From the Frontier of Writing Lyrics
when the car stops in the road, the troops inspect
its make and number and, as one bends his face
towards your window, you catch sight of more
on a hill beyond, eyeing with intent
down cradled guns that hold you under cover
and everything is pure interrogation
until a rifle motions and you move
with guarded unconcerned acceleration—
a little emptier, a little spent
as always by that quiver in the self,
subjugated, yes, and obedient.
So you drive on to the frontier of writing
where it happens again. The guns on tripods;
the sergeant with his on-off mike repeating
data about you, waiting for the squawk
of clearance; the marksman training down
out of the sun upon you like a hawk.
And suddenly you're through, arraigned yet freed,
as if you'd passed from behind a waterfall
on the black current of a tarmac road
About
This is from Heaney’s collection The Haw Lantern, published in 1987. It is one of four poems with similar titles, the others being “From the Republic of Conscience”, “From the Land of the Unspoken” and “From the Canton of Expectation”. Together they form a group that explores the experience of overcoming geographical and spiritual bounderies.
At the time of writing Heaney had moved from Northern Ireland to the Republic, but travelled frequently across the border and back. However, he still felt a need to justify his liberty through writing. This poem illustrates the stress and constraint that Heaney felt making the journey.
Structure
The poem comprises eight three-lined stanzas or tercets, forming terzinas in that the first and third lines rhyme. The formal template of terza rima where neighbouring stanzas have interlocking rhyme isn’t followed.
The poem divides into two, the first part describes Heaney’s feelings on going through a military checkpoint; one four-stanza long sentence . The second section deals with his feelings when he performs and is judged for his poetry.
Language and Imagery
The voice is that of the poet addressing the reader in the second person “you”, so that we are drawn in to share his experience.
The dominant metaphor is the literal and symbolic frontier. Passing a military checkpoint, even for legitimate purposes, is an uncomfortable experience that leaves the poet feeling intimidated and diminished. Submitting his poetry to public scrutiny and judgment is also a difficult experience that leaves him vulnerable and anxious.
These feelings are expressed in terms of metaphors — the “squawk” of clearance under the “hawk”-like scrutiny of the marksman; the military paraphernalia of the soldiers merge with the microphones and spotlights at the “frontier of writing” . Both forms of scrutiny merge.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning