Funeral Rites: Structure & Language Techniques

“Funeral Rites: Structure & Language Techniques”

Three-part Structure

  • The poem is divided into three sections, resembling a triptych, which may symbolise the Irish tradition of three-day mourning.
  • Each section represents a different stage of the mourning process, crafting an overarching narrative that reflects on the nature of grief, tradition, and culture.

Use of Free Verse

  • The free verse form mirrors the oblique and non-sequential nature of grief and memory.
  • The absence of a structured rhyme scheme gives the poem a conversational tone. This approach allows Heaney to express his personal feelings and thoughts with authenticity and immediacy.

Imagery and Symbolism

  • Heaney utilises rich and vivid imagery to depict traditions and rituals associated with death and mourning in Irish culture.
  • The axe’s edge is symbolic of the speaker’s unease and fear; the potential for violence and damage is suggested.
  • The poem’s symbolic landscape allows the exploration of historical and cultural aspects of Ireland. The barrow (prehistoric burial mound) symbolises Irish identity and history.

Use of Metaphor

  • The metaphor of “breaking the ice” represents the attempt to overcome the communication barrier and heal divisions.
  • The final line, “a clean kill” of the living and the dead, can be seen as the narrator’s metaphorical desire to end the violence and the ongoing sectarian strife.

Use of Alliteration and Assonance

  • Heaney’s use of alliteration and assonance gives the poem a rhythmic flow, induces a solemn mood, and reinforces the imagery. For example, the repetition of the /r/ and /s/ sounds in “rot and rat and snail” adds a hissing, sinister note to this imagery.

Contrasting Diction

  • Heaney effectively uses contrasting diction, shifting from formal and reverential language when describing the funerary rituals, to harsher, visceral vocabulary when considering the violence and division in Northern Ireland. This juxtaposition underlines the tension between tradition and modernity.