Follower
By Seamus Heaney
My father worked with a horse-plough,
His shoulders globed like a full sail strung
Between the shafts and the furrow.
The horses strained at his clicking tongue.An expert. He would set the wing
And fit the bright steel-pointed sock.
The sod rolled over without breaking.
At the headrig, with a single pluckOf reins, the sweating team turned round
And back into the land. His eye
Narrowed and angled at the ground,
Mapping the furrow exactly.I stumbled in his hobnailed wake,
Fell sometimes on the polished sod;
Sometimes he rode me on his back
Dipping and rising to his plod.I wanted to grow up and plough,
To close one eye, stiffen my arm.
All I ever did was follow
In his broad shadow round the farm.I was a nuisance, tripping, falling,
Yapping always. But today
It is my father who keeps stumbling
Behind me, and will not go away
Understanding “Follower”: A Comprehensive Summary
Seamus Heaney’s “Follower” is a deeply moving poem that explores the intricate relationship between a son and his father, set against the vivid backdrop of rural Irish farm life. The poem beautifully captures the son’s childhood admiration for his father’s exceptional skill and expertise in farming, detailing the precise and powerful movements of the ploughman.
As the poem progresses, this initial admiration and the son’s longing to emulate his father gradually evolve. The narrative traces the son’s early attempts to follow in his father’s footsteps, often clumsily, before revealing a profound shift in their dynamic as time passes. The central idea of “Follower” revolves around the cyclical nature of the parent-child relationship and the inevitable passage of time. It highlights how the roles of follower and leader eventually reverse, with the son maturing into independence and the father aging into vulnerability.
This poem resonates with many readers because it addresses universal themes of admiration, the process of learning, and the poignant experience of witnessing parents age. It offers a tender reflection on the complexities of family bonds, the quiet, unspoken emotions within a family, and the enduring impact a parent’s presence has on a child’s life. The poem serves as a powerful reminder of how we are shaped by those who came before us, and how those roles can subtly, yet significantly, change over time.
An In-Depth Analysis of “Follower”: Literary and Poetic Devices
Seamus Heaney’s “Follower” is a masterclass in poetic craftsmanship, employing a rich array of literary and poetic devices to create its profound meaning and emotional depth. Let us explore how these techniques contribute to the poem’s lasting impact.
Vivid Imagery and Sensory Detail
Heaney masterfully uses imagery to immerse the reader in the world of the farm, allowing us to experience it through sight, sound, and touch. The opening lines immediately establish this:
My father worked with a horse-plough,
His shoulders globed like a full sail strung
Between the shafts and the furrow.
The image of the father’s shoulders as “globed like a full sail” is striking, conveying immense strength, grace, and the rhythmic, powerful movement of his work. This visual comparison immediately establishes the father as a formidable and skilled figure. Further sensory details include “The horses strained at his clicking tongue,” which appeals to our sense of sound, and “the sweating team turned round,” which evokes the physicality and effort involved in the arduous farm labor. These details create a tangible, living scene, allowing readers to truly connect with the environment and the father’s expertise.
Simile and Metaphor in “Follower”
The poem makes powerful use of figurative language, particularly simile, which compares two different things using “like” or “as.” The most prominent example is the comparison of the father’s shoulders to a “full sail strung,” as discussed above. This simile not only highlights his physical power but also suggests a sense of purpose and direction, much like a ship guided by its sail.
While direct metaphors are less frequent, the entire act of ploughing itself can be interpreted metaphorically. It represents tradition, hard work, the shaping of the land, and the cyclical nature of life and labor. The “furrow” can be seen as a metaphorical path, representing the course of life or the legacy left by one generation for the next.
Alliteration and Consonance for Musicality
Heaney employs alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds, and consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds within words, to enhance the poem’s musicality and emphasize certain phrases. Notice the repeated ‘s’ sound in phrases such as “sod rolled over” and “steel-pointed sock.” This subtle use of sound devices adds a rhythmic quality to the lines, mimicking the steady, deliberate pace of the plough. Similarly, the repetition of the ‘t’ sound in “team turned” reinforces the sense of synchronized motion and effort.
Enjambment: Creating Flow and Momentum
Enjambment, the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without a pause, is used throughout “Follower” to create a sense of continuous action and momentum. Consider these lines:
I wanted to grow up and plough,
To close one eye, stiffen my arm.
All I ever did was follow
In his broad shadow round the farm.
The thought “All I ever did was follow” flows directly into the next line, “In his broad shadow round the farm,” without punctuation. This technique encourages the reader to move smoothly through the poem, mirroring the son’s constant, albeit sometimes clumsy, movement as he follows his father. It also emphasizes the ongoing nature of the son’s observation and his persistent presence.
Symbolism in “Follower”
Several elements in the poem carry symbolic weight. The farm itself, with its demanding labor and connection to the land, symbolizes tradition, heritage, and a way of life passed down through generations. The plough, a central tool, represents hard work, skill, and the ability to shape and cultivate. The “furrow,” the groove created by the plough, can symbolize the path of life, the marks we leave on the world, or the course set by those who came before us.
The son’s initial desire to “grow up and plough” symbolizes his yearning to inherit his father’s skills, embrace the family tradition, and find his own place within that legacy.
Poetic Structure and Narrative Development in “Follower”
The structural choices in “Follower” are integral to its meaning, guiding the reader through the evolving relationship between father and son.
Form and Rhyme Scheme
“Follower” is composed of six quatrains, or stanzas of four lines each. Each quatrain adheres to a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme, for example, “plough” (A), “strung” (B), “furrow” (A), “tongue” (B). This regular and pleasing rhythm provides a sense of order and control, reflecting the disciplined and precise nature of farm work. The consistent structure also makes the poem feel grounded and traditional, much like the subject matter it describes. The use of quatrains helps to segment the poem into distinct, yet connected, observations about the father, the son, and their changing bond.
The Shifting Perspective and Role Reversal
A crucial aspect of the poem’s structure is its subtle yet profound shift in perspective. The initial stanzas focus almost entirely on the father, portraying his strength, expertise, and authority through the son’s admiring eyes. We see him as “An expert,” mapping “the furrow exactly.” As the poem progresses, the focus gradually shifts to the son, detailing his clumsy attempts to follow and his deep desire to emulate his father. This shift culminates dramatically in the final stanza, where a complete role reversal is revealed.
The Poignant Final Stanza
The poem’s conclusion in the sixth stanza delivers a powerful emotional impact, encapsulating the central theme of role reversal and the passage of time:
I was a nuisance, tripping, falling,
Yapping always. But today
It is my father who keeps stumbling
Behind me, and will not go away
Here, the son, who once stumbled behind his father, now finds his father stumbling behind him. This reversal is not presented as a triumph for the son, but rather as a poignant acknowledgement of aging and the inevitable changes in life. The image of the father “stumbling” evokes a sense of vulnerability, frailty, and perhaps a touch of sadness. The final line, “and will not go away,” carries a complex weight. It suggests an enduring, perhaps even burdensome, connection, highlighting the son’s new responsibility and the inescapable bond that persists between them, even as roles are reversed. This ending leaves the reader with a profound sense of the enduring, cyclical nature of family relationships.
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of “Follower”
“Follower” is a deceptively simple poem that delves into complex themes of family, memory, admiration, and the relentless march of time. Through its rich imagery, careful application of poetic devices, and the poignant shift in perspective, Seamus Heaney crafts an enduring reflection on the bond between a father and son. This poem continues to resonate with readers, offering a powerful and relatable exploration of how our relationships evolve, how we are shaped by our past, and how love and responsibility endure through life’s inevitable changes.