The Punishment Poetry Blog

In the poem "Punishment," Seamus Heaney uses diction to show the chaos and disorder the speaker experiences as he examines the punishment done to the girl. 

Heaney introduces a lot of contrast in the poem. For example, in the last stanza, he pairs the words "intimate" and "revenge." Along with the words "civilized" and "outrage." Intimate and civilized have positive connotations whereas revenge and outrage are negative. These oxymorons are both in the last stanza, giving a lasting impression of insanity. The speaker's insanity is developed throughout the poem. It is most evident in his descriptions of the corpse. He spends more than half the poem describing the state the corpse is in and recalling what the corpse looked like when it was still human. The speaker obsesses over the corpse and, more specifically, the punishment inflicted upon the corpse. He describes the more gruesome details about the corpse and even mentions that if he were to "cast...the stones of silence," he would have. 

Heaney uses short, interrupted sentences in the beginning of this poem. This shows that the speaker is either distressed or eager to describe the corpse. He also jumps from thought to thought, further emphasizing the insanity of the speaker.  He constantly contrasts himself; the speaker "almost [loves] the girl" but he would be able to punish her if given the chance. He also enjoys seeing the corpse's insides as they are revealed. The speaker introduces a lustful tone as he uses the word "voyeur" which establishes a relationship between the girl and the speaker. 

The literary techniques such as oxymorons, diction, and the contrast contribute to the overall disorder of the poem which contributes to the speaker's disillusioned state of mind.