Follower - Seamus heaney Flashcards
What family did Seamus Heaney come from
A farming family, he grew up on a farm
What was Heaney’s job while he wrote Follower, and what does this tell us
He was an English lecturer, not working on a farm at the time, which shows us that he is looking back, and reflecting about what could have been
What is the rhyme scheme and syllable pattern of Follower, and what does this tell us about 1) the fathers ploughing skill, and 2) the child’s relationship with his father
The rhyme scheme is very regular ABAB, and the verse is almost all iambic tetrameter. This rigid control reflects the skill and perfection which his father uses when ploughing. This skill is what the speaker admires about his father, and the reason that he looks up to him.
What does the change from full rhyme in the first 3 stanzas, to half rhyme during the rest of the poem suggest?
That the son can not match the perfection at which his father used to work
What does the enjambment in the line, “with a single pluck/ of reins, the sweating team turned around” convey
This line comes just as the father is turning around the horses. The structure of the poem reflects the art of ploughing. The fact there is no pause between the lines reflects the speed and skill of the father.
What does the caesura use in the phrase, “An expert.” illustrate
The full stop gives the reader a definitive sense of finality about his father’s skill level, there is no debate to be had that he is an expert
What does the sailing imagery, “globed like a full sail strung”, and “sod rolled over without breaking”, and “his hobnailed wake”, suggest about his skill at ploughing, and also the relationship between the two
That the skilled act of ploughing is like mastering a ship.
How important the father is to the son, as he is both the ship “like a full sail strung”, and the captain.
