Anahorish Brief Poetic Analysis Essay

A poem from Wintering out (1972) still early days in the troubles Anahorish is a guide in south Derry, just a few kilometres south of Heaneys family farm. In gaelic it translates roughly to hill of spring waterMy place of clear water,The commencement hill in the world.This suggests that, literally Anahorish was the starting line pace seamus grew up in, but also water symbolizes inspiration in heaneys poems, so this also suggests it was his first place of inspiration. Anahorish primary, was Heanys primary school, and so first place of learning, and literature so this enforces the idea that Anahorish was his first place where he grew inspiration.The second verse begins with a darker approach,and darkened cobblesIn the bed of the lane.this suggests that Anahorish also had some of Heanys first bad memorys, possibly a young heaneys first glance at the troubles? Anahorish, soft gradientOf consonant, vowel-meadowThis is simply describing the actual word, Anahorish soft gradient a refrenc e to hills, and vowel-meadow, a description of the high amount of vowels in the word, and another nature refrence.Those mound dwellersGo waist-deep in mistTo break the light ice at wells and dunghills.Mist and ice are both forms of water, and so in heanys world, inspiration, however as the liquid and gas form, this represents inspiration which cannot be found, even though it is there. to break the ice at wells and dunghills means that you have to put effort in breaking the ice to reach the water underneath it, and so suggesting that you have to work, or search for inspiration.