BRAC University honoured the legacy and mourned the sad demise of a beloved poet Seamus Justin Heaney on October 24. The event was organised by the Department of English and Humanities (ENH).
Chair of ENH Professor Firdous Azim opened the session with a warm welcome note. She said that the department was using this memorial ceremony to celebrate the work of the Irish poet of soil and strife and to inculcate the students with a love of poetry. Professor Fuad Hassan Mallick, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of BRAC University, said that despite being a small department, ENH is rich in literary activities. He mentioned how he enjoys attending the frequently organised poetry sessions, conferences and seminars.
In his keynote address, Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam from the Department of English at Dhaka University, and part-time faculty and graduate course coordinator of ENH talked about Heaney’s poetic lineage and his use of poetic techniques. He also discussed the common heritage of Yeats and Heaney and spoke about their divergences in dealing with their contemporary issues.
Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh HE William Hanna discussed Heaney’s passion for sports and drawing. He said: “He is a poet of my heart.” The ambassador recounted his experience of meeting the poet and subsequently keeping a track of all his later works. He mentioned how reading Heaney during his travels keeps him connected to his homeland.
English language Advisor of the British Council Kathryn Kelly conducted an interactive session for the audience. She started with a discussion of the common aspects of Northern Ireland and Bangladesh commenting on how the differences in the countries’ terrains have given people their livelihood and provided inspiration for creative work. She inspired students to write poetry no matter how difficult the situation is.
Lecturer of ENH Sharlene Nisha Alam discussed how Heaney’s work focused on language as the bearer of cultural history, sound, and rhythm. She emphasised the importance that Heaney gave to literary tradition in the poetry of the 20th century.
The convener of the programme, Rukhsana R.Chowdhury, Senior Lecturer of ENH, mentioned the quality of the human touch in Heaney’s poems and read a few lines to underscore the timeless position of the poet in the contemporary world. She ended by thanking everyone involved in making the programme a success.
