With close reference to at least two poems, discuss Seamus Heaney's presentation of his childhood in Ireland.
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- 1767
- Submitted:
- Wed Aug 20 2003

... Anna Bowman With close reference to at least two poems, discuss Seamus Heaney's presentation of his childhood in Ireland. Death of a Naturalist is about where Heaney played as a child and how he reflects back on it as an adult. Early purges has a similar theme except it is set on a farmyard and is more domestic. Both poems tell a tale of the death of an aspect of Heaney's childhood. Death of A Naturalist is set in an area called the flax-dam. This is an area surrounding a pond where amongst other plants; cotton plants (flax) grew. Heaney expresses his feelings and thoughts about the Flax-dam with two different voices. The voice of Heaney as an adult is shown when he uses more sophisticated language and polysyllabic words, "...festered..." and "...sweltered..." These are two examples of words, which would be so mature for a child to use. As Heaney comes into using














