Resonant Forms: Architecture in the Poetry of Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott Charles Weston Prince A Thesis submitted in confonnity ivith the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of English University of Toronto @Copyright by Charles Weston Pnnce (2000) National Library BiMiathëque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquïsiiions et Bibliographie Services senrices bibliographiques The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé me licence non exclusive Licence aiiowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de rcproduce, loan, distribute or seli reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fiim, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation . A bstract Resonant Forms: Architecture in the Poetry of Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott. Doctor of Philosophy, 2000. Charles Weston Prince, Graduate Department of Englis h, University of Toronto. Architectural images and metaphors frequently appear in the poetry and poetics of Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott. Architecture. including the vernacular, acts as a means by which both Heaney and Walcott locate their poetry in place. In other, often enigmatic ways. the use of architectural and spatial tropes provide the dynamic terms for exploring temporal issues. This thesis investigates the imaginative process by which each pet reads various examples of architecture in Ireland, the West Indies. and elsewhere. Chapter one explores the poetics of Heaney and Wdcott in relation to architecture and creates the basis for a detailed anaiysis of the poetry. Form emerges as a main concem. They each develop architecturai metaphors in their discourse regarding other poets and matters of craft, technique, and voice, but also, in an extended fashion, use it to address broader cultural issues such as language. In chapter two, which traces the notion of 'home' in the poetry, an awareness of architecture as an expressive entity capable of suggesting an almost organic inner life emerges. On occasion. they also reveal a deep ambivalence toward built structures. Chapter three examines their handling of the estate house in the light of traditional representations, leading to a focus on other architectural sites which carry strong historical resonances for each pet. The final chapter continues this inquiry in relation to the presiding notion of mernory. the genre of elegy, homage, and the idea of mimetic 'poetic architecture.' Spatial imagery becornes crucially linked w i th remembrance. In conclusion, architecture in the writing of Heaney and Walcott does not consist merely of static fonns. but is responsive to the animating forces of poetic language, continuaily evoking the fluidity of time. Acknowledements I wish to acknowledge the generous financial support of the School of Graduate Studies. University of Toronto, for the University of Toronto Open Scholarship. the Differential Fee Waiver Scholarship. and the Dissertation Fellowship. I could not have completed this thesis without the stellar input of many fnends. relatives. and associates. 1 wish to ùiank my supervisor. Ted Chamberlin. for his guidance. enthusiasm, and willingness to act as a sounding- board for my ideas. They were always given back to me enriched. and nuanced in challenging ways. My cornmittee. Professors John Reibetanz and Rick Greene. provided invaluable assistance throughout the writing process. Sincere thanks to my external examiner. Jeffery Donaldson, for his astute reading. Lovers of poetry al1 three. 1 hope that you continue to be loved in tum. Thanks to Sharon Walton. Ceciiia Martino. Deborah Esch. Carol Percy, JoAnna Dutka, Michael Dixon. and Rick Asals from the University of Toronto English Department. 1 also wish to extend my heartfelt thanks and love to my wonderful family for helping me realize my dream: Melanie. Lillian Prince. and especially my mother Carol Sanders. Thank you to my father Chas Prince. and Bev. Thanks to Marion and Peter Wood. A hearty cheers to Sue Carter and Neale Johnson for your frisndship and editing assistance. Thanks to Sharon Howe, Dave Salm. and al1 my New Zealand. Canadian. and American fnends. in particular Chris Jennings. Michael Saenger. Rachel Weider. and Rodney Ast. Finally. 1 rvish to pay tribute to my beautiful soulmate and long-suffenng editor. Tanya Wood. for helping me so much. 1 feel a profound sense of gratitude for the joy and inspiration you have given me over the years. 1 love you. Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter One1 Reading Architecture in Heaney and Walcott's Poetics Chapter Twol "Lost. Unhappy. and at Home": The Architecture of Estrangement Chapter Threel Houses of Literature: Centen on the Landscape Chapter Foud Elegiac Architecture Works Consulted Abbreviations (See Works Consulted for publishing information) Seamus Heaney: Crediting Poetry CP Door irtto the Durk DD Deaih of u Ncrtirrulist DN Field Work FW The Governrtienr of the Tongire GT Tite Huw Lanrern rn North N Preoccrtpations P TkPluce of Wriring PW The Redress of Poetc RP Sweenq Astruy SA Stution Island SI TIze Spirit Level SL Seeing Tizings ST Wintering Oitt WO Derek Walcott: Another Lue AL The Arkansas Tesrument AT The Bounty B The Cactuwuy C The Fortrrnute Truveiler FT The Girlf G in u Green Night lGN Midsuntriter M Orrreros O The Star Apple Kingdom SAK Seu Grupes SG Whut the Twilight Sms WTS Introduction The world is far from static. In a way it cornes into king through the very chaotic confrontation of oneself and the material world. through the interpenetration of livring beings and the sensual exuberance of nature. -Brandon LaBel le Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott have long maintained a personal friendship. They are colleagues in a literary sense as well: each has commented on the other's work. Heaney has compared Walcott to J. M. Synge and W. B. Yeats. noting how form emerges as an "instrument" wielded with "rare confidence" in his poetry.2 Walcott has also made references to Heaney. In an interview conduc ted after the publication of The Huw Lunfem. he States: Searnus uses a language now that is not concentrated and fine and provincially exquisite or right. but one that is passing into a language of understanding. of exchange in a territory where the block of the polysylIables exist as solidly as if they were nature. And how does that happen? It happens because Heaney allows the voice in.3 Walcott's emphasis on finding one's ocvn voice is matched by a concem with the discovery of an apt "language" allowing for "exchange." This implies metaphorical exchange. and Walcott also suggests that Heaney casts the component parts of words into an organic arrangement, a natural spatialization. Walcott can understand Heaney 's achievement as he shares a similar interest in architecture and poetic fom. In addition, their poetic worlds have been shaped in certain ways by the confrontation with architecture as a resonant form. These are 1 B tandon taBcilc. "A rchi tccturc of Noisc." Sire of Sorrrrd: Of Arc-hilet-rrrre cmd ~JirIur. cd. Brandon LaBcllc and Stc\.c Rcdcn (Los Angclcs: Errant Bodics; Sanu Monica Sman AR lm)53. 2 Scam us Hcancy. 'Thc Murmur of Malvcm." 771r ~;oivrrrrrurrr of the 'Iorrgrru: Thr 1Y86 T. S. lilior Mtwroricrlfr.c-r~rresmcl Olkr Cririrwl IVririrrgs (London: Fabcr, 1989) 23. Scc also "An Authcntic Voicc that Bridgcs Timc, Culturcs," rcv- of Collecrecl Poerns !WU-IYM. by ûcrck Walcott. I~osroriGlobe (9 Fcb. 1%): 27-28; 'Thc Languagc or Esilc." of The Star-Apple Kirrgdorri. by Dcrck Walcort. ~'~~II~ISSIIJ-~.1 (1979):5-1 1. 3 Dcrck Walcott, "An Inlcn.ic\v with Dcrck Wrilcott." by Da\-id Montcncgro. l'urrisu~tRuvirw 57 ( 19%)): 21 1- 12. Rpr, William Bacr, cd. Coni?rrsarionswith I&rek IValcm (Jackson: UP of Mississippi. 1%): 147. Scc dso an unpubltshcd mss. tvhich dctriils a \.kit to Ircland to shy \vith Hcancy in thc Fishcr Li braq. Uni\.crsity of Toronto, 1 2 links they have in common beyond their friendship. While architecture, as Herbert Read contends, is the "art of enclosing space," poetry is the art of enclosing language. thus enabling it to sing across tirne.' Architecture and poetry have long been the subject of corn parison, and Walcott's words recall Ben Jonson's view of Ianguage in his Discoveries. "The congruent. and harmonious fitting of parts in a sentence, hath almost the fastning. and force of knirting. and connexion: As in Stones well squar'd. which will rise strong a great way without rnortar."j Maken in each field share the desirr for felicitous design. They also share a concem with fom in its various capacities. The Greek word poiesis. or -making,' relates poetry to architecture on the primary level of fom: a poem. like a building. is conceived according to a plan. however unconscious or improvised. This is an inquiry into architectural images and metaphors in Heaney's and Walcott's poetry and poetics. 1 pursue a critical reading that examines the role architecture plays in their verbal designs; they use architecture to engage questions of memory and history. Iapproach the question of architecture in the work of Heaney and Walcott from five related angles. Fom is the fint of these. creating a bond with other makers and artists, as well as poets and architects. Second. the imagery Heaney and Walcott evoke in relation to built structures allows us to follow particular lines of imaginative and discursive thought.