He then began the real business of the evening by reciting "Alphabet Soup," a poem about his experiences with language, letters and learning.
The poem dealt, in part, with his experiences as a professor at Harvard.
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Heaney paused mid-verse to explain the significance of one of the poem's images: a wooden O symbolizing Sanders Theatre.
Heaney punctuated his poetry with anecdotes bringing laughter to the crowd.
The title for "Out of the Bag," for instance, came from Heaney's childhood experiences with doctors and childbirth.
"The doctor would come with a bag and go upstairs," Heaney said, then would return hours later with a child.
"I thought it was a spare parts baby-bag," he said.
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