Analysis Of Early Purges By Seamus Heaney

Nature represents an array of differing personalities, whether it be a positive influence on one’s life or an attempt to control it. In Early Purges by Seamus Heaney, conflicting views between the city and country folk question the true meaning of what defines cruelty to nature. In the poem, the narrator does not seem phased by the merciless drowning cats on a farm. Heaney describes the act as a way to keep the animal population in the farm’s control, but from an urban citizen’s view, the act seems rather harsh. In William Wordsworth’s I wandered lonely as a cloud, the narrator finds his therapy in the solitude of nature. When the narrator feels reclusive, he looks back to his happiest moments in nature and then he is filled with joy. Finally,

Similar views between the poems represented allow the reader to gain insight on the sanctity of nature’s discourse which holds humanity to a higher standard for maintenance of the ecosystem. For instance, in Early Purges, the context of the poem reveals that the narrator resides on a farm within considerable distance from a large city. The narrator recalls the first time he witnessed the drowning of kittens when he was merely a child. At the time, this cruel action may have startled the little boy, who had never witnessed such a painful sight. Questions of whether the intentional drowning was just sparked the interest of the little boy at the time. Yet, as the little boy grows older, the murderous behavior develops into a justifiable cause because it is seen as a way to control the overpopulation of animals on the farm. The narrator focuses attention on the “city folk’s” view which blames those that reside on farms with claims of animal cruelty. The city folk’s view in Early Purges may draw comparisons to the narrator’s view in The Mower. The central message that stands behind The Mower focuses on the fragility of nature and how humanity must respect and protect it, before it is too late. The narrator comes across a hedgehog which had been run over with the lawnmower moments before. The narrator, completely remorseful, says, “Next morning I got up and it did not. The first

Early Purges provides a separate discussion of the misunderstanding that the city folk focus on in relation to the the justifiability of cutting down on overpopulation on farms. For instance, nature is seen an inconvenience which must be maintained, or will result in utter chaos. However, in I wandered lonely as a cloud, nature is seen as a restorative and therapeutic form of relaxation for the narrator. At first, the narrator tells of his loneliness as he wanders like a cloud above the valley. As the poem continues, he meets a crowd of daffodils in a field, which brings him great joy through the stunning beauty that they model. The infinite number of daffodils swaying freely in the valley remains a pleasant thought for the narrator. When he is in a depressive mood, the narrator tells that he can look back to that moment and feel the same happiness that he had when he first saw the daffodils. Yet, this appreciation for nature contrasts significantly with the “country folk’s” attitude towards creation. As the kittens’ murder is completed, one of the farmers says to the little boy, “’Sure, isn’t it better for them now?” (7) The farm represents a place of violence for nature rather than the serene depiction in I wandered lonely as a cloud. The necessary control of the animals on