Title: The Stick of the Diviner: The Writing of Seamus Heaney’s Place-Name Poems

Abstract: Place-names are a kind of language sources great valued by the people of Ireland. Following the literary traditions of Irish place-names poems (also called “dinnseanchas” in Irish), Seamus Heaney writes about the Irish community’s memories and the history of concealed conflict between England and Ireland behind the changing of place-names. Heaney’s place-names poems such as The Diviner set a path that leads to the core of the Irish language. Thus Heaney becomes the water diviner, exploring the root of the Irish language, and his place-names poems work as a land-measuring hazel switch to discover the origins of Irish culture.

Keywords: Place-names poems, Seamus Heaney, “The Diviner”, Geopolitics between England and Ireland

Authors: Yan Liu, Professor, Institute for Transcultual Studies, Beijing International Studies University, Beijing, China. Yuxuan Wu, Postgraduate, Institute for Transcultual Studies, Beijing International Studies University, Beijing, China.