Seamus Heaney Flashcards
Where is Heaney from?
Ireland
Where was he raised in Ireland?
He was raised in a farming family in Northern Ireland
Did Heaney have any siblings? If so, how many?
He was the eldest of nine
What was his family’s tradition?
They were all farmers (Heaney’s father and grandfather were both farmers) and he was expected to follow it.
Why was Heaney fascinated with the natural processes?
Because he later found that in the crossed Celtic and Norse (both types of people in Europe) strains of his ancestry.
When was Heaney born and when did he die?
Born: 1939
Died: 2013
Did WW2 impact Heaney? If so, how did it physically impact him?
Yes, Heaney recalls the food rationing, the radio bulletins from Europe, and occasional seeing an American plane overhead.
Why did Heaney leave Belfast?
Because he was being pressured to use his literary skills to a political end due to violence that broken out in the North of Ireland in 1969.
What has remained a constant value in Heaney’s life?
The altruism of the communal spirit that surrounded him as a child in Bellaghy (a village in Northern Ireland) and can be seen in his poems.
What are some themes that reoccur throughout Heaney’s poems?
Identity, memory/ nostalgia/ reflection, growth and discovery, traditions, culture, loss of innocence/ naivety/ childhood to adulthood, etc…
