Follower Seamus Heaney My father worked with a

‘Follower’ Seamus Heaney

My father worked with a horse-plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horse strained at his clicking tongue. Comparing the Verbs An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright steel-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck • Write a list of the verbs used to describe the father Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly. I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow round the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away. • Write a list of the verbs used to describe the son. • What do you notice? Challenge: Can you find any other contrasting images in the poem?

Context • Born in County Derry, Ireland in 1939 • His father was a farmer and the countryside and nature are reflected in many of his poems. • He helped his father in the fields. • He did well academically and became a teacher and then a lecturer • He published a lot of poetry in the 1960 s and 1970 s Literal Follower Ambiguous More than one meaning Metaphorical

The assonant long ‘o’ sounds emphasise the broadness of his shoulders Nostalgia The verb suggests tough, physical work The simile and alliteration shows that just as sails harness the power of the wind, he harnesses the power of the horses and uses them to plough My father worked with a horse-plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horse strained at his clicking tongue Shafts – wooden poles which harness the horse to the plough Furrow – a long trench in the soil made by the plough Onomatopoeia draws attention to his skill – he can control the powerful horses just by clicking his tongue

It shows that he is technically skilled as well as strong. The short sentence means it is an inarguable statement ‘rolled’ and ‘breaking’ continue the nautical imagery. The sods are like rolling waves – the father is so skilled that he can roll the sod without breaking it Repetition of the hard sounding letters ‘k’ and ‘t’ reflect the precision of his work An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright steel-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Wing – Part of the frame of the plough Sock – the blade that went into the soil Sod – grass-covered earth Headrig – point where the plough turns The enjambment imitates how his father turns the horses around

They work as one with the land Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly. This stanza changes the emphasis from the contrast between the father’s skill and the clumsiness of his son – he won’t grow up to be like his father Technical skills

A reference to a ship’s wake creates an image of choppy water – the son finds it difficult to follow his father The boots are sturdy – like his dad St Christopher – Carried Jesus across a river Makes him sound godly and saint-like I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. This paternal image shows that they have a good relationship – he is patient and loving with his son He describes his father like a ship riding the ‘dipping’ and ‘rising’ waves of the furrows. The rhythm of the poem seems to dip and rise – like the movement of being on his father’s back Wake – The path left by a ship as it moves through the water

‘plough’ and ‘follow’ are half rhymes – suggests that he hasn’t been able to follow in his father’s footsteps He feels like a failure for not learning how to plough I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow round the farm. He felt like he was living in his father’s shadow. He wanted to be as skilful and impressive as he was

The list of verbs and enjambment emphasises the narrator’s clumsy persistence Caesura makes the change to the present tense sudden and unexpected – heightens the impact of the final few sentences I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away. Earlier the boy was stumbling, now it is the father The follower in the title is now the father – the title refers to them both at different times The narrator might be frustrated that the father won’t go away or he may be glad that they have a strong bond

Structure and form 6 verses – regular structure 4 lines per stanza (quatrains) 8 syllables and 6 iambic feet (iambic tetrameter) I stumbled in his hob nailed wake Possibly the steady horse’s hooves First 3 stanzas – father Next 2 and a half – son Final 2 lines – father as a old man Alternate rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF…. Reflects the steady movements across the field. Some of the rhymes are half rhymes. Reflecting the son’s inability to keep up and follow? Enjambment – farmer doesn’t stop but is steady Neat shape reflects the neat field the father is ploughing

Nautical Imagery Caesura Enjambment Simile Admiration Bond Failure Identity Paternal Relationship Physical Rhythm Assonance Onomatopoeia Nostalgia FATHER – SHOULDERS – FURROW – TONGUE – EXPERT – STEEL – POINTED – SOD – PLUCK – TEAM – ONTO – GROUND – EXACTLY – WAKE – FELL – BACK PLOD – WANTED – STIFFEN – FOLLOW – SHADOW – NUISANCE – BUT - AWAY