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7.0
/10
(130
votes)
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My father worked with a horse plough,
His shoulders globed like a full sail strung
Between the shafts and the furrow.
The horses strained at his clicking tongue.
An expert. He would set the wing
And fit the bright-pointed sock.
The sod rolled over without breaking.
At the headrig, with a single pluck
Of reins, the sweating team turned round
And back into the land. His eye
Narrowed and angled at the ground,
Mapping the furrow exactly.
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake,
Fell sometimes on the polished sod;
Sometimes he rode me on his back
Dipping and rising to his plod.
I wanted to grow up and plough,
To close one eye, stiffen my arm.
All I ever did was follow
In his broad shadow around the farm.
I was a nuisance, tripping, falling,
Yapping always. But today
It is my father who keeps stumbling
Behind me, and will not go away.
Seamus Heaney
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Read poems about / on: sometimes, father, horse, today, work, rose
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Comments about this poem (Follower
by
Seamus Heaney
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comments about this poem (Follower by
Seamus Heaney
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Aathi Fox
(10/10/2009 7:45:00 AM) |
I agree with the fact that this poem conveys several layers. Firstly the reverse of roles in life, secondly that the 'memory' of his father is whats folowing him around. Also I believe that this poem reveals his anger towards life, becasue firstly he watched and admired his father's skills, now he sees his father degrading by his old age.
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Alice Cain
(6/8/2009 2:40:00 PM) |
I completely agree Nicholas, however i think maybe this also has another layer, or that your theory is that other layer and that the poem is indeed about his father's dependence upon him but also that his memory follows him evermore, and that that is how he remembers said father. What do you think?
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Stephanie K
(1/8/2009 10:33:00 AM) |
Am doin this fer my GCSE english so borin haven got a clue......
And person with the 8 word comment its actually 3 words >>>.............
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Ben Dover
(12/23/2008 3:36:00 PM) |
8 words
get a life.
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Nicholas Partida
(12/21/2008 11:46:00 PM) |
This poem is one of my favorites... even though, indeed, it may appear that it is about the reversal of roles in life, particularly of Seamus and his dad. However, and I may be incorrect in this view of the poem, I think it has a much sadder spin than an ironic twist of roles... I believe that it's moreso about a man who cannot get his mind off of his wizened, and perhaps deceased father. Lines 22-24 to me reflect that Heaney often is followed by the memory of his father, which will not go away. If anyone disagrees, I would gladly like to see his or her argumenta, being that I am no certified English major; I just love Seamus Heaney. ^_^
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Johnny Muir
(6/17/2008 8:01:00 AM) |
Hi, I work for the BBC in Belfast and am working on a documentary to mark Seamus Heaney's 70th birthday. His work is studied (and written about in exams) by people all over the world and I am trying to find out what impact it has them. In this poem he writes about events in his childhood in Co Derry - yet it clearly has a resonance today. I would love to hear anyone's comments on what Heaney's poetry means to them. Tell me about individual poems that have made an impact on you and why!
Cheers,
johnny.muir@bbc.co.uk
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Sana Ali
(2/2/2008 8:55:00 AM) |
This poem is about how roles reverse in life
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Art Girl
(2/22/2007 4:11:00 PM) |
The poem is about Seamus' dad. All Seamus' chidhood, he watched his dad and follwed him around amazed by his dads farming talent. Now it is Seamus' dad who relies on seamus and is amazed by his talent.
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Mishall Mirza
(12/1/2006 10:35:00 AM) |
what is it about? give me a central idea what is it about.
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