Max Poole 6F
Qu : The Poem ‘Out of Shot’ expresses a number of Heaney’s Major concerns. Discuss these and the ways in which he uses language to achieve his effect you may use other poems and resources

The Poem ‘Out of Shot’ conveys a number of Heaney’s Major concerns Heaney’s eye for detail his interest in ancient Irish history, Heaney’s theme of violence and terrorism and Heaney’s theme of innocence . Heaney gives effect to these concerns through his use of language when conveying the ‘concerns’ in his Poem ‘Out of Shot’.

Heaney’s eye for detail is a Major concern of his throughout the District and circle anthology of Poetry. His eye for detail is suggested firstly in the title ‘Out of shot’ as this literally means looking at the detail or things, which are ‘Out of Shot’ from other people’s vision and only ‘in shot’ of Heaney’s vision. More detail is expressed when describing Heaney’s stance when looking over the field ‘elbows lodged – strut firm’ Heaney’s is not just ‘leaning’ he has his elbows ‘strut firm’. Heaney’s use of, this type of language shows his eye for detail as it goes down to the very position or stance he maintains while leaning against presumably a fence looking over a field which in itself it a very simple idea but Heaney’s eye for detail can seen even by his stance. So it is almost contradictory in sense Heaney’s eye for detail in such as simple activity as looking over a fence into a field.

Another aspect of detail Heaney focus’s on is the donkey on the TV news. The donkey is presumably the last thing anyone would focus on when watching the TV news about a Mortar explosion but Heaney focus’s on this one animal showing his close eye for detail. The donkey has a ‘staggered walk’, as it has been shaken by the Mortar explosion another example of Heaney’s use of language to show his eye for detail. Also the donkey comes out of the ‘black and blue’ which implies that it has wounds probably inflicted by the exposition again Heaney uses language to show his eye for detail. He then further focuses on the donkey as the poem ends using participles like ‘wandering’ to describe the donkey going into the ‘sunlit hills’ in doing so use language to achieve his affect.

Another Major concern of Heaney’s is ancient Irish History. Heaney being Irish had an enormous amount of pride for Ireland and Irish History so it was a Major concern of his and is reflected in ‘out of shot’ as a major concern. The first mention of Ireland is ‘Wicklow bay’ , at this point also there is a development of language which Heaney uses to change the course of the poem to achieve his effect of going from a calm Sunday morning to the context of a Viking raid in Wicklow bay. Heaney then mentions the “Norse raids” a very important part of ancient Irish History and then references to the ‘fierce raiders poem’ again a change of tone through his language which shows him reading another poem which changes the whole context of the situation. Although he still keeps with the idea of ancient Irish History and talks about how the poem welcomes storms on the “Irish sea” to ward of the raiders. The idea of raiders attacking monasteries’ creates an element of fear which carries on into the next part of the poem when Heaney is watching the television.

Heaney’s introduction of this idea of fear in his idea of ancient Irish history helps show his next major concern violence and terrorism as people fear violence and terrorism so building an atmosphere of fear and anticipation before sort of directly introducing the major concern makes sense. Violence is shown through the events which happen on the “TV news” the events depict a donkey blow away from its cart by Mortar shells. This is very violent scene showing the violence between middle-eastern sectarian groups. A concern that was very important to Heaney coming from Ireland where violence was very prevalent during the troubles of Ireland in the later half of the 20th centaury. This specific mortar event could have been a relation to the 1991 bombings by a mortar by the IRA on Downing Street a very violent event that Heaney could have been referencing to by his use of the words “mortar shells”.

Another Major concern expressed by Heaney in the poem out of shot is the idea of innocence. The idea of innocence comes to light when the poet looks out at the Field it is so innocent and peaceful and then when Heaney moves on to the raiders attacking the Monasteries on the Irish coast. The monasteries are innocent houses of learning and so victims of the Viking raids so here Heaney clashes innocence with Violence. The donkey affected by the Mortar is also innocent it was simply pulling a cart harming no one but it was hit by the mortar again showing the clash of innocence and violence.

Heaney’s poem ‘out of shot’ reveals and they are intertwined in the poem though Heaney’s use of language, also the concerns link with together and clash with each other in the poem which makes the poem have more meaning and helps Heaney achieve his effect.