Final answer:
Yeats and Heaney's use of opposing imagery in their poetry may best be understood as a way to explore the tension between inspiration and labor in the creative process, reflecting their unique approaches and the broader cultural contexts they engage with.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of opposite images by poets like Yeats and Heaney serves various purposes, including illustrating contrasts in poetic styles, traditions, societal roles, and the very nature of poetic creation itself. W.B. Yeats often used his poetry to directly address cultural ideologies and participate in the social discourse of his time, reflecting on Irish national identity and the political strife of his era. Seamus Heaney, on the other hand, employed a different set of images in his works that may contrast with Yeats' approach.
Jeremy Arnold likens poems to the pensieve from Harry Potter, suggesting that a poem preserves a mental experience for others to access, filled with strong imagery. This emphasis on imagery is also seen in the way poets use abstract versus concrete words, with successful poems often relying on concrete images to engage the reader's senses and evoke a more visceral, immersive experience.
When comparing and contrasting these poets, one might consider option d) Yeats and Heaney use opposite images to explore the tension between inspiration and labor in poetry. This option seems to best encapsulate the differences in their poetic expression, considering how both poets bring distinct perspectives to the creation and interpretation of poetry, touching on elements of tradition, modernity, and the contrasting images that may stem from differences in their personal and societal contexts.