Seamus Heaney - Being a Poet

Being a Poet

Many RTÉ interviews with Seamus Heaney have turned to the question of what it means to be a poet. In the clips presented here, Heaney talks about himself as the poet Seamus Heaney.

Poetry: The Child Of Art And Life

David Hanly asks Seamus Heaney to explain how he has worked out the conflict between art and life. Heaney also talks about his devotion to both the usual and the otherness in his work.

Are You Fiddling While Rome Burns?

In an interview with Mike Murphy from 2000, Seamus Heaney recalls where he got his sense of being a poet. While discussing his collection of criticism "The Government of the Tongue", Heaney reflects on the joy of producing poetry and questions the purpose of poetry and art in our society.

"A Reading Is Necessarily Some Kind Of Theatrical Occasion"

Seamus Heaney's public readings have long been popular with his readers. Here prior to the publication of "Field Work", Seamus Heaney discusses reading to an audience and the development of the work and life of a poet.

Finding Your Voice

In a public interview at the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire, Seamus Heaney speaks to Myles Dungan about finding his voice as a poet and the phrase "Door into the Dark", which is the title of his second collection of poetry.

Articulation of Perfectly Combined Sounds

Seamus Heaney talks about the relationship a writer has with his own voice and the connection between the written word and the articulation of sounds.

"If One Other Reader Reads it, that's the Beginnings of a Sharing"

Here is Seamus Heaney in conversation with John Kelly about how poetry can move beyond a personal response to having a broader effect. As one of the few poets who has a large audience, John Kelly asks does he feel there is an obligation placed on him by society to speak up. In reply, Heaney quotes the hurler Christy Ring to demonstrate the importance of a writer staying focused on the work and not being distracted.