Seamus Heaney’s Poetry

Seamus Heaney's Poetry

Support for studying English GCSE and A Level

Seamus Heaney - Biography

Seamus Justin Heaney was born (Tamniaran, near Castledawson, Northern Ireland) on 13 April 1939 and died on 30 August 2013 (Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland). He was a poet and playwright. Heaney won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.

Heaney’s parents were Patrick and Sarah Heaney. Heaney was born at the family farmhouse (Mossbawn) – he was the eldest of nine children. His father was a farmer, but mainly a cattle dealer. Growing up in Castledawson, County Derry, Northern Ireland had a significant impact on his poetry.

From 1985-2006, Heaney taught at Harvard University and from 1989-1994, he was the Oxford Professor of Poetry.

The Independent – in 2013 when he died – described him as "probably the best-known poet in the world".

Heaney’s work regularly appears in GCSE English Literature anthologies. Many students have studied his work for GCSE English Literature.

Seamus Heaney - References

Wikipedia (Seamus Heaney): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamus_Heaney
Poetry Foundation (Seamus Heaney): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/seamus-heaney
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Seamus Heaney): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Seamus-Heaney
BBC (Seamus Heaney): http://www.bbc.co.uk/poetryseason/poets/seamus_heaney.shtml
New York Times Obituary (Seamus Heaney): https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/31/arts/seamus-heaney-acclaimed-irish-poet-dies-at-74.html
The Nobel Prize (Seamus Heaney): https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1995/heaney/biographical/

Seamus Heaney - 'Death of a Naturalist' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Seamus Heaney's 'Death of a Naturalist'.

'Death of a Naturalist' focuses on collecting frogspawn and the reaction to the tadpoles developing into frogs.

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation.

Seamus Heaney - 'Blackberry-Picking' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Seamus Heaney's 'Blackberry-Picking'.

'Blackberry-Picking' concentrates on collecting and stockpiling wild fruit during late August.

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation.

Seamus Heaney - 'Digging' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Seamus Heaney's 'Digging'.

'Digging' concerns an artist who will not follow in his ancestor’s footsteps as a common labourer.

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation.

Seamus Heaney - 'Follower' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Seamus Heaney's 'Follower'.

'Follower' deals with someone (Heaney) following his father – literally and metaphorically.

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation.

Seamus Heaney - 'Mid-Term Break' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Seamus Heaney's 'Mid-Term Break'.

'Mid-Term Break' is about the death of Heaney’s younger sibling, Christopher, who was killed by a car, aged four.

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation.

Seamus Heaney - 'Punishment' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Seamus Heaney's 'Punishment'.

'Punishment' is concerned with the discovery of a 14 year old girl's body that was exhumed from a bog in Germany (1952 - Windeby).

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further analysis and interpretation.

Seamus Heaney - 'The Early Purges' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Seamus Heaney's 'The Early Purges'.

'The Early Purges' concerns a child's initial brush with the phenomena that is death, albeit in a seemingly cruel manner.

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further analysis and interpretation.

Annotation prompts for Seamus Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’.

‘Storm on the Island’ is about a storm striking an unspecified island. “Storm” is defined as a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere; winds of unusual force or direction; often accompanied by rain, snow, hail, thunder, and lightning, or flying sand or dust. Heaney (1939-2013) grew up on a farm in the Irish countryside. His father farmed 50 acres in rural County Derry and was a cattle dealer. Heaney's poetry is largely focused on the countryside and farm life that he knew as a boy.

What can be said about the theme of isolation and living so close to nature? Is the island portrayed as an idyllic place? Is it representative of a place in Ireland? Do you think extreme weather is presented in a positive light? Can it be frightening and pleasurable?

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further analysis and interpretation.

Exemplar English Literature Essays

Poetry Essay helps you write essays about English Literature more confidently - providing you with a variety of helpful hints. With Poetry Essay, you should find all the help you need - from analysing a text in detail to writing coherently about it. Please visit the links below for exemplar student-style essays.