Death of a naturalist

• Context for Death of a naturalist:

  • Poem is autobiographical, based on Heaney's childhood - grew up surrounded by nature
  • Local surroundings = inspiration for his poetry
  • He lived during the troubles - could account for use of military language
  • The poem is set in spring which is symbolic of new life and change
• Structure:

  • Stanza 1 celebrates Heaney's love and fascination of nature but stanza 2 is darker, hostile and intimidating as Heaney's innocence is destroyed - change is inevitable
• 1st quote: " Death of a naturalist"


  • Heaney begins poem fascinated with nature, he is a naturalist
  • Title suggests a naturalist will metaphorically die and in stanza 2 Heaney's innocent view of nature is destroyed when he sees how frogspawn is really produced
• 2nd quote: "The fattening dots burst into nimble - Swimming tadpoles"


  • Heaney describes how he brings tadpoles home/to school
  • He describes his excitement as he to "wait and watch" with anticipation
  • The event is clearly thrilling
  • Heaney uses an enjambment to mirror the exciting wait
  • The verb "burst suggests the exciting change
• 3rd quote: "Angry frogs invaded the flax-dam"


  • As poem moves to 2nd stanza, the tone becomes darker as the tadpoles become frogs and begin to mate
  • The frogs are now "angry" in comparison to the comforting image of "daddy" and "mammy"
  • They are intimidating and have "invaded" like a hostile army
• 4th quote: "Poised like mud grenades"


  • The simile continues the aggressive, intimidating imagery
  • The frogs are dangerous, ready to explode
  • Their comparison to "grenades" suggests they are weapons and reinforces the ideas that they are waging war with Heaney
  • His childish imagination sees the frogs as terrifying
• Last quote: "I sickened, turned and ran"


  • These verbs show his fear reaching a peak
  • The threat has caused him to run in raw terror
  • He is convinced they are ready to take revenge for him taking the frogspawn
  • His childhood fascination with nature has been replaced by horror and revulsion (disgust) as he moves from innocence to adulthood
  • He is traumatised