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Genius Annotation

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.

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