Seamus Heaney

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Seamus Heaney (and Emma)
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• Wintering Out
• 2. North as far as and including
• Whatever You Say Say Nothing
• 3. The Haw Lantern as far as and including
  Clearances

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ELit3 40 (20 of Advanced) 2 hour examination
Prose (pre-1900) (open text)- Emma Poetry (20th
century) (open text) - Heaney Candidates will be
required to answer two questions, one from each
of the sections. There will be a choice of one
out of two questions on each text. Copies of the
two texts studied must be taken into the
examination. Some questions will require
reference to specified passages in the
texts. Within this unit, candidates will be
required to respond to literary texts of
different types and periods. The questions on
texts will require candidates to demonstrate,
using appropriate terminology, understanding of
the ways in which writers choices of form,
structure and language shape meaning.
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• Examiners comments
• It is pleasing to note that the majority of
  responses do engage with the texts and questions,
  demonstrating the knowledge and understanding of
  what they have studied and making increasing use
  of concise textual detail to support their ideas.
• Quotation was increasingly integrated into the
  candidates responses and usually developed
  through commentary or analysis.
• There remain some responses, however, that use
  quotation as a means to interpret or paraphrase
  meaning. This, like technique spotting, is not a
  productive approach.

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10
20 10
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• Focus clearly on the demands of the question.
• Articulate your own views and awareness of other
  interpretations.
• Examiners have commented that what looks like
  prepared responses have prevented candidates from
  answering relevantly.
• Technical accuracy also remains a concern.
• There is a tendency for some candidates to use
  terminology inaccurately.
• Only choose a second poem from the collections
  being examined. If a second poem is not asked for
  there is no need for candidates to select one
  however, if a second poem is required it is
  important that candidates fulfil this part of the
  question.
• An increase was noted in the responses which
  compared and contrasted the poems studied. While
  this is one possible response to the questions
  set in section A, the ability to compare and
  contrast (A02II) is not specifically assessed on
  this paper. Where comparisons were sustained,
  this often resulted in a lack of specific focus
  on the texts chosen. It is important that
  candidates are clear which assessment objectives
  are assessed on the paper. gt

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Past paper questions (most recent first) Explore
Heaneys presentation of religion in Limbo and
in one other poem of your choice. (Include
discussion of attitudes and feelings shown and
use of language, imagery and structure.) Explore
Heaneys presentation of the past in North and
in one other poem of your choice. (Include
discussion of use of language, form and
structure.)
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• Explore Heaneys presentation of religion in The
  Other Side and in one other poem of your choice.
• Explore Heaneys presentation of his mother in
  sonnet 4 of Clearances and in one other poem of
  your choice.
• Explore Heaneys presentation of memories in
  Westering and in one other poem of your choice.
• In your response you should include discussion
  of
• thoughts and feelings shown
• use of language, form and structure.
• Explore Heaneys presentation of the Irish
  conflict in Whatever you Say Say Nothing.
• In your response you should include discussion
  of
• attitudes shown
• use of language, form and structure.

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Explore Heaneys presentation of religion in
Limbo and in one other poem of your choice.
(Include discussion of attitudes and feelings
shown and use of language, imagery and
structure.) Explore Heaneys presentation of the
past in North and in one other poem of your
choice. (Include discussion of use of language,
form and structure.) Explore Heaneys
presentation of a bog body in The Grauballe Man
and in one other poem of your choice. (Include
discussion of Heaneys use of language, imagery
and structure.) Explore Heaneys use of a
mythical character in The Stone Verdict and in
one other poem of your choice. (Include
discussion of Heaneys choice of character and
use of language, form and structure.) Discuss
Heaneys presentation of place in Anahorish and
in one other poem of your choice. (Include
discussion of Heaneys use of language, form and
structure.) Explore Heaneys presentation of
death in Funeral Rites and in one other poem of
your choice. (Include discussion of Heaneys
attitudes to death and use of language, form and
structure.)
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Discuss Heaneys presentation of characters and
setting in Sunlight and The Seed-Cutters.
(Include discussion of Heaneys use of tone and
imagery, language, form and structure.) Explore
Heaneys themes and poetic techniques in
Hailstones and in one other poem of your
choice. (Include discussion of Heaneys use of
language, form and structure.) Explore how Heaney
writes about suffering in Bye-Child and in one
other poem of your choice. (Include discussion of
Heaneys use of language, form and structure.)
Examine Heaneys themes in Alphabets. (Include
discussion of Heaneys attitudes and use of
structure, vocabulary and imagery.)
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• General Reading
• Literary Theory An Introduction Terry Eagleton
• Seamus Heaney Critical Writings
• Neil Corcoran Seamus Heaney London Faber
  Student Guides 1986
• Neil Corcoran The Chosen Ground Essays on
  the Contemporary Poetry of Northern Ireland.
  Seren Books 1992
• Neil Cocoran After Yeats and Joyce Reading
  Modern Irish Literature. OUP 1997
• Tony Curtis ed The Art of Seamus Heaney Poetry
  Wales Press 1985
• Declan Kiberd Inventing Ireland The Literature
  of the Modern Nation. London Vintage 1996
• Nicholas McGuinn A Students Guide to the
  Selected Poems
• Michael Parker Seamus Heaney The Making of the
  Poet London MacMillan 1993
• Richard Kearney Post nationalist Ireland,
  Politics, Culture, Philosophy London Routledge
  1997

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• Further Wider Reading
• How To Read A Poem Terry Eagleton (Blackwell)
• How To Write A Poem John Redmond (Blackwell)
• Presentations (in pairs)
• Seamus Heaney timeline,
• Family relationships
• Heaneys life (childhood gt career)
• Significant events in Irish history up to 1963
• The Troubles
• Religion Protestant v Catholic
• Bog Bodies of Europe and
• Ancient druidic rituals
• Mythological references in Heaneys poems
• Biblical references in Heaneys poems
• Heaneys Influences and Critics

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• Essay writing guidelines
• Choose essay title carefully can you write well
  about both poems?
• Choose companion poem carefully is there enough
  to write on the theme?
• Make a brief plan.
• Spend an equal amount of time on each poem (i.e.
  30 mins each).
• Check keyword in title ensure you focus
  entirely on this theme.
• Link and comment on both poems in introduction
  and conclusion.
• Include key word in topic sentence at start of
  each paragraph.
• When analysing second poem refer to first poem
  you do not need to compare and contrast, but
  should briefly mention similarities or
  differences in the way they deal with the theme.
• Use brief, integrated quotes (eg The verb
  shackled suggests that).
• Use technical terms (eg The verb shackled
  suggests that ).
• Cover all AO3s (Form, Structure, Language and
  Imagery).
• Include plurality.