Hello Gentle Reader
The Emerald Isle, is in a moment of shock. Their Nobel Laureate in Literature, the poet Seamus Heaney, has passed away. His work is surrounded by the green landscape of Ireland. His works “Death of a Naturalist,” and “Door in The Dark,” dealt with the parochial country living, and details of rural living. Other works like “Wintering Out,” and “North,” dealt with the troubles of Ireland. With these works, Heaney had tried to place the unrest, in historical context. In these regards, it would allow the human experience of the unrest to become more universal. Unfortunately, Heaney was referred to as an ‘apologist,’ for these attempts. Still, Heaney was a symbol of hope for some. The last time, I personally saw Heaney, was his interview in regards to Transtromer winning the Nobel Prize. Something that Heaney had said: ‘we had all been hoping for that, for years now.’
Heaney was considered the greatest Irish poet since William Butler Yeats. His work was known for its praise of the everyday. According to the citation by the Swedish Academy, he was awarded: “for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past.” –
I personally do not own a collection of Heaney’s. That being said, from the poems that I have read, he shows grace, and wisdom. Wisdom that came from his inspiration of being a farm boy, but also that comes from the contemporary history, in which he witnessed. Helen Vendler had called him a poet of the in-between. He was the poet who stood in the narrow gap between Ireland and England; Catholicism and Protestantism. Heaney used poetry as an attempt to console the nation of Ireland over the loss of the innocent. Heaney was aware of the educational properties of poetry, on a personal level; where it reaches one, not by lecture, but by a shared personal experience.
Seamus Heaney is a remarkable poet – which can only hint at the longevity of his poems.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
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Stay Well Read
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M. Mary
