Witnessing barbarity - Seamus Heaney's poem Punishment.
Heaney's poem has been heavily contextualised and critically contested in relation to the 'Troubles' and Anglo-Irish relations. But what happens if you approach it first as it apppears on the page and only start to look at its broader context and reception by readers, to sharpen the interpretation? The author follows this 'close reading' approach before considering some of the critical debates that 'Punishment' has generated.