Docker

 by Seamus Heaney

I like this poem because of the character’s passionate lack of respect for the Catholic church. “He sits, strong and blunt as a Celtic cross, Clearly used to silence and an armchair”. The man is described as a Catholic man yet he is not living a good Christian life. Heaney describes the man “ staring at his drink” and the “smoker’s cough in the hall”. His reason of losing his job, “A factory horn will blare the ressurection”, is not an exceptable excuse to binge.

I like the language of this poem because of the way Heaney uses cacophony. “There, in the corner, staring at his drink”. This emphasises the disgrace of the Catholic man who's drinking at a pub instead of being home with his family.

I like the imagery in the poem when Heaney writes “He sits, strong and blunt as a celtic cross”. This shows the paradox in the poem. This is a Catholic man described by a symbol of christianity, yet he is quite opposite the stereotypical Catholic man or maybe Heaney is describing the man's life that no one sees because no one looks past a Catholic man.

I find the structure of this poem very interesting because it is made up of four stanzas made up of four lines. Heaney does this to maake the poem seem formal and perfect which then contradicts the man he is describing.

The theme of this poem is Christianity. Symbols of Christianity are used throughput the poem such as “Celtic cross”. The main character, the man, is Catholic and that is why it is shocking to read of him losing his job and binge drinking. “A factory horn will blare ressurection” and “staring at his drink” prove this.