One of the constant themes present throughout the majority of Heaney’s work is his conflicted sense of belonging, particularly considering the time he spent away from his homeland and his Catholic upbringing. Many expected his sympathies to remain loyal to the oppressed Catholics in Northern Ireland, but Heaney was always careful when writing about controversial subjects, keeping cautious not to adhere to the inclinations of mob rule in his poetry.
In an interview with Tiago Moura, Heaney describes the significance behind his play on the words “herd” and “heard.” He proclaims the danger of “h.e.r.d. feelings” that must be regarded with caution due to the unpredictable and often violent tendencies of mob rule. In the midst of this sort of chaos, he asserts that it is the duty of the writer, the individual to be “heard,” and to depict the subject matter as a separate entity from the “tribe.” Heaney admits that this is an exceptionally fine line to straddle, and associates his own struggles of this nature with those of Black- American poets during the American Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s.
This struck me as a profound association, and it serves as an intriguing parallel to his own struggles of finding his place. It puts the writer in a difficult position, forcing them to serve as the “voice” or “consciousness” of his/her people and stand up for their interests or to assess the situation objectively and seek an alternative action. His example with Black-American poets identifies the substantial difference between the use of “I,” singular, and the use of “we,” plural. Especially during times of crisis, this seemingly trivial distinction may drastically alter the interpretation of the poet’s political sympathies. The Civil Rights movement serves as a more familiar context to portray Heaney’s perspective from when regarding it through the scope of a Black-American poet abroad. This interview also serves to explain how crucial the meticulousness of word choice and placement can be, especially when writing in the midst of crisis.
The interview is about three and a half minutes long, and offers some interesting perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7sskc1pi_k