“Strange Fruit: Key Quotes”

Theme of Violence and Death

“Outstaring axe/And beatification…“ - The direct reference to the axe symbolises violence and death. Beatification, meaning to bless or sanctify, suggests a merging of brutality with religious imagery, highlighting the horrific nature of sectarian violence in Ireland.
“Her blindfold a soiled bandage…“ - The use of ‘blindfold’ and ‘soiled bandage’ creates a poignant image of violence and martyring, underlining the horror of the violence enacted.

“Here is the girl’s head like an exhumed gourd…“ - The simile used here connects the girl’s head to an ‘exhumed gourd’, suggesting an unearthed history that is both personal (the girl) and collective (the exhumed gourd being a symbol of heritage and history).
“I touch / the face of her in the photograph” - The act of touching signifies a personal connection between Heaney and the girl in the photograph. It emphasises Heaney’s own relationship to the events and history he is recounting.

“Ovaloid, traced/With a penknife…” - The adjective ‘ovaloid’ describes the shape of the fruit but is a disturbing reference to a disfigured face. The action of tracing with a penknife suggests a sense of cruelty and suffering.
“darkened combs, her tortured hair” - The adjective ‘tortured’ used to describe the girl’s hair personifies her suffering and makes it tangible - we can almost feel the intensity of the inflicted pain.

“Its broken mouth…“ - The use of ‘broken mouth’ links violence with speech and gives voice to the voiceless victim. This gruesome imagery has a lasting effect on the reader and emphasises the cruelty of real events.
“weeps from the black face in the liquid” - The verb ‘weeps’ personifies the ‘liquid’ and ‘black face’, turning them into active participants in the poem. This could be read as a symbolic representation of Heaney’s own reflection and memory shedding tears for the past.