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8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 1/13
F/H
Death of a Naturalist
by Seamus Heaney
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 2/13
F/H
The poem
• Themes/ideas
• Nature
• Growing up
• Military imagery
• First person
monologue
• Key Terms:
• Onomatopoeia
• Personification
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Blank Verse
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 3/13
F/H
All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headed
Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.
Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every spring
I would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window-sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch until
The fattening dots burst into nimble-Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
The daddy frog was called a bullfrog
And how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too
For they were yellow in the sun and brown
In rain.
Then one hot day when fields were rank
With cowdung in the grass the angry frogs
Invaded the flax-dam; I ducked through hedges
To a coarse croaking that I had not heard
Before. The air was thick with a bass chorus.
Right down the dam gross-bellied frogs were cocked
On sods; their loose necks pulsed like sails. Some hopped:
The slap and plop were obscene threats. Some sat
Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting.
I sickened, turned, and ran. The great slime kings
Were gathered there for vengeance and I knewThat if I dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it.
Death of a NaturalistTwo stanzas
break this blank-verse poem up.
Read the poem
and suggest
reasons for the
change of
stanza
„flax-dam‟. A flax
dam is a pool
where bundles offlax are placed for
about three
weeks to soften
the stems
Flax is an annualplant (it grows
from seed) some
one to two feet
high, with blue
flowers
Positive
Adventurous
Full of
wonder
Negative
Frightened
Full of
disgust
Heaney explains
a change in his
attitude to the
natural world, a
sort of before
and after
5
10
15
20
25
30
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 4/13
F/H
All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headed
Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.
Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every spring
I would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window-sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch untilThe fattening dots burst into nimble-
Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
The daddy frog was called a bullfrog
And how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too
For they were yellow in the sun and brownIn rain.
Death of a
Naturalist
Then one hot day when fields were rank
With cowdung in the grass the angry frogs
Invaded the flax-dam; I ducked through hedges
To a coarse croaking that I had not heardBefore. The air was thick with a bass chorus.
Right down the dam gross-bellied frogs were cocked
On sods; their loose necks pulsed like sails. Some hopped:
The slap and plop were obscene threats. Some sat
Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting.
I sickened, turned, and ran. The great slime kings
Were gathered there for vengeance and I knew
That if I dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it.
Heaney describes the simple joy offinding frogspawn as a child in a poem
full of natural imagery both positive and
negative.
He talks of his teacher‟s
encouragement and of the volume of
frogspawn he‟d collect.
The second stanza is full of negative
natural imagery as he describes his
horror at a near Biblical plague plague of
frogs who, he thinks, want revenge forthe stolen frogspawn
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 5/13
F/H
All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headedFlax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.
Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobberOf frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every spring
I would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window-sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch until
The fattening dots burst into nimble-Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
The daddy frog was called a bullfrog
And how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too
For they were yellow in the sun and brownIn rain.
Death of a Naturalist
5
10
15
20
What is a naturalist? In what
sense is one dead?
A metaphorical
death of ametaphorical
naturalist.
A naturalist is a
natural scientist
(like David Attenborough)
not a little boy.
The death is the
enthusiasm he
had for nature
and the naturalist
he may have
become.
It‟s a joke (of
sorts)
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 6/13
F/H
All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headed
Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every springI would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window-sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch until
The fattening dots burst into nimble-
Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
The daddy frog was called a bullfrogAnd how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too
For they were yellow in the sun and brown
In rain.
5
10
15
20
The stanza is about
childish glee over
frogspawn. How is
it positive?
The stanza is about
childish glee. Why
all the negatives?
Does the child
Heaney revel in the
disgusting parts of
nature?
His childish curiosity
making him blind to
the horrible smells
and sights.
He does this every
year. What does this
tell us about the
speaker
He is comfortable in
his routine and these
sights and sounds
are familiar to him,not disgusting
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 7/13
F/H
All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headed
Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every springI would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window-sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch until
The fattening dots burst into nimble-
Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
The daddy frog was called a bullfrogAnd how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too
For they were yellow in the sun and brown
In rain.
5
10
15
20
What makes us
think this is a child?
Childish
word/phrase
We are presented
with images that
older people wouldfind unpleasant but
here Heaney
seems to enjoy
them
He goes to
school
Does he reallybelieve this
was a useful
tool for „telling‟
the weather?
Clear change of
voice from more
sophisticated
language to that of
a child suggesting
Heaney is relivinghis memories
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 8/13
F/H
All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headed
Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every springI would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window-sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch until
The fattening dots burst into nimble-
Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
The daddy frog was called a bullfrogAnd how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too
For they were yellow in the sun and brown
In rain.
5
10
15
20
Describing, in
detail, the
frogspawn
becoming tadpoles
suggests his
wonder at the
experience
Could this suggest
the explosive
excitement he feelseach time he sees
this happen
This stanza is very
descriptive, the
poet wants you to
see and feel(share) in his
childish joy
Think of Digging , is
Heaney using his
pen to re-live parts
of his, presumablyhappy, childhood?
What is the tone, mood of this stanza? How should it be read?
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 9/13
F/H
Then one hot day when fields were rank
With cowdung in the grass the angry frogs
Invaded the flax-dam; I ducked through hedges
To a coarse croaking that I had not heard
Before. The air was thick with a bass chorus.Right down the dam gross-bellied frogs were cocked
On sods; their loose necks pulsed like sails. Some hopped:
The slap and plop were obscene threats. Some sat
Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting.
I sickened, turned, and ran. The great slime kings
Were gathered there for vengeance and I knewThat if I dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it.
We have moved forward from
spring to a „hot‟ possibly summer‟s
day.
Is this the same summer or is he
older?
Is this the end of part of his
childhood?
The mood is very
different to the
first stanza.
Look at thelanguage used
25
30
The familiar,
friendly,
comfortable
childhood
routine hasbecome a
nightmare
Heaney imagines the frogs have gathered to claim revenge
on him for stealing the frogspawn (their young) and if he tries
to take more it would grip his hand
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 10/13
F/H
Then one hot day when fields were rank
With cowdung in the grass the angry frogs
Invaded the flax-dam; I ducked through hedges
To a coarse croaking that I had not heard
Before. The air was thick with a bass chorus.Right down the dam gross-bellied frogs were cocked
On sods; their loose necks pulsed like sails. Some hopped:
The slap and plop were obscene threats. Some sat
Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting.
I sickened, turned, and ran. The great slime kings
Were gathered there for vengeance and I knewThat if I dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it.
25
30
The frogs were personified as „mammy‟ and „daddy‟ by the
teacher and the young Heaney continues this theme.
They‟re „angry‟ „kings‟ who are gathered for „vengeance‟
The fear and discomfort may also come from this unusual
invasion of a regular childhood haunt; could he be indignant
at the intrusion of a „nature‟ he is not used to?
In the first
stanza Heaney
impresses
upon the
reader the
images of hisidyllic summer
Heaney uses
onomatopoeia
to give thereader a real
sense of the
horror he felt.
He attempts to
immerse thereader in the
sounds.
Military
imagery is
used to
evoke a
feeling of fearin the reader
but also to
suggest the
young
Heaney‟s
fear
The moment that the
“Death of a
Naturalist” occured
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 11/13
F/H
Comparisons
Death of a Naturalist
Sonnet: Clare What themes/ideas and
structural points could lead
to comparison?
Patroling BarnegatCatrin
The field mouse
The Eagle A Difficult Birth
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 12/13
F/H
Comparisons
• Sonnet (Clare) – This poem shares the childish delightthat is seen in nature in the first part of „D of a N‟, but inClare‟s poem, this in not misplaced.
• Patrolling Barnegat – The power of nature comesacross very clearly in this poem by Whitman and it wouldalso link to another Heaney poem – „Storm on theIsland‟.
• The Field Mouse – Clarke‟s poem involves the children
coming to understand the violent side to the naturalworld and there is an even clearer link to the worldbeyond.
8/10/2019 PMc Death of a Naturalist
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pmc-death-of-a-naturalist 13/13
F/H
Review
• How would you react (as a young adult or as a child) to the sight of a hordeof frogs invading a familiar place?
• How far does this poem tell the truth about frogs and how far does it tell thereader about the power of imagination?
• Is this poem comic, serious or both? How should it be read? Amused,horrified, embarrassed? Find quotations for each interpretation.
• Heaney describes the frogs' heads as “farting”. As a boy he might have saidthis word to friends, but would not repeat it at home or write it in school work.How does it work in the poem?
• Is it a good idea for teachers of the young to explain how animals live bydescribing them in human terms, like “mammy” (mum or mummy) and“daddy”?
• How truthful is the title? Did Heaney really lose his interest in, and love of,nature. Or does the poem record only a dramatic change of attitude, orsomething else? Does this poem have anything in common with otherpoems by Heaney?
• How far does it fit into a pattern of poems that show him not to be a realcountry person (like his father and grandfather) - because he can't dig. What
else suggests this?