We moved quick and sudden in our own country. This is linked to the sense of urgency and desperation conveyed by the actions of the Croppies. They move and sudden” and they work out their tactics as they go “quick along This the rebellious Irish soldiers must move quickly through their country”. “own This is highly ironic since Ireland, as dominated by England, both is and is not the of the Irish. “country” Line 4 The priest lay behind ditches with the tramp. This shows even (or perhaps especially) Catholic priests must hide from the English Heaney shows that their uprising is communal by including the and “priest” “tramp” Line 5 A people hardly marching... on the hike... marching…on the hike” describe the amateur, unprepared nature of the “hardly Croppy band. Like many latter-day Irish these Irishmen are not an organized, “armies,” disciplined force in the truest sense at all, unlike the far more powerful and better-equipped English. Lines 6-10 We found new tactics happening each day . . . We'd cut through reins and rider with the pike And stampede cattle into infantry, Then retreat through hedges where cavalry must be thrown. Until... on Vinegar Hill... the final conclave. new tactics happening each day” shows they have no real plan, but have just “found taken the idea of rebelling and acted on it without thinking. They must with fairly primitive weapons and they even stampede cattle into the ranks of the English infantry, hoping to disrupt the superior forces they face. Opponents are given no solid identity but they have and “infantry”, “Cavalry”, (line 11) so much in comparison to the pitiful and (line “Canon” “Pike(s)” “scythes” 11) that the inexperienced Croppies have. These tactics are employed until the Irish eventually face the English in a major battle at Hill,” “Vinegar Lines 11-12
We moved quick and sudden in our own country. This is linked to the sense of urgency and desperation conveyed by the actions of the Croppies. They move “quick and sudden” and they work out their tactics as they go along This the rebellious Irish soldiers must move quickly through their “own country”. This is highly ironic since Ireland, as dominated by England, both is and is not the “country” of the Irish. Line 4 The priest lay behind ditches with the tramp. This shows even (or perhaps especially) Catholic priests must hide from the English Heaney shows that their uprising is communal by including the “priest” and “tramp” Line 5 A people hardly marching... on the hike... “hardly marching…on the hike” describe the amateur, unprepared nature of the Croppy band. Like many latter-day Irish “armies,” these Irishmen are not an organized, disciplined force in the truest sense at all, unlike the far more powerful and better-equipped English. Lines 6-10 We found new tactics happening each day . . . We'd cut through reins and rider with the pike And stampede cattle into infantry, Then retreat through hedges where cavalry must be thrown. Until... on Vinegar Hill... the final conclave. “found new tactics happening each day” shows they have no real plan, but have just taken the idea of rebelling and acted on it without thinking. They must with fairly primitive weapons and they even stampede cattle into the ranks of the English infantry, hoping to disrupt the superior forces they face. Opponents are given no solid identity but they have “infantry”, “Cavalry”, and “Canon” (line 11) so much in comparison to the pitiful “Pike(s)” and “scythes” (line 11) that the inexperienced Croppies have. These tactics are employed until the Irish eventually face the English in a major battle at “Vinegar Hill,” Lines 11-12
REQUIEM-FOR-THE-CROPPIES-by-Seamus-Heaney-Analysis-notes-1ikjidh.docx