Analysis of Poem Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

In Seamus Heaney’s “Picking Blackberries”, the speaker reflects on his memories of picking blackberries, and though the use of diction and metaphors relates this to life; And how life is meant to be taken slowly and greed can ruin the purest things. 

In the 24 lines of this poem, at initial view, nothing seems to be different. The poem is structured; as an innocent memory of a kid picking blackberries. But throughout the poem, you can see hidden meanings in every line. Such as the hidden meaning behind the line “summer’s blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for picking” (Heany 16-18). This quote has a lot of meaning behind it, it showcases the unnatural greed and wants for more blackberries. When the speaker talks about “Summer’s Blood” it makes the reader see that the blackberries were needed to live through the hard months until summer. But this personification changes. The need for the blackberries to make it to summer becomes a desire, a desire that cannot be fulfilled. This is shown through the diction choices, where the speaker stated that he has a “lust for picking”. The word “Lust” has many connotative meanings. But in this setting, it means a desire that can never be satisfied; This perfectly shows the unhealthy nature of wanting something too much. 

Throughout the poem, similes and metaphors jump out and pull the reader in. Through the use of these literary devices, the author is able to show the reader a deeper meaning. When the speaker speaks of collecting an unsustainable amount of blackberries, they state that their “hands were peppered with thorn pricks, [there] palms sticky as Bluebeard's” ( Heaney 15 - 16 )  This direct quote from the text displays how life tries to slow him down and the horrific things he would do to collect blackberries. The “thorn pricks” are a metaphor for life’s safety net. It was the single thing that was trying to slow him down from taking too many blackberries, even more than life has to offer. This safety net is not effective because the boys lived so much that they looked as incriminating as “Bluebeard”. Bluebeard is a folk talk of a man who commits horrendous murders of his mulitple wives in order to gain more power and money. The speaker compares himself to a criminal. Showcasing the man's unique understanding of the scenario that he is in. All of this comes together showcasing that the speaker is taking more from life that life can sustain, and in doing so his greed is destroying the best life has to offer. 

Finally, a full circle is made. Life gets its revenge. This entire poem showcases how life is a circle and if you take too much there will be nothing left to take. This is shown after the volta on line 21 when “ the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour” (Heaney 21). Through the use of diction, the reader is able to see how life has a sick sense of humor. The purest and sweet blackberries would ferment and turn sour. All the work he put in collecting and destroying was gone. If only he took a minute to appreciate everything that he was given. This poem has many levels of meaning, this one is just the tip of the iceberg, it shows how greed is the worst quality to have and it can ruin your life. 

In conclusion, Seamus Heaney did wonders in writing this poem. Through the use of diction and metaphors, he showed the world how greed can destroy life. It only takes a minute to see that you have everything you need.