide him or watch over him -- he could be advising him, he stumbles because he is so old?

Digging - Seamus Heaney

Digging

Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; as snug as a gun.

Under my window a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down

Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Stooping in rhythm through potato drills
Where he was digging.

The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft
Against the inside knee was levered firmly.
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
To scatter new potatoes that we picked
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.

By God, the old man could handle a spade,
Just like his old man.

My grandfather could cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner's bog.
Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods
Over his shoulder, digging down and down
For the good turf. Digging.

The cold smell of potato mold, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge
Through living roots awaken in my head.
But I've no spade to follow men like them.

Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I'll dig with it.


READING FOR MEANING:


At the start of the poem, Seamus Heaney (writing in the 1st person) is stood at a window, looking down into the garden watching his Father dig. He is watching him, admiring the skill and precision of his Father.


The sight of his Father digging reminds him of twenty years ago, when he'd watched his Father digging before. This reminds him of his Grandfather digging as well, indicating to the reader that digging up pete for potatoes is a family trade.




He rememberas helping his Father plant potatoes, "To scatter new potatoes that we picked." he also talks about how good his Father is at digging - very skillful, precise etc, just like his Grandfather.




In particular, Seamus Heaney remembers a time when he brought his Grandfather a bottle of milk when he was busy digging. His Grandad drank it very fast and then imediatialy got back to digging. This makes Seamus proud of his Grandfather and admirable as he shows determination and commitment to the task in hand.


The writer talks about how digging has run in the family and how his Father and Grandfather were highly skilled diggers, however his skill is writing. He compares the spade used to dig with his pen. Writing is his equivalent to digging. His skill. 




FIRST IMPRESSIONS


This poem is about digging - more specifically, Seamus Heaney's Father and Grandfather digging. Seamus Heaney is watching his Father digging in the garden and he is thinking about watching his Father and his Grandfather in the past. He talks about how digging has run in the family. It is also about the admiration that Seamus Heaney has for his Father and Grandfather. It is all about Heaney's childhood, recalling memories of his Father and Grandfather.


The phrase which stuck with me the most was the conclusive stanza, "Between my finger and my thumb, The squat pen rests.I'll dig with it." This stuck with me because although Seamus cannot dig up to the standard of his Father or Grandfather, he has a different skill which he can do just as well, his skill is writing. I think that it is really clever how Seamus creates the link between digging and writing in the poem.


Heaney is different to his Father because his Father is very skilled in digging, however, Seamus is skilled in writing.


LITERARY TECHNIQUES


Seamus Heaney uses onomatopoeia several times throughout the poem. For example, "squelch and slap," gives the reader imagery, the words perfectly describe the mud and the use of onomatopoeia is very effective.
Another example is "Nicking and slicing," describing the mivement of the spade. ''Slice'' indicates the sharp, precise cuts through the soil, creating imagery and showing how skilled his Grandfather was. "Rasping sound" is another use on onomatopoeia that gives the audience an idea of exactly what it was like. The word ''Rasping'' allows the audience to almost hear the sound themself.


Sound is important in this poem because it is a main descriptive factor. Seamus Heaney describes the sounds very precisely, using onomatopoeia when he can. This really gets the reader to imagine they are there, and it helps them to ''hear'' the soudns themself - the ''slicing'' or ''rasping'' sounds.
In the first verse of the poem, Seamus uses a lot of alliterations -- "squat," "Snug," "Rasping Sound," "Spade sinking" - the 'S' sound shows the precission, the smooth sounds of digging etc. However, the poet then begins to use a harsher sound - 'G'  -- "gravelly ground" shows is being more difficult - less smooth. Simply by uses the literary technique of alliteration, the poet is able to describe the actions just through sound.


Seamus Heaney really emphasises the skill of his Father by describing the exact precission. He uses technical terms as well to describe his Fathers actions - "The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft, Against the inside knee was levered firmly." This shows that his Father is not just digging randomly, he has a method and and technique, like a proffessional.






Heaney writes "By God, the old man could handle a spade, Just like his old man." The phrase ''By God'' really emphasises how skilled his Father is.


In the poem "Digging," Seamus Heaney writes the line "But I've no spade to follow men like them," I think that this means he cannot dig up t the standard of his Father or Grandfather, he is not as skilled as them. However, this may not be a negative thing -- he has other talents elsewhere - in Heaney's case, his talent being writing.


"The squat pen rests. I'll dig with it." Heaney wirtes this line to concluse the poem. By this he means that he will dig metaphorically; digging down into his memory to see his past. He could also mean that he will write instead if dig - his Father and his Grandfather were both skillful diggers, however Seamus does not have this skill. Instead, he can write. So this line may mean that his will do what he does best - writing, to him is the equivalent of digging.

Seamus Heaney: "Digging"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIzJgbNANzk

Digging

Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; as snug as a gun.

Under my window a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down

Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Stooping in rhythm through potato drills
Where he was digging.

The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft
Against the inside knee was levered firmly.
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
To scatter new potatoes that we picked
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.

By God, the old man could handle a spade,
Just like his old man.

My grandfather could cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner's bog.
Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods
Over his shoulder, digging down and down
For the good turf. Digging.

The cold smell of potato mold, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge
Through living roots awaken in my head.
But I've no spade to follow men like them.

Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I'll dig with it.

Gillian Clarke!

http://www.gillianclarke.co.uk/home.htm
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=authC2D9C28A1605c20951WoH1FD7526

When/Where was she born:
8 June 1937.
Born in Cardiff, Wales.

Family:
She has a daughter and two sons, and now lives with her husband (an architect) on a smallholding in Ceredigion, where they raise a small flock of sheep, and care for the land according to organic and conservation practice.

Influences:
Her perhaps best-known long poem, ‘Letter from a Far Country’, is richly informed by her own family history, women’s roles and domestic duties centering around children.
The Sundial (1978), was the first poem she had written since schooldays. It portrays her young son Owain, restless during the night, and the next day making a sundial in the garden.
Her early work reflects upon a farming landscape.