Essay Intro

Question 1

Opening Line

Answer 1

Seamus Heaney’s debut collection ‘death of a naturalist’ evocatively explores the loss of innocence that comes from growing up, recognizing the frightening, complex aspects of the adult world and self discovery

Question 2

2nd part of into (Naming)

Answer 2

The titular poem from this collection, Death of a natuarlist (DOAN), Blackberyy picking (BP), Personal Helicon (PH), all skillfully help to deepen our understanding…. Link to q

Question 3

DOAN intro part

Answer 3

DOAN features a bipartite structure which powerfully illustrates the shift from a carefree childhood to adult maturity, contrasting the innocence with the more disturbing elements of the adult world.

Question 4

BP intro

Answer 4

Heany uses the same structure as DOAN to similar effect. The first stanza bursts with enthuastic language while the second is tonally very different and almost nihilistic as the speaker realizes that nothing good lasts forever, touching on thematic concerns like awareness of morality.

Question 5

PH intro

Answer 5

In contrast PH is composed of heroic quatrains detaining the speakers childhood obsession with wells and the process of discovering oneself through the exploration of nature. The structure allows Heaney to convey the speakers growing sophistication and self-awareness, finally identifying the act of writing poetry as the method by which they explore their humanity.

Question 6

Final line of into - LINK TO QUESTION

Answer 6

Heany skillfully uses the natural world as a tool to help readers understand the conflicting emotions that come from maturing and learning to understand onself and ones place in the world.

THIS IS VERY LINKED TO A NATURE Q ADAPT AS NEEDED IN THE EXAM