This edition highlights Heaney's ability to intertwine art and politics, giving the collection a profound and dark majesty. It reflects on the shared Northern European experience and the political unrest in Ireland, showcasing Heaney's penetrating vision.
The review emphasizes how this special Heritage Edition of Seamus Heaney's *North* commemorates fifty years since its original publication, presenting the collection in its elegant first setting and original jacket. The reviewer appreciates Heaney's skill in reconciling art with the political context of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, which imparts a unique dark majesty to the work. The poems evoke a shared Northern European cultural and historical experience through vivid imagery of landscapes, sea-faring, and vernacular traditions, allowing readers to reflect deeply on Ireland's troubled history. The review cites notable literary critics such as Robert McCrum and Helen Vendler, who praise Heaney's work for its blend of historical gravity and artistic preservation. The edition is positioned not only as a celebration of Heaney's poetic achievements but also as a profound exploration of history and identity, making it a significant and recommended volume for those interested in poetry that engages with social and political realities.
Quick quotes
‘. . . it’s the brilliant reconciliation of art with politics that sets North apart from the rest of Heaney’s oeuvre and gives it a kind of dark majesty.’ Robert McCrum, Guardian
‘The seedtime of the soul and the dissolution of the flesh melt equally into history, exhumed only temporarily in Heaney’s penetrating vision, where gravity and preservation unite.’ Helen Vendler, New York Times
By conjuring aspects of a shared Northern European experience – its peculiar landscapes and weathers, its sea-faring incursions, the vernaculars of its buried and living peoples – Heaney found a way of articulating a vision of Ireland in which the disruptions and violences of the Troubles could be reflected too.