Examine how Heaney's rural upbringing in Ulster has provided an important focus for his poems in the 'Death of a Naturalist' collection.
             Heaney was born in 1939, on a family farm in Ulster. His father was a traditional farmer, whilst his mother was more sided with the industrial world. This caused a lot of conflict in family and is shown in a lot of his poetry. In Ireland the farming tradition was to pass the family farm on to the oldest son, however in 1947 the 'Education Act' was introduced allowing opportunities for all to have a higher education. Heaney was in the first generation to utilize the opportunities that were never available before. He gained a first in English at Queens University, Belfast. However Heaney felt isolated when taking these opportunities as he had broken away from the traditional farming way of life.
             Heaney expresses how he gained experience in Blackberry Picking as the environment was what taught him the facts of life.
             The environment Heaney was brought up in is a main theme in all of his poems as it influenced him strongly.
             In Death of a Naturalist Heaney uses war themes, from an early age Heaney experienced the war and often watched soldiers training in meadows near by,
             "the angry frogs invaded the flax dam"
             Heaney uses negative war imagery, as this puts the point across in a more sinister and vivid way.
             As Heaney came from a traditional Irish farming community and being the eldest son, he would have had a lot of pressure for him to take over the business of the farming tradition. This is one of the reasons why Heaney justifies his poems about his past and growing up on a farm.
             In digging Heaney justifies why he writes poetry at the begging and at the end,
             "between my finger and my thumb the squat pen rests. I'll dig with it."
             As he feels guilty for breaking away from farming and family traditions as he chose the education...