Digging – Seamus Heaney
Thesis
Digging is a poem comes from the beginning of Heaney's DOAN collection, where he
introduces the idea that his family were farmers, and how Heaney broke this tradition
when he decided to become a writer. This poem is largely about self discovery. Talks
about his memories as a child of his father and grandfather rooted in agriculture. The
Sensory language throughout the poem highlights the persona's comfort and nostalgia
with his family's traditions, painting a picture in the reader's mind of what he's
experienced throughout his childhood. Whereas the lack of a structure highlights the
nature of how memories come and go in no particular order/form, placing an emphasis
on how nostalgia is uncontrollable. Whilst the tone of this poem overall is very reflective
and nostalgic. The persona seems to be in awe of his family's tradition and appreciates
what they have done for him.
Language and Imagery:
Sensory language throughout the poem highlights the persona's comfort and
nostalgia with his family's traditions, painting a picture in the reader's mind of
what he's experienced throughout his childhood.
'Snug as a gun' - shows us that he's comfortable being around guns/he's seen guns
throughout his childhood because it's part of his family's job. It alludes to the idea of
violence that we can link to Heaney's 'The Early Purges' where he's seen violence
happen in the farm before.
'rasping sound and the spade sinks' - creates sibilance that is followed by the alliteration
of the 'gravelly ground'. Here, Heaney is painting us a picture with the curation of words.
This verse particularly sounds evocative, as if he's fascinated with the way his family has
done this for generations.
The 'rhythm through potato drills' displays the methodical nature of this family tradition
that he is almost in awe of. He' s so observant that he notices that rhythm of this potato
drills. The observation reminds us that in this recollection is of when he was a child
because of the childlike observant nature, creating that sense of nostalgia.
The way the milk bottle was 'corked sloppily' is a simplistic view of his childhood. At this
point in the poem, we are already sensing his growth. He's knows that they're poor
however, that has never severely impact him so he talks about such things in less detail.
He cares more about the memories than their circumstances, driving through the idea of
nostalgia.
The assonance 'nicking and slicing' further highlights perhaps how careless Heaney has
become as he's growing up. In a way, this poem all leads to Heaney's rebellion towards
his family's traditions. However, we know that this rebellion wasn't filled with bad
intentions because clearly in this poem, his nostalgia shows us that he is appreciative of
his traditions.
The onomatopoeia 'squelch and slap' creates a highly sensory feel to this stanza. We get
a better glimpse of the family's job of being farmers. Mouldy potatoes are a normal
thing to see, the 'squelch and slap of soggy peat' was normal to experience.
Structure:
Looking at the structure of the poem, we note that there seems to be no form,
order, or organization better the sections of the poem. This contributes to the
feeling of nostalgia and faded memories which Heaney tries to evoke in readers, seeing
that the recollection of memories often are unpredictable with pattern or order. The free
verse nature of this poem also highlights his comfort with this topic, which allows
readers to experience the nostalgia that the subject is experiencing. The title of the
poem 'Digging' also could be a metaphorical representation of the 'digging' up of past
memories. Although the poem is written in free verse, the poem is built to follow the
course of a slow process of revelation, as we are fed information about his family and
their traditions at a steady pace. We begin with the persona's age presented to be
young through his choice of simple vocabulary 'finger and thumb' 'gravelly ground'. As
the poem progress, so does the persona's age. He realises that he doesn't need to keep
up such traditions and that he can do what he want's to, creating a sense of maturity.
The small turning point of the poem is seen in the last two lines of the 7th stanza. The
'roots' that awaken in his 'head' is a direct link to the tile and the digging imagery. He
realises that his personal roots has changed as his values have changed, he has 'no
spade to follow men like them'. He's already broken the tradition, this stanza is more of
a realization for Heaney where in the las line, he acknowledges that his writing is also
worthy. The firm nature of this last line sound reassuring, that he's happy with this life
that he has created for himself. Despite his realisation and maturity, the repetition of the
last stanza of the beginning of the poem still highlights the nostalgia that he feels, we
are assured that he appreciates and acknowledges what his family has done for him,
however he's now independent from that tradition.
Tone:
The tone of this poem is very nostalgic. Heaney sounds as if he's in awe of his
family's traditions.
The persona mentions that this 'digging' 'comes up twenty years away' highlighting how
long this tradition has been going on for. It sounds impressive to readers and perhaps
this was the intention, to show how prideful the persona is of this tradition and how
long it has been kept alive.
The 5th stanza in particular highlight's the persona's pride of the tradition. 'by god'
highlights the Irish household that he's grown up in and that he swears by god that his
'old man could handle a spade'. Following it up with 'just like his old man' emphasizes
how long this has been done. He sounds like he's in awe of what his old man can do,
almost looking up to hopefully one day become like him, which we know didn't happen.
There is a slight tone shift right after this stanza where he sounds less like he's in awe
but rather more appreciative and reflective of his life. He's more just describing the facts
and details, which makes us think that this is the point in which he's grown up to realise
who he is and what he has become. Despite this, we still can sense his nostalgia, in a
way it feels as if he misses this tradition