Punishment: Plot

Summary and Structure

“Punishment” is one of Heaney’s more controversial poems, considered a response to some violent events of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
It is a descriptive reflection of a brutal event from history, a lament for a young girl who was punished harshly in ancient times.
The poem is in the form of a dramatic monologue with loose iambic trimeter.

The poem was inspired by the discovery of a ‘bog body’, a preserved corpse of a young girl found in a bog in Northern Ireland; Heaney refers to her as the “Windeby girl”.
In the opening lines, Heaney compares the girl to a barked sapling, alluding to how she was found tied to a tree before her execution.
As Heaney describes the cruel treatment, he transitions to guilt and complicity, confessing he would also have “cast the first stone” in similar situations.
The poem ends with a shift to the present, where Heaney draws parallels between the ancient punishment and the violent actions during The Troubles, particularly against women seen as collaborators.

Violence and Injustice: The harsh punishment of the young girl highlights the themes of violence and injustice. Brutality is a recurring theme in Heaney’s poems, often linked with The Troubles.
Guilt and Complicity: Heaney implicates himself in the narrative, indicating a sense of guilt and complicity in the violence occurring during his time.
History and Present: Heaney interlaces the past with the present, illustrating how the societal norms and punishments of the past have eerie resonances with his contemporary situation.

In terms of subject and style, “Punishment” can be closely linked with “The Tollund Man”, another poem by Heaney about a bog body.
The shared theme of ancient violence connecting to modern brutality in “North” also provides a potential link.
Reflection on personal/non-personal involvement in violence also connects “Punishment” to “The Grauballe Man”.

Historical context of the Iron Age society, where brutal punishments like the one depicted in “Punishment” were accepted, is crucial to understanding the poem.
The ongoing conflict and sectarian violence in Northern Ireland during Heaney’s life, colloquially known as ‘The Troubles’, adds a substantial layer of depth to this poem.
It helps to understand that Heaney’s reaction within the poem to the violence reflects the tensions and complexities in Northern Ireland at the time, and his personal conflict with his role in society amidst this violence.