Digging Seamus Heaney GCSE Anthology- Page 21

Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests; snug as a gun. Simile: it fits his hand and is powerful

Under my window a clean rasping sound When the spade sinks into gravelly ground: My father, digging. I look down Rhyme Repetition: Digging is literally what he watches his father do- it is repeated because his father and grandfather spent the days of their lives doing this. Digging represents manual labour, a masculine task and making a living.

Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds Bends low, comes up twenty years away Stooping in rhythm through potato drills Where he was digging. Narrative: Seeing his father (now old) “straining” to dig “flowerbeds”, the poet recalls his father in his prime, digging “potato drills”.

The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft Against the inside knee was levered firmly. He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep To scatter new potatoes that we picked Loving their cool hardness in our hands. Narrative: He describes the skill and dignity of digging. He admires this physical labour. alliteration

By God, the old man could handle a spade, Just like his old man. Exclamation: The poet clearly admires his father and grandfather- their skills and work ethic.

My grandfather could cut more turf in a day Than any other man on Toner's bog. Once I carried him milk in a bottle Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up To drink it, then fell to right away Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods Over his shoulder, digging down and down For the good turf. Digging. Narrative: he remembers his grandfather, digging peat and he is a small boy. Fell to right away: hardworking. Grandfather would barely stop to drink His is proud of his grandfather’s accomplishments.

The cold smell of potato mold, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. But I've no spade to follow men like them. Metaphor: digging and roots, which shows how the poet, in his writing, is getting back to his own roots (his identity, and where his family comes from) “men like them” refers to masculine labourers but he sees that the pen is (for him) mightier, and with it he will dig into his past and celebrate them. Metaphor: He has chosen to be a writer, not a labourer. onomatopoeia

Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests. I'll dig with it. Last Stanza: Poem is circular- ending where it began. The narrator continues his father and grandfather’s tradition of hard work and skill- using a different kind of tool (pen not spade) Dig: The poet will make his living with his pen, he’ll connect to his father and grandfather.

Quick Quiz Answer in full sentences 1. Explain one simile in this poem. 2. What are some examples of onomatopoeia? Explain how this adds to the poem. 3.How is the poet different from his father and grandfather? 4. Explain in your own words the image in the last line of the poem.

Digging Seamus Heaney Subject: This poem looks at two memories - the father digging the potato drills, the grandfather digging turf, for which he was famous as the best digger on the peat bog. Tone: Poet admires and celebrates the work of his ancestors- his descriptive images show his is fond of his memories. Themes: Identity is defined by family’s identity. Masculinity and manual labour. Links: This poem links to ‘Still I Rise’ because of how identity is described in relation to ancestors and ‘Follower’ because of the changing views of his father and himself.

Seamus Heaney  Seamus Heaney was born on April 13, 1939, on a farm in Castledawson, County Derry, Northern Ireland, the eldest of eight children. In 1963, he began teaching at St. Joseph's College in Belfast. Here he began to write.  In 1965 he married Marie Devlin, and in 1966 year he published his first book of poetry, Death of a Naturalist.  He was Professor of Poetry at Oxford. In 1995 he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Heaney has lived in Dublin since Since 1981 he has spent part of each year teaching at Harvard University.

Essay Questions 1.Look at ‘Digging’ and ‘Still I Rise’. Show how the two poets see themselves in relation to their ancestors. 1.Look at ‘Digging’ and ‘Follower’ both by Seamus Heaney. Explain the poet’s changing views of his father and himself.