Seamus HeaneyCrediting Poetry.docx
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Seamus HeaneyCrediting Poetry.docx
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SeamusHeaneyCreditingPoetry
CreditingPoetry
WhenIfirstencounteredthenameofthecityofStockholm,IlittlethoughtthatIwouldevervisitit,nevermindendupbeingwelcomedtoitasaguestoftheSwedishAcademyandtheNobelFoundation.AtthetimeIamthinkingof,suchanoutcomewasnotjustbeyondexpectation:
itwassimplybeyondconception.Inthenineteenforties,whenIwastheeldestchildofanever-growingfamilyinruralCo.Derry,wecrowdedtogetherinthethreeroomsofatraditionalthatchedfarmsteadandlivedakindofden-lifewhichwasmoreorlessemotionallyandintellectuallyproofedagainsttheoutsideworld.Itwasanintimate,physical,creaturelyexistenceinwhichthenightsoundsofthehorseinthestablebeyondonebedroomwallmingledwiththesoundsofadultconversationfromthekitchenbeyondtheother.Wetookineverythingthatwasgoingon,ofcourse-raininthetrees,miceontheceiling,asteamtrainrumblingalongtherailwaylineonefieldbackfromthehouse-butwetookitinasifwewereinthedozeofhibernation.Ahistorical,pre-sexual,insuspensionbetweenthearchaicandthemodern,wewereassusceptibleandimpressionableasthedrinkingwaterthatstoodinabucketinourscullery:
everytimeapassingtrainmadetheearthshake,thesurfaceofthatwaterusedtorippledelicately,concentrically,andinuttersilence.
Butitwasnotonlytheearththatshookforus:
theairaroundandaboveuswasaliveandsignallingtoo.Whenawindstirredinthebeeches,italsostirredanaerialwireattachedtothetopmostbranchofthechestnuttree.Downitswept,inthroughaholeboredinthecornerofthekitchenwindow,rightonintotheinnardsofourwirelesssetwherealittlepandemoniumofburblesandsqueakswouldsuddenlygivewaytothevoiceofaBBCnewsreaderspeakingoutoftheunexpectedlikeadeusexmachina.Andthatvoicetoowecouldhearinourbedroom,transmittingfrombeyondandbehindthevoicesoftheadultsinthekitchen;justaswecouldoftenhear,behindandbeyondeveryvoice,thefrantic,piercingsignallingofmorsecode.
Wecouldpickupthenamesofneighboursbeingspokeninthelocalaccentsofourparents,andintheresonantEnglishtonesofthenewsreaderthenamesofbombersandofcitiesbombed,ofwarfrontsandarmydivisions,thenumbersofplaneslostandofprisonerstaken,ofcasualtiessufferedandadvancesmade;andalways,ofcourse,wewouldpickuptoothoseother,solemnandoddlybracingwords,"theenemy"and"theallies".Butevenso,noneofthenewsoftheseworld-spasmsenteredmeasterror.Iftherewassomethingominousinthenewscaster'stones,therewassomethingtorpidaboutourunderstandingofwhatwasatstake;andiftherewassomethingculpableaboutsuchpoliticalignoranceinthattimeandplace,therewassomethingpositiveaboutthesecurityIinhabitedasaresultofit.
Thewartime,inotherwords,waspre-reflectivetimeforme.Pre-literatetoo.Pre-historicalinitsway.Thenastheyearswentonandmylisteningbecamemoredeliberate,Iwouldclimbuponanarmofourbigsofatogetmyearclosertothewirelessspeaker.Butitwasstillnotthenewsthatinterestedme;whatIwasafterwasthethrillofstory,suchasadetectiveserialaboutaBritishspecialagentcalledDickBartonorperhapsaradioadaptationofoneofCapt.W.E.Johns'sadventuretalesaboutanRAFflyingacecalledBiggles.Nowthattheotherchildrenwereolderandtherewassomuchgoingoninthekitchen,Ihadtogetclosetotheactualradiosetinordertoconcentratemyhearing,andinthatintentproximitytothedialIgrewfamiliarwiththenamesofforeignstations,withLeipzigandOsloandStuttgartandWarsawand,ofcourse,withStockholm.
IalsogotusedtohearingshortburstsofforeignlanguagesasthedialhandsweptroundfromBBCtoRadioEireann,fromtheintonationsofLondontothoseofDublin,andeventhoughIdidnotunderstandwhatwasbeingsaidinthosefirstencounterswiththegutturalsandsibilantsofEuropeanspeech,Ihadalreadybegunajourneyintothewidenessoftheworldbeyond.Thisinturnbecameajourneyintothewidenessoflanguage,ajourneywhereeachpointofarrival-whetherinone'spoetryorone'slifeturnedouttobeasteppingstoneratherthanadestination,anditisthatjourneywhichhasbroughtmenowtothishonouredspot.Andyettheplatformherefeelsmorelikeaspacestationthanasteppingstone,sothatiswhy,foronceinmylife,Iampermittingmyselftheluxuryofwalkingonair.
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Icreditpoetryformakingthisspace-walkpossible.IcredititimmediatelybecauseofalineIwrotefairlyrecentlyinstructingmyself(andwhoeverelsemightbelistening)to"walkonairagainstyourbetterjudgement".ButIcredititultimatelybecausepoetrycanmakeanorderastruetotheimpactofexternalrealityandassensitivetotheinnerlawsofthepoet'sbeingastheripplesthatrippledinandrippledoutacrossthewaterinthatscullerybucketfiftyyearsago.Anorderwherewecanatlastgrowuptothatwhichwestoredupaswegrew.Anorderwhichsatisfiesallthatisappetitiveintheintelligenceandprehensileintheaffections.Icreditpoetry,inotherwords,bothforbeingitselfandforbeingahelp,formakingpossibleafluidandrestorativerelationshipbetweenthemind'scentreanditscircumference,betweenthechildgazingattheword"Stockholm"onthefaceoftheradiodialandthemanfacingthefacesthathemeetsinStockholmatthismostprivilegedmoment.Icredititbecausecreditisduetoit,inourtimeandinalltime,foritstruthtolife,ineverysenseofthatphrase.
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Tobeginwith,Iwantedthattruthtolifetopossessaconcretereliability,andrejoicedmostwhenthepoemseemedmostdirect,anupfrontrepresentationoftheworlditstoodinfororstoodupfororstooditsgroundagainst.Evenasaschoolboy,IlovedJohnKeats'sode"ToAutumn"forbeinganarkofthecovenantbetweenlanguageandsensation;asanadolescent,IlovedGerardManleyHopkinsfortheintensityofhisexclamationswhichwerealsoequationsforaraptureandanacheIdidn'tfullyknowIknewuntilIreadhim;IlovedRobertFrostforhisfarmer'saccuracyandhiswilydown-to-earthness;andChaucertooformuchthesamereasons.LateronIwouldfindadifferentkindofaccuracy,amoraldown-to-earthnesstowhichIrespondeddeeplyandalwayswill,inthewarpoetryofWilfredOwen,apoetrywhereaNewTestamentsensibilitysuffersandabsorbstheshockofthenewcentury'sbarbarism.Thenlateragain,inthepureconsequenceofElizabethBishop'sstyle,inthesheerobduracyofRobertLowell'sandinthebarefacedconfrontationofPatrickKavanagh's,Iencounteredfurtherreasonsforbelievinginpoetry'sability-andresponsibility-tosaywhathappens,to"pitytheplanet,"tobe"notconcernedwithPoetry."
ThistemperamentaldispositiontowardsanartthatwasearnestanddevotedtothingsastheyarewascorroboratedbytheexperienceofhavingbeenbornandbroughtupinNorthernIrelandandofhavinglivedwiththatplaceeventhoughIhavelivedoutofitforthepastquarterofacentury.Noplaceintheworldpridesitselfmoreonitsvigilanceandrealism,noplaceconsidersitselfmorequalifiedtocensureanyflourishofrhetoricorextravaganceofaspiration.So,partlyasaresultofhavinginternalizedtheseattitudesthroughgrowingupwiththem,andpartlyasaresultofgrowingaskintoprotectmyselfagainstthem,Iwentforyearshalf-avoidingandhalf-resistingtheopulenceandextensivenessofpoetsasdifferentasWallaceStevensandRainerMariaRilke;creditinginsufficientlythecrystallineinwardnessofEmilyDickinson,allthoseforkedlightningsandfissuresofassociation;andmissingthevisionarystrangenessofEliot.Andthesemoreorlesscostiveattitudeswerefortifiedbyarefusaltograntthepoetanymorelicensethananyothercitizen;andtheywerefurtherinducedbyhavingtoconductoneselfasapoetinasituationofongoingpoliticalviolenceandpublicexpectation.Apublicexpectation,ithastobesaid,notofpoetryassuchbutofpoliticalpositionsvariouslyapprovablebymutuallydisapprovinggroups.
Insuchcircumstances,themindstilllongstoreposeinwhatSamuelJohnsononcecalledwithsuperbconfidence"thestabilityoftruth",evenasitrecognizesthedestabilizingnatureofitsownoperationsandenquiries.Withoutneedingtobetheoreticallyinstructed,consciousnessquicklyrealizesthatitisthesiteofvariouslycontendingdiscourses.Thechildinthebedroom,listeningsimultaneouslytothedomesticidiomofhisIrishhomeandtheofficialidiomsoftheBritishbroadcasterwhilepickingupfrombehindboththesignalsofsomeotherdistress,thatchildwasalreadybeingschooledforthecomplexitiesofhisadultpredicament,afuturewherehewouldhavetoadjudicateamongpromptingsvariouslyethical,aesthetical,moral,political,metrical,sceptical,cultural,topical,typical,post-colonialand,takenalltogether,simplyimpossible.SoitwasthatIfoundmyselfinthemid-nineteenseventiesinanothersmallhouse,thistimeinCo.WicklowsouthofDublin,withayoungfamilyofmyownandaslightlylessimposingradioset,listeningtotheraininthetreesandtothenewsofbombingsclosertohome-notonlythosebytheProvisionalIRAinBelfastbutequallyatrociousassaultsinDublinbyloyalistparamilitariesfromthenorth.FeelingpunyinmypredicamentsasIreadaboutthetragiclogicofOsipMandelstam'sfateinthe1930s,feelingchallengedyetsteadfastinmynoncombatantstatuswhenIheard,forexample,thatoneparticularlysweetnaturedschoolfriendhadbeeninternedwithouttrial
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