Funeral Rites: Plot

“Funeral Rites”: Plot

The poem begins with the funeral customs of the speaker’s Irish family, describing how they laid out the body in the home, and washed and dressed the deceased.
The next part of the poem speaks about a trip to the gravesite. There are descriptions of the eeriness of the event, from the sounds of dirt on coffins to isolated location of the graves.
The poem’s third section changes tone as Heaney shifts to his own imaginings about death and funerals. It references Norse mythology, drawing comparisons with funeral combats, which were fights at gravesites as part of the Viking rites of intercession for warriors.
The final section is a hopeful and powerful statement, where Heaney expresses a future desire for peace and reconciliation in his homeland. He looks toward a future where the dead can ‘sleep’ in the ground without worry of being disturbed by violence and conflict.
Throughout the poem, Heaney questions and meditates on the dictates of funeral conventions, exploring both Irish and Norse traditions. He attempts to reconcile these customs with more modern ones, using all as metaphors to explore personal and societal relationships with loss, mourning, and violence.

Remember, the structure and narrative progression of the poem is just as integral to understanding Heaney’s intent and the themes he explores. Seeing the transitions and evolutions within the plot can help in forming a deeper comprehension of Heaney’s methodology and the emotions he wants to evoke from his readers.