How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headed (1–2)
In the center of the town is a flax dam, where nature flourishes come springtime. "Heart" is a deliberate word choice here, and it's got nothing to do with Cupid. Heaney wants to get across that this place in nature is important in this poem, and it's particularly important to our speaker.
Quote #2
There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies, (6)
The flax-dam is buzzing with flies and butterflies. Wildlife abounds in this tiny ecosystem and our speaker is like a kid in a candy store—totally in awe, and totally stoked.
Quote #3
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water (7–8)
The dam water is home to more than flax. Along with the flies and butterflies, frogs are sprouting up all over the place too, and our speaker couldn't be more psyched about this natural bounty. What's better than, uh… "warm thick slobber"? (Never mind, don't answer that.)