About
Seamus Heaney was born in 1939 into a farming family in County Derry, Northern Ireland. After studying at Queen's University Belfast, he lectured there in English literature. His first major collection, Death of a Naturalist (1966), established him as a major voice in contemporary poetry. He published numerous collections, including North (1975) and The Spirit Level (1996), and translated classics such as Beowulf (1999). He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995 'for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past.' He also taught at Harvard and Oxford. He died in 2013 in Dublin.
* 1939-04-13 — † 2013-08-28
Major works
- Death of a Naturalist (1966)poetry collection
- North (1975)poetry collection
- The Spirit Level (1996)poetry collection
- Beowulf (1999)translation
- Human Chain (2010)poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1995Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- 1981Becomes Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard University.
- 2013Dies in Dublin on 30 August.
Themes
Land and natureIrish history and politicsMemory and the pastRural lifeSpirituality and the sacred
Sources: nobelprize.org · faber.co.uk · ria.ie
