Strange Fruit: Themes & Linking Poems

Title and Contextual Significance

“Strange Fruit” is one of Seamus Heaney’s renowned poems that deals with the dark and heavy theme of violent death and brutal injustice.
The title “Strange Fruit” itself is a potent symbol, drawing from the infamous Billie Holiday song about lynching and racial violence in America, while in Heaney’s poem it refers metaphorically to the body of a victim of sectarian violence in Ireland.

Heaney’s “The Grauballe Man,” and “Punishment” are other poems that can be linked to “Strange Fruit,” as they all explore themes of violence, atrocity, and reveal Heaney’s response to these brutal acts.

The poem is comprised of a single unbroken stanza, symbolising the continuous endurance of suffering faced by the innocent.
Use of enjambment keeps the pace slow and measured allowing the unfolding of events in an uninterrupted stream, highlighting the shocking reality of the incident.

Heaney’s use of graphic and gruesome imagery in lines like “its broken nose”, “purple cud of torn-out skin” is quite striking. This visceral detail underscores the extent of the horrifying violence perpetrated on the innocent victims.
The use of metaphorical language, as in “Strange fruit”, “soured pulp”, “blood berries” significantly emphasises the horror and brutality of the sectarian violence.
With assonance, “sticky orchard” and ‘p’ sounds in “putrefied,” “purple” and “peppered,” Heaney creates aural connections that further enhance the unsettling images.

The theme of victimisation and brutal violence is central to “Strange Fruit.” The poem exposes the horrifying physical toll of sectarian violence.
Another prevalent theme in “Strange Fruit” is human resilience in the face of atrocities. Despite the abhorrent violence, people still bear witness, remember, and mourn the loss, reflecting strength and endurance.
The poem also explores the theme of personal and societal responsibility. Through his unflinching depiction of the barbarity, Heaney compels readers to confront inhumanity and strive for justice and compassion.