Quotes

• What does the title "Death of a Naturalist" suggest about the poem?


  Naturalist= someone who studies the natural world

  Death= Him losing his interest in nature

  Metaphor for loss of innocence
• "flax dam festered in the heart" What does this mean?


  Flax dam is a natural fibre that is often found in Ireland where Seamus Heaney was from.

  The verb "festered" means to be rotten and unpleasant creating a rather foul natural imagery.

  The flax dam is considered important as it is in the "heart" connoting how it is very useful and needed in the community.
• Heaney creates a semantic field of decay, death and pain during the first few lines of the poem through the words: "rotted", "heavy", "punishing", "festered".
• "Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun."- Heaney here personifies the sun as "punishing" indicating how nature is unforgiving and will always be harsh.

  Heaney also uses sibilance throughout which stresses the harsh attitude of nature.
• During the first stanza, Heaney uses some very harsh and negative words to describe nature which could foreshadow his loss of interest in nature. Heaney also presents nature as always being unforgiving and disgusting indicating that he was the one that changed not nature.
• "Bubbles gargled delicately"

  What language device is used here?

  Oxymoron and onomatopoeia

  This quote also shows how Heaney as a child saw the best in nature.

  As well as plosive sounds- adds to the aggressive attitude of nature.

  Onomatopoeia- Heaney also uses synesthesia (all the senses) to engage the reader, as well as convey the richness and abundance of nature.
• What words does Heaney use to show his Irish background?

  "mammy frog" and "daddy frog"

  As well as the colloquial language also emphasises his childhood as well as his Irish background.
• "Hundred of little eggs"

  Shows how when Heaney was a child he saw the frogspawn as beautiful however when they have hatched and grown he sees them as gross and foul.
• "Then one hot day when the fields were rank"

  The discourse marker "Then" creates the volta (shift) in the poem

  Heaney also sets the same scene as in the first line.
• "angry frogs/ Invaded the flax-dam"

  What does this quote indicate about the shift in the frog's attitude?

  Heaney uses military imagery and metaphors to weaponise the frogs contributing to the threatening and harmful presentation of the natural world. There is also a more dangerous tone as the frogs are described as enemies.
• "coarse croaking" and "slap and plop"

  Analyse.

  The alliterative consonance and onomatopoeia add to the synaesthesia.

  Adds to the grotesque and creates the feeling of senses being overstimulated
• "obscene threats"

  "poised like mud grenades"- simile

  "cocked"

  "Vengeance"

  "clutch it"

  Heaney uses war imagery to really emphasise his hatred for the gross frogs as he conflicts with the frog which shows the clear contrast in his attitude in stanza 1.
• "I sickened, turned and ran."

  Triplet shows how he has disassociated from nature.