“Follower” by Seamus Heaney: A Critical Analysis

“Follower” by Seamus Heaney first appeared in 1966 as part of his debut collection, Death of a Naturalist, which explores themes of rural life.

"Follower" by Seamus Heaney: A Critical Analysis
Introduction: “Follower” by Seamus Heaney

“Follower” by Seamus Heaney first appeared in 1966 as part of his debut collection, Death of a Naturalist, which explores themes of rural life, family, and identity with a profound attachment to the Irish landscape. In this poem, Heaney reflects on his relationship with his father, a skilled and powerful farmer, capturing the admiration, respect, and sense of legacy that defined their bond. Through vivid imagery and rhythmic language, Heaney contrasts the physical prowess of his father with his own childhood clumsiness and later role reversal, as he must ultimately support his aging parent. The poem resonates widely due to its universal themes of family, generational shifts, and the nostalgia for a simpler, labor-intensive life, establishing Heaney as a beloved voice in contemporary poetry.

Text: “Follower” by Seamus Heaney

My father worked with a horse-plough,

His shoulders globed like a full sail strung

Between the shafts and the furrow.

The horses strained at his clicking tongue.

An expert. He would set the wing

And fit the bright steel-pointed sock.

The sod rolled over without breaking.

At the headrig, with a single pluck

Of reins, the sweating team turned round

And back into the land. His eye

Narrowed and angled at the ground,

Mapping the furrow exactly.

I stumbled in his hobnailed wake,

Fell sometimes on the polished sod;

Sometimes he rode me on his back

Dipping and rising to his plod.

I wanted to grow up and plough,

To close one eye, stiffen my arm.

All I ever did was follow

In his broad shadow round the farm.

I was a nuisance, tripping, falling,

Yapping always. But today

It is my father who keeps stumbling

Behind me, and will not go away

Annotations: “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
LineAnnotation
“My father worked with a horse-plough,”Establishes the father’s occupation in traditional, rural farming; hints at the son’s admiration.
“His shoulders globed like a full sail strung”Simile comparing father’s broad shoulders to a sail, emphasizing his strength and suggesting the father as a guiding force.
“Between the shafts and the furrow.”Symbolizes the father’s skill and balance in guiding the plough, grounded between land and equipment.
“The horses strained at his clicking tongue.”Personification of horses responding to the father’s command; highlights his control and skill.
“An expert. He would set the wing”Direct statement of admiration; “expert” signals high regard and respect for his father’s craft.
“And fit the bright steel-pointed sock.”Describes the precise, almost reverent setting of the plough part, showing the father’s attention to detail.
“The sod rolled over without breaking.”Imagery of seamless work and perfection in farming, reflecting father’s mastery.
“At the headrig, with a single pluck”“Headrig” (edge of the field) shows technical knowledge; father’s deftness shown by “single pluck.”
“Of reins, the sweating team turned round”Father’s control over the team of horses, with “sweating” implying hard work and effort.
“And back into the land. His eye”Reiteration of dedication, with “back into the land” signifying continuity and skill.
“Narrowed and angled at the ground,”Father’s focused and analytical gaze, suggesting precision and expertise.
“Mapping the furrow exactly.”“Mapping” likens father to an artist or surveyor, highlighting his attention to detail.
“I stumbled in his hobnailed wake,”Contrast between son’s clumsiness and father’s skill; “hobnailed wake” suggests the lasting impact of father’s footsteps.
“Fell sometimes on the polished sod;”The son’s inexperience compared to father’s steadiness; “polished sod” emphasizes his efforts to follow.
“Sometimes he rode me on his back”Bond between father and son; father’s strength as he carries his child, reflecting affection.
“Dipping and rising to his plod.”Describes movement, suggesting both comfort and the labor of farming life.
“I wanted to grow up and plough,”Son’s desire to emulate father, showing admiration and desire for continuity of tradition.
“To close one eye, stiffen my arm.”Childlike imitation of father’s technique, emphasizing the child’s admiration and idealization of his father.
“All I ever did was follow”Expression of frustration or self-doubt; suggests inability to measure up.
“In his broad shadow round the farm.”“Broad shadow” indicates father’s influence and dominance, both physically and figuratively.
“I was a nuisance, tripping, falling,”Child’s self-perception as annoying or inadequate in the face of father’s skill.
“Yapping always. But today”Transition to present; past tense “yapping” highlights his former immaturity.
“It is my father who keeps stumbling”Reversal of roles; now the father is struggling, showing the effects of age and time.
“Behind me, and will not go away”Ambivalence: son feels burdened by his father’s dependence yet bound by familial duty.
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
DeviceExampleExplanation
Alliteration“Full sail strung”Repetition of the “s” sound creates rhythm and emphasizes the father’s strength.
Ambiguity“And will not go away”Ambiguity here implies complex emotions toward the father’s presence in the speaker’s life.
Assonance“Plough,” “round,” “broad”Repeated “ou” sound mimics the steady movement of the plough.
Caesura“An expert. He would set the wing”The pause after “expert” adds emphasis to the father’s skill and knowledge.
Contrast“I stumbled
he rode me”Contrast between the son’s clumsiness and the father’s strength underlines the speaker’s awe.
Enjambment“The sod rolled over without breaking / At the headrig”Continuation of a sentence without a pause creates fluidity, mirroring the plough’s smooth motion.
Foreshadowing“I wanted to grow up and plough”Hints at the speaker’s later realization that he could not live up to his father’s legacy.
Hyperbole“His shoulders globed like a full sail”Exaggeration of the father’s strength; “globed” amplifies his physical power.
Imagery“The sweating team turned round”Vivid description appeals to the senses, depicting the hard labor and dedication of farm work.
Irony“But today / It is my father who keeps stumbling”Ironic role reversal: the strong father now stumbles, while the son leads.
Metaphor“His shoulders globed like a full sail”Father’s shoulders compared to a “sail,” symbolizing power and command over nature.
Onomatopoeia“Clicking tongue”“Clicking” mimics the sound used to command the horses, emphasizing control.
Oxymoron“Polished sod”“Polished” and “sod” juxtapose cleanliness with earthy labor, highlighting pride in the father’s work.
Personification“The horses strained”Assigning human qualities to the horses, suggesting their shared effort in labor.
Repetition“I stumbled
I tripped
falling”Repeated words emphasize the son’s clumsiness in contrast to the father’s expertise.
Rhyme SchemeABAB throughoutConsistent rhyme reflects stability and the traditional, steady life of farming.
Role Reversal“It is my father who keeps stumbling”Reversal of roles as the son becomes the caretaker, illustrating the passage of time.
Simile“His shoulders globed like a full sail”Compares the father’s shoulders to a sail, symbolizing strength and resilience.
Symbolism“Plough”Represents tradition, continuity, and the weight of familial expectations.
ToneRespectful yet reflectiveThe tone conveys admiration for the father but also introspection about the speaker’s own path.
Themes: “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
  1. Admiration and Legacy: Heaney’s speaker deeply admires his father’s skill and strength as a farmer, seeing him as an “expert” who could command both horses and land with precision. Phrases like “His shoulders globed like a full sail strung” illustrate the father’s impressive physique and his powerful presence in the son’s life. This admiration forms the backbone of the poem, as the son expresses his desire to emulate his father’s abilities: “I wanted to grow up and plough.” Heaney captures the awe that children often feel towards their parents, especially when they witness their parents’ mastery over a craft or skill.
  2. Generational Roles and Reversal: The poem underscores the inevitability of generational change and role reversal as time progresses. Initially, the son follows his father, stumbling and struggling to keep up with him—”I was a nuisance, tripping, falling”—and feeling dwarfed by the father’s presence. However, by the poem’s end, there is a stark shift, as the speaker notes, “But today / It is my father who keeps stumbling / Behind me, and will not go away.” This reversal emphasizes the passage of time and the son’s reluctant acceptance of his father’s aging and vulnerability.
  3. Identity and Self-Realization: As the speaker reflects on his younger self, he grapples with his own sense of identity and purpose. Although he once aspired to “grow up and plough” like his father, he comes to recognize that “All I ever did was follow.” This realization suggests a sense of inadequacy or failure to meet familial expectations, highlighting a universal struggle with self-identity and the burden of legacy. The speaker’s admission that he merely followed rather than led reveals his complex feelings about his place within his family and his own limitations.
  4. The Impact of Rural Life: Through its vivid imagery, Follower emphasizes the physicality and respect inherent in rural life and farming. The father’s labor is described in rich detail, from “the bright steel-pointed sock” of the plough to “the sod rolled over without breaking.” These images evoke a life deeply connected to the land, where precision and physical labor are valued. The poem reflects the pride and dignity associated with traditional farming, yet also suggests the hardship and responsibility that come with such a life, as seen in the father’s weathered movements and steadfastness in the field.
Literary Theories and “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
Literary TheoryExplanationReferences from Follower
Psychoanalytic TheoryThis theory focuses on the underlying emotions, desires, and unconscious conflicts of the speaker. In Follower, the speaker’s complex feelings about his father reveal admiration and perhaps some feelings of inadequacy. The repeated line “I wanted to grow up and plough” reflects the speaker’s desire to emulate his father but also his subconscious realization of falling short. The final lines, “It is my father who keeps stumbling / Behind me, and will not go away,” suggest unresolved feelings, possibly guilt or a sense of responsibility for his aging father.“I was a nuisance, tripping, falling” reflects a sense of inadequacy, while “It is my father who keeps stumbling” hints at the speaker’s conflicted emotions about the role reversal.
Marxist TheoryMarxist criticism examines class struggle, labor, and the social structure of a text. Follower reflects the dignity and value of manual labor, with the father’s mastery over the plough symbolizing the working class’s pride. Lines like “His shoulders globed like a full sail strung” and “Mapping the furrow exactly” portray the father’s strength and skill, embodying the physical demands and respect for labor that defines rural working-class life. The poem, therefore, highlights the social value placed on physical labor and family legacy in a working-class setting.The father’s labor is detailed in “His shoulders globed like a full sail strung,” showing physical prowess, and “Mapping the furrow exactly” demonstrates the precision in his work.
Postcolonial TheoryPostcolonial analysis often explores themes of identity, tradition, and cultural influence. As an Irish poet, Heaney frequently reflects on Irish rural life, which is linked to Ireland’s colonial history and cultural identity. Follower emphasizes traditional Irish farming practices, connecting the speaker to his heritage through the land and manual labor. This reverence for rural life can be seen as a reclamation of Irish identity, with phrases like “I stumbled in his hobnailed wake” and “the polished sod” depicting the connection to land and family. This lens shows how Heaney celebrates Irish identity against a backdrop of colonial history.“His shoulders globed like a full sail” may symbolize Irish resilience, and “Mapping the furrow exactly” illustrates a cultural connection to the land and tradition.
Critical Questions about “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
  • How does Heaney portray the theme of admiration and self-doubt in the relationship between father and son?
  • Heaney’s speaker holds deep admiration for his father’s physical strength and skill, referring to him as “An expert” and painting his figure as one of great power with shoulders “globed like a full sail strung.” This admiration, however, is juxtaposed with the speaker’s own feelings of inadequacy, as he describes himself as “a nuisance, tripping, falling.” Heaney’s choice of words highlights the awe he feels toward his father but also reveals the speaker’s internal struggle with self-doubt as he fails to match his father’s prowess, leaving him “in his broad shadow.”
  • What role does the concept of role reversal play in shaping the poem’s conclusion?
  • The ending of “Follower”presents a poignant shift in the father-son dynamic, as the speaker notes that “today / It is my father who keeps stumbling / Behind me, and will not go away.” This role reversal illustrates the passage of time and the inevitable process of aging, where the once-strong father now depends on the son. This transition reflects a shift in responsibility and evokes the speaker’s complex feelings, caught between nostalgia for his father’s former strength and the burden of his present dependence.
  • How does Heaney use imagery to emphasize the bond between the speaker and the land?
  • Through vivid descriptions of farming, Heaney connects the speaker’s identity to the Irish rural landscape. The father’s actions, like setting “the bright steel-pointed sock” and “mapping the furrow exactly,” show his deep bond with the land, a bond the son both admires and attempts to inherit. The speaker’s reference to the “polished sod” and the careful movements of the father’s “sweating team” convey a deep respect for the physical labor and cultural legacy rooted in the land, encapsulating the centrality of the rural landscape in their lives.
  • In what ways does the poem explore the limitations of familial expectations and legacy?
  • While the speaker’s desire to emulate his father’s farming skill is clear, he ultimately realizes that he “ever did was follow.” This acknowledgment reveals the struggle of living up to an idealized image and the weight of familial expectations, particularly in traditional rural life. The poem illustrates how the father’s legacy, though powerful, becomes a burden for the son, as he cannot achieve the same expertise. Heaney captures this emotional tension, reflecting the complex nature of heritage, where pride in one’s lineage coexists with feelings of inadequacy.
Literary Works Similar to “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
  1. “Digging” by Seamus Heaney
    Like Follower, this poem explores Heaney’s respect for his father’s and grandfather’s manual labor and his own struggle to carve a different path as a writer.
  2. “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke
    This poem shares Follower‘s exploration of father-son relationships, using vivid imagery and rhythm to depict a complex bond filled with admiration and tension.
  3. “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden
    Hayden’s poem, like Heaney’s, reflects on a father’s unspoken sacrifices and the speaker’s retrospective appreciation and guilt for his past misunderstandings of his father’s efforts.
  4. “The Gift” by Li-Young Lee
    This poem, similar to Follower, captures the intimacy of a father-son relationship, focusing on small moments that define the speaker’s respect and lasting influence from his father.
  5. “Before You Were Mine” by Carol Ann Duffy
    Although Duffy’s poem is about a mother-daughter relationship, it shares Follower‘s themes of generational admiration, regret, and the shifting roles within familial bonds over time.
Representative Quotations of “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
QuotationContextTheoretical Perspective
“My father worked with a horse-plough,”Introduces the father’s rural labor and the traditional, manual methods he uses, establishing his role as a skilled farmer.Marxist Theory: Highlights the working-class values and dignity of manual labor in rural life.
“His shoulders globed like a full sail strung”The son admires his father’s physical strength, using a simile to compare him to a powerful sail.Psychoanalytic Theory: Reflects the speaker’s idealized image of his father and his deep admiration.
“The horses strained at his clicking tongue.”Illustrates the father’s control and skill with animals, demonstrating his mastery over the task.Postcolonial Theory: Symbolizes the connection between Irish rural life and a cultural identity linked to the land.
“An expert. He would set the wing”Declares the father’s expertise, underscoring the son’s admiration and sense of awe.Psychoanalytic Theory: Reveals the son’s view of his father as a figure of authority and skill.
“The sod rolled over without breaking.”The father’s seamless work with the plough highlights his proficiency and careful technique.Ecocriticism: Suggests harmony with nature, portraying farming as an art form in tune with the land.
“I stumbled in his hobnailed wake”Conveys the son’s clumsiness and difficulty in keeping up with his father’s powerful footsteps.Psychoanalytic Theory: Reflects the son’s feelings of inadequacy and desire to emulate his father.
“I wanted to grow up and plough”Expresses the son’s childhood aspiration to become like his father and share in his work.Identity Theory: Highlights the son’s struggle with self-identity and his desire to belong to his father’s world.
“All I ever did was follow / In his broad shadow”The son realizes he was always behind his father, unable to achieve the same greatness.Existentialism: Emphasizes the speaker’s awareness of his limitations and search for individual purpose.
“But today / It is my father who keeps stumbling”Marks a poignant role reversal, as the father now follows the son, reflecting his aging.Feminist/Gender Theory: Demonstrates changing family roles and the son’s new role as the caretaker.
“And will not go away.”The poem ends with a complex, lingering image of the father’s presence in the son’s life, perhaps as a memory or burden.Psychoanalytic Theory: Suggests unresolved emotions, as the father remains an enduring influence on the son’s psyche.
Suggested Readings: “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
  1. McDONALD, PETER. “Heaney’s Implications.” The Irish Review (1986-), no. 49/50, 2014, pp. 71–89. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44473881. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
  2. O’Grady, Thomas B. “‘At a Potato Digging’: Seamus Heaney’s Great Hunger.” The Canadian Journal of Irish Studies, vol. 16, no. 1, 1990, pp. 48–58. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/25512808. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
  3. Russell, Richard Rankin. “Prose, Drama, and Translations.” Seamus Heaney: An Introduction, Edinburgh University Press, 2016, pp. 233–59. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1g04zp7.11. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
  4. Boly, John. “Following Seamus Heaney’s ‘Follower’: Toward a Performative Criticism.” Twentieth Century Literature, vol. 46, no. 3, 2000, pp. 269–84. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/441938. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

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