The Importance of Childhood Memories in Re-shaping the Poetic Experience in Seamus Heaney: A Study of Selected Poems

Seamus Heaney s poetry is characterized by it continuous reference to the past, namely to the childhood. This reference has a very important function in his poetry. As a poet, childhood acts as a catalyst, which creates the literary environment that inspires him. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine the role played by childhood memories in his poetry. Three poems are chosen to achieve this aim, they are: Digging, Sonnet Four of Glanmore Sonnets, and A Drink of Water.