The Tollund Man
Poetry
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Seamus Heaney
The Tollund Man Key Info
Key Facts
Poet: Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
Full Title: The Tollund Man
First Published: 1972 in his collection Wintering Out
Form: The poem is built from 11 four-line stanzas (or quatrains), divided into three sections.
Total Lines: 44
Meter and Rhyme Scheme: The poem is written in free verse. It means the poem has no strict meter or rhyme scheme.
Tone: Respectful, thoughtful, an...
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The Tollund Man Summary
The poem is about an ancient man’s body found in a bog (a wet, muddy place) in Denmark. This man was killed as a sacrifice to the gods around 2,400 years ago. But his body was wonderfully preserved in the peat. Heaney sees this man as a symbol of both old religious sacrifice and modern violence in Ireland.
Part I: The poet says that one day he will visit Aarhus, a city in Denmark, to see the prese...
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The Tollund Man Theme
Themes
Violence and Sacrifice: In this poem, Heaney shows that violence and killing are not new. In ancient times, people killed others as sacrifices to please the gods, like the Tollund Man. In modern times, during “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, people are still being killed for political or religious reasons. Heaney connects both—old and new—to show that human beings keep repeating the s...
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The Tollund Man Quotations
Quotes
“I will feel lost,
Unhappy and at home.”
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The Tollund Man Literary Device
Symbols
The Tollund Man: The Tollund Man is a symbol of sacrifice and suffering. His body, preserved in the bog, connects the past and present. He shows how people were once killed for religion, and later for politics — proving that violence and pain continue through time.
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