The Development of the Female Image in Seamus Heaney's Poetrv

Abstract

The image of the female is one of the basic images in Seamus Heaney's poetry. Form the very beginning of His caredr as a poet, to his latest publications, the female occupied a cJnsiderable space in his imagery and imagination. Sometimes, it stood as an ind+endent concern; sometimes, it is used as a reference to political, social, or esthetical concern. The female image, in fact, is an hon,est reflJction of both the masculinity in Heaney's poetic character, and thl mascu,linity in the Irish ideology, and specifically in the rural Irish sociJty. Thelfemale image in Heaney's poetry speaks of a poet of blessed tllent; a1 d, in tum, it gets much benefit from this talent, which introducJd it to new spheres of imagery and imagination. 1t is hardly perceived tllat any poet's career can stay stunt from the beginning to the end. 1t is sl1pposecl to '.pass through changes, according to changeable social, !person!!, • and literal circumstances; these circumstances are considered the 1Jobilizing forces beyond any poet's talent. . According to such circumstances, Heaney'j career passed through four stages, each of which offered distinctive moi:le and Joetic character. Through these stages, the image of the female pass d, offe ing undeniable reflections on these modes and character. It is not lo say tiLt the image of the female in Heaney's poetry is changeable, bJt receivd considerable development and maturation. In other words, Js 1 s poetry in

general developed from poetry governed by domanti!principles of

passi.On an d

spontanei.ty to a more cI ass1.ca I mode'

governIed by m.

tellect

and design'(!) so is the image of the female. This lnakes tile image, in its beginnings, a ibuted to Freud's analytical theo7, whae it ends to be more attributed to the modern experimental psychologists.