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| Seamus Heaney... |
It's Seamus Heaney's birthday today. I once got to share a ham sandwich and a pint with this wonderful poet. He joined a half dozen students (me among them) at the College Inn Pub when he was in Seattle for a reading at the University of Washington. It was quite a long time ago, but wow, I remember everything about it. The man was absolutely beautiful - relaxed, funny, generous-hearted, talented beyond belief - and that shock of white hair! And that Irish lilt! He didn't disappoint, that's for sure.
Here's a poem of his that I love:
Postscript
And some time make the time to drive out west
Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter, and inland among stones
The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit
By the earthed lightning of a flock of swans,
Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white,
Their fully grown headstrong-looking heads
Tucked or cresting or busy underwater.
Useless to think you'll park and capture it
More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open.
- Seamus Heaney
from The Spirit Level
And click here to hear the man himself, reading it.
You'll see what I mean about that Irish lilt.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Heaney!
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| ...and Seamus Heaney. |
Poetry Friday today is being hosted by Anastasia Suen at her blog, Booktalking. Head over there to see what other people are sharing.
Hearing him read it really brings out the beauty of his writing. Thanks for sharing that link. I love hearing poets recite their own words.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you provided the audio link - what a differnce it makes to hear him recite the poem himself! So beautiful....
ReplyDeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteI wished Lee Bennett Hopkins "Happy Birthday" on my blog today. Now I'll send "Happy Birthday" wishes along to Seamus Heaney.
Love those last four lines after the long set up. Have to keep reading them again and again. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteLucky you, your pub lunch. I'm enjoying listening to Heaney's voice on several clips found through your link, thanks.
ReplyDeleteLike the comments noted above, I am *green* with jealousy as you describe your fantabulous lunch out with this handsome and talented poet. I can just imagine the Irish lilt. :) Love it!
ReplyDeleteHere are my favorite lines from the poem (which i shall repost in my facebook, it's just so beautiful):
You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open.
Beautiful.
Oh, I want to make time to do that! And to read and listen to more of Heaney's poems. Thank you, Julie, for this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for including the audio -- I love hearing the poet's voice!
ReplyDelete