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Questions and Answers
What is the central theme of the poem 'Death of a Naturalist'?
What does the phrase 'flax-dam festered in the heart's sap' symbolize in the poem?
How does the poet use imagery to depict the transition in the speaker's attitude towards nature?
Study Notes
Central Theme of the Poem
- The central theme of the poem 'Death of a Naturalist' is the loss of innocence and the transition from childhood to adulthood.
Symbolism in the Poem
- The phrase 'flax-dam festered in the heart's sap' symbolizes the corruption and decay of the natural world, as well as the speaker's growing disillusionment with it.
Use of Imagery in the Poem
- The poet uses imagery to depict the transition in the speaker's attitude towards nature by contrasting the vivid and lively descriptions of nature in the first stanza with the darker and more ominous imagery in the later stanzas.
- The imagery also highlights the speaker's growing awareness of the cycle of life and death in nature, and the connection between the natural world and human experience.
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Description
Test your understanding of the poem 'Death of a Naturalist' by Seamus Heaney with questions about its central theme, symbolism, and use of imagery to depict the transition in the speaker's attitude towards nature.
