Fieldwork - Context

Heaney's childhood and early life

- Seamus Heaney was born on 13 April 1939 in rural County Derry, Northern Ireland. He was the eldest of nine children.

- He grew up on the family farm of Mossbawn, and described his childhood as a 'peaceful and simple' one.

- Heaney attended Queen's University Belfast in 1957 and studied English Language and Literature, graduating with First Class Honours.

-Heaney experienced significant conflict throughout his early life, with the Irish Troubles and political tensions having great involvement in his adolescence, as well as significantly influencing his poetry.

The publishment of 'Fieldwork'

- 'Fieldwork' is the fifth poetry volume by Heaney. Field Work can largely be read as record of Heaney's four years (1972-1976) living in rural County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland after leaving the violence of The Troubles.

- Though the collection features poems of varying topics, a prevalent theme throughout the volume is the impact of political conflict, and Heaney's struggles with the Irish Troubles and how these tensions have affected his personal life and identity.

- Since the publishment of these collections, Heaney won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, and taught literature at several universities, including Belfast and Oxford.

The influence of Romantic Relationships

- Heaney married Marie Devlin in 1965, whom with he had three children. His poetry sometimes explores these relationships, as he discusses his love and adoration for Devlin in 'The Otter', but also explores how their relationship is impacted by his busy career in 'The Skunk' and 'A Dream of Jealousy'.

The influence of Childhood experiences and Memory

- A poem that effectively deals with Heaney's childhood experiences is 'A drink of Water', which depicts a young Heaney acknowledging the significance of things often taken for granted - a parallel theme is explored within Sheers' 'Intermission'.

- Heaney also explores time and memory within 'The Guttural Muse', which discusses Heaney's sadness regarding growing old. He reminisces on his childhood memories, and his envy of the youth.

Influence of Nationality

- A prevalent theme within the volume, Heaney often highlights the importance of his Irish heritage to his identity.

- When exploring his nationality, he often intertwines this with political commentary and the impact of Irish conflict. In 'Oysters', Heaney discusses how he feels disconnected from his Irish identity by this conflict.

Influence of Conflict and Politics

- Heaney explores the impact of conflict extensively within his poetry, including 'Casualty' and 'The Toome Road'. He discusses the violence and destruction resulting from the conflict itself, whilst also exploring the emotional impact on an Irish society, as well as Heaney individually.