Heaney Seamus is one of the greatest poets of his time for he focused on key cultural issues that the people of Northern Ireland experienced. During his era, society depended more on nature as a source of livelihood and strength and this reflects in the themes present in the poem. In the poem, Hercules and Antaeus, Seamus presents a captivating story of two types of men who had a significant distinction between them. His use of such literary elements such as imagery, tone, symbolisms, metaphors ad other stylistic devices like personification in his poem serve to create a link between the past, the present and the future. Seamus also focuses on various mythological concepts thus making his poems interesting for the reader. In this document, I will focus on three themes present in the poem: violence, nature, and history as depicted in the poem Hercules and Antaeus.
The poem Hercules and Antaeus focuses on the tale of two men, Hercules who has a god sponsored future as described in line 21 the ‘sky-born and royal’ (Heaney line 21). What is the purpose of this sentence? On the other hand, Antaeus is depicted as a man who has outgrown Mother Nature and is referred to as the ‘mould hugger.’ His life source and strength were the earth (Hart 356). Antaeus is considered a legend by the Irish people because of his supernatural power which made him invincible. The poem reveals the cultural practices of the people during that time such as farming as depicted by the grape plantation. Another artistic practice is the art of fighting where men would challenge one another for a brawl to determine the most energetic individual in the society. The concept of heroism is evident from the attack on Antaeus by Hercules who ends up defeating him by lifting him off the ground.
Theme 1: Nature
In the poem Hercules and Antaeus, environment has been used to play a central role as the source of life for the people. The Irish people treasure land as a natural resource. Seamus, through the use of imagery, brings out a realistic feel to the poem. In Greek mythology, both Hercules and Antaeus were viewed as supernatural beings (Hart 386). Antaeus was a giant whose origin was from earth and who derived his prowess and strength from contact with the ground. Every time Antaeus was brought to the ground while wrestling he reconnected with his source of strength and hence became stronger and victorious.
In the fifth stanza, the poet describes the natural resources in the area which were a symbol of power such as the ‘river -veins, and the ‘hatching grounds.’ Antaeus further states that when he lays on the ground, he wakes up feeling ‘flushed as the rose in the morning’ (Heaney second last stanza). The idea that Antaeus would gain strength could be used as a metaphor to mean that society depended entirely on land as the source of food and livelihood, and could thus be described as their main source of strength. Furthermore, it is the tradition of the Irish people to depend on nature for their livelihood by conducting activities such as farming.
Theme 2: History
The theme of ancient history and its role in modern articulation of ideas and moral tenets is also significant in the poem. Seamus uses legendary mythological figures to highlight essential cultural beliefs that the people of ancient Greek adored. Both Hercules and Antaeus played a crucial role in shaping the ideas and moral virtues of the modern people of Greece. According to historical accounts, Antaeus was a healthy individual born of ocean and earth (Hederman 87). It was a fact that as long as Antaeus was in contact with the ground, it was difficult to defeat him.
On the other hand, the story of Hercules is well known by the Greeks and different generations as one of the strongest individuals sent by gods. According to ancient history, the common belief is that Hercules killed his family in an angry and confused state that was caused by the goddess Hera. Shocked by his actions, Hercules then prayed for guidance from the god Apollo. As punishment, he was sent to exile for 12 years where he performed twelve labors deemed impossible to accomplish by any human being (Hart 376). Hercules was able to achieve these tasks with the help of Athena and Hermes. Through these struggles, Hercules became the perfect description of the Greek ideology of pathos whereby virtuous suffering together with efforts in life evokes a feeling of remorse and sorrow in others.
At the end of the poem, Hercules turns out to be the best match for Antaeus in both brawn and intelligence. Hercules was able to realize that every time he hammered Antaeus to the ground, he became stronger. Thus, he decided to lift Antaeus off the ground which made him weak by draining his strength as stated in the last line by Antaeus’ voice ‘my elevation, my fall.’ Seamus uses Hercules’ intelligence to symbolize a severing bond between native and place where Antaeus is depicted as finally being weaned away from the elements of his origins and griped into loss. The structure and form of Seamus choice of language is to signify the great correlation of the past, the present while also shaping the future of the people of Greece.
Theme 3: Violence
The third theme evident in the poem is that of brutality and violence. The poet’s tone is meant to significantly wrench the past into the future tense to show how immediate the past is as he forebodes the future to indicate that the dangers of the past are still inherent. Seamus Heaney uses violence in the climax of the poem to make it more interesting and captivating for the reader. The battle between Antaeus and Hercules acts as a determinant of who, between the two legends, is the strongest. Seamus presents a society where for people to gain respect and honor in the community one had to fight for that position or title (Hederman 67). For example, Hercules was able to attain the title of being the strongest and most intelligent of the two earning the position of the most influential man..
Antaeus, just like Hercules, does not understand or respect the virtue of restraint. He is a trained killer. Antaeus states that the failure of others makes him more recognized as an energetic individual who is unconquerable. However, the poet narrates the merciless beating and defeat of Antaeus by stating that Hercules was able to lift him making him weak and crushed him in a bear -hug (Heaneylast stanza). The poet farther uses the fight between Antaeus and Hercules to depict a grapple where two faculties are struggling to outwit one another. The brutal killing shows the effects of violence. From my understanding of the poem, violence only brings destruction and loss of life. In addition, the poet creates the perception that it is only through violence that we can settle our disputes with others. This was a common practice in the ancient Greek where scores were resolved through a brawl or armed combat, something that was used by the political class to impose rational vision upon place and the people of Ancient Greek. Seamus is captured as grudgingly recognizing the inevitable triumph of the “intelligent challenger” to symbolize the Hercules of the contemporary world.
Commentary Conclusion
The themes in the poem present various aspects of understanding the way of life of the people during that era. The story about the battle between Antaeus and Hercules can be confusing, but it is potent. It teaches us that we need to stand our ground and that nothing is beneath us as a people but also to have a clear glance on top to ascertain that nothing is beyond us. Seamus keenly uses imagery elements to evoke colonization or troubles of the North by removing us to different places, earlier times and the protagonists thereof into other roles that are more confusing. A very powerful mythography of a colonial encounter is created where a “challenger’s intelligence” has caused a thorough defeat on a native. In addition to this, the poet uses symbolism and metaphor to create a vivid picture of the lifestyle and cultural beliefs of the Greeks. The poet’s tone throughout is one that linguistically wrenches the past tense into the futures tense, something that immediafies an already past but forebodes a future known to have come to pass. This intentional compression of time suggests to be reminding us of the potential dangers that are yet to pass.
Works Cited
Hart, Henry. "History, Myth, and Apocalypse in Seamus Heaney's" North."" Contemporary Literature 30.3 (1989): 387-411.
Heaney, Seamus. New selected poems 1966-1987.Faber & Faber, 2009.
Hederman, Mark Patrick. "Seamus Heaney, the Reluctant Poet." The Crane Bag 3.2 (1979): 61-70.
