The Concept of Nature in the Poetry of Seamus Heaney

Abstract

Nature is one of the most important themes that English poetry comprises. Most of the Irish modern poets tackle the concept of nature in their works. They depict the image of nature in many different ways. The purpose of this study is to analyse the theme of nature in selected poems by Seamus Heaney.        Heaney is widely recognised as one of the major poets of the twentieth century.  He draws his tremendous joys and vitality from the Irish landscape, which enables him to explore himself and the mysteries of nature through poetry. His poems were also characterized by the titled "Death of a Naturalist", "Blackberry picking", "Churning Day" with colours, smells, tastes and experiences. In "Death of a Naturalist" Heaney distinctly explains everything the frogspawn, with a child's wide-eyed wonder and natural magic. In "Blackberry picking", "Churning Day"  His attention to detail is impressive, minutely observing the people and their places of work, which he explains richly. These poems bear various images of nature. Heaney's poems contain a wealth of description of immense evocative force, implying the poet's intimate relationship with nature and a desire to find solutions to contemporary problems through the lens of nature.  Profoundly and conveniently, Heaney connects art, nature, politics, religion, and memory. He emphasizes in his writings the work of man: ploughing, planting, butter churning, blackberry picking and potato picking. In his poetry, he embodies nature, childhood memories, places, and the sense of community in his family.      Finally, nature is one of the most significant concepts that Heaney deals with in his poetry. The natural environment and rural life on the Mossbawn family farm in County Derry are discussed in this research.