Terminus

“Clearances” by Seamus Heaney (1987)

“Clearances” is a sonnet cycle containing nine sonnets and also published in The Haw Lantern. It is a love song to his mother, Margaret Kathleen Heaney, written shortly after her death. The cycle explores their relationship with great tenderness and describes moments of tenderness between mother and son, often while they were completing housework. “Clearances” goes into Margaret Heaney’s complex family history. As such, it is a useful companion to understand “Terminus.”

“Follower” by Seamus Heaney (1968)

“Follower” is from Heaney’s earlier book Death of a Naturalist. As a counterpoint to “Clearances,” “Follower” is about Heaney’s relationship with his father. It is a poem about a child imitating his father. The poem contrasts the father’s expert skill at farming, skills his son struggles to learn and eventually gives up. “Follower” is also a poem written when Heaney was much younger than when he wrote “Terminus.” It features uneasiness with his new poetic celebrity and his father’s admiration.

“In Memory of My Mother” by Patrick Kavanagh (1945, uncollected poems)

“In Memory of My Mother” uses everyday familiar and sometimes colloquial language to celebrate the poet’s relationship with and memories of his mother. Patrick Kavanagh is a poet from Monaghan, a northern county in the Republic of Ireland. Heaney cites Kavanagh as an influence on his poetry. This poem uses similar rural imagery and motifs to Heaney’s poetry.