Post by Admin on May 15, 2017 21:13:54 GMT
From a strictly formal point of view, “The Forge” is a sonnet. As is typical of Seamus Heaney’s work, however, and reflective of this poem’s unobtrusive depths, it is more interesting for the ways in which it departs from conventional sonnet forms than for its attachment to them. Thus, “The Forge” opens with a representative sonnet rhyme scheme. Once this is established, however, it is not adhered to. Similarly, the familiar internal organization of a sonnet into octet (the first eight lines) and sestet (the concluding six lines) seems promised but is not maintained.
“The Forge” presents the poet as an observer of a familiar childhood scene (the village “smithy” has a long history as a poetic subject). The poem is written in the first person, and there is little doubt that Heaney draws on material familiar to him and to which he has remained imaginatively attached. The elements of the scene are described in loving detail, so that the reader has a strong impression of immediacy and intimacy. The poet’s strong visual imagination—whereby evidence of the everyday catches the reader’s eye like the smith’s “unpredictable fantail of sparks”—places the reader in direct sensory relation with the subject matter.
The poet remains an unobtrusive facilitator throughout. His presence enables the reader to see, rather than enjoining the reader to read. This approach suggests that experiencing is as significant as reaching...
Imagery
The Forge by Seamus Heaney depicts the process by which a seasoned Iron Worker creates a horseshoe. The observer talks about how the entrance to the workshop takes you into an unfamiliar darkness. The outside of the building contains “old axles and iron hoops rusting” (line 2), which reveals to the reader that he/she is dealing with a iron worker with experience. The rust on these objects talks of time passing since he began doing his ironwork. Additionally, the sound of his anvil against the iron coupled with sparks flying and the hiss of water cooling ultimately creating a horseshoe brings life to the magical process. The process is also assisted by Heaney’s use of “s” and “hiss” which produces the sounds made by the horseshoe cooling in water. The anvil is the person’s instrument that allows a connection with the metal just as an altar helps one closely connect with God (lines 7-9). It is an interesting comparison because during both activities you are putting out so much energy to connect and there is an instrument/object that helps you to carry out your goal. When the worker “recalls a clatter of hoofs,” it shows his genuine dedication and enjoyment of his work to think about all the animals and people he is helping (lines 11-12). The “grunts” and the “slam” and the “flick” in line 13 shows him putting his whole soul into his work. The poem is very intriguing to me because it takes such a simple process and converts it into something beautiful and special. Truly a work of art in itself.
“The Forge” presents the poet as an observer of a familiar childhood scene (the village “smithy” has a long history as a poetic subject). The poem is written in the first person, and there is little doubt that Heaney draws on material familiar to him and to which he has remained imaginatively attached. The elements of the scene are described in loving detail, so that the reader has a strong impression of immediacy and intimacy. The poet’s strong visual imagination—whereby evidence of the everyday catches the reader’s eye like the smith’s “unpredictable fantail of sparks”—places the reader in direct sensory relation with the subject matter.
The poet remains an unobtrusive facilitator throughout. His presence enables the reader to see, rather than enjoining the reader to read. This approach suggests that experiencing is as significant as reaching...
Imagery
The Forge by Seamus Heaney depicts the process by which a seasoned Iron Worker creates a horseshoe. The observer talks about how the entrance to the workshop takes you into an unfamiliar darkness. The outside of the building contains “old axles and iron hoops rusting” (line 2), which reveals to the reader that he/she is dealing with a iron worker with experience. The rust on these objects talks of time passing since he began doing his ironwork. Additionally, the sound of his anvil against the iron coupled with sparks flying and the hiss of water cooling ultimately creating a horseshoe brings life to the magical process. The process is also assisted by Heaney’s use of “s” and “hiss” which produces the sounds made by the horseshoe cooling in water. The anvil is the person’s instrument that allows a connection with the metal just as an altar helps one closely connect with God (lines 7-9). It is an interesting comparison because during both activities you are putting out so much energy to connect and there is an instrument/object that helps you to carry out your goal. When the worker “recalls a clatter of hoofs,” it shows his genuine dedication and enjoyment of his work to think about all the animals and people he is helping (lines 11-12). The “grunts” and the “slam” and the “flick” in line 13 shows him putting his whole soul into his work. The poem is very intriguing to me because it takes such a simple process and converts it into something beautiful and special. Truly a work of art in itself.
