The poem “Punishment” is about a young girl who was killed long ago. Her body is found in a bog (wetland) in Ireland. Heaney looks at her body and feels both sadness and guilt. He connects this unfair punishment to modern violence.

The Bog Body: At first, Heaney describes the body of the young girl found in the bog. She was killed long ago. The poet imagines she was hanged by her tribe, probably for having a love affair. The poet can almost feel the pull of the rope on her neck and the cold wind on her bare body. Her body is now part of the bog; her ribs are weak like old wood, and her skin and hair have changed color over time.

Her Appearance and Death: The poet describes her shaved head, blindfold, and the rope around her neck. These show that she was punished cruelly. The poet feels both sad and guilty for this cruel punishment. Before her death, she was young, thin, and had beautiful hair. The poet calls her a “little adulteress.” It means the poet imagines the girl was cruelly punished, probably for having a love affair. He also calls her a “poor scapegoat,” meaning she was made to suffer unfairly.

The Poet’s Feelings: The poet feels both love and guilt. He says, “I almost love you but would have cast... the stones of silence.” This means he feels guilty for this cruel punishment. He thinks that if he had lived at that time, he might have stayed silent instead of saving her. He compares himself to a “voyeur,” meaning he is just watching her suffering without doing anything.

Connection to Modern Violence: In the last part, Heaney connects the girl’s story to modern times—especially the violence in the Northern Ireland Conflict, known as The Troubles. During this conflict, Irish people cruelly punished Irish women for sleeping with British soldiers. They poured tar on their heads, beat them, and tied them beside public railings. Just like the ancient tribe punished the young girl, modern people also punish women in cruel, tribal ways. The poet feels ashamed because, even today, people stay silent or accept such violence in the name of revenge or loyalty.

Main Idea: So, the poem is about human cruelty, guilt, and silence. Heaney shows how people—both in the past and the present—hurt women in the name of justice or loyalty. The poet knows that modern people only wear a mask of civility. But deep down, they are misogynistic, just like the ancient people.