Fear in Childhood â Heaney and Montague
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Order NowHeaney and Montague both write about fear in childhood. Compare and contrast two poems, one by each poet, taking account of the methods which each poet uses to write about fear in childhood. âThe Barnâ by Seamus Heaney and âLike Dolmens Round my Childhood, the Old Peopleâ by John Montague are two poems that explore the theme of fear in childhood. The fears of each poet are very different in that Heaneyâs fear of the barn is triggered by his vivid imagination whereas Montagueâs fear of becoming like âthe old peopleâ is a much more complex and emotional issue that relates to real life experiences. Furthermore, the idea of fear in childhood is clear from the beginning in âThe Barnâ and Heaney uses progression in his poem to build on these childhood fears. In contrast, it is only at the end of âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ that the reader becomes aware that Montagueâs fear was ending up like the elderly people he knew as a child. Both poems are well structured; âThe Barnâ consists of five stanzas with four lines per stanza and âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ is made up of seven stanzas with seven lines per stanza. The number seven is significant as it refers to the âperfect numberâ and this tie into the subject matter at the end of Montagueâs poem.
Unlike âThe Barnâ, âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ contains two lines, one at the beginning and one at the end, which acts as a framework around the poem. Moreover, âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ is longer that âThe Barnâ. Whereas Heaney develops the story in âThe Barnâ with each stanza, Montague uses each stanza to focus on a completely different story or issue. Both poems use alternate rhyme; Heaney uses half-rhyme in âThe Barnâ and in âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ occasional rhyme is used to emphasise key words such as âcriedâ and âderideâ. âThe Barnâ is written from the perspective of Heaney as a child. On the other hand, âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ is a reflective poem in which an adult Montague looks back on certain experiences from his childhood and reflects on the effect that they had on him. Both poets use language and imagery for effect. Montague uses detailed descriptions in order to present a clear image of each elderly person and Heaney uses detailed descriptions to present a clear image of the surroundings. Heaney often uses language to appeal to the scenes âmusky darkâ âsmooth chillâ whereas Montague does not apply this technique in âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ.
Heaney uses emotive language to convey the terror of the boy âyou felt cobwebs clogging up your lungsâ likewise Montague also uses language to reveal his disturbance at certain people âdead eyes, serpent-flickedâ. Both poets use alliteration â Heaney uses the phrase âcobwebs cloggingâ in order to create a feeling of claustrophobia and to heighten the sense of panic. Likewise, Montague uses the phrase âpenny every pensionâ to highlight Jamieâs generosity and kindness. Montague often uses transferred epithet for effect â Mary Mooreâs âcrumblingâ house refers to her life that has essentially crumbled around her. On the other hand, Heaney does not use this method in âThe Barnâ. Both poets make use of similes and metaphors âMontague uses the metaphor âwell of gossipâ in order to show societyâs negative view of Maggie Owens. Similarly, Heaney uses the metaphor âI was chaffâ to convey how small and insignificant the boy feels at the end of the poem. Both poets use consonance for effect â in âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ the repeated âlâ sounds in the first three lines of the third stanza create a somewhat musical tone and add to the beautiful description of the countryside.
Likewise, Heaney uses consonance in âThe Barnâ to emphasise the terror felt by the boy. Montague uses emotive language for effect such as âdefiledâ and âfangedâ, just as Heaney uses emotive language such as âgreat blind ratsâ to convey the fear of the boy. Heaney refers to childhood fairy tales in âThe Barnâ in order to show the boys fear âwhen the zinc burned like an ovenâ. Heaney compares entering the barn to entering an oven which is a reference to the fairy tale âHansel and Gretelâ. Montague doesnât refer to childhood fairy tales however he does refer to aspects of ancient Irish culture towards the end of his poem âThe rune and the chant, evil eye and averted head/Fomorian fierceness of family and local feudâ. Both poets refer to otherworldly, mysterious tales whether that is a fairy tale or an Irish superstition âchantâ âruneâ. The tone in âThe Barnâ begins as a combination of curiosity, excitement and fear; the boy refers to the equipment as âan armouryâ and describes the barn as if it were a pirates cove filled with treasure âgrit of ivoryâ. However, as the poem progresses, the tone changes from fear to utter terror âI lay face-down to shun the fear aboveâ.
In contrast, the tone in âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ remains solemn and sad until the last stanza. The tone is reflective in the last stanza as Montague is summing up the impact the people he previously described had on him. However, Montague also reveals that he has conquered his fear from childhood âfor years they trespassed on my dreams/until once, in a standing circle of stones/I felt their shadows passâ. In stark contrast, âThe Barnâ ends on a peak of terror with the boy having a nightmare âthe two lugged-sacks moved in like great blind ratsâ. Montague is over his fear whereas the boy is not. In conclusion, though both poets explore different aspects of fear in childhood, they both express these fears using similar literary techniques. However, Montague not only explores childhood fears in âLike Dolmens Round my Childhoodâ but he also refers to issues in society and his disgrace at modern society âAncient Ireland, indeed! I was reared by her bedsideâ.