can feel the noose pulling tight at the back of the hanged girl's neck.
“I can feel the tug…
of her neck.”
He imagines she was a helpless victim, punished for love by her tribe. Then, the poet connects this cruel punishment to the unfair punishment of women during the Northern Ireland conflict known as “The Troubles.” He criticizes how Irish people unfairly punished women for sleeping with British soldiers during the conflict. They poured tar on their heads, beat them, and tied them beside public railings. So, here, Heaney is expressing his concern for the oppressed women. He is criticizing people who wear a mask of civility. But deep down, they are misogynistic, just like the ancient people.
Remembering the Oppressed: In “Requiem for the Croppies” (1966), Heaney writes about the Irish peasants who fought and died in the 1798 rebellion against British soldiers. These rebels were called “croppies” for their short haircut. They fought bravely with only “pikes” and “scythes.” In this poem, the speaker is one of the croppies. He says they eat grain out of their coat pockets because they couldn't stop to cook in a kitchen or to make a fire while running from the approaching British soldiers. When they were killed and buried by the British soldiers, the barley from their coats sprouted from the ground. The speaker says:
“Barley grew up out of our grave.”
This line means that their deaths gave life to the Irish freedom movement. Through this poem, Heaney honors them as national heroes. He shows that their sacrifice still speaks through the land of Ireland. In this way, he gives Irish freedom fighters a place in memory and respect.
Voice of the Common Man: In “Casualty,” Heaney tells the story of a simple fisherman who dies in a bombing during the Northern Ireland conflict. The man was quiet, friendly, and innocent. He did not take sides in politics. He only drank in a pub. But he was blown to pieces by the bombing.
“He was blown to bits
Out drinking in a curfew.”
After his death, Heaney feels deep sadness and guilt. Through this poem, Heaney gives the simple man a voice. He honors him as a symbol of ordinary people who become victims of political hate.
History of Violence: In “The Tollund Man” (1972), the speaker imagines he would visit the Tollund Man, a famous Iron Age body that was found almost perfectly preserved in a peat bog. He imagines the man was a religious sacrifice. The poet connects this sacrifice with the religious violence of Northern Ireland known as “The Troubles.” The poem suggests that religious violence is nothing new. The Tollund Man becomes a symbol of all innocent victims of religious killing. So, this poem shows Heaney’s concern for all those who are being oppressed in the name of God.
To sum up, Seamus Heaney’s poetry gives voice to the silent and oppressed. He uses his poems to speak for them, mourn them, and honor their dignity. Through his simple yet powerful words, Heaney criticizes cruelty and violence.
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