What is it about?
The imagery and symbolism of light in the poetry of Seamus Heaney, from his early work in Door into the Dark to his later work in Electric Light.
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Why is it important?
The imagery of light is seen to be prevalent throughout Seamus Heaney's poetry, initially being associated with the imagination and its processes of composition, but later informing and illuminating Heaney's meditations on politics and religion.
Perspectives
There is a noticeable letting in of the light in Seamus Heaney's later work, along with a definite 'lightening up', especially in the poems of Seeing Things and Electric Light. Heaney himself makes the compelling point that all through his work he is guided by 'lux perpetua'. Let perpetual light shine upon him.
Prof Stephen Regan
Durham University
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This page is a summary of: Lux Perpetua : The Poetry of Seamus Heaney, from Door into the Dark to Electric Light , Romanticism, October 2016, Edinburgh University Press,
DOI: 10.3366/rom.2016.0293.
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