The poem "Punishment" by Seamus Heaney was written in 1975 as part of the anthology North. It is part of Heaney's bog series, in which he describes the Irish bog and the various artefacts and remains found in the bogs of Northern Europe. In these poems, the imagery of bogs is a metaphor for Heaney's Irish homeland, particularly Northern Ireland. Written during the bloodiest year of the Irish Troubles, “Punishment” delves deeper into this metaphor to examine relationships during this period. In “Punishment,” the poetic character observes the body of a bog woman, the Windeby Girl. She has a noose around her neck and, looking at her corpse, he imagines the context in which she was hanged. Throughout this first section of the poem, Heaney creates a very empathetic tone through the description of the woman and the circumstances surrounding her death. Towards the end of the poem, the character admits that a part of him does not regret his execution and almost tolerates it. In “Punishment,” Heaney uses contrasting images of the Bog Woman and the metaphor of the Irish Troubles to create tension and explore the internal conflict between empathy and vengeance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Heaney begins to develop an empathetic tone from the very beginning of “Punishment.” The first three lines say: “I can feel the tug / of the halter at the back of his neck / of his neck.” » Immediately, the word tug draws the reader into the character's experience. Heaney's wonderful use of enjambment in this first stanza also leads to the creation of keen interest. These features work together to draw the reader into the story of the Bog Woman simply from her initial image. Heaney continues to establish empathy through the character's continued imagery. The character uses very striking visual analogies to draw attention to the young age and unfortunate situation of the bog girl. In lines 7 and 8, the wind “shakes the frail rigging / from its ribs.” The word fragile highlights one's weakness and vulnerability. The character can see his ribs. She is completely exposed. In this, Heaney establishes physical infirmity. Until the fourth stanza, the reader has no perception of age. In line 14, the character calls him a “skinned sapling.” A sapling is a young and weak tree. Barking is a practice in which a row of bark is stripped from a tree, inevitably killing it. Together, these two simple terms create an incredibly evocative image of nature being massacred by man. They suggest to the reader that this young girl's death is an unnatural act and is inherently evil. The character continues to describe her in this way, until line 20. Perhaps one of the most confusing lines in "Punishment", she refers to the noose around her neck. The character compares it to “a ring / to store / the memories of love” (20-22). A noose usually carries a negative connotation. However, in this context it is presented in a somewhat ironic and nostalgic tone. In its most basic purpose, the metaphor alludes to the revelation of the next line. Yet on a deeper level, the line could represent the character's understanding and justification of the Bog Girl's crime. This appreciation is further illustrated by the character's personal connection to the girl. Heaney's use of the apostrophe creates aparticularly strong feeling of empathy in “Punishment”. The persona addresses the woman exhibited directly as a “little adulterer” (23). Once again, the character literally draws attention to his youth and paltry size through the use of few things. However, it is also a term of endearment, as one would call one's own child, further codifying the connection the character feels with the Bog Woman. In this line, the reader is informed for the first time of the reason for the girl's death. She committed a crime and suffered the punishment. In the following lines, the images move from the fragility of death to the beauty of life. The character describes his “tar-black face” as once being “beautiful” (27). This stark contrast highlights the tension of her life and death and demonstrates the empathy the character feels for the young girl. The last definitive sympathy the reader observes is found in line 28, as the character addresses the girl as “my poor scapegoat.” The possessive adjective ma demonstrates the empathy felt by the character, and the line as a whole shows a great display of sympathy. The implication of the word scapegoat is that she was punished so that others would not be. She is an example, even if the character recognizes the injustice of her situation. In subsequent stanzas, the character begins to reveal his personal cowardice and sin. The most poignant shame lines come directly after vehemently expressed empathy. The character addresses the bog girl directly one last time: “I almost love you / but I would have thrown away, I know, / the stones of silence” (29-31). The images that developed empathy and affection from the first line suddenly dissolve as the character's sympathy proves insufficient. Despite his convictions, he does not feel strong enough to denounce his peers and save her. If he does, he can't bring himself to do it for the simplest reason. Part of him understands why she is killed and agrees with the punishment. In the poem, the character compares the punishment of the Bog Girl to the punishment of Catholic girls during the Irish Troubles. In those days, cruel punishments for seemingly minor offenses were not uncommon. The Troubles were a conflict between Irish Catholics and British Protestants. In this poem, Heaney specifically refers to the penalty for fraternization between these two groups. If a Catholic girl was discovered dating a British soldier, she was “tarred” and publicly humiliated (39). This is comparable to hanging for adultery considered public degradation. She is made an example, just as the bog girl is an example. The metaphor extends not only to the literal “punishment,” but also to the emotional conflict the character experiences. He is the “artful voyeur” of a murdered young girl (32 years old). This demonstrates a sense of guilt as he witnesses the atrocity before him, but he only watches. Likewise, he “remained silent” as he saw his own people being punished by his own people (37). He “would be complicit in civilized indignation,” but would do nothing to stop this act. It is through these contradictions that the character's internal conflict is revealed. The character can “understand revenge exact and tribal and intimate,” while also feeling boundless empathy for those being punished (43-44). It is through this conflict that Heaney examines relationships during the Irish Troubles. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now..