Seamus Heaney is one of the best-loved poets of all time. He is remembered for his many volumes of poetry, including ‘Death of a Naturalist‘ and ‘Field Work.’ After he passed away in 2013, the world went into grieving. During his lifetime, he was often referred to as the most famous living poet. Heaney was such a celebrated writer that he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995 for his works that were described as “works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth which exalt everyday miracles and the living past.”
Heaney was a multi-faceted writer, producing not only poetry but he translated a number of iconic poems throughout his career. Most notably, he was a translator for the epic Anglo-Saxon poem ‘Beowulf‘ and was responsible for an array of essays and lectures that he undertook at Oxford University, and he also created prose works.
Life Facts
- Seamus Heaney was born in April 1939 in Castledawson, Northern Ireland.
- He was the oldest of nine children.
- He worked as a school teacher.
- Heaney published his first collection of poetry in 1965, ‘Death of a Naturalist.’
- Seamus Heaney died in August 2013.
Interesting Facts
- One of his most popular volumes of poetry is ‘Field Work.’
- Heaney taught as a visiting professor in the United States.
- He was awarded the Ambassador of Conscience Award after writing ‘From the Republic of Conscience,’ for United Nations Day.
- Heaney was a member of the Irish Academy of Arts and Writers.
- He won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Famous Poems
- ‘The Tollund Man’ is titled after and based on a prehistoric man found in Denmark. He died, supposedly, as part of a sacrifice. The speaker describes how he wants to visit the body and then moves into relating this man’s death to the deaths of those from his home country, Ireland. They, too, died in order to protect the futures of those they loved.
- ‘Death of a Naturalist’ is the title poem of Heaney’s most famous collection. It was published in 1966 and is filled with swamp-related images. The speaker takes the reader through creatures, big and small, and a final encounter with a frog-filled landscape. He runs from this, suddenly terrified of what he has seen and the memories it brings back.
- ‘Requiem for the Croppies’ was published on the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Heaney describes the fighters, what they had at stake and the importance of Ireland. The “Croppies,” for whom the poem is named, did everything they could to assert their independence, something that should touch the reader immediately and clearly.
- ‘Summer 1969’, like many of Heaney’s poems, is about Ireland, specifically the violence that the country has seen. He looks at Ireland from a distance, comparing it to Spain and the Spanish Civil War. In this poem, the speaker is in Spain and begins to worry about what he’s not doing to help those he cares about and his home.
- ‘Digging‘ is the first poem from his first book, which takes place in a daydream. The speaker thinks about his family and the men who have come before him. He considers the hard work they put into their lives and juxtaposes this against his own life. Reality is reintroduced as the speaker turns back to his desk and writes.
Early Life
Seamus Heaney was born in April 1939 in Castledawson, Northern Ireland. He spent most of her childhood in County Derry before moving to Dublin. He was the oldest of nine children, born to parents Patrick and Margaret. His father was a farmer and cattle dealer who was also born into a large family. His mother’s family was also of the laboring lower class and came from a line of linen and mill workers. These two created a dichotomy in Heaney’s life that he was well aware of as he grew up. He was a child of Ireland’s past and future.
Education
As a young boy, he attended Anahorish Primary School and later, when he was twelve, St. Columb’s College. It was here that Heaney learned Latin and Irish. This institution was a Roman Catholic boarding school in Derry, Ireland. It was during this time period that Heaney’s younger brother, Christopher, died in a tragic road accident. This incident spawned a number of poems dedicated to his brother’s life and death. Heaney would go on to continue his education at Queens University in Belfast. While there, he first became truly interested in writing poetry. This would lead to a First Class Honours degree in English and his graduation in 1961.
After leaving university, Heaney went on to work as a school teacher at St Thomas’ Secondary Intermediate School in West Belfast. He would begin to publish poetry under the tutelage of Michael McLaverty, a schoolmaster from County Monaghan, in 1962. McLaverty was greatly influential in the life of the young poet, serving as a kind of father figure and mentor. Heaney would eventually dedicate a piece of poetry, ‘Singing School,’ to McLaverty.
Heaney went on to find work as a lecturer at Queens University and to marry 1965 a school teacher, Marie Devlin. She was a writer in her own right (publishing a collection of traditional Irish myths during her lifetime).
Literary Career
It was mainly during the mid-1960s that Heaney began to garner recognition for his work. Heaney published his first collection of poetry, ‘Death of a Naturalist,’ in 1965. The work was received quite well and won a number of awards, including the Gregory Award for Young Writers. The following year he was appointed as a lecturer in Modern English at Queens University, and his first son was born. He then embarked on a reading tour which was called Room to Rhyme.
In 1969, Heaney’s second volume, ‘Door into the Dark,’ was published. Three years later, Heaney moved to Wicklow, in the Republic of Ireland, and published ‘Wintering Out.’ His reputation was now well-established, and he traveled throughout Ireland, Great Britain, and the United States. His fourth volume was released in 1975, and the following year he was appointed as Head of English at Carysfort College in Dublin. Four years later, ‘Field Work,’ was released, and two more collections followed the next year.
Even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained.
Seamus Heaney
Around this same period, Heaney traveled to the US to teach as a visiting professor at Harvard University. While there, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Fordham University. After teaching in the United States for a time, he received a tenure position and became Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard. His career was going well, but his personal life took a hit when both his parents died within two years. This loss made its way into the poems he wrote soon after.
Writing Career and Relationships
In the mid-1980s, he was awarded the Ambassador of Conscience Award after writing ‘From the Republic of Conscience’ for United Nations Day. He also published his volume, ‘Station Island.’
More recently, he was made a member of the Irish Academy of Arts and Writers, as well as a Foreign Member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters. These awards were followed by the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. His career continued into the 2000s, and he was awarded two more honorary doctorates. In August of 2006, Heaney suffered a stroke. He recovered quickly, though, and was soon to return to what was almost his normal state.
It was in 2002 that he was recognized for his excellent literary criticism, earning the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism with his book Finders Keepers: Selected Prose, 1971-2001.
Death
It was in 2010 that Heaney published his final book, ‘Human Chain.’ The volume won the Forward Poetry Prize for Best Collection. At the time of his death, he was compiling an anticipated collection, ‘Selected Poems 1988-2013.’ Heaney passed away in Dublin, Ireland, in August 2013. He is buried in his home village of Bellaghy alongside his other family members.
Seamus Heaney’s poetry will be remembered for being excellently written. Some of his most famous collections and poems include ‘Spirit Level,’ ‘Seeing Things,’ ‘Opened Ground,’ ‘Electric Light,’ and the ‘Midnight Verdict.’
Influence from other Poets
Seamus Heaney was notably influenced by writers such as W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Ted Hughes, Robert Frost, Patrick Kavanagh, and William Wordsworth.
He was also part of a group of Northern Irish poets who wrote about the turbulence within society at the time. He was alongside poets such as Michael Longley, Derek Mahon, Paul Muldoon, Medbh McGuckian, and Ciaran Carson. However, he was seen as a departure from this group stylistically and temperamentally.
FAQs
Seamus Heaney’s poem ‘Digging,’ is regarded as his most well-known poem. It is so widely respected as a piece of work that many universities and educational institutions study the poem in their curriculum.
Seamus Heaney’s poetry was largely centered around Ireland, drawing from Irish folklore and mythology. He also explored themes such as Irish identity and history, rural life and nature, memories, society, politics, spirituality, family, and relationships.
It is said that Seamus Heaney took great inspiration from a number of poets, including William Wordsworth, W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Ted Hughes, Patrick Kavanagh, and Robert Frost.
He demonstrated an excellent command of the language, using rich imagery, precise language, and an element of musicality in his work. Heaney’s poetry often explored themes of Irish history, identity, rural life, and the human condition.
Seamus Heaney’s critically acclaimed works have gone on to inspire many poets. Many of them were also Irish such as Paul Muldoon, Eavan Boland, Michael Longley, Paula Meehan, Nick Laird, Vona Groarke, and Sinead Morrissey.
