This book of poetry is the twelfth from Nobel-prize-winner Seamus Heaney, and also marks the fourtieth anniversary of his first book, Death of a Naturalist. The title District and Circle refers on the surface to two lines of the London Underground, one of which runs from the suburbs into the city and one which circumnavigates the city itself. Heaney’s exploration of a trip on the Underground draws parallels to the classical underworld, and draws the poet as a kind of modern-day Orpheus or Dante. This contemplation of death operates as one of the loose theme throughout the volume, which contains elegies for the poets Ted Hughes, Czeslaw Milosz, George Seferis, and for his sister in the spectacular poem ‘The Lift.’ Another poem, ‘Anahorish 1944,’ recalls watching American soldiers stationed in Ireland marching through on their way to the battle of Normandy.

Much of the book is a celebration of Heaney’s past, illustrated with vivid recollections of specific things in his childhood: a host of farm implements are remembered fondly and lyrically, in addition to places like the butcher shop and barber shop and primary school friends. Perhaps most importantly, however, his poems return to earlier poetic accomplishments, revisiting his famous Bog People poems with a new one, ‘The Tollund Man in Springtime.’ His poems about Irish place names are returned to in ‘Moyulla.’ The superb ‘The Blackbird of Glanmore’ resonates with the earlier ‘Mid-Term Break.’ The title of the book also seems to suggest that though Heaney may have travelled in a wide circle, he is never far from his district.

You can read a review here.

You can also read a review and retrospective on Heaney here.