Death of a Naturalist (Faber Poetry) Paperback – April 6, 2006

DEATH OF A NATURALIST was Seamus Heaney's first published collection of poems. It appeared in 1966, when he was twenty-seven. Heaney grew up in a rural environment in Northern Ireland. Many of the poems, especially the early ones in the book, reflect that environment -- Heaney's love for it as well as his leave-taking of it. (Heaney was perhaps a little too squeamish to stay in the countryside, as reflected in the title poem.) Several poems deal with love and marriage. Most are personal; a few touch on larger matters, such as the Great Famine.It is an impressive debut collection, worthy of a poet destined to be a Nobel Prize laureate. All of the poems have a formal structure, and many of them employ rhyme. There is one practice that I find overused: isolating a single word at the end of a line (the first word of the next sentence) or at the beginning of a line (the last word of the carry-over sentence). While few of the poems are profound or spark a desire to memorize, they all are comprehensible, almost all are engaging, and none are silly. Of the thirty-four poems, I marked nine to re-read at some indefinite time in the future, but I suspect that when I do pick up the book again I will re-read it in its entirety.The longest poem covers three pages. The shortest is only nine lines. Entitled "Lovers on Aran" (the Aran Islands lie off the west coast of Ireland), here it is:The timeless waves, bright, sifting, broken glass,Came dazzling around, into the rocks,Came glinting, sifting from the AmericasTo possess Aran. Or did Aran rushTo throw wide arms of rock around a tideThat yielded with an ebb, with a soft crash?Did sea define the land or land the sea?Each drew new meaning from the waves' collision.Sea broke on land to full identity.

Death of a Naturalist evokes an old, rural Ireland so beautifully rendered the reader can taste and hear and feel the old ways, the old lifestyle. At the same time many of the poems are a dazzling retelling of childhood in this era, of its fears and triumphs. A touchstone to the past, clearly a work of love and of observation. I'm glad to have this one available to take down from the bookshelf every now and then and reconnect with my roots.

I have read this little volume numerous times over several years. It never gets old.Heaney may be my favorite post (but I hesitate to choose).I love his profound plainness, subtle rhythms, and nearly invisible rhymes.He always repays me for my reading.

Final exams cancelled, the university closed, I took advantage of a snowstorm on May 1st in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to read Mary Oliver's Why I Wake Early and Seamus Heaney's Death of a Naturalist. I had read Heaney's book some years ago, and today it was like a fresh, new reading.One of my favorites, "Saint Francis and the Birds":When Francis preached love to the birds,They listened, fluttered, throttled upInto the blue like a flock of wordsReleased for fun from his holy lips.Then wheeled back, whirred about his head,Pirouetted on brothers' capes,Danced on the wing, for sheer joy playedAnd sang, like images took flight.Which was the best poem Francis made,His argument true, his tone light.

This book contains one of the very first poems I read by this brilliant poet, who sadly died a few years back. I am very satisfied with the book and the seller.

Delivered promptly, great condition

What a beautiful work of poetry. I enjoyed this so much.Very thought provoking.Great imagery.Highly recommend this book.

Was looking for "naturalist" poems and only got one, very negative to the profession.

excellent

The cover is gorgeouuus and the book came in perfect condition ! Highly reccomended read if you love poetry :-)I personnally got it partly because of a great english class I had this year and partly because Hozier's music is inspired by Seamus Heaney's poetry. I wanted to check out what the roots of Hozier's songs looked like, and I was not disappointed, reading Heaney's poetry brings a more magnificent dimension to Hozier's work, loved it hehehe

Excellent product and packaging, giving me a sense of fulfilment on reading it.

Un mondo di sentimenti ancorato al ricordo; la figura del padre sempre presente nella poesia di Heaney; l'infanzia, la terra , il lavoro dei campi, le figure di un mondo contadino che accomuna tutti i luoghi di campagna di ogni angolo del mondo, con le sue storie di povertà e arretratezza.L'amore, il vero amore. La poesia di Heaney è autentica, senza fronzoli intellettuali, diretta. Parla al cuore.non al cervello. E come afferma lui stesso è un'indagine, uno strumento di conoscenza dell'essere.

This book was on the list of textbooks for my childs school. However I read it myself and loved it. With a few words can make the reader imagine the scene he is describing - very observant. Would recommend for everyone. Loved particularily 'Blackberry Picking' and 'The mid-term break'.