Clearances 7 by Seamus Heaney

‘Clearances 7: In the Last Minutes’ by Seamus Heaney is an elegy to his mother Margaret Kathleen Heaney. This sonnet is the seventh of a series of eight sonnets which all reflect on Heaney’s mother and his relationship with her.

This study guide is written for students and teachers of English Literature, particularly those studying CCEA’s GCSE English Literature Relationships Anthology. For more study guides from this anthology, check out the Relationships page, or the list of poems in the series at the bottom of this guide. If you are studying one of the other anthologies in the CCEA Literature course, check them out here: IDENTITY Anthology or CONFLICT Anthology.

Clearances 7: In the Last Minutes

In the last minutes he said more to her
Almost than in all their life together.
‘You’ll be in New Row on Monday night
And I’ll come up for you and you’ll be glad
When I walk in the door . . . Isn’t that right?’
His head was bent down to her propped-up head.
She could not hear but we were overjoyed.
He called her good and girl. Then she was dead,
The searching for a pulsebeat was abandoned
And we all knew one thing by being there.
The space we stood around had been emptied
Into us to keep, it penetrated
Clearances that suddenly stood open.
High cries were felled and a pure change happened.

What is 'Clearances 7: In the Last Minutes' all about?

‘Clearances‘ is a sonnet sequence written by Seamus Heaney. It is autobiographical, telling stories and memories about his mother on the event of her death. The sequence has eight sonnets, each a distinct 14-line verse. ‘In the Last Minutes’ is the seventh of the eight sonnets.

Summary of Clearances 1-6

Each sonnet in the sequence builds upon the themes of memory, family, and loss, painting a picture of Heaney’s relationship with his mother.

They explore the moments of connection, separation, influence, and grief that define their bond. By the time readers reach “Clearances 7: In the last minutes,” they have a deeper understanding of the intimacy of Heaney’s relationship with his mother, setting the stage for sonnet 7, her final moments.

Sonnets 1 to 6 depict moments such as Heaney and his mother peeling potatoes together (Clearances 1), his mother saying goodbye to him at the train station (Clearances 3), the death of his grandmother and the grieving process within the family (Clearances 5) and his mother’s illness and decline (Clearances 6). The sonnets also reflect upon Heaney’s own life and upbringing with his mother as a central influence, for example on the Heaney household’s spiritual and cultural traditions (Clearances 2) and how his mother nurtured his creative writing and storytelling (Clearances 4).

'Clearances 7: In the last minutes' summary

“Clearances 7: In the last minutes” captures the final moments of the Heaney’s mother’s life.

It begins with a tender interaction between Heaney’s father and his dying mother, where he speaks to her more that Seamus remembers before. His father reminds his mother of fond memories from the past, at New Row, her home place growing up, and he reassures her that these days will happen again. Despite her inability to hear, the family is overjoyed by this display of affection from their father.

The moment of her passing is marked by a profound silence as the family takes in the moment of such a significant loss.

The final lines convey a sense of transformation, as the cries of grief give way to a solemn understanding and acceptance of her absence.

Context of 'Clearances'

Seamus Heaney's life, education and career

Seamus Heaney (1939-2013) was a popular Irish poet born in Mossbawn, County Derry, Northern Ireland. Heaney grew up in a large family in rural County Derry during a time of civil unrest and mounting political and social disruption. Born in 1939, he was a witness of much unrest: in his early years, WWII raged in Europe and Britain, and as he grew up, he witnessed many changes in Ireland’s history, the Troubles in Northern Ireland and ‘peace’ in the years that followed the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. It is no surprise that his poetry often reflects his personal experiences, the rural landscapes of his homeland and the turbulence of Northern Ireland. Indeed, the publication of ‘Death of a Naturalist’ in 1966 means it emerged at the very beginnings of the time in recent Northern Irish history known as The Troubles.

Seamus Heaney went to school at Anahorish Primary School in County Derry, Northern Ireland before attending St. Columb’s College in Derry, a Catholic boarding school.

After school, Heaney studied at Queen’s University Belfast, earning a degree in English Language and Literature. Later, he returned to the academic world as a teacher and lecturer, including positions at Queen’s University Belfast, Carysfort College in Dublin, and Harvard University. You can read more of Heaney’s life, career and poetry by clicking through to this Honest Ulsterman article which explores Clearances in great detail, and this article at SeamusHeaney.com called ‘Life and Legacy’.

Read more Heaney poems by checking out these ThinkLit study guides:

Context of 'Clearances'

While some of Heaney’s poems explore the Troubles and the unrest of life in Northern Ireland, such as Storm on the Island, many others are more personal reflections. Poems such as Follower, Digging and Thatcher explore life in rural Ireland and the family traditions and heritage which are so important to rural communities. However, in Clearances, Heaney’s voice is at its most raw and personal as he takes readers into the final moments of his mother’s life.

Heaney’s immediate family was large, as is often the norm in rural parts of Ireland. His family consisted of his parents, Patrick Heaney and Margaret Kathleen Heaney (née McCann), and his eight younger siblings.

His father, Patrick, was a farmer, while his mother, Margaret, came from a family with connections to the local mill industry.

Heaney was the eldest child and the most academic. Tragically, his younger brother Christopher died in 1953 aged four in a road accident. Heaney’s heart-breaking poem Mid-Term Break speaks of this event.

Seamus Heaney received his early education at Anahorish Primary School in County Derry, Northern Ireland. He then attended St. Columb’s College in Derry, a Catholic boarding school, where he excelled academically. After completing his secondary education, Heaney studied at Queen’s University Belfast, where he earned a degree in English Language and Literature.

His time at Queen’s exposed him to a wider literary world and nurtured his burgeoning talent as a poet. Read Heaney’s reflections on his work in this Guardian article.

He later returned to academia as a teacher and lecturer, including positions at Queen’s University Belfast, Carysfort College in Dublin, and Harvard University, among others. His educational journey and teaching career deeply influenced his poetry, contributing to his rich literary legacy.

Line-by-line analysis

In the last minutes he said more to her

The opening phrase sets the scene in terms of time: these are the last minutes of Heaney’s mother’s life. However, the vagueness of the opening line is due to the fact that this sonnet picks up where previous ones in the sequence left off. In other words, this sonnet does not stand alone, but needs the context of the other sonnets to make sense.
The pronouns ‘he’ and ‘her’ are also vague without knowing the context of the rest of the sonnet sequence. ‘He’ refers to Patrick Heaney, Seamus’ father, known as a silent, reserved man (Heaney eulogises his father in his poem ‘The Stone Verdict’).
‘In the last minutes’ leaves the reader wondering what these are the last minutes of? The reader is given the sense that all minutes were about to stop, and that nothing would be the same after these last minutes.

Almost than in all their life together.

Enjambment (running line one directly into line two) is a technique often used by Heaney to create his signature honest, intimate, conversational tone.
‘Almost’ and ‘all’ are qualifiers which make this moment more significant, emphasising this as a climax of their shared experience.
‘Together’ emphasises the bond between Heaney’s mother and father.
The end-stop on this line allows a moment for the intimacy of the moment to sink it, before direct speech in the next line.

'You'll be in New Row on Monday night

Direct speech is used to make this moment more immediate, showing that the poet was there, an eye-witness to this conversation.
‘New Row’ is the homeplace Margaret Heaney (McCann) grew up in Castledawson, where in their youth, Patrick would have called to visit and take her out on dates (‘come up for you’).
The speaker of these words (Heaney’s father Patrick) uses future tense verbs in ‘You’ll be’, ‘I’ll come’ and ‘you’ll be glad’ in the next line. These future tense verbs reflect the hope of reunion in the next life, perhaps, or a kind rejection of the reality of her frailty and impending death. Patrick knowingly misleads her in her final moments, allowing an easing of pain by lingering on happy memories of the past, which could perhaps happen again.

And I'll come up for you and you'll be glad

This relived memory is a happy one, from the early days of their courtship, bringing joy in this painful moment.
The repetition of ‘and’ in the line reinforces the spontaneous nature of his words and the conversational tone.
Enjambment also reinforces this conversational tone, with the direct speech running into the next line.

When I walk in the door . . . Isn't that right?'

Ellipsis creates a caesura (a pause due to punctuation in the middle of a line of poetry), allowing the speaker to end this thought with the question ‘Isn’t that right?’.
The question at the end of the line here is a common feature of local dialect, with rural Irish speakers often adding tag questions to the end of utterances, creating conversation and informality. The question does not need a response, especially important as Heaney’s mother could not hear him (see line 7), it simply confirms the end of his utterance.

His head was bent down to her propped-up head.

Visual imagery is used in this line to reinforce the intimacy of the moment, with his head bent low to her propped-up head. She has been made comfortable during these last days and hours, while Heaney’s father is of a similar old age to her, and is most likely in discomfort both emotionally (due to the difficult situation) and physically, due to his older age (he would have been 83 when his wife died).
Despite the importance of the visual image of him bending down over her dying body, the language is simple and matter-of-fact, which is again, in keeping with Seamus Heaney’s style. The line is one sentence, ending with an end-stop, emphasising the matter-of-fact tone.

She could not hear but we were overjoyed.

This line understates the emotion of the moment by revealing after the direct speech that she could not hear him. The words were spoken for the benefit of their speaker, Patrick Heaney. As an additional bonus, the other mourners, we assume the Heaney children, Seamus included, are ‘overjoyed’ to have overheard such an intimate moment from their father, who was a man of very few words.
The poem’s speaker makes his first appearance in the inclusive pronoun ‘we’.
Again, this line is a complete sentence, ending with an end-stop, and emphasising the matter-of-fact style of the poem. Despite feeling ‘overjoyed’, the emotion is contained and reserved, not allowed to overflow the line.

He called her good and girl. Then she was dead,

Alliteration of the /g/ sound is used to draw our attention to the keywords ‘good’ and ‘girl’, both of which are innocent, loving and tender, emphasising his affectionate tone towards her.
The full stop in the middle of the line causes us to stop reading in time with Mrs Heaney’s death. The caesura pre-empts the matter-of-fact recounting of ‘Then she was dead’.
The end of this line marks the end of the octave, mirroring the content of the poem (the mother’s death) in its structure.

The searching for a pulsebeat was abandoned

The continuous verb tense in the gerund ‘The searching’ suggests that checking her purse had been a constant task during this time of her final decline.
Consonance combines with iambic pentameter in this line, giving it a sense of finality and emphasis, and an extra unstressed syllable at the end of the line creates a downbeat, emphasising the futility of the search.
Enjambment is used to run this line into the next. This contrast between running on and stopping is the very dichotomy of the following emotive image: although the space around them empties in the moment of her death, they are filled by something spiritual in that same moment.
The volta or turn happens at the start of this line, with the realisation and acknowledgement of her death, and the reactions that follow.

And we all knew one thing by being there.

The inclusive, collective pronoun ‘we’ creates a sense of the collective experience and shared understanding of the family in this moment.
This line ends with a full stop, allowing the reader a moment to pause before reading on.

The space we stood around had been emptied

The metaphor ‘The space we stood around had been emptied / Into us to keep’ simultaneously conveys a sense of loss and of presence, using spatial imagery (‘space’) and metaphorical language (’emptied’) to create a highly emotive and relatable image for readers who have also experienced loss in this way.
Enjambment in this line and the next creates one sentence which lasts three lines, as if Heaney’s emotion at this significant moment cannot be described any more concisely.

Into us to keep, it penetrated

The style of writing in the phrase “emptied into us to keep” is typical of Heaney: highly significant and meaningful while also terse and down-to-earth.
The diction of “it penetrated/ Clearances…” works with the image in the final line of “felled” (as in a tree felled or cut down), creating a picture of cutting or culling: something harsh, difficult and painful, but perhaps also restorative in a wider, metaphysical sense.

Clearances that suddenly stood open.

The metaphor ‘Clearances that suddenly stood open’ suggests both physical and emotional space opening up, employing imagery of doors (‘stood open’) and implying a new perspective or understanding.
Heaney uses the word “Clearances” here, the title of the series, and the reader must pause over it to consider the implication: space has been cleared in the room and in their lives by her departure which is then emptied into each of them. This metaphor suggests a loss of purpose and loss of some part of himself, which Heaney explores in Clearances 8 (“I thought of walking round and round a space/ Utterly empty”).
The end stop after “open” brings this thought to an abrupt end, supporting the adverb “suddenly”, and showing the emotional shock felt by the family.

High cries were felled and a pure change happened.

The imagery of “High cries were felled” is a powerful auditory image of the emotive moment of swallowing a cry of grief.
“Felled” is a powerful verb “felled” to describe the emotional impact, conveying a sense of having been painfully cut down.
The metaphor “a pure change happened” encapsulates the transformative impact of the moment, using abstract language (‘pure change’) to convey a profound shift in the speaker’s life.
The plural noun “cries” suggests again the collective experience: all cries were felled and all experienced the “pure change”.

Analysis of form and structure

Verse structure

“Clearances 7: In the last minutes” is a Petrarchan sonnet in its structure, consisting of 14 lines composed of an octave and a sestet.

It does not adhere strictly to the formal rules of a traditional sonnet. Typically, sonnets follow a specific rhyme scheme. However, Heaney’s use of blank verse within the sonnet form allows for greater flexibility and focuses more on the natural flow of language and the emotional depth of the subject matter. This approach is particularly effective in conveying the intimacy and immediacy of the final moments described in the poem.

Volta

The volta, or the turn in the poem, occurs at the end of the octave (line 8): “Then she was dead,” marking a shift from the interaction between the father and the mother to the family’s reaction to her death. Up until this point, the poem details the final conversation and tender moments between the parents. After the volta, the poem shifts focus to the collective experience of the family and the impact of the mother’s death on them. This change in focus from individual interaction to collective experience underscores the profound effect of her passing on everyone present.

Rhyme

While “Clearances 7: In the Last Minutes” does not follow a traditional sonnet rhyme scheme, Heaney employs occasional internal rhyme and assonance to create subtle connections between words and ideas. For instance, the repetition of the ‘o’ sound in “His head was bent down to her propped-up head” and the ‘e’ sound in “we were overjoyed” adds a musical quality to the lines. The absence of a strict rhyme scheme allows the poem to maintain a natural and conversational tone, which is fitting for the intimate and emotive subject matter.

Heaney’s innovative use of the sonnet form, combining its traditional length with the freedom of blank verse, allows for a deeply personal and expressive portrayal of a significant moment.

Rhythm

The rhythm of the poem is blank verse i.e. unrhymed iambic pentameter, reflecting natural speech patterns.

The choice to use iambic pentameter fits with the tradition of the sonnet, however, Heaney uses enjambment to maintain a flowing and conversational rhythm, particularly in lines like “Then she was dead, / The searching for a pulsebeat was abandoned.” The breaks in the lines create pauses that mimic the ebb and flow of real speech, enhancing the authenticity and emotional resonance of the poem. The rhythmic shifts also emphasise key moments, such as the transition from life to death.

Themes in 'Clearances 7: In the Last Minutes'

Life and death

The poem emotively captures the final moments of the speaker’s mother’s life and the immediate aftermath of her passing. This theme is explored through the intimate interaction between the parents and the family’s reaction to the mother’s death. The transition from life to death is sudden and profound, as indicated by the line, “Then she was dead, / The searching for a pulsebeat was abandoned.” This vivid image of the end of life is haunting and allows the reader access to this very private family moment.

Family relationships

The deep bonds within the family are central to the poem. The final conversation between the father and mother, and the collective experience of the family as they witness the mother’s death, highlight the strong emotional connections. The father’s tender words and the shared understanding among the family members emphasise the importance of familial relationships, paticularly for Heaney the other-son relationship which is explored throughout the eight poems of the Clearances sonnet sequence. In this way, the poem can be closely compared with Ben Jonson’s ‘On My First Son’.

Communication and silence

The poem contrasts communication and silence, particularly in the final conversation between the parents. The father speaks tenderly to the mother, even though she cannot hear him. This underscores the idea that communication can transcend physical barriers and that words can have significant emotional power, even when unacknowledged by their intended recipient. Later in the poem, the family’s cries are ‘felled’, another image of silence, suggesting that this private grief is not a loud one, but is nonetheless deeply felt by all.

Change and transformation

The poem considers change, both in the immediate sense of the mother’s death and in the broader sense of the family dynamics. The line “a pure change happened” suggests a profound shift in the family’s reality, marking a transformative moment that alters their collective experience and individual perspectives. Change also happens in the transfer of the mother from her own body into the lives of her gather family (“emptied into us to keep”).

Memory and legacy

The poem also touches on the theme of memory and the legacy left by the deceased. The “clearances that suddenly stood open” symbolise the new spaces in their lives that are now filled with the memory and presence of the mother. This suggests that the family will carry her legacy forward, keeping her memory alive within them.

Quiz

Clearances 7: In the Last Minutes by Seamus Heaney

Test your knowledge of the poem 'Clearances 7: In the Last Minutes' by Seamus Heaney

Comprehension Questions

What tone is established at the start of the poem, and how is this tone achieved?
Describe the interaction between Heaney’s father and mother in the poem. What emotions are conveyed through their conversation?
How does the family react to their father’s words to their mother? Why is their reaction significant?
Identify and explain the use of metaphor in the line, “The space we stood around had been emptied / Into us to keep.”
What is the effect of the phrase “propped-up head” in the poem? How does it contribute to the overall tone?
How does Heaney use imagery to depict the final moments of his mother’s life? Provide specific examples from the poem.
Discuss the significance of the line, “High cries were felled and a pure change happened.” What does this suggest about the family’s experience of loss?
How does the structure of the sonnet (octave and sestet) contribute to the development of its themes?
What themes are explored in “Clearances 7: In the last minutes,” and how do they relate to the broader context of the “Clearances” sequence and the theme of relationships?
Which poem from your anthology would you choose to pair with ‘Clearances 7’ for a compare and contrast essay, and why?

Other poems from the CCEA Relationships Anthology to pair with 'Clearances 7'

On My First Son by Ben Jonson

Both poems deal with the themes of loss and grief within the family. In “Clearances 7,” Heaney describes the tender final moments between his parents, focusing on the shared, intimate experience of witnessing his mother’s death. The poem is reflective, using simple yet powerful language to convey the depth of love and grief in the moment of her passing. Jonson’s “On My First Son” is an emotive elegy for his young son, expressing the father’s sorrow and sense of guilt over the loss. Jonson’s poem has a more formal structure, exploring themes of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. While both poems explore highly charged emotions and personal loss, Heaney’s emphasises the communal nature of mourning in a family, whereas Jonson’s elegy is a deeply personal lament for his individual loss.

Remember by Christina Rossetti

“Clearances 7” and “Remember” by Christina Rossetti both explore themes of death, memory, and the emotional responses to losing a loved one. In “Clearances 7,” Heaney reflects on the final moments of his mother’s life, capturing the tender interaction between his parents and the family’s collective grief. The poem emphasises the physical presence of family members and the shared experience of loss. On the other hand, Rossetti’s “Remember” is a sonnet in which the speaker addresses a loved one, urging them to remember her after her death but also to move on and be happy if remembering becomes too painful. Rossetti’s poem focuses on the internal emotional struggle of letting go and the desire for the loved one to find peace. While Heaney’s is rooted in a specific personal context, Rossetti’s sonnet presents a more generalised and philosophical reflection on remembrance.