Burke 1 Erica Burke 3.8.

2012 Poetry Writing Professor Stevens Poem Analysis Seamus Heanys North Iceland, Greenland, Orkney, Dublin. These names are one of the reasons that this poem really spoke to me. The way this author was able to put this fantasy idea of poetry into the real world, with real locations made me feel like this was real. Then again, Heamus Seany is always good at that. I also really liked line 22, when it talked about Thors hammer. I thought it was a nice bit of fiction in a very serious poem. And although it was a nice bit of fiction it did not take away from the seriousness of the matter. Thors hammer was known for its strength and the destruction it could cause, and war is the same way. Still, it is more than just the names of places that made me like this poem though. One part of the poem that really drew me in was the repetitive use of and. hacked and glinting violence and epiphany geography and trade thickwitted couplings and revenges hatreds and behind-backs lies and women. This

Burke 2 made me feel like there was more and more. It gave the feeling that he encountered a lot of extreme emotions. The emotions that he was feeling were, obviously, while he was on a boat. He talks about the Atlantic Ocean in the fourth line, and about ocean-deafened voices in the 17th line. He talks about the coming home and seeing the hammered curve of a bay. Also, buoyant is not a word commonly used without talking about water, in this case the sea. The line, buoyant with hindsight paints a picture of a buoy out in the middle of the ocean, left at sea, water stretching over the horizon. That is a great image to give to this poem. In the beginning, the author talks about how he is coming home and he sees this bay. This bay, while he is still in the boat in the middle of the ocean, brings back all these memories, these feelings. He has a flash back of where he has been, what he has gone through, the fights he has had. He talks about those fabulous raiders and those lying in Orkney and Dublin/measured against/their long swords rusting. The only picture this can paint is one of war, death, and violence. The author talks more about his travels, and he talks about the memory of spilled blood. Then, the memory starts to talk to him. It tells him to lie down, and to trust the treasure they have acquired. It makes him sick and dizzy to think

Burke 3 about the trip he has made, and being home now it all comes to a head. He is ashamed of himself but he needs to just learn to accept it. In the end, this poem was very clear. It gave clear pictures, it told a very clear story, and it made me feel like I was there with him to watch it all happen. I loved every minute of it.