Triptych— three poems within one
(my own photo of clover and pine last summer)
by Seamus Heaney Field Work (1979). This poem makes use of many metaphors, or maybe more accurately figurative language; it historically refers to a tragic event known as “Bloody Sunday,” Seamus writing this poem just after a more recent event that occurred in 1976 in his lifetime and echoed this earlier massacre.
A key in understanding is a dictionary or common information about prominent symbols: “However, botanists generally agree that one feature above all others defines the orchid and differentiates it from virtually all other flowering plants: the fusion of the male portion of the flower (stamen) and female portion (pistil) into one structure called the column—often visible protruding from the center.”
Mar 17, 2010: Could be a symbol suggesting unity. The common pink ones are often seen related to Greek mythology as symbols of innocence. The orchid is known for its fusion as well as its resilience: [Orchids] get their nutrients from the stored water so that they can survive long periods of drought.
💕—Jade
Blush of Dawn 