Farm Vivid? Essay, Research Paper
The
very first line that Heaney uses, ?I was six when I first saw kittens
drown.?? is very powerful.? This is because it shows that reader that he
is making it vivid, by stating that he was only six.? This means that the event made such an impression on him, being
so young, and he is able to remember every little detail very well.? After this, the basic ways in which Heaney
makes life on the farm vivid are to do with the imagery he uses, the language
of the poem, used to describe the animals, their death, Dan Taggart and
himself. ??????????????? ??????????????? The
most important part of life on the farm is not the animals in this case, but
the people that work and live on the farm; Heaney himself, and a farm hand, Dan
Taggart.? If we, the readers did not
know about the people, the poem would seem less vivid and clear for us, because
we would be unable to make any sort of useful judgement.? As it is, Heaney has described the
characters so well that we see the farm vividly and we can sympathise with the
characters.? Neither Dan, nor Heaney are
described very obviously, but from their actions and attitudes, we are left to
build our own views of them.? This also
helps to make the farm seem vivid, because we are left to our own imaginations
in some parts, which means that we can see the farm, as we want to see it,
clearly in our minds. ??????????????? For
example, when Dan uses such words and phrases such as ?pitched?, ?scraggy wee
shits?, ?soused? and ?slung? we can see vividly the kind of person that Dan is,
because all these words describe his actions, but they give us an idea of his
personality.? He is not, at first
impression, a nice man, because the words imply rough and un-caring behaviour
towards the kittens.? This is using
imagery and language to make the farm appear vivid.? The words such as ?pitched? are images of Dan?s cruelty to the
animals, because it implies that he throws them rather that places them with
care into the bucket.? The language that
Dan uses, like ?scraggy wee shits? shows us vividly what he is like, and so we
get a good idea of life on the farm, because he plays a major part in Heaney?s
memories. ??????????????? We
get further ideas of life on the farm because of the way in which Heaney and
Dan react together.? For example, Dan
says to the young Heaney ?Sure isn?t it better for them now??? This shows to us that life on the farm is
tense between the two, because Dan realises that cruelty to animals doesn?t
come into it because he has to run an efficient farm, whereas the young Heaney
doesn?t understand this, and feels only for the kittens.? Dan, however, has obviously had a great
impact on Heaney, because he is very scared when Dan ruthlessly kills all sorts
of other animals, ?trapped big rats, snared rabbits, shot crows?.? Heaney must have remembered this as it was
seen to be important to him as a child, and it gives us images of a small boy
being scared by th
are encouraged to have sympathy with the young Heaney. ??????????????? ??????????????? Although
the people in the poem help very much to build up the vivid picture, the
animals are important too.? Heaney uses
very definite language and imagery which helps us to view the farm that he
lived on in a more realistic way.? The
way in which the kittens looked when they were alive is described exactly,
showing that their innocence really hit upon him as a child.? He describes them as ?frail? and ?tiny?, and
this helps us to build up a picture of the animals.? It also makes the whole picture of the poem much more vivid,
because it provides such a contrast to Dan?s character. ??????????????? When
the kittens die, Heaney uses imagery which shows us exactly what the kittens
look like, but also how he feels about them, in a more subtle way.? For example, he uses similes such as ?Like
wet gloves they bobbed and shone…? which show us that he cares about the
animals because the thoughts and feelings stayed with him into adulthood.? This is powerful imagery, because it
provides us with a very vivid picture of the small, dead kittens, and so Heaney
involves us and our imaginations in the poem much more. ??????????????? Other
animals are described very vividly in the poem.? ?Or with a sickening tug, pulled old hens? necks.? is a very good
image.? It gives us more of an idea of
what the young Heaney thinks of Dan, and the language used: sickening, is very
powerful.? It helps us to build up a
more complete picture of life on the farm.??????????????? Heaney
would not have made the farm so vivid if he had not included his change of
emotions.? The main reason that we, the
readers, feel so involved is because we have been shown both sides of the
argument, and are left to make up our own minds, rather that be forced to do
it.? When he uses ?Bloody pups? himself,
it shocks us, but it also makes the life on the farm appear much clearer.? This is because we now understand that
living on a farm can change people that much.?
It is not only the language that he uses that shocks us, but the
attitude towards the animals. ??????????????? Towards
the end of the poem, Heaney uses a comparison.?
?Where they consider death unnatural?, referring to the people in the
town.? This really makes farm life
vivid, because it shows us the fundamental difference between the farm and the
very different life that the majority of us lead. ??????????????? His
last line, ?But on well-run farms pests have to be kept down.? provides us with
an actual picture of the farm, whereas all the others have been from the
animals and people.? He appeals to our
common sense to make the farm life more vivid, by letting us see a reason why
everything is done as it is. We therefore feel that Heaney has made it very
clear to us what his life has been like, through the use of language and
imagery, and the descriptions of people and the animals.