I sought out this particular collection after enjoying Heaney's District and Circle TS Eliot prizewinner shortly before he died, and then seeing this mentioned in obituaries with reference to the inspiration of ill health. Unlike so many poets, he can make me feel I am reading scraps of beauty and meaning even when I haven't a clue what he is on about overall, as was the case with many poems here but I confess I was disappointed not to find more of it accessible without assistance, and not quite the focused subject matter I was expecting. Combined with a guide, I feel confident I would have got a lot more out of it. My first Heaney reading. Surprising, given how much he has written and how well-acclaimed he is. But then, there is much lacking in my self-created curriculum, a body of works staged by whispers and gleanings.It's a broad collection, full of musical language, some of it easy to hear, some difficult, if no less beautiful. Because many of the names and places are specific to his corner of the universe they are at once alive (vibrating) and aloof (echoing).
What do You think about Human Chain (2010)?
For me, Heaney requires several readings. I'm involved in my second go. Later.
—illusion
Earthy, engaging poems on family, farming, and mortality from a master poet.
—diane
Should have liked this more. But it just wasn't my cup of tea.
—Kay
