Comparative study

We will study two poems : the first one by Thomas Hardy entitled « Wagtail and Baby » and the second one « Blackberry Picking » written by Seamus Heaney.

The two poets explore the relationship between nature and humans in different perspectives. Wagtail and Baby describes a scene where a baby observes nature in front of him, especially a wagtail, until « a perfect gentleman » comes around. Thanks to a precious vocabulary, numerous alliterations all through the poem as well as the use of a precise rhyme pattern, a calm and stable atmosphere is set. The baby is the audience of the show nature is offering him. Yet, the apparition of « a perfect gentleman » in the last quatrain disturbs the whole set. Indeed as he approaches « the wagtail, in a winking, with terror rose and disappeared ». T. Hardy here exposes the man as a trouble-maker, who breaks the natural harmony, and this way gives men a certain superiority towards nature.

In opposition, Blackberry Picking shows the powerlessness of a man facing nature. Through language, S. Heaney proves that the blackberries lead the speaker to an usual and inevitable disappointment and sadness. As reveals the last line « each year I hoped they'd keep, knew they would not » which parallelistic structure opposes the speaker's wish to the difficult reality of nature's influence. Regular occurrences of the passive voice also describe how men are driven by their lusts. (here the « glossy purple clot ».)

Therefore « Wagtail and Baby » explores how human can impact his environment when « Blackberry Picking » shows how nature impacts on men.

Both of the poems describe this power struggle with a similarity : they are written as a story being told, but differ in the tones used.

The two of them are producing on the reader a strong visual effect thanks to imagery and vivid descriptions full of details, helping the reader picture and relate to the settings he is presented. But Thomas Hardy poem is purely factual, his use of several verbs describing actions and not feelings create a purely factual description. The neutral pronouns and the absence of adresses to the reader also add to that impression. It contrasts with « Blackberry Picking » which plays with the reader feelings. By telling about an commonly relatable experience, Seamus Heaney starts a personal and emotional connection with his reader. His narrative is infused with opinions and feelings, and comports direct adresses to the reader, from a « I » to a « you ». The two styles choices have different purposes and consequences, but each of them give the story a particular depth.

As any story told, the poems come to an end. And, in both case, the conclusion is bringing a strong idea, indeed both of these poetry pieces uses nature as a support to express bigger issues. Through the metaphor of a blackberry crop, S. Heaney is describing the consequences of time, and how it is difficult for men to accept them. The last sentence « Each year I hoped they’d keep, knew they would not » can be interpreted as a moral sentencing humans’ attitude towards evolution. The poet exposes his vision : men cannot accept their powerlessness in front of the superior forces upon them, they constantly and universally try to contradict the natural order. Just as Thomas Hardy

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