Happiness Moments Despite the variety of cultures and lifestyles across the world, there remains one unique element which is an integral part of every heritage: the universal language of joy. . The little things in life are truly the things that matter, as any wise child could tell you, and it is through these experiences that we grow as an individual. For example, in his poem "Blackberry-Picking", Seamus Heaney uses strong tactile imagery and sensual poetic devices, including diction and rhythm, to appeal to the reader's most intimate, childlike senses, thereby connecting with the reader on a deeper and deeper basis. personal level; Through this connection, Heaney discovers the most basic and natural human instinct: greed. Heaney conveys a deeper understanding of the mechanics of life and human nature as a whole through his deceptively simple description of blackberry picking. Such innocuous action takes on deeper symbolism as Heaney depicts the "stains on the tongue and the desire to / Pick it" (lines 7-8). Such lust is part of human behavior; By nature, human beings are never truly satisfied with what they have, as their natural greed cannot be satisfied. The blackberry pickers in the poem are sent “with milk cans, pea cans, jam jars” (Heaney 9) to fetch as many berries as they can fit into their containers. The use of spondee in this particular line not only draws the reader's attention to the action being taken, but also places emphasis on the common household items mentioned, introducing a sense of familiarity into the first stanza of the poem. Additionally, the poet relies on such intense visual and tangible imagery to deepen this personal feeling. Frankly referring to blackberries as "a bright purple clot / Among others, red, green, hard as a knot" (3-4), Heaney draws on a similar incident that most young children experience when they are exposed to a sweet blackberry for the first time. time, a reference further reinforced by the forced use of the end rhyme. Sensual, melodious diction throughout the first stanza creates a gentle flow reminiscent of natural human instincts, thus solidifying the theory that such anticipatory greed is an innate part of human behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay What can be considered the strongest element of Seamus Heaney's masterpiece is the change of sudden and dramatic atmosphere that occurs in the first lines of the second. stanza. Instead of being lively, attractive and reminiscent of childhood, the poem takes on a macabre and fetid air; the once succulent fruit is now invaded by “a rat-gray fungus” (Heaney 19). These disgusting images contrast dramatically with the sweet, juicy fruits depicted in the first stanza of the poem, reflecting the inevitable changes brought about by the passage of time. Verbal irony only reinforces this assertion when Heaney proclaims "that all the pretty cans smelled like rot" (22), a sardonic statement which, by contrast, emphasizes the exact opposite of what is being said. As a direct result of the excessive greed of blackberry pickers, their fruits are doomed to rot. The narrator is fully aware of the impending results of his sinful greed, but "every year [he] hoped they would keep, he knew they would not" (Heaney 24)..