Scaffolding

Seamus Heaney tried to imbue his poetry with Irish history and tradition. In fact, “As a poet from Northern Ireland, Heaney used his work to reflect upon the ‘Troubles,’ the often-violent political struggles that plagued the country during Heaney’s young adulthood” (“Seamus Heaney.” Poetry Foundation). These “troubles” can be traced back to when England first assumed control of Ireland. The call to break with England arose in the early 20th century. Because the northern part of Ireland pushed to maintain connections with England and the rest of Ireland supported splitting with England, in 1920 the country was both physically and ideologically divided. Northern Ireland remained part of Britain while the rest of Ireland gained independence. Yet, a good portion of residents in Northern Ireland could still be considered nationalists, and strife between the Protestant and Catholic communities ensued from the 1960s through the 1990s. The Catholics were “people who began a new campaign of violence to end British rule and end the partition of Ireland. These people are known as republicans” (“A Brief History of ‘The Troubles.’” Peacebuilder). The Protestants were “people who took up the gun to defend the link with Britain. These people are known as loyalists” (“A Brief History of ‘The Troubles.’” Peacebuilder).

Having grown up in the midst of this social and political turmoil, Heaney witnessed the effects of the “troubles” on his community and on his nation and “sought to weave the ongoing Irish troubles into a broader historical frame embracing the general human situation” (“Seamus Heaney.” Poetry Foundation). Even though “Scaffolding” was published in Death of a Naturalist in 1966 and Heaney’s publications featuring poems about the “troubles” largely did not appear until Wintering Out was published in 1973 and North appeared in 1975, “Scaffolding” still features some of this national and historical context. While “Scaffolding” represents the work of a single relationship, its message can be expanded to represent Ireland as a whole. The Irish people need to put up their own “Scaffolding” to strengthen their country and become a united people.