To fully understand the ambiguity behind Heaney's poetry, it is most tactful to start with a brief comprehension on the poet's background, which is to become the root of his poetry as he links the themes of all his poems back to his origin, himself and his experiences of reality. It is made apparent that his beliefs inself? is the interconnection made between a being and its roots. To Heaney, Ireland is the focal point in which his inspirations uncoiled. Be it to self-reflection through nationalism, his family background or the depths of his feeling. We will observe later on how he takes in use this inspiration to thus creating something of marvel to modern day literature. .
Seamus Heaney was born amongst the midst of Irish rebellions, only about two decades after the proclamation of the Irish Republic, to a family of traditional farmers. In many of his poems, Heaney relates the occurrences of present day reality with the history of his country supporting his view on the brutality of humanity. In his Bog poems, a general look takes the readers first into considerations of the damage and violence done to victims in the early stages of civilization. These victims are generally punished individuals from crimes or, are sacrifices made to the gods as a religious belief, as regarded by the community. Heaney steps away as the author and gives the role of narration over to theseawakened? corpses using the method of personification. The gruesome descriptions of being barbarically killed and in the centuries that pass, being deteriorated and fermenting underground is taken from the thoughts of the corpses and put into words by Heaney. .
The idea of tribal revenges, killing and public humiliation in the bog poems associate with the reality of Ireland's bloodbaths, sectarian massacres along with its warfare against England. In Bog Queen, Heaney uses the tell-tale corpse of the woman to imply Ireland.
