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Seamus Heaney was born in 1939 at his family farm of Mossbawn which is near Bellaghy, County Derry. After working his way through school and university, he was appointed lecturer in English at Queen’s University in Belfast in 1966. This was also the year that his first collection of poetry, “Death Of A Naturalist” was published. He was awarded the Nobel Prize For Literature in 1995.

Here is some brief information about the poetry of Seamus Heaney that is on your course.

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More detailed information can be found further down the page.

The Forge.
Seamus Heaney writes about two things in this poem. While he describves what goes on in a forge, he is also talking about the creative process.
 
Bogland
This is a poem about Ireland. it is about how there is so much tradition and history on the land.
 
The Tollund Man
Heaney here writes about the body of a man from the Iron Age found preserved in a bog in Denmark. He also writes about teh troubles in Northern Ireland at the same time.
 
Mossbawn: Sunlight
Mossbawn was the family home where Heaney grew up. This is a poem about that place and the people who lived there.
 
A Constable Calls
This poem is also set in Mossbawn and it describes a very tense visit from a British policeman to the house.

The Skunk
Heaney spent some time living in America away from his wife. He used to write at nightime and this poem is about a skunk he used to feed each night in the garden.
 
The Harvest Bow.
Heaney’s father made a bow out of corn and Heaney sees it as a reminder of where he comes from.

The Underground.
This poem is about a memory Heaney has of running for a train with his wife as they are late for a concert.

Postscript.
A poem about driving in County Clare and how beautiful it is.

A Call.
A poem about Heaney calling to his friend’s home and realising how much he loves him.

Tate’s Avenue.
In this poem, Heaney remembers things he and his wife used to do together when they were younger.

The Pitchfork
Heaney here writes about a pitchfork and uses it to think about the idea of perfection.
 
Lightenings viii The Annals Say.
A poem based on an old story about a ship that magically appeared in a church and sailed away after a while.
It is also about persepctive, and how people see the world.