Title - Out of the Bag

• The Title 'Out of the Bag' can be read literally, reflecting the narrator's childhood belief that babies "came out of" the doctor’s bag - It symbolizes the mysterious and almost magical process of birth, as perceived by a child
• The Title 'Out of the Bag' is a common idiom meaning the revealing of a secret - This interpretation aligns with the poem's exploration of uncovering the mysteries of life, medicine, and healing
• The Title 'Out of the Bag' references the doctor’s bag, a practical and symbolic object that contains tools for healing and represents the authority and mystique of medical professionals
• The Title 'Out of the Bag' could symbolize the liminal space between life and death, as the doctor’s actions bridge these states - "Out of the bag" implies movement, perhaps the transition of a soul into the physical world or the revealing of something previously concealed
• The Title 'Out of the Bag' on a meta-poetic level, the title may reference the act of creation in art and writing - The poem itself is "out of the bag," revealing Heaney’s thoughts and meditations to the reader
• The Title 'Out of the Bag' references how the doctor’s bag represents a source of wonder and fear - The title encapsulates this sense of naïve misunderstanding about the origins of life and the workings of the adult world