Seamus Heaney, Virgil and the Good of Poetry

A close reading of Seamus Heaney's engagement with Virgil, focusing on his later career, explores how he incorporates Virgilian themes into his own poetry, using the rhythm, pace, and musicality of Virgil's hexameters. Heaney's dialogue with Virgil and other classical and modern poets develops his idea of the redress of poetry as a counterbalance to historical tragedy, suffering, and loss.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The first comprehensive study of Seamus Heaney's engagement with Virgil, one of his most significant literary exemplars, delves into a close reading of Heaney's interaction with the ancient Roman poet, particularly in the latter part of his career, from the mid-1980s onward. It examines Heaney's dialogue with Virgil in relation to his extensive reading of other writers, spanning ancient, medieval, and modern periods. The book also considers the entirety of Heaney's writing, including his translations, original poems, prose works, and radio interviews.

Through his meticulous exploration, the book showcases how Virgil's poems became a source of profound inspiration for Heaney, particularly his vivid portrayal of the descent into the underworld in Aeneid VI. It reveals that Heaney infused and transformed familiar Virgilian motifs in both his original English poems and his translations from Latin. The rhythmic, pace, and musicality of Virgil's hexameters can be heard in Heaney's pastoral eclogues and sonnet sequences, demonstrating his skillful appropriation of Virgil's literary style. Moreover, Virgil's life and times, as well as his poetry, played a significant role in shaping Heaney's prose poetics.

In his dialogue with Virgil, as well as other classical and modern poets, Heaney develops his notion of the redress of poetry, which he sees as a counterbalance to historical tragedy, suffering, and loss. Through his poetic exploration, Heaney seeks to offer solace, healing, and a means of understanding the human condition, drawing upon the timeless wisdom and resonance of Virgil's works.

This book provides a valuable contribution to the study of Heaney's literary career and his profound engagement with ancient literature. It sheds light on his creative process, his philosophical insights, and his ability to reimagine and revitalize classical texts for contemporary audiences. It is a testament to Heaney's enduring legacy as a poet and his profound influence on the literary world.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474454407