Anyone with gumption and a sharp mind will take the measure of two things: what's said and what's done.
Seamus HeaneyRead
In my early teens, I acquired a kind of representative status: went on behalf of the family to wakes and funerals and so on. And I would be counted on as an adult contributor when it came to farm work - the hay in the summertime, for example.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the responsibilities and duties one takes on in adolescence as a member of a family.
Seamus Heaney's quote illustrates the transition from childhood to adulthood by highlighting the roles and expectations placed on him in his early teens. He describes how he became a representative of his family in communal events and took on substantial responsibilities in maintaining the family farm, indicating a blend of maturity and familial obligation that comes with growing up.
Themes
FamilyResponsibilityAdulthoodMaturityTradition
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a family reunion speech to represent the importance of contributing to the family.
More from Seamus Heaney
All quotes βWhat I've said before, only half in joke, is that everybody in Ireland is famous. Or, maybe better, say everybody is familiar.
Seamus HeaneyRead
The kinds of truth that art gives us many, many times are small truths. They don't have the resonance of an encyclical from the Pope stating an eternal truth, but they partake of the quality of eternity. There is a sort of timeless delight in them.
Seamus HeaneyRead
If self is a location, so is love: Bearings taken, markings, cardinal points, Options, obstinacies, dug heels, and distance, Here and there and now and then, a stance.
Seamus HeaneyRead
I think that water is immediately interesting. It's just, as an element, it is full of life. It is associated with origin; it is bright - it reflects you.
Seamus HeaneyRead
I suppose you inevitably fall into habits of expression.
Seamus HeaneyRead
Similar quotes
There's a constant chatter in our house, whether it's giggling or screaming or crying or banging. I love it. I love it. I love it. I hate it when they're gone. I hate it. Maybe it's nice to be in a hotel room for a day - 'Oh, nice, I can finally read a paper.' But then, by the next day, I miss that cacophony, all that life.
Brad PittRead
Motherhood isn't just a series of contractions; it's a state of mind. From the moment we know life is inside us, we feel a responsibility to protect and defend that human being.
Erma BombeckRead
A mother's love is a blessing No matter where you roam. Keep her while you have her, You'll miss her when she's gone -- Angela's Ashes.
Frank MccourtRead
Home is the bottom line of life, the anvil upon which attitudes and convictions are hammered out the single most influential force in our earthly existence. No price tag can adequately reflect its value.
Charles R. SwindollRead
The family is a community of love where each of us learns to relate to others and to the world around us.
Pope FrancisRead
Sometimes I really think people ought to have to pass a proper exam before they're allowed to be parents. Not just the practical, I mean.
Terry PratchettRead