Essay: Seamus Heaney’s poems – the beauty of Northern Ireland

Many think of Northern Ireland as a vast expanse of acres and acres of farmland. But Heaney’s poems help us get a brighter picture of the true beauty that is Northern Ireland. Being bordered by the North Atlantic, Ireland’s population can enjoy normal to warm temperatures and an infusion of geological richness. Mountains crumble into the ocean on the borders of the island, splashed by lakes and greenery along with ancient bogland. One of Ireland’s most famous poets, Seamus Heaney himself, grew up in a rather rural environment where subsistence farming played a major role in the survival of his family. From this, we can infer that some of Northern Ireland does consist of an expanse of greens and rich fertile soil which, indeed, encouraged farming.
What makes Ireland so interesting is its history. For years, Ireland was at battle with its right-sided neighbouring island, England. This is still a very sensitive topic for many Irish people, even though the conflicts have now been resolved. But of course, battle wounds always leave scars behind. These scars, at least for Ireland, are known as bog bodies. As Ireland’s soil is so rich in nutrients, preservation is one of its many magical powers. After the cruel slaughter of both Irish and English people due to the many battles they had, many bodies were left behind, swallowed by the ground. One advantage of this was that they were therefore preserved for us to see many years later, peat brown heads and all. The “Graubelle” and “Tollund” men were two of the many.
A fight against Humanity
You would think that at this point Ireland would have had enough with punishment and cruelty towards their own kind, but, sadly, it didn’t end here. Instead, women were punished and shunned by Irish society if they were to be caught in a relationship with a British soldier. Many Irish rebels would gather and search for the suspect. Once she was found, she was tied to a tree, neck and all, and was tarred and feathered. Whoever dared help her out of the tangled ropes would also be considered to be “betraying” their own country. These innocent women, killed on the charge of adultery, had to start from fresh and move far away, sometimes out of Ireland, where no one knew them. This unnecessary act was later frowned upon by almost all Irish people, including Seamus Heaney, who thought that it is pure evil, mankind turning on his own kind.
A Secret Weapon
So how did Ireland still manage to stay as its own independent country? Not only did they fight for their land until the very last man was standing, but they also had a secret weapon, nature. As mentioned before, Ireland is known for its farmable land. One of their main crops was barely. Farmers carried these seeds everywhere they went, even when fighting against the British. Even though they suffered a retched defeat, bodies ending in bogs, the barley grew out of their pockets. In a way, this shows how nature and therefore the Irish are stronger and undefeatable against any men that cross their way. Barley was therefore the secret weapon of the Irish which defeated the trial of life over death.
The Bogs
A must see in Ireland are the bog bodies. Not only is there a whole history as to how the came to be, as described before, but the actual sight of them is breath- taking. Their naked bodies, blood stained faces with mild pods of eyelids, wearing pointed skin caps, noose and girdle as if they were saints kept bodies. As if one with nature, the amount of fertile soil it took to keep this body intact is one of the many miracles of nature.
‘The Farm’
As so much about the farmland has been said, actually seeing it is another thing you must check off of your list. You could even visit the famous poet, Seamus Heaney’s old home. Located in a very rural part of Northern Ireland, he spent most of his childhood here, questioning his capability of passing on the family tradition of farming for the family, even though he later on concluded that he was better suit for the role of a poet and passing on the tradition through his own words.
Heaney’s Schools
While you’re at it, seeing where Seamus Heaney spent most of his time developing the skills he now has for writing is also worthwhile. First off, Anahorish Primary School, the first “hill” in his world. This is where he started to develop his language through his first views on Northern Ireland’s landscape and the memories that It brought. This is also where images started to mingle with the landscape and helped him to develop his conception of how words work. As Heaney was also a devoted Catholic, he also attended a Roman Catholic boarding school. This is where his picture of the world changed the most and to an extent also drastically. Whilst attending this school, he lost his little brother. This caused him to see a new side of the world- one where happy endings weren’t the only type of ending that existed to a st0ry.
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