Blackberry-Picking The adult poet recalls a pleasure event from childhood, the enjoyment of a family activity that appealed to all the senses. Heaney show-cases his talent for transposing close observation and associated emotion into words. Optimum growing conditions of moisture and warmth would guarantee late-Summer blackberries. The front-runner, just one, a glossy purple clot,/… its flesh…sweet/ Like thickened wine was sufficient to whet the lust/ For picking. References to blood ensure the idea of a ‘living’ fruit, Ripening was betrayed by a deepening shade of colour: the red ones inked up. His family’s appetite for blackberries (hunger) sharpened sufficiently to [...]