line by line explanation of the tollund man

 

line by line explanation of the tollund man 

Line by line explanation of the poem “The Tollund Man”

One of the bog poems in Heaney's collection of poems, Wintering Out, is "The Tollund Man." The title of this poem is taken from Glob's novel "The Bog Men."

The poem is divided into three sections. Heaney provided various examples of violence. Heaney recounts incidents that occurred in ancient Jutland bogs in Denmark and modern-day Ireland in this poem. The bog people were once slaughtered to appease the goddess of fertility. Thousands of individuals have been slain in civil wars throughout contemporary times. Heaney's goal is to demonstrate that there is no distinction between civilized and uncivilized people.

Heaney paints an image of brutality in Jutland in the first section. Heaney paints a picture of bloodshed in Ireland in the second chapter. Heaney universalized the idea of violence in the third section. He paints a picture of violence in various religions around the world.

Heaney depicts violence in the first section by using the Tollund guy as an example. He had given his life to appease the fertility goddess. To emphasize the picture of aggression, Heaney gives a comprehensive description of the Tollund man's physical appearance. His eyelashes were inflamed, and rotting moss coated his skull. He was completely naked. He was simply dressed in a cap, nose, and girdle.

These are all violent descriptions. The body of the Tollund man was discovered by researchers who discovered that he had been sacrificed during the winter season. Because the food in his stomach was from the winter season, the poet drew on sexual images to emphasize the picture of violence. A person chosen for the sacrifice was disguised as a bridegroom. The villagers then threw him into a bog. The people rejoiced when the bog-bride accepted the bridegroom, as it signified the start of the growing season. The bog has the ability to preserve objects.

The Tollund man's sacrifice is comparable to that of a saint. Like a saint, he has given his life for his nation. Heaney elevates him to the level of a saint. He claims he will spend a long time in front of the Tollund man's body when he visits the museum. He treated him like a saint for the first half. He claims that he will remain standing for a long time. He is unconcerned about those who would accuse him of blasphemy. Because people in Christianity would not accept a man's respect for another guy. But Heaney wants to prove that he is honoring his sacrifice rather than a pagan. For a community, he endured. He sacrificed his life for the welfare of his community.

Heaney uses the example of modern-day violence in Ireland in the second part. Their forefathers were more violent and anxious. There is no emotion in modern man's life. People gave their life for their motherland throughout the civil war. During the civil war, there was a lot of carnage. There was a schism between the Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity. Catholics were in the minority, while Protestants dominated.

Heaney depicts a scene of violence in which four brothers from the same family are slaughtered. They were tossed onto the railway tracks alive. When the train arrives, it rips their corpses apart. Their bodies' fragments speak and tell the story of the violence they faced. This is a severe case of violence. They show no regard for the body of a person who gave their life in defense of their nation. It demonstrates that uncivilized people outperformed civilized people.

Heaney universalized the idea of violence in the third section. Everywhere there is violence. Heaney praises the names of locations like Tollund, Grabaulla, and Nebelgard, where the "fertility myth's" innocent victims lived. Everyone admires these places and their sacrificial martyrs. These tragic days have tarnished the noble name of liberty.