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)
The flax-dam seems to change from season to season. Its festering and rotting, though high on the ick factor, is a form of change just as much as growth is.
Quote #2
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every spring (9–10)
Here, Heaney points out how spring brings about change. In this case, it's a time for frogs to produce frogspawn. Sure, it might not be the most exciting change in the natural world (not every natural transformation can be as earth-shattering as a volcanic eruption), but it's cool enough to keep our speaker's attention.