Seamus Heaney's poem "Blackberry-Picking" conveys the nature of a blackberry harvest, albeit with language that is physically intensive. The poet's expression suggests that the passage hides multi-layered meanings; besides plainly describing how to pick berries, the poem symbolizes burning desire for and devastating disappointment in experiences that end up not quite living up to our expectations. In order to portray not only a literal description of picking blackberries but also a deeper understanding of his experiences, Heaney pays attention to figurative language, rhythmic form, and rhyme in his poem.

By using figures of speech in "Blackberry-Picking," Heaney suggests that he does not understand merely the process of picking blackberries but also the meaningful aspects of what he describes. Heaney metaphorically depicts each blackberry as "a glossy purple clot" when he first encounters it. Because this vividly hued cluster is conspicuous among immature berries that are "hard as a...