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Teaching Tips: Blackberry-Picking, by Seamus Heaney
- Throughout the poem, Heaney calls the blackberries many things, whether directly or through comparisons. Track those different ways of seeing the berries. What are the connotations or implications of each? Why might they be presented in this order?
- There are many moments when sound contributes to "Blackberry-Picking." Find some of these instances—near rhymes, alliteration, consonance, etc.—and explain what they add to the poem. Since this specialized vocabulary may not be explained elsewhere, it might help to say, "Where do you see common sounds at the beginning or in the middle of words? How are these words related?"
- Word Analysis: "Glutting" means having or supplying more than needed, but it also sounds similar to gluttony and glutinous, or sticky. What is the effect of using this word in the poem? Choose another word that calls attention to itself and explain how its meaning expands the meaning of the poem.
- Many poets have written about harvests and seasons, and some even about blackberries! Compare this poem with one or more of the following: