1. Death of a Naturalist Re-read the poem on pg. 21 Underline the words that portray nature in a negative way. Does this appeal to the senses? Try to guess who Miss Walls is. How can we tell? Why do you think the frogs want “vengeance” / revenge on the narrator?

2. If most of the negative words are in the second stanza, then what does the first stanza do? What does it show? What is the difference between the two stanzas? Can we guess what has happened / changed in the narrator’s perspective? What is a flax dam?

3. Heaney uses onomatopoeia in the poem - which are these words? What is the significance of these words?

4. What is the significance of the title? Does this inform what we think about the tone of the poem?

5. F L I R T S orm - 2 stanzas of unrhymed iambic pentameter anguage - appeals to senses, occasional alliteration, onomatopoeia magery - use of metaphor and simile hyme - None one - Do we laugh at Heaney’s experience? Do we sympathise? ubject - Metaphorical death of Heaney as naturalist - now he hates nature, is this over the top?