Death of a naturalist Flashcards
aliteration used at the beginning of the poem, introduces the childish dirtiness and uncleanliness
flax-dam festered
the plants are sweating in the sun
green and heavy headed
decay and death introduced
rotted
heat/hell imagery of the sun
Daily it sweltered/ punishing sun
use of sibilance and 2 senses explicitly mentioned
strong…sound…smell
juxtaposition of what the frogs do to water
gargled delicately
frogspawn is cool, enjambment used to show overflowing interest
best of all…warm thick slobber/Of frogspawn
the water is stagnant, illness hinted to
grew like clotted water
the quantity of the frogspawn is so large, like the narrators past interest in them
fill jampotfuls
the tadpoles spill across lines, showing their overflowing, numerous nature
jellied/ Specks
the narrator is captivated by the frogspawn
wait and watch
the narrator has childish interest in wildlife
fattening dots burst into nimble/ Swimming tadpoles
very childish language, reflecting narrators age
daddy…mammy
the narrator shows fascination by mention all the things you could do with frogs
tell the weather by the frogs too
after volta, the narrator is more disgusted by the frogs
fields were rank/With cowdung
the frogs mood perhaps reflects how Heaney grew up during the troubles in NI
angry frogs
the frogs are colonising
Invaded the flax dam
consonance used to emphasise the narrators disgust at the frogs after the volta
coarse croacking
the frogs sound in stanza 2 reflects growing up
air was thick with a bass chorus
same setting as the beginning of the poem but the mood has changed
cocked/ On sods
plosive and onomatopoeia used to show how disgusted the narrator is, creates vivid imagery
slap and plop
the frogs seem menacing
obscene threats
simile used to compare frogs to violent imagery
poised like mud grenades
the narrator has grown up and is now scared of what once intrigued them
I sickened, turned and ran
the frogs are childish due to this, yet also threatening
vengeance…clutch it
Why are there lots of references to violent imagery
Heaney grew up during the troubles
What are some of the poets other works
Blackberry picking where they go mouldy, reflecting his childhood
What does the poem symbolise
growing up yet it is also an extended metaphor for the troubles potentially
what is the meter of the poem
rough iambic pentameter
where is the volta
where the line is metrically complete, shows transition from childhood to adulthood
the narrator has the frogspawn in multiple locations, showing the extent of their interest
at home/ at school
