According to Gustave Flaubert, “poetry is as precise a thing as geometry”, and therefore the meticulous use of morbid motifs, acute imagery and phonetic diction can reveal a darker and more complex interpretation in a seemingly innocent poem about childhood memories that they remember. Seamus Heaney's “Blackberry-Picking” uses such elements to reveal a hidden meaning that, without deeper analysis, would have remained unnoticed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay “Blackberry-Picking” is a poetic piece that tells the story of picking blackberries in the summer as a child. The author uses extensive descriptive language to narrate the anecdote, comparing juicy blackberries to “thickened wine” and cleverly inserting visual adjectives such as “peppery” to describe the appearance of their hands after the ordeal. These comparisons convey the extent to which the blackberry picking experience has influenced the speaker because her memory of the event is so strong. These events have evidently had a lasting impact on the speaker. Additionally, the stories are meant to be read aloud, and this poem's abundance of alliteration and sound devices begs to be spoken. “Rain and run,” “walked and gathered,” and “large patches burned” are just a few of the many sonic devices the author uses to create interest in his anecdote. These devices serve to once again show the extent of the impact the event has had on the speaker. The blackberry harvest was not a simple childhood event, but remained imprinted in the memory and hearts of those who spoke it even years after it took place. Some might argue that Heaney is simply describing a childhood memory or even alluding to the ever-present cycle of life, but other clues in the poem argue that it has quite a different meaning. Heaney uses excessive metaphors in the piece, many of which embody a common motif. The poem makes several references to blood and gore, comparing blackberries to “summer blood,” to “purple clots,” and even to “a plate of eyes.” At first these allusions are subtle, but as the poem progresses it takes on an increasingly morbid tone. These references signify the theme that life is full of pain. At the end of the poem, the author admits that the “beautiful jars of rot” would not last and that he “felt like crying.” Blackberries going bad are no reason for a man to cry, and this out-of-place response suggests that blackberries symbolize a painful memory. The unresolved issue is coded as more because it evokes so much discomfort that the speaker can only tell the story by approaching it as a less emotional entity like more. The fact that the speaker is unable to clearly speak about the true meaning of the poem further confirms the underlying message that life produces painful experiences. In addition to the profusion of gory references, the poem contains themes of greed, lust, and power. At the end of the poem he even admits that he accumulated blackberries every year even though he knew they wouldn't all last. The speaker's indulgent blackberry-picking tradition that took place every summer as a child has developed into characteristics of power hunger and reckless lack of self-control as an adult. His greed has led him to make decisions that result in his own suffering, which is why he constantly refers to blood, a symbol of pain. He expresses regret for picking the blackberries when he notes that “it wasn't right” for them to rot even though he was the one who picked them. Through his life experiences, the narrator has realized that the.