Let us take a break from Miley and the Twerking and remember that life has more to offer than endless garbage. The beloved poet and Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney died yesterday at the age of 74, in Dublin. The literary world is grieving at the sudden and surprising loss of an incredible poet who was said to have a gentle wit and a quiet spirit. Seamus Heaney was a teacher before he began his career in poetry and from there, he went on to win the Nobel prize for literature in 1995.

Irish President Micheal D. Higgins called the death of Heaney “an enormous loss”. Former US President Bill Clinton said “his uniquely Irish gift for language made him our finest poet of the rhythms of ordinary lives and a powerful voice for peace”. Irish movie star Liam Neeson told the BBC: “With Seamus Heaney’s passing, Ireland, and Northern Ireland especially, has lost a part of its artistic soul.” He then added, “He crafted, through his poetry, who we are as a species and the living soil that we toiled in. By doing so, he defined our place in the universe. May he rest in peace”.

His second and last Twitter post is interesting in it’s subject matter, and perhaps it’s a metaphor for something else, but still eerie in it’s nature.

The end of every era must be ashes and dust. Divisive even in death, the Iron Lady starts to rust.

— Seamus Heaney (@ShameonusHeaney) April 14, 2013

His poems inspired people from all classes from all over the world. Take a moment and look up some of his poems here and savor every lovely word.

A gorgeous tribute to Seamus Heaney from IAC PoetryFest curator Belinda McKeon. http://t.co/8zKGrrFZg6

— Irish Arts Center (@IrishArtsCenter) August 31, 2013

Image via Narrative Magazine