Public Figure Profiles

Seamus Heaney

Seamus Justin Heaney (13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is Death of a Naturalist (1966), his first major published volume. Heaney was and is still recognised as one of the principal contributors to poetry in Ireland during his lifetime. American poet Robert Lowell described him as "the most important Irish poet since Yeats", and many others, including the academic John Sutherland, have said that he was "the greatest poet of our age". Robert Pinsky has stated that "with his wonderful gift of eye and ear Heaney has the gift of the story-teller." Upon his death in 2013, The Independent described him as "probably the best-known poet in the world".Heaney was born in the townland of Tamniaran between Castledawson and Toomebridge, Northern Ireland. His family moved to nearby Bellaghy when he was a boy. He became a lecturer at St. Joseph's College in Belfast in the early 1960s, after attending Queen's University and began to publish poetry. He lived in Sandymount, Dublin, from 1976 until his death. He lived part-time in the United States from 1981 to 2006.

Heaney was a professor at Harvard from 1981 to 1997, and its Poet in Residence from 1988 to 2006. From 1989 to 1994, he was also the Professor of Poetry at Oxford. In 1996 he was made a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and in 1998 was bestowed the title Saoi of the Aosdána. Other awards that he received include the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize (1968), the E. M. Forster Award (1975), the PEN Translation Prize (1985), the Golden Wreath of Poetry (2001), the T. S. Eliot Prize (2006) and two Whitbread Prizes (1996 and 1999). In 2011, he was awarded the Griffin Poetry Prize and in 2012, a Lifetime Recognition Award from the Griffin Trust.

Heaney is buried at the Cemetery of St Mary's Church, Bellaghy, Northern Ireland. The headstone bears the epitaph "Walk on air against your better judgement", from one of his poems, "The Gravel Walks".

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Some of their strengths

Seamus Heaney has many admirable traits.

Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Intelligent, Honest, Altruistic, Bold, Confident, and Imaginative.

Independent and Brave

According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Seamus Heaney is someone who is an independent, brave, and honest person who approaches life with energy, intuition, passion, and generosity. A person who sees life as a journey not a destination.

Active and Precise

Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Seamus Heaney well know them as someone who can be tough, active, and sharp, like a sword.

Imaginative and Sentimental

According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Seamus Heaney as someone who is imaginative, sentimental, and in touch with emotions.

A person who has extremely good memory and analytical skills, likes to make sure that everyone gets along, enjoys all kinds of situations and people, has a talent for travel and languages, and who makes lifelong friends.

Influential and Dynamic

Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Seamus Heaney is someone who tends to be focused on spreading ideas, information, and activities.

They are also someone who is intuitive, imaginative, and an agent of change, and who is always dreaming of life's great possibilities and partnering with people to try to achieve those possibilities.

Independent and Dynamic

According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Seamus Heaney tends to be someone who is independent, dynamic, and courageous. Who can be positive, energetic, self-reliant, and adventurous, and who can make friends easily.

Some of Seamus Heaney's challenges

While Seamus Heaney has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.

For example, Seamus Heaney can be Short-tempered, Impulsive, Rebellious, Emotionally Distant, Arrogant, Status-seeking, and Irritable.

Short-tempered and Impulsive

One of Seamus Heaney's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as short-tempered and impulsive.

Seamus Heaney must also exercise caution as they can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.

Irritable and Moody

Seamus Heaney is someone who can be irritable and moody, have a tendency to experience self-doubt, be too secretive, can take too many risks, and who can have an extreme approach to managing personal finances.

Aggressive and Domineering

Finally, Seamus Heaney also can be aggressive, impatient, impulsive, and short-tempered.

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