“The Tollund Man: Structure & Language Techniques”

Structure of “The Tollund Man”

The poem is structured into 4 stanzas, each with a differing number of lines. This irregularity mirrors the unpredictable and chaotic nature of the historical events Heaney reflects upon.
The use of enjambment between lines and stanzas reinforces the interconnectedness of past and present, while also serving to keep the reader engaged.
Heaney employs a first-person narrative viewpoint, providing a personal perspective and an intimate connection with the audience.

Heaney heavily utilises imagery, creating a tangible sense of the Danish landscape. Phrases such as “peat brown head” or “mild pods of the earth” engage the reader’s senses and paint a vivid picture of the scene.
The poet implements metaphors to strengthen the tie between the historical figure of the Tollund Man and the contemporary troubles in Ireland. For instance, the Tollund Man’s preserved body is used as a symbol to explore themes of violence, sacrifice, and reconciliation.
Incorporation of allusion and intertextuality is key in Heaney’s poem. The Tollund Man is a real archaeological find, and the poet’s fascination with it provides a deep historical context to the poem.
Heaney’s language choice is earthy and organic, evident in words such as “peat”, “bog”, “grains”, and “mild pods”. This naturalistic language emphasises the ongoing link between humans and the earth.
Simultaneously, Heaney seamlessly intermingles this organic lexicon with a more technical, archaeological language, as seen in phrases like “peat brown head” and “the pointed skin and teeth”. This aids in creating an atmosphere of scientific fascination, curiosity, and discovery.
The repetition of the phrase “Tollund Man”, which, being both the title and a recurrent term in the poem, underlines the critical importance of this figure. This use of repetition serves to fixate the reader’s attention on the central symbolism of the Tollund Man.