Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

An Advancement of Learning Lyrics by Seamus Heaney

Death Of A Naturalist

0

I took the embankment path
(As always, deferring
The bridge). The river nosed past,
Pliable, oil-skinned, wearing
A transfer of gables and sky.
Hunched over the railing,
Well away from the road now, I
Considered the dirty-keeled swans.
Something slobbered curtly, close,
Smudging the silence: a rat
Slimed out of the water and
My throat sickened so quickly that
I turned down the path in cold sweat
But God, another was nimbling
Up the far bank, tracing its wet
Arcs on the stones. Incredibly then
I established a dreaded
Bridgehead. I turned to stare
With deliberate, thrilled care
At my hitherto snubbed rodent.
He clockworked aimlessly a while,
Stopped, back bunched and glistening,
Ears plastered down on his knobbed skull,
Insidiously listening.
The tapered tail that followed him,
The raindrop eye, the old snout:
One by one I took all in.
He trained on me. I stared him out
Forgetting how I used to panic
When his grey brothers scraped and fed
Behind the hen-coop in our yard,
On ceiling boards above my bed.
This terror, cold, wet-furred, small-clawed,
Retreated up a pipe for sewage.
I stared a minute after him.
Then I walked on and crossed the bridge.
Credits
Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney

About “An Advancement of Learning” by Seamus Heaney

Read the complete lyrics to "An Advancement of Learning" by Seamus Heaney from the album "Death Of A Naturalist". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"An Advancement of Learning" is performed by Seamus Heaney. from the album "Death Of A Naturalist" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "An Advancement of Learning", explore more songs by Seamus Heaney using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Seamus Heaney · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"An Advancement of Learning" is credited to Seamus Heaney. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"An Advancement of Learning" appears on "Death Of A Naturalist".

Visit the Seamus Heaney artist page at /artist/seamus-heaney for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.