Read “After Apple-Picking” by Robert Frost and “Bogland” by Seamus
Heaney- by close analysis of the poetic methods used and relevant contextual
knowledge, compare and contrast how these poets write about rural life.
Both Frost and Heaney were pastoral poets, and frequently explored
the theme of rural life. In “After Apple-Picking”, Frost reflects upon a long life
lived through the extended metaphor of a harvest. He reflects upon the
hardships of country life and the purpose of his labour. Meanwhile, Heaney
explores rural life throughout history by examining the rural landscape of the
bog, demonstrating the deep culture of rural society.
Frost studies the product of rural life, looking at the rewards for his
labour in “My long two-pronged ladder’s sticking through a tree / Toward
heaven still”. Frost alludes to Jacob’s ladder, signifying how he questions if his
life can lead him to a reading and satisfying afterlife. This is supported by the
religious imagery , which connotes Frost’s aspirations to the reader. Frost
utilises varying line lengths (with dimeter, trimeter, and tetrameter) to convey
his doubts in the life that he has lived. This is inspired by Frost’s failed
attempts at becoming a farmer, leaving him in doubt of the values of rural
living.
Contrastingly, Heaney looks inward at the history of the rural land, as
opposed to the future. This is conveyed in “We have no prairies… the eye
concedes to / Encroaching horizon”. The juxtaposition between the expansive
American plains and the cramped Irish landscape emphasise how the rural
Irish population focuses on the history of their rural life. This is reiterated by
the personification of the horizon, which reflects Heaney turning his focus to
the history of the land. Heaney strengthens this impression with the image of
“the cyclops’ eye / Of a tarn”. The metaphor draws attention to the mythic
history of rural Ireland and emphasises its mysterious nature to the reader.
Additionally, Frost focuses on the hardship of rural labour worrying that
it will prevent his rest in “My insti arch not only keeps the ache… I feel the
pressure as the boughs bend… I am overtired / Of the great harvest I myself
desired”. Frost’s use of a first person narrative emphasises his concern
surrounding the intensity of rural labour, creating a resigned tone. The plosive
, alliteration demonstrates how the persona has grown weary of his life, whilst
the end-line rhyme implies to the reader that the speaker wishes to conclude
his monotonous life. This is supported by the end-stopped line, conveying a
sense of finality to the reader which indicates the speaker’s frustration with his
life.
In another way, Heaney conveys a conflicting sense of pride in his rural
homeland. This is indicated to the reader in “Our untended country… Between
the sights of the sun”. Heaney utilises the inclusive pronoun to convey a sense
of unity, reflecting the rural community’s connection to the land. This creates a
mildly patriotic tone for the reader. This is complemented by the use of
sibilance, which conveys a melodic tone to the reader heightening the sense
of joy that Heaney finds in the landscape of his rural life.
However,the poems also contain similarities. For example, both Heaney
and Frost’s reflect on the history of rural life and land, with Frost describing the
“ten thousand thousand fruit to touch, / Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let
fall”. The repetition of “thousand” creates a hyperbolic statement to make it
clear for the reader that Frost is using the rural landscape as an extended
metaphor for his life. The apples symbolise the experiences in Frost's life,
reflecting upon his past decisions. Furthermore, the listing emphasises Frost’s
great responsibility to the reader by demonstrating the pressure to make the
right choices to produce a good harvest, or a worthy lifestyle.
Similarly, Heaney explores the history of the rural landscape in “They've
taken the skeleton / Of the Great Irish Elk / Out of the peat, set it up, / An
outstanding crate full of air”. Heaney recalls the moment from his childhood
when an elk’s skeletal remains were recovered near his childhood home,
sparking his fascination with the rural “landscape that remembered everything
that happened to it”. The enjambement drags the reader’s eyes down the
page, symbolising how Heaney delves into the bog to uncover the history of
the rural community. The listing highlights the ongoing process of discovery for
the reader whilst the metaphor creates an awe-struck or, demonstrating the
reverence and depth of the past in the small rural area.
