Heaneys Poem Follower Essay - 1600 Words

Heaneys Poem Follower Follower is a poem about the poets love and admiration for his father. It is also about the changes that occur between father and children as children move out from their parent’s shadow. In the first half of the poem the poet draws a vivid portrait of his father as he ploughs a field. The poet, as a young boy, follows his father as he goes about his work and, like most boys, he idolises his father and admires his great skill, ‘An expert. He would set the wing and fit the bright steel – pointed sock’. In the poem, Heaney looks up to his father in a physical sense, because he is so much smaller than his father, but he also looks up to him in a metaphorical sense. This is made clear by the poet’s†¦show more content†¦It is as though at this moment the boy has become aware of himself. He wants to be like his father but thinks of himself as clumsy and a â€Å"nuisance†. His fathers strength and power are also very effectively brought out in the simply, but effective simile, ‘His shoulders globed like a full sail strung between the shafts and the furrow.’ The comparison here suggests a man who spends much of his time out of doors, a man who is part of nature. The word ‘globed’ also suggests great strength and gives the impression that the father was the whole world to the young boy. It is important to note that his father is not simply strong; his tender love and care for his son are emphasised by the fact that he ‘rode me on his back dipping and rising to his pod’. The sound and rhythm of these lines covey the pleasure young Heaney had in the ride. The words ‘yapping’ make us think of the boy as being like a young and excited puppy – enjoying playing at ploughing, but of no practical help. In fact, he was a hindrance to a busy farmer, but his father tolerates him. The poem has several developed metaphors, such as the child following in his father’s footsteps and wanting to be like him. The father is sturdy while the child falls – his feet is not big enough for him to be steady on the uneven land. In the closing lines of the poem shifts again, this time the â€Å"I† voice of the poet isShow MoreRelatedHeaneys Childhood Memories in Poems Mid-Term Break and Follower2390 Words   |  10 PagesHeaneys Childhood Memories in Poems Mid-Term Break and Follower Seamus Heaney is an established Irish poet who was born on April 13th 1939. He was the oldest of nine children and was brought up on a remote farm in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. He has a lot of typically Irish memories which he includes in his poems. The three main memories that he brings up in the two poems Mid-Term Break and Follower are the death of his brother Christopher, farm life and Read MoreCompare and contrast the poet‚Äà ´s relationship with their father in Heaney‚Äà ´s ‚Äà ºFollower‚Äà ¹ to Thomas‚Äà ´ ‚Äà ºDo Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.‚Äà ¹1230 Words   |  5 Pages When comparing and contrasting two poems one must remember that even though there can be similarities between the two poems, they are however separate entities that express their own thoughts. The primary similarity is that both poems of Heaney and Thomas reflect the in depth relationship in which they share between their fathers whom they have held a constant respect and hierarchy for; the difference is that Heaney has changed his role as he becomes the leading figure and Thomas is trying toRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Digging and The Follower Essay1215 Words   |  5 PagesComparing and Contrasting Digging and The Follower In this essay I will be giving quotes and explaining about two pieces of poetry, written by Seamus Heaney. The two poems I will be writing on will contrast and his memories on his rural childhood. The poems will be the follower which takes us back to Heaney as a child wanting to follow in his fathers footsteps. I will also be writing on digging, which takes us back once again to his farm but instead not wantingRead More How is Seamus Heaneys Irish Rural Heritage Reflected In his Poetry.850 Words   |  4 PagesHow is Seamus Heaneys Irish Rural Heritage Reflected In his Poetry. Seamus Heaney was born and grew up in the Irish countryside on his fathers farm. His father was still using the traditional farming methods, which had been handed down for generations, even though technology had developed greatly in the early twentieth century. Heaney learns a lot from his father about farming and how generations of his family have done it. Heaney takes a great interest in it and he admires his fathersRead MoreAn Analysis of Follower by Seamus Heaney Essay510 Words   |  3 Pagesof Follower by Seamus Heaney Follower is a poem which relates back to Seamus Heaneys past memories which he had experienced when he was at a younger age, they are memories of him and his father and their relationship. From the poem we can interpret that he was brought up on a potato farm and in many of his other poems he relates to this, this suggests that perhaps he enjoyed farming or perhaps he is expressing the familys traditions. Follower is a poem whichRead More In the two poems, follower and Digging Seamus Heaney paints vivid,1269 Words   |  6 Pagestwo poems, follower and Digging Seamus Heaney paints vivid, sensuous descriptions of his childhood memories of rural, Irish life. His language is often onomatopoeic as he describes the Comparing the poems the Follower and Digging In the two poems, follower and Digging Seamus Heaney paints vivid, sensuous descriptions of his childhood memories of rural, Irish life. His language is often onomatopoeic as he describes the â€Å"The Horses strained at his clicking tongue† from the Follower andRead MoreFollower and Digging by Seamus Heaney Essay2330 Words   |  10 PagesFollower and Digging by Seamus Heaney In his poems ‘Follower and Digging’ Heaney is thinking about his father. How do these two poems give you different ideas about his relationship with his father? In the two poems, ‘Digging’ and ‘Follower’, Seamus Heaney writes about growing up on his father’s farm, in County Derry, in Ireland. I am going to compare and contrast, remembered and present day, feelings Read More The two peaces of poetry I have studied by Seamus Heaney include1441 Words   |  6 PagesThe two peaces of poetry I have studied by Seamus Heaney include Follower and The Early Purges. Heaneys poems both relate back to his younger, adolescent life. In the poem Early purges, he describes young kittens being drowned on the farm. His maturity is shown when he says with perception, And now, when shrill pups are prodded to drown, I just shrug, Bloody pups . But we are shown that he is still careless now, as well in a casual way by saying I just shrug. He is also unsympatheticRead More Common Themes in Poetry Essay4006 Words   |  17 Pagesand analysing numerous poems, I have chosen two examples of the famous Irish Poet, Seamus Heaneys work: Follower and Mid-Term Break. Both poems relate to the poets past, and are certainly associated with a specific loss of a loved one - one a literal loss, and the other a subconscious loss. Mid-Term Break, which I found to be a very touching and poignant poem, describes the loss of the poets younger brother, Christopher when Heaney was a child, hence the poem is of a childhood tragedyRead More Comparing Seamus Heaney Poems Follower, Mid-term Break, and Digging3940 Words   |  16 Pagesthis essay I will be comparing three Seamus Heaney poems we looked at in class these are called, â€Å"Follower†, â€Å"Mid-term Break† and, â€Å"Digging†. There are differences as well as similarities, the similarities include: they are all poems about and set in Seamus’ childhood memories In addition, all the poems more or less use some of the same poetic devices and techniques like: onomatopoeia and some of the same characters appear in all three poems such as like: Seamus (himself obviously) and his father