Post-colonial Writers
This week we studied some of the views and works of post-colonial writers, with a main focus on Heaney. We looked at some contextual and historical events of this time period. We then looked at the poems Digging and Punishment, trying to consider how some of these historical events may have influenced what Heaney wrote and why he chose to write about it. Heaney tries to reveal his own view of history, almost re-writing it in the way that he saw it, for the audience to understand.
How do post-colonial writers respond to traditions such as the 'canon' and notions of world history?
The post-colonial era was just the time period after the colonies around the world had collapsed, Britain no longer had control over the commonwealth countries and many countries gained their own independence. Poets of this era wrote to respond to British views of how history played out; literature allows them to write their account of what they believed happened in history. Many writers wrote to re-write history, and although metaphors were used frequently by Heaney to represent certain aspects of his description, a majority of the poems were very simple.
How do post-colonial writers respond to traditions such as the 'canon' and notions of world history?
The post-colonial era was just the time period after the colonies around the world had collapsed, Britain no longer had control over the commonwealth countries and many countries gained their own independence. Poets of this era wrote to respond to British views of how history played out; literature allows them to write their account of what they believed happened in history. Many writers wrote to re-write history, and although metaphors were used frequently by Heaney to represent certain aspects of his description, a majority of the poems were very simple.
Digging
Tales from the Bog
Bodies were found in the bottom of Europe's bogs, particularly in Ireland and Germany. The bodies were thought to have been put in the bogs after the victim had died, as a sort of sacrifice for God from the farmers, this was in hope that God would forgive them. Many had thought that God was angry with them, that is why he had sent bad weather, destroying their crops and farming. However, the soil in the bogs were thought to contain chemicals in the soil, all natural elements, from the sphagnum and with the lack of oxygen, the bodies were preserved and encased, preventing any sort of decay.
Punishment
This Irish poem shows that it is almost as if nothing has changed, people. The punishment then and the punishment now still stands and is still just as brutal because no one stood up and said anything. He uses his poetic voice to raise issue and to speak up for what happened, he may not have been able to help these poor women, but he is informing us about what happens so that as an audience/reader, we are aware.
Sinful--->supposed adultery--->sacrificed
'I who have stood dumb'--->he feels guilty---->he should have done something
Sinful--->supposed adultery--->sacrificed
'I who have stood dumb'--->he feels guilty---->he should have done something