Lit Crit: 'Lovers on Aran' by Seamus Heaney

 by Naome Dixon

Lovers on Aran

The timeless waves, bright sifting, broken glass,

Came dazzling around, into the rocks,

Came glinting, sifting from the Americas

To possess Aran. Or did Aran rush

To throw wide arms of rock around a tide

That yielded with an ebb, with a soft crash?

Did sea define the land or land the sea?

Each drew new meaning from the waves’ collision.

Sea broke on land to full identity.

Seamus Heaney

In A-level English, we have been looking at Seamus Heaney’s poetry ( in particular “Field work”). I found his work fascinating, so I looked into his arguably most famous anthology, “Death of a Naturalist”. The poem “Lovers on Aran” stuck out to me as it explores themes that are arguably rare to Heaney; this being the sensuality that underpins the poem. One can also argue that the conflict between Ireland and England is also relevant (a common theme for Heaney). Either way one interprets the metaphor, one can see the relationship between two entities. 

One observable theme in “Lovers on Aran”, is the conflict between Ireland and Britain. The poem begins by claiming that the waves are “timeless” and this arguably is syntactically placed at the beginning of the poem to signify the importance of the recognition that this conflict is not a new conflict. While the troubles are widely regarded as starting in 1968 (this anthology was published in 1966) tensions between the two nations date back to 1534, when there was a Catholic revolt against the Protestant English King in Ireland. This pretence sets the perspective that the conflict is almost natural and this is furthered via the use of natural nautical imagery throughout. Moreover, this theme of conflict is contented via the metaphor of “broken glass” in the sea. While it refers to the imagery of light being caught on the sea; it can also be interpreted as a reflection of the building up tension that the conflict has created, resulting in “broken” relationships between Ireland and Britain. This idea of conflict is continued via the plosive sound created by the “b” ; as a sharp tone is fostered. Also, it is implied that the conflict between Ireland and Britain is contradictory, as both countries are intrinsically linked but also in conflict. This can be seen via the imagery utilised, “ to throw wide arms”. While this can be seen to showcase comforting relations between the two nations, it could also reference the weapons used by the IRA, “arms”. This is furthered by the violent verb of “thrown”. Furthermore, Aran can be seen as a metaphor for the whole of Ireland( as it is an island of the west of Ireland) and the sea (which is arguably a metaphor for England) wishes to “possess Aran”. This could be an objection to the colonialism of England and although by 1966 the Republic of Ireland had achieved independence, England still did repeatedly interfere with Ireland. Furthermore, as the isle of Aran is located on the west of Ireland (which is geographically far from England) this arguably shows the extent to which England wishes to “possess” Ireland. 

Also, the theme of sensuality is explored, which is not a usual theme for Heaney and one can interpret the poem (particularly the relationship between the sea and land) as an extended metaphor for the relationship between a couple. This relationship is underpinned with sensuality, bridging to the spiritual and physical relationship. The sea can be seen as a feminine symbol; “waves' ' ,in particular, can be associated with patriarchal views on women. This is due to the feminine curves and the beauty, shown through a semantic field of dazzling adjectives of the waves, is used to describe how light bounces off the waves. Yet this traditional femininity is contrasted in the second stanza by the arguably masculine urge to “possess  Aran”. This could demonstrate the connection between the two halves of the relationship, because within the feminine counterpart, masculinity has manifested. However, while it is implied that the “tide...yielded” to the land, this was done with a “soft crash”. Arguably, this oxymoronic statement highlights how the “Sea” wishes to submit to the “land”. This could reflect the dynamics of marriage, as a woman usually takes on the man’s name; arguably this is submitting to the man, however it is done out of a spiritual connection that creates equality within the submission. This idea of a spiritual union of man and women can be reflected in the structure of the poem. The poem is set out in three triplets and arguably this could represent the holy trinity, which is a prominent idea with Catholicism. Some even argue that the three persons of the trinity (but in particular the spirit) are an essential part for the spiritual connection in earthly relations. This arguably increases the spiritual connection of the couple. This connection is solidified via the unanswerable rhetorical question, “ Did sea define the land or land the sea?” This blurring of the boundaries between the couples conveys their spiritual connection, but also has a sensual implication. This is because sexual activities are often described as becoming “one flesh”. This sensual element heightens the spiritual connection between the couple. An excited tone is forested (via the rhetorical question and the emotive language) and arguably this is used to mirror the spiritual and physical connection the couple is arguably experiencing.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Seamus Heaney’s poems (even if I may not be the most qualified individual to recommend poetry) due to the myriad of ways one can interpret one seemingly short poem.