‘Had I not been awake’
by Seamus Heaney
‘Had I not been awake’ is a stunning expression of hope against the backdrop of doubt, which reminds the reader of their capacity to inspire.
An Advancement of Learning
by Seamus Heaney
In ‘An Advancement of Learning’, a boy is faced with a rat, and through confronting it he addresses his fear and returns more confident.
Anything Can Happen
by Seamus Heaney
‘Anything Can Happen’ depicts a contemporary anxiety while referring to a mythological past. The poem has four quatrains with no fixed rhyme-scheme.
At a Potato Digging
by Seamus Heaney
‘At a Potato Digging’ written by Seamus Heaney. The poem consists of four sections that depict men’s relationship with the land.
Blackberry-Picking
by Seamus Heaney
In ‘Blackberry-Picking’ the speaker is recalling a recurring scene from his youth: each August, he would pick blackberries and relish in their sweet taste.
Clearances
by Seamus Heaney
‘Clearances’ forms part of a series of sonnets in which Heaney examines his relationship with his mother, and focuses on her death.
Death of a Naturalist
by Seamus Heaney
‘Death of a Naturalist’ shows a child’s fascination of the countryside, followed by a sharp shock when he senses the dark side of nature.
District and Circle
by Seamus Heaney
‘District and Circle’, written by Seamus Heaney, depicts parts of a journey, or of several journeys, on the London Underground.
Docker
by Seamus Heaney
‘Docker’ is a 1966 poem by Seamus Heaney which depicts the life of a dockworker in Belfast and explores his personal and religious sense of discord.
Exposure
by Seamus Heaney
‘Exposure’ by Seamus Heaney discusses the poet’s role in a society and how he might contribute helpfully to the discourse of the time.
Follower
by Seamus Heaney
‘Follower’ has many of the aspects which characterize the poems of Seamus Heaney. Having grown up in an area of Northern Ireland that greatly valued family, hard work, and farming, Heaney’s poems often reflect all of these values at once.
Last Look
by Seamus Heaney
In ‘Last Look’ by Seamus Heaney the tale is told of an older man who is standing stationary and staring blankly toward a physical “field,”
Mid-Term Break
by Seamus Heaney
‘Mid-Term Break’ by Seamus Heaney describes the emotional turmoil experienced by a speaker who has lost a loved one in a traumatic way.
Personal Helicon
by Seamus Heaney
Heaney’s ‘Personal Helicon’ draws inspiration from his rural carefree childhood and intimate connection with nature.
Punishment
by Seamus Heaney
‘Punishment’ is featured in North, a poetry collection published in 1975. North seeks for images and symbols to convey violence and political conflicts.