The Early Purges.

... The Early Purges This poem by Seamus Heaney contains twin messages that are clearly stated in the penultimate and final stanzas. In the penultimate stanza, verse one Seamus Heaney says, "living displaces false sentiments." This means that Seamus begins his life with sentimental feelings about the kittens being drowned so cruelly. At an older age he changes his feelings(volte-face) to those which Dan Taggart had. "And now when shrill pups are prodded to drown I just shrug." The other message in the final stanza, final verse is that, " On well run farms pests have to be kept down." This message means that it is perfectly normal to kill pests to make sure the farm is well run. The title "Early Purges" skilfully anticipates both these messages. For the message in the penultimate stanza, the title suggests that the six year old(Seamus Heaney) is feeling sentimental about the kittens but later

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