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margaretzadie's review
4.0
Gorgeous poetry that certainly went a bit over my head at times with references to various mythologies. Any misunderstanding is mine entirely because I’d be too lazy to look up unfamiliar words.
Clearances is probably one of the most stunning elegies in the English language.
Clearances is probably one of the most stunning elegies in the English language.
teatimewithelli's review
2.0
I am really sad about not being able to rate this poetry collection higher but I did not enjoy the vast majority of the poems. I recognize that these poems contain a high literary value and are really educational but since I can not connect to modernist poetry most of the time this was a little flop for me. The poems I enjoyed are the extract from Beowulf (A ship of death) and A Peacock's Feather. Nonetheless I recommend the collection to everyone who wants to take a closer look at Irish poetry.
franfernandezarce's review
4.0
i read these poems while dreaking tea and listening to christmas carols. although the weather outside kept telling me otherwhise, this would have been a very suitable winter-y read--especially for this season.
yet, even though there were some specific poems i just adored and bookmarked immediately, i was very surprised to see at the end of my edition the chronology of heaney's publications with this book being the very last one at the moment (late 1980s). i was surprised for the collection felt at times much more juvenile and sentimental than previous works (the first one coming to mind [b:Death of a Naturalist|335140|Death of a Naturalist|Seamus Heaney|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332816205s/335140.jpg|20484]) which made me assume it would have been written during his younger years. there are very poignant poems, both political and personal but there are also many elegies that feel more like the work of a grieving young man rather than an accomplished poet.
and because i kept thinking about my (mistaken) timeline while reading these poems, i didn't enjoy them as much as others.
nevertheless, this collection was a great way of ending my reading year in terms of poetry anyway.
yet, even though there were some specific poems i just adored and bookmarked immediately, i was very surprised to see at the end of my edition the chronology of heaney's publications with this book being the very last one at the moment (late 1980s). i was surprised for the collection felt at times much more juvenile and sentimental than previous works (the first one coming to mind [b:Death of a Naturalist|335140|Death of a Naturalist|Seamus Heaney|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332816205s/335140.jpg|20484]) which made me assume it would have been written during his younger years. there are very poignant poems, both political and personal but there are also many elegies that feel more like the work of a grieving young man rather than an accomplished poet.
and because i kept thinking about my (mistaken) timeline while reading these poems, i didn't enjoy them as much as others.
nevertheless, this collection was a great way of ending my reading year in terms of poetry anyway.
leilania's review
2.0
A lot of this definitely just went over my head, however there were a few poems in this collection that I enjoyed.
frlzimt's review
too abstract for my first Heaney; I'll have to try again with another collection
johannah's review
5.0
Beautiful and dense, every word is chosen with perfect care. Each poem tells a complex story - I have to read them twice, but it's worth it.
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