The Conway Stewart

The poem is written in simple, easy-to-read language that stands out among some of Seamus Heaney’s other far more complicated poems. It’s composed of tercets, or three-line stanzas, that use very short lines (as short as one word) mixed in with longer lines (the longest is still only seven words long). ‘The Conway Stewart’ may not be Heaney’s most commonly read poem, but it is highly relatable and worth analyzing. 

Summary 

‘The Conway Stewart’ by Seamus Heaney focuses on a pen as a metaphor for a speaker’s departure from his family. 

In the first part of the poem, the speaker, commonly considered to be Heaney himself, describes the physical pen he received, its medium nib, the gold details, and how the shopkeeper demonstrated how to use it. The second part of the poem is more emotional. It focuses on how the pen served as a way for him and his loved ones to ignore his departure the evening before he left. The last stanza depicts the speaker using it to write a letter home. 

Theme 

The main theme of this poem is separation. The speaker focuses on the pen because he doesn’t want to focus on the loss he’s about to, or did in the past, suffer. Although the details of where he’s going and who he’s leaving behind are unclear, what is clear is that the speaker focuses on the pen in order to ignore some of the many unpleasant feelings he’s experiencing prior to his departure.

Structure and Form

‘The Conway Stewart’ by Seamus Heaney is a six-stanza poem that is divided into sets of three lines, known as tercets. These stanzas are written in free verse. This means that the poet did not use a specific rhyme scheme or metrical pattern. 

There is a noteworthy shift between the fourth and fifth tercets. At this point, the poet changes from detailing a purchase—the Conway Stewart pen, to describing his emotional connection to the option. 

Literary Devices 

Throughout this poem, the poet makes use of several literary devices. These include but are not limited to:

• Caesura: a pause in the middle of a line of verse. This usually occurs due to the poet’s use of punctuation. For example, “Medium,” 14-carat nib.”
• Anaphora: the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines. For example, “In,” which begins with two lines, and “To,” which begins three others. 
• Enjambment: occurs when a poet cuts off a line before its natural stopping point. For example, the transition between lines one and two of the second stanza.
• Imagery: the use of particularly effective descriptions that should inspire the reader to imagine a scene, feeling, experience, and more, in great detail. For example, “In the mottled barrel a spatulate, thin.” 

Detailed Analysis 

Stanza One

“Medium,” 14-carat nib,

(…)

In the mottled barrel a spatulate, thin

In the first stanza of ‘The Conway Stewart,’ the speaker begins by detailing the pen he received as a gift. The pen is of the Conway Stewart brand, has a “medium” sized nib, and is created with 14-carat gold. It’s a high-quality, expensive item with “Three gold bands” on top. 

The pen also has a clip on the top, allowing someone to fasten it to a pocket or group of papers. The central part of the pen, or the barrel, is “mottled.” It’s made of different shades of color that add to how expensive it looks. 

Stanza Two 

Pump-action lever

(…)

Demonstrated,

The second stanza is very short and simple. It is also focused on important details about the pen. You use it by activating a “pump-action lever” that the shopkeeper demonstrated when the speaker received it. The poet does not provide any more details than what’s evident on the surface within these three lines. 

The only thing that readers can really interpret is how expensive the pen was if a shopkeeper feels the need to show a customer how to use it. 

Stanzas Three and Four

The nip uncapped,

(…)

Letting it rest then at an angle

To ingest,

The third and fourth stanzas are the last devoted to simple descriptions of the pen. The speaker describes taking the cap off the pen and dipping it into its first “newly opened ink-bottle.” This is an important moment to the speaker, one that he devotes a whole stanza to. 

The fourth stanza uses the unusual words “Guttery, snottery” that stand out due to their alliterative qualities among the rest of the lines. He’s using these words to describe the way the ink flows from the pen. He imagines the way the pen fills up with ink and then how it distributes the ink on the paper. 

Stanza Five 

Giving us time

(…)

From our parting, due that evening,

The final six lines of the poem change tone, becoming more emotional and less analytic. He refers to “us,” perhaps a reference to his family or to someone else who gave him the pen (or who he is separating from). The pen is something to talk about and think about on the evening before they parted. It’s a distraction that brings them together but is, despite their best effort to ignore it, a reminder that they’re going to part soon. 

Stanza Six 

To my longhand

(…)

To them, next day.

In the last three lines, the speaker notes that his pen is immediately put to use. The separation from his family is not as complete as it might initially feel like it is, and he writes a letter them, beginning with “Dear,” on the day after they part. 

FAQs 

Similar Poetry 

Readers who enjoyed ‘The Conway Stewart’ should also consider reading some other Seamus Heaney poems. For example: 

• ‘A Drink of Water’ – a poem about the poet’s nostalgia of an old woman who comes to fetch water from his well every day.
• ‘Bogland’ – speaks on the history and landscape of Ireland through the metaphor of a bottomless bog.
• ‘Blackberry-Picking’ – recalls a recurring scene from his youth: each August, he would pick blackberries and relish in their sweet taste.