Death Of A Naturalist!

Positive Images:

Delicatley

Negative Images:

Rotted there

Punishing sun

Weighted down

Festered

Sweltered

Oxymoron:

Gargled Delicately

Metaphor:

Strong gauze of sound around the smell

Dragon-flies, spotted butterflies

Phrase which sounds like a child describing the scene...

'But best of all'

Identify the ugly image that would be appealing to a child...

'the warm thick slobber of Frogspawn'

Onomatopoeia...

'slobber'

Similie...

'like clotted water'

These techniques are effective as they emphasize the adjectives been used, they draw the reader into the poem and make them interested.

 How do we know the boy's interest was created by a nature lesson at school?

 He mentions a 'Miss Walls', this suggets he is talking about a teacher, a teacher from his school when he was younger.

What is the tone of the first section of the poem?

The tone of the poem is happy, the adjectives used compliment nature and the tadpoles, there is a good atmosphere.



How do we know that this section of the poem describes an experience later in the summer? Is it a pleasing image of the season?

'Then one hot day when fields were rank with cowdung', i wouldnt say this was a pleasing image as the word 'rank' suggests it is horrible.

How are the ugly frogs made to sound ugly and threatning?

- angry frogs

- invaded

- the air was thick was a bass chorus

- dam gross-bellied frogs were cocked

- on sods

- loose necks pulsed like sails

- slap and plop were obscene threats

- mud grenades

- blunt heads farting

- great slime kings

- venegnece

- that if i dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it

Why does this experience cause the 'death' of the naturalist?
'I sickened, turned and ran'

How is the tone of this section of the poem different from the first stanza?

The tone in this section of the poem is very different to the first stanza. This is because the first stanza has a happy feel as it mentions words such as 'delicatley', 'butterflies', 'spring' and 'sun', we know that this could be set in the summer. However the tone of this stanza is angry, upsetting, disgusted.

Storm On The Island.

Key Themes:
                - Natural power
                - Fear and isolation
                - Peoples relationship with nature


Key Techniques:
                 - Blank verse (no rhyming)
                 - Enjambment (lines run over)
                 - Caesura
                 - Assonamce
                 - Oximoron
                 - Metaphors and similies


Lines 1-5:
On line 1 there is an example of caesura, this is where there is a deliberate break in the line to make the reader pause, it says 'we are prepared: we build our houses squat'. There is a break in the poem, as this is before the storm, it is telling the readers that they are prepared for it, after the break, the storm has came, this is during the storm now.
At the end of line 1 and 2, there are end breaks, we know this as commas are present.
The rest of the verse uses enjambmennt, this is where the lines run over, it makes the poem flow continuously.
The word 'we' is repeated in the first line of the poem, this is very important as Heaney is setting the tone as secure and comforting, everyone is involved, he isnt alone.
They build their houses 'squat', this means that they are building their houses safe and secure, the people who live on the island build their houses to withstand the storm, they are prepared.
The first key technique used is assonance, in line 2, this a repition of a vowel sound; Roof and Good'.
Heaney uses the word 'wizened', this could mean that the earth is old and feeble, or intelligient and wise.
Nothing grows on the island, we know this as it says 'the wizened earth has never toubled us, with hay', this means that the people who like on the island dont have to worry about losing things in the storm such as 'stacks or stooks'.
There is only one stanza in the whole of the poem.

Lines 6-10:
In the first few lines, there is an example of enjambment, it says 'when it blows full, Blast', this gives the impression of a storm, just like 'waves hitting a rock', it is something unexpected.

Line 7:
Conversational tone; he says 'you know what i mean'. This is adressing the reader, and drawing them in, to get them involved in the storm. He uses conversational tone as he feels isolated, it says 'nor are there trees', he feels lonely and he needs reassurance.
Line 8:
He refers to a 'tragic chorus', chorus's are repeated verses, the storm keeps coming back, he talks about storms all the time.

Lines 9-10:
The wind is personified, 'it pummels your house'. It is personified in a very violent way, the wind cant actually pummel, you would use pummel in a fight, he is in a fight with a storm.

Lines 11-19:
It says 'you might think the sea is comapany, exploding comfortably on the cliffs', this means that he might not be able to hear the sea, it isnt company to him becuase its not close enough, he still feels lonely.
It then says 'spits like a tame cat, Turned savage', this is an example of onomatophia, also personification, 'spits' catches the readers attention and draws them in.

Seamus Heaney Follower.

His shoulders globed like a full sail strung:

 this is suggesting that he stands tall, his shoulders are broad and well tailored to suit this job that he does. His father is strong, and because of his build he is able to lough the feilds well and with great skill.

The horses strained at his clicking tongue:

this phrase suggests that the horses listen to every instruction his father gives, this makes him powerful and skillful, he knows what he is doing.

With a single pluck/Of reins, the sweating team turned around:

this phrase is suggesting an action that is done dyuring the plowing process, it dosent take two or three plucks of the reins for the 'team' to know what to do, the process runs so smoothly as Heaney's father is so skillful, it only takes one.

Dipping and rising to his plod:

this phrase is suggesting that the young Heaney is on his fathers shoulders, as his father plods along Heaney dips and rises, he is following the path of how his father walked. This also links with the line ' like a full sail strung', this is because waves also dip and rise, waves link with sails, sails are on ships.

I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake:

this phrase suggests that Seamus Heaney followed his dad as a young child, in many things than just ploughing, in a deeper sense the word 'stumbled' may mean that he has tried to follow in his fathers footsteps all his life, however he dosent feel he can take over his fathers jobs, he struggles to do them, he stumbles. 

I was a nuisance, tripping, falling/Yapping always:

this phrase suggests that Heaney was a nuisance of a child, it is clearly stated in the line. Like the line 'i stumbled in his hob-nailed wake', it tells you that he struggled to follow in his fathers footsteps as a child. he didnt feel his talent and skill lay with farming, and being able to plough like his dad. The word 'yapping' could be classed as onomatopoeia.

A young animal, the stage of still being classed as a baby. They are just learning how to survive, they take great care in watching their mother/father so they know how to survive when they grow older, they might not do things perfectly and it may take time to learn these skills.  

Towards the end of the poem, the last few lines show a change of relationship, instead of Heaney following his father, his father is following him. This makes us think that he is older now, his father is now a  memory, never forgotten and forever there.

Seamus Heaney - Follower!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHGVB-cKknI

Seamus Heaney Digging.

At the beginning of the poem, the writer is sat at his window, looking out at his father digging the flowerbeds.

The sight of his father digging reminds him of twenty years ago, when he watched his father dig for potato's.

Heaney also associates the skill of digging with his grandfather.

Seamus remembers the time when he carried milk to his grandfather whilst he was digging, once he had drank the milk he got straight back to work.

By the end of the poem, Heaney decided that although he admired his father and grandfather for the skill they had for digging, he wants to be a writer, this is what he is passionate for.

This poem is about Seamus Heaney watching his father dig, and remembering how when he was younger he watched his grandfather dig, this tradition has followed on. Although Heaney admires his father and grandfather, he dosent he has a good enough talent to carry on this tradition, he feels his talent lies with writing. 

The words or phrase which struck me most were  'The squat pen rests; snug as a gun', this phrase tells us that Heaney is holding his pen, the words snug as a gun suggests that his pen is powerful, it fits comfortably in his hand, the pen is supposed to be there. It then says 'The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft, against the inside knee was levered firmly', this phrase is connected to the first, it is saying that the spade is powerful when his father uses it, it fits comfortably against his leg, like the pen, the spade is supposed to be there.

Heaney is different from his father because he feels that his talent dosen't lie with digging, and being comfortable using a spade, he feels that although he admires his father and grandfather he would much rather follow what he feels he does best, which is write.

Gillian Clarke Biography.

Seamus Heaney Biography.