Follower

"Follower" by Seamus Heaney

Context

• Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet, playwright, and translator who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. "Follower" was published in 1966 in his first major collection, "Death of a Naturalist." Heaney's poetry often reflects his rural upbringing in County Derry, Northern Ireland, and explores themes of family, memory, and the natural world.

The Poem

My father worked with a horse-plough,

His shoulders globed like a full sail strung

← Simile.

Between the shafts and the furrow.

The horse strained at his clicking tongue.

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

Of reins, the sweating team turned round

And back into the land. His eye

Narrowed and angled at the ground,

Mapping the furrow exactly.

← Imagery

I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake,

← Metaphor

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,

← Repetition

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

← Role Reversal

It is my father who keeps stumbling

Behind me, and will not go away.

5 quotes + analysis to achieve a grade 9

1. Language Device = Simile. "His shoulders globed like a full sail strung"

• Analysis: The simile compares the father's shoulders to a "full sail," emphasising his physical strength and capability. This image highlights the father's power and skill in his work, creating a sense of admiration from the speaker.

2. Language Device = Metaphor. "I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake"

• Analysis: The metaphor of "stumbled in his hob-nailed wake" suggests the speaker's struggle to follow in his father's footsteps. This conveys a sense of inadequacy and the difficulty of living up to the father's example.

3. Language Device = Imagery. "Mapping the furrow exactly"

• Analysis: The precise imagery of "mapping the furrow" emphasises the father's expertise and meticulousness in his work. It highlights the contrast between the father's skill and the speaker's clumsiness.

4. Language Device = Repetition. "I wanted to grow up and plough, / To close one eye, stiffen my arm."

• Analysis: The repetition of "I wanted" reflects the speaker's desire to emulate his father. The imagery of "closing one eye" and "stiffening my arm" illustrates his aspiration to adopt his father's techniques and mannerisms.

5. Language Device = Role Reversal. "But today / It is my father who keeps stumbling / Behind me, and will not go away."

• Analysis: The role reversal in these lines highlights the passage of time and the changing dynamics of their relationship. The imagery of the father "stumbling" suggests his ageing and dependence, contrasting with the earlier depiction of his strength.

Form & Structure Points to Mention for Top Grades

• Quatrains: The poem is composed of six quatrains, each with an ABAB rhyme scheme.
  • Effect: The regular structure mirrors the steady, rhythmic nature of farm work and the predictability of rural life.
• Iambic Tetrameter: The poem largely follows iambic tetrameter, creating a rhythmic and flowing pace.
  • Effect: This metre reflects the regular, rhythmic motion of ploughing and the stability of the father's work.
• Enjambment: Heaney uses enjambment to create a continuous, flowing narrative.
  • Effect: This technique enhances the sense of movement and progression, reflecting both the physical work of ploughing and the passage of time.

Example Paragraph for a Grade 9 Answer:

In "Follower," Seamus Heaney presents admiration and change through the evolving relationship between father and son. The poem begins with vivid imagery and a simile, "His shoulders globed like a full sail strung," emphasising the father's physical strength and expertise in farming. The speaker's admiration is clear as he describes his father as "an expert," highlighting his skill and precision. However, the speaker contrasts this admiration with his own clumsiness, "I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake," underscoring his struggle to emulate his father. The metaphor of following in his father's "hob-nailed wake" suggests both admiration and a sense of never being able to match his father's achievements. The final lines, "But today / It is my father who keeps stumbling / Behind me, and will not go away," illustrate a poignant role reversal as the father ages and becomes dependent on the son, reflecting the inevitable changes brought by time. This shift evokes a sense of responsibility and sadness, highlighting the complexities of admiration and the passage of time in familial relationships. Through these literary devices, Heaney captures the deep respect for the father figure and the bittersweet nature of change.