A Call Seamus Heaney
An ordinary phone call to his father, who is weeding in the garden, becomes an intense meditation on life, goodness, ageing, and death.
As readers, we get a sense that we are somehow eavesdropping on a private call, not knowing the identities of the individuals referred to in the woman’s comments. The tone of the opening is conversational and intimate, reflecting the ordinariness of the event.
The portrait of his father is that of a gentle, caring individual, who is “rueful” at having to destroy the weeds but who sees the necessity of having to do it and is “pleased” with the outcome.
Long vowel sounds slow down the pace of the lines and allow the reader to closely observe the gardener as he works. The ellipsis (…) at the end of the stanza signals a shift in the focus of the poem
Despite the “calm”, a sombre note is introduced in the use of the word “grave” and reminds us that as time ticks away, the seasons of life change for all living things and death calls each of us eventually to the “grave”.
Heaney now finds himself reflecting on how death calls each individual from life. However, the call of death here is not seen in a modern setting as something terrifying or intimidating. Instead it is as gentle as a “little weed-root break” or a personal call from someone loved and known.
The word “nearly” could suggest that there is a lack of emotional communication between father and son. Perhaps it is saying that love is not something that can be expressed in words or through conversation, because there is no need to verbalise that which is experienced and felt.
The tone of the poem is both celebratory and elegiac. The poem moves from a description of an ordinary, specific experience to a meditation of universal themes. Notice words such as ‘So’, ‘Then’ and ‘Next’, giving a sense of sequence to the narrative.
Assonance on long vowel sounds ‘ee’, ‘ay’, ‘o’ etc Assonance on long vowel sounds ‘ee’, ‘ay’, ‘o’ etc. slow down the pace of the poem and enhance the atmosphere of reflection and calm.