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Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

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Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

When analyzing the writings of Seamus Heaney, it is often important to take into account the situation of the poet himself to enable the reader to put his poetry into context. Heaney's poetry is particularly influenced by the history and politics of his home country Ireland and a strong ... Read review

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1-5 of 6 reviews of Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

an introduction to the poetry of heaney

Advantages: inspirational poet
Disadvantages: political undertones

When analyzing the writings of Seamus Heaney, it is often important to take into account the situation of the poet himself to enable the reader to put his poetry into context. Heaney's poetry is particularly influenced by the history and politics of his home country Ireland and a strong theme of politics runs through the majority of his works. The extent to which this theme is exploited varies from the implicit 'Digging' to the explicitly political ...
...Heaney was raised within a family and culture that very much relied on the land, the significance of which is represented in 'At A Potato Digging' and 'Requiem For The Croppies.' In 'Digging', Heaney expresses the admiration he feels for both his father and grandfather; "By God, the old man could handle a spade! / Just like his old man." "But I've no spade to follow men like them." Confesses Heaney, almost with a sense of guilt. ... more

twixfix2003 15.05.2003
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

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The continuation of Irish Post-modernism in Poetry

Advantages: He is the voice of a live poet
Disadvantages: Historical knowledge of Ireland needs to be considered

Opened Ground is the greatest introduction that any reader of contemporary Irish poetry should endeavour to obtain. Heaney demonstrates an ability to find a very suttle voice from the fragments of a dis-membered 'Northern' Irish Catholic community. It is hard not to see him as the likely heir to the crown left by W.B Yeats in the earlier part of this century. As a poet 'Heaney' is at best human and at worst selfless, there is no great ideological ...
...His work is economic, has much verve and written with a quelled passion. In making a comment, in the seventies, regarding the 'Troubles', he followed on from the Yeats tradition in declaring that he would not become a voicepiece for a generation but a social observer. This is where the 'poet' becomes post-modern, in as much as he feels that we should not separate literature or more commonly social literature from the edifice that is social science. ...

baggyman 29.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

Death of a 'Great culture'

Advantages: Very readable. A lot of good techniques.
Disadvantages: Not long enough!

'Death Of A Naturalist' I am going to be focusing on one of the most compelling poems in this book of Irish poems which is Death of A Naturalist. This is one of the most, I think, best ideas for a poem as it contains both side of an arguement, a very hard thing to do in a poem. I think Irish poems don't get a lot of credit from modern day reviewers. It has kind of been 'swept under the mat' which I think is extremely wrong. At the opening of the ...
...a young boy, enjoyed wildlife. He tells of the times when he used to go down to the flax - dam and look at the different creatures. He tells us that he used to ask his teacher what these creatures done and how they acted, conveying that he is very innocent and gullible. However, the second stanza describes how he now despises the creatures and has a very negative approach towards them. He sees them as enemies and he makes this quite clear by use ...

Doni07 11.10.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

Follower

Advantages: good read
Disadvantages: the poem has to end

“Follower” by Seamus Heaney is a thought-provoking poem. It raises issues such as childhood, growing up and old age. Heaney adds power to his consideration of these issues by his use of effective language. Each of these issues are vividly developed throughout the poem. Heaney introduces the theme of childhood by stressing the admiration that he had shown towards his father. Growing up is conveyed when Heaney states that he wants to be ...
...age is developed in the final stanza of the poem when the poet’s father has grown old and become feeble. The first line of the poem is “My father worked with a horse and plough”, this is an effective opening line. The poet’s use of the word ‘my’ instantly indicates that he is talking about himself. Moreover, the use of this word stresses the importance of the personal experience that is discussed throughout the ...

amandabeaton 09.11.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

Heaney's exploration of grief in Mid-term Break

Advantages: Very rich.
Disadvantages: A bit hard-going!

My favorite poem by Seamus Heaney is Mid-term Break, and i am particularly captivated by the way he explores grief. In the 1950's Seamus Heaney's brother, who was four at the time, was hit and killed by a car. Seamus was at boarding school at the time and recalls to us what happened immediately after the accident. To start with Heaney begins by describing how he sat in the sick-bay waiting for some-one to come and pick him up. Although he is in ...
...sitting there bored waiting to be driven home to see his dead brother. The bells he refer to - q. "…Counting bells knelling classes to a close." Are solemn like funeral bells, forming the association already, this early on in his poem with something of that nature, but to me are symbolic of the rest of the world getting on with their lives, which perhaps he is thinking in retrospect, is what he should have done perhaps sooner. He is driven home at ...

joewcarpenter 26.05.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

Digging the Opened Ground

Advantages: strong and touching poems, consistently thrilling to read
Disadvantages: can only be dipped into from time to time

...a book which you can open at any page and find a gem. In one poem Heaney talks of how his forefathers dug the ground, but how he would spend his life 'digging' with his pen. This analogy is striking throughout the collection, as there is something earthy and solid in his works. The connections with the natural world give his poems a striking strength and beauty. The words in each poem are so carefully selected and placed that they seem to provide ...
...to become a feature of the natural world themselves. Beyond this, the connotations of words, and the ghosts of historical Irish context seem to be able to move freely. All of it is skillfully tied together through the very sensual sounds of the words when read or spoken. The book is highly enjoyable, to say any more would be difficult as for each reader personal interpretations will have their effect, "dig" their way into the poems and sprout new ...

redadmiral6 18.06.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Open Ground Poems 1966-1996 - Seamus Heaney

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