Punishment Flashcards
Seamus Heaney context.
- Northern Irish
- The violence from “The Troubles” was always around him.
What would happen to women in Northern Ireland who had romantic relationships with British soldiers?
- They would be tarred and feathered by the IRA soldiers.
- stripped naked and tar poured over their head
Published?
- 1975
What did Heaney declare this poem was about in an interview?
- By- standing when IRA carried out horrific acts against women.
- BUT ALSO about by- standing when British people torture in Belfast (leads to IRA carrying out horrific acts of revenge.)
What bodies was Heaney fascinated by?
- Bog-bodies of Northern Europe that were unearthed in 20th century.
- Uses the bog body as a metaphor to parallel the death of the bog girl to the punishments IRA gave young women.
What bog body does Heaney focus on in this poem?
- Windeby Girl.
- Thought to be ritually killed; a band covered her eyes, her hair shaved (just like bog body in poem) for transgression of unwritten law.
Signifiance of first person perspective in first few stanzas.
- Narrator very much involved in the girl’s punishment, but doesn’t do anything to help her.
What type of poem do the first few stanzas seem to mimic? Signifiance?
- Blazon (poem written about physical features of woman.)
- Contradicts idea that her physical features have been destroyed by IRA.
- Showcasing how there was potential for her/ her beauty.
What sensual imagery does Heaney employ?
- “naked front.”
- “nipples”
-Directly linking to idea of her being in a relationship leading to Punishment. - Suggestion of her vulerability/ exposed self.
What are “amber beads?”
- Tree-resin now valued as gemstone, dating back millions of years .
- Girl is preserved for everyone to see how she was treated/ Heaney wants to preserve the young woman in Northern Ireland in this manner.
Examples of nautical imagery.
- “rigging.”
- “drowned.”
- “floating.”
- Her fragility in the depth of the ocean of peat, just like a ship’s fragility in the sea.
Significance of assonance used? Where?
- “drowned body in the bog.”
- Heavy tone, serious topic - the depth of the tragedy of woman being killed.
What natural element does Heaney link to the young girl?
- Metaphors of trees.
- “sapling.” Trees need to be protected,tragedy of the fact that girl hasn’t been protected (narrator by-standing!)
- “oak-bone” Her outline is preserved in history.
Signifiance of repitition of “her.”
- Heaney taking the attention off of men, mirroring how men would never be punished as women were by the IRA.
- Giving the remains humanity they deserve.
How does Heaney describe the “noose” around the girl’s neck?
- “a ring to store the memories of love.”
- Marital ring, she died for someone she loved
Signifiance of the enjambement. Where?
- Between “ring” and “to store.”
- Idea that woman’s body preserved, her humilation will ALWAYS be there.
Switch from third to first person. Signifiance?
- Speaking as if the girl is a alive, feels a connection to her - feels responsible for he death.
- Feels as though he is witnessing her death.
How does Heaney refer to the body body which could suggest he is judging her?
- “Little adultress.”
- BUT could be subverting negative connotations of this word by using the familiar adjective “little.”
Signifiance of Heaney describing the young woman as a “scapegoat.”
- Scapegoat: bears the blame for others unjustly.
- She has been blamed for The Troubles/ what the British have done.
- Biblical allusion to story of Priest putting all the sins of people on a goat.
Signifiance of the biblical allusions Heaney uses throughout the poem.
- Sibilance: “stones of silence” –> serpent.
- “Scaepgoat.”
- Paradoxical poem (religious/ violent references)– representation of paradoxical nature of The Troubles, Christians kill each other and feel triumph because of this!
How does the narrator describe himself?
- “artful voyeur.”
- Observing and deriving pleasure from observation.
- Narrator condemming himself for getting an illict thrill of watching others being tortured.
- “artful”: he almost immortalised her by not standing up against the injustice.
How does the narrator describe the woman’s “brain?”
- “exposed.”
- Still under public scrutiny/ can’t escape the shame.
Signifiance of the “numbered bones.”
- Literally archeologists labelling.
- Women seen as objects/ possesions, not treated with dignified respect.
- Biblical allusion: Jesus on cross “count all my numbered bones.”
Last 2 stanzas, what is this shift? Signifiance?
- Time shift to Northern Ireland.
- Linking the bog bogy to the “betraying sisters.”
How does Heaney describe the “tar” to be poured on women?
- “cauled.”
- Caul embryous membrane, covers foetus during birth.
- Link to womanhood, idea that woman is punished for this but man is never.
Signifiance of half rhyme in last stanza.
- “connive”
- “civilized.”
- Contrast between fact that IRA are conspiring against her but think it’s justified.
Signifiance of caesura before at end of poem.
- Before phrase: “intimate revenge” - semi colon.
- Separated this “intimate revenge” from the rest of the poem, whatever excuse IRA give for themselves, they are doing this out of anger and hate for British!
Themes in “Punsihment” linked to WH.
- Forbidden love.
- Love inextricably connected to suffering.
- Control of women’s choices in relationships.
