Analysis

The poem celebrates the qualities of the fish.

The idea that it can hang in water (line 1) gives an indication of the magnificent powers the fish has.

A number of Heaney’s poems refer to rivers, here the Bann is clear.

There are a number of terms used to describe the perch: ‘grunts’, little flood-slubs, runty and ready.

Notice the power of sounds used to express the fish (alliteration on the ‘r’ sound in ‘runty and ready’ and the almost onomatopoeic ‘flood-slubs’ and ‘grunts’ all creating a slopping sound, the fish in water.

The river is ‘glorified’ and personified ‘body’ giving it a living, majestic power.

You can pass through the water, but the fish seem to be holding their position ‘under the water-roof’ as if they are in a house ‘adoze’ sleeping, seemingly at rest and at ease where they are, at the bottom of the river.

They guzzle the water ‘current’, seeming to drink it. It would appear the water is something they need and yet are also ‘against it’, using their power ‘muscle’ to move forward.

The use of ‘finland’ imagery adds a sense of vast quantities of water, as Finland is noted for its fjords. The word ‘finland’ is not given capitals to take away the direct link to the country, adding emphasis on the water image.

The idea of a magic carpet of water on air adds to the majestic and magical qualities of the fish, flowing impressively along like a carpet in the air.

The final line links to the whole world, where the perch is said to be ‘on hold in the everything flows and steady go of the world.’ This could mean the fish is almost ‘on hold’, in other words it is frozen or paused in time whilst the world flows on steadily.

To us in our busy lives the perch is not important. The relationship between man and nature is a theme here.