ns a sense of tension here, for the two seem as though they had been stealthy in conversation so that they did not expose each other as ignorant or insecure. Heaney notes that he manages to change the subject of conversation from poetry to other things. Even though Louis has his back turned to Heaney in their interaction, Louis is well aware that Heaney is changing subjects for a reason.
             At this point in the poem, Heaney begins to describe the manner in which Louis was killed. Louis had been "...blown to bits out drinking in a curfew", as the poem states. Heaney does not mention the names or origin of the people that killed Louis, he just mentions the group as "they". Louis was shot with twelve other people, and also had his funeral with those unfortunate people. Heane
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