Poem 10 - Seamus Heaney - Follower Flashcards
When was the poet alive?
1939-2013
When was the poem published?
1966
What’s the poem about?
The narrator begins by describing his father’s expert ploughing and how, as a child, he greatly admired his skill. He’d follow his father around the farm, he’d occasionally stumble and fall, sometimes he’d ride on his father’s back. He wanted to grow to be like his father but found he was always following him around, being a nuisance, however, now that they’re both older, the roles have reversed, and it’s now the father who stumbles, following his son.
Describe the form of the poem.
The poem is made up of six quatrains and is mostly written in iambic tetrameter. The consistent structure and steady rhythm mimic the action of ploughing. There is an ABAB rhyme scheme, but some are only half rhymes, which reflects how the narrator feels he often falls short of being like his father.
Describe the structure of the poem.
The first three stanzas focus on the father. The next two stanzas follow the narrator’s struggles with his identity, he admired and wanted to be like his father, but failed. There is a role reversal in the last stanza, it is now the father that stumbles behind the narrator.
Describe how nautical imagery is used in the poem.
The narrator uses language about the sea and sailing, describing his father as the sails, captain and the boat itself in order to describe his ploughing. This emphasises the father’s strength and skill as well as the admiration the narrator felt for him as a child, The father was everything to his son.
How is reflective language used in the poem?
The narrator sees himself as a nuisance and possibly a failure, but at the end of the poem, he understands that the father he admired so much as a child is now dependant on him instead.
What is the effect of the repeated long “o” sounds in line 2?
The assonance of the long “o” sounds emphasise the broadness of the father’s shoulders.
What is the significance of “like a full sail strung” (Line 2)?
The simile shows that, just as a sail harnesses the power of the wind, the father uses the power of the horses in order to plough the field.
What is suggested by “strained” (Line 4)?
It demonstrates the father’s ability to get the horses to work hard.
What is the effect of “clicking” (Line 4)?
The onomatopoeia draws the reader’s attention to his skill, he is able to control the powerful horses just by clicking his tongue.
What is the significance of “An expert.” (Line 5)?
Describing the father as an expert shows that he’s technically skilled as well as strong. The bluntness of the short sentence and its position at the start of stanza 2 makes it seem confident and an incontestable statement.
What is the effect of the repeated “t” and “k” sounds in stanza 2?
The consonance of the harsh “t” and “k” sounds reflect the precision of his work.
What is the impact of “rolled” (Line 7) and “breaking” (Line 7)?
It continues the nautical imagery of the first stanza 1, the sods are like rolling waves rather than waves that crash and break on the shore, it shows the father’s skill, he is capable of not breaking the sod when he ploughs.
What is the significance of “pluck// Of” (Lines 8 and 9)?
The use of enjambment between the second and third stanzas reflects the way in which the father smoothly turns the horses around and starts the next furrow.
