Imagery and metaphors

Imagery is an important technique in fictional works, be they poems or narratives, as its aim is to create visual images and make readers imagine what is being depicted through the use of descriptive words. In “Death of a Naturalist” by Seamus Heaney, imagery is created in connection to the frogs and frogspawn, but also to the general setting of the flax-dam:

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In what follows, you can also read about:

• Similes and comparisons
• Metaphors
• Personification
• Symbols

Personification

All through the poem, the frogs and their frogspawn are given human traits and are associated with human activities,...

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Symbols

The frogs in the poem function as a symbol of the gross aspects of nature, as they are generally perceived as disgusting. However, their symbolism is also influenced by the speaker’s perception. Initially, their gross, unpleasant features are what make nature attractive in a scientific way. In the end, however, they become symbols of natural elements which we reject and fear.

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