Throughout this assignment I will be examining how Seamus Heaney's attitude towards childhood is portrayed throughout his poetry. I will initially be looking at individual poems, then drawing a collective conclusion of his overall childhood impressions.

... Seamus Heaney 'Death of a Naturalist' Throughout this assignment I will be examining how Seamus Heaney's attitude towards childhood is portrayed throughout his poetry. I will initially be looking at individual poems, then drawing a collective conclusion of his overall childhood impressions. The poem Follower shows that the child's view of farming is that of imitating his father's actions: 'I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm.' Heaney obviously admired his father then: 'All I ever do is follow' This metaphor is seen through the poem although the positions are now reversed: 'But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.' I feel that the poet has troubled memories of his childhood, perhaps because he feels he hasn't lived up to his father's hopes and aspirations and followed in his footsteps and become a farmer. Digging, is a

want to read more? →