Postmodernism in Heaney's Poems Bogland and Tollund Man

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Abstract

This research takes a postmodern approach to Seamus Heaney's two poems: Bogland and The Tollund Man. The evidences in the research bring illuminations to the significant issues of postmodern concept. Heaney's poetry was studied in myth, politics and revolutionary movement in the area of Irish classical poetry. Recently, his poems are considered as postmodern. To answer that how much his poems are traditional, modern or postmodern is the aim of this project.

Key Words: postmodernism, myth, imagery, technique, poetry, deadly, violence, corpse, bog, imagination, freedom.

Introduction

This research is a case study including discussions and analysis of two poems by Seamus Heaney, one of the postmodern poets. The poems, which are going to be analyzed, are: Bogland and The Tollund Man.

In Heaney's poetry we can see a connection between the mythical and the logical, the past and the present, to describe his thoughts and emotions, concerning the Irish troubles and human experiences. Heaney represent his feelings toward these problems by using imagery and structural techniques that are present in his poems .

Chapter one of this study is a literature review of the ideology of postmodernism with emphasis on postmodernism and poetry. It also includes the meaning of postmodernism, different views and criticism on Heaney's poetry and his ideas about the principles of imagism.

Chapter two analyzes the poem Bogland and reveals some points in describing the poem such as its national sides and two key images in the poem and explains how the poet has achieved and used them in his poems. It also discusses about Heaney's essay on a poem called The Bog People by P.V Globe.

Chapter three is...

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From Internet: http://athena.louisville.edu/~cscart01/pomopoetry.html

From Internet:

http://www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL2012Klages/pomo.html

Notes

1 Dr. Mary Klages, Associate Professor, English Department, University of Colorado, Boulder: http://www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL2012Klages/pomo.html

2 Dr. Christopher Carter Professors at University of Louisville, Postmodern Poetries March 1999.

3 Seamus Heaney, essay on The Bog People by P. V Globe, 1969

4 From a study guide on internet:

http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/poetry/heaney.htm

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