Death Of A Naturalist Flashcards
About the author
Seamus Heaney
Born in 1939 - was a Roman Catholic
Spent most of life in Northern Ireland
Contextual info
Written in 1966
Father was farmer, so he grew up in rural setting
Early poems were based round where he grew up in Northern Ireland
Brief overview
Autobiographical
First stanza - describes poets childhood experiences of collecting frog spawn. Would show parents teachers, was innocent educational experience.
Second stanza - big shift from first stanza, he returns to the flax dam when older, many adult frogs - finds them disgusting and threatening, runs away.
Title
“Death” - metaphorical death of speakers innocence (forever?)
Death of childhood fascination and innocence in terms of nature
“B.g.d,b”
“Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles”
Juxtaposition
Plosive alliteration (harsh B sounds)
Childhood:
Juxtaposition emphasizes childhood innocence, even in something relatively disgusting, a child will find it fascinating and “delicate”
Plosive alliteration displays the child’s curiosity and creativity as it creates a visual image and adds excitement.
Nature:
Juxtaposition emphasizes that nature can be two-sided. “Gargled” - nature can be disgusting, repulsive, but it can also be beautiful and panoramic.
Plosive alliteration - nature isn’t always beautiful, it can be loud, unruly and dirty.
“B.b.o.a.w.t.w.t.s”
“But best of all was the warm thick slobber”
Superlative phrase , “But best of all”
Sensory Imagery
Tone
Childhood:
Superlative phrase highlights the heightened emotional response, spotlighting the inherit enthusiasm in children and their passionate reactions.
Sees the best in nature despite it being seemingly grotesque
“warm thick slobber” - sensory imagery depicts how children see the world physically rather than emotionally.
repulsive description, yet it still fascinates the child.
Nature:
Thrilled tone - displays how all aspects of nature should be loved and appreciated.
Sensory imagery - nature is very much physical and alive.
Superlative phrase - Idea that all of nature is beautiful despite the seemingly grotesque imagery.
“J.o.t.j.s”
“Jampots of the jellied specks”
Alliteration
Consonance
Childhood:
Alliteration - J sounds evoke a sense of playfulness
“Jampots” - not a scientific way of gathering frogspawn, sense of childishness
Description as if its a science book for children, simple and playful words.
Nature:
Consonance - delicate popping sounds symbolize the frogspawn and create a seonsory image. Emphasizes softness and fragility of life and nature.
“G.l.c.w”
“s” , “g” , “r”
“Grew like clotted water”
Similie
Connotations to blood - suggests darker tone
Foreshadowing upcoming events in the second stanza - shift in perspective, viewing nature as more grotesque and daunting
“sweltered” “gargled” “rotted”
semantic field of decay
Foreshadowing upcoming events
Structure
Written in iambic pentameter and does not rhyme - gives a natural, steady, storytelling flow
First stanza - more regular rhythm, longer sentences, highlighting the harmless curiosity from the child and giving a more relaxed feel.
Second stanza - more irregular rhythm, shorter sentences, highlights the sharp contract in emotions and the shift in his perspective to a more repulsive feeling.
“d.f” , “m.f”
“daddy frog” , “mammy frog”
Childlike language
Personification
Childhood:
Childlike language - talking about reproductive system, but to protect the innocence of the children they do not mention explicit parts and use softer language.
Personification - gives the frogs roles that would be in a human family, making it easier for the children to grasp the concept explained.
Both of these techniques draw attention to the innocence of the children and how unaware they are
Nature:
Personification - gives the frogs human roles in a family, brings a sense of comfort and normality. Just as humans reproduce, so does nature, and it isn’t gross or different, its the same.
“T.o.h.d.w.f.w.r”
“Then one hot day when fields were rank”
Pathetic fallacy
Childhood:
This moment symbolizes the shift in perspective as the boy has grown up - loss of innocence
Shift in perspective also highlights transformation he is going through as he grows up.
“Heat” - almost suffocating and oppressive, drawing attention to the tension uprising in the child.
Use of pathetic fallacy indicates all of the above.
Nature:
Shows the shift in perspective, nature is no longer a idyllic place full of new and exciting things - it has a sinister, grotesque side which needs an advanced sense of understanding to see.
“Rank” - sense of decay, rotting - this is the raw side of nature, not the glorified one. Also evokes a sense of discomfort.
Use of pathetic fallacy shows the shift.
“P.l.m.g,t.b.h.f”
“Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting”
Simile - “Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting”
Context for both:
The frogs are in mating season.
“blunt heads” and “farting” hint at bodily processes during reproduction - shown as disgusting, not a beautiful way of making life.
Childhood:
“blunt heads” and “farting” display the speakers immature and uneasy view on sex, which is a common view for teenagers.
“farting” - childs way of joking and attempting to play off the discomfort they are feeling.
First stanza about innocence and curiosity, second stanza about sexual awareness.
Nature:
Simile “
