Summary Of Poem Digging By Seamus Heaney

The Next Generation “Parents who wonder where the younger generation is going should remember where it came from” (Sam Ewing). In every generation, people want to do something different or more impactful. Even though the older generations may look down upon the actions of the younger generations, the younger generation is the future. If the younger generations would not rebel, life on earth could be completely different. In the poem “Digging” by Seamus Heaney, the poet watching his father and grandfather dig and plant potatoes for years. He is the next generation to become a potato famer but is apprehensive and rebellious to the idea. He does not see the need for back breaking labor of farming potatoes. Instead, he does his hard work by harvesting …show more content…
In Seamus Heaney poem he writes, “Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests; snug as a gun”(1-2) and at the end of the story he writes “Between my finger and my thumb. The squat pen rests. I’ll dig with it..”(29-31). Both lines a grammatically the same but the last four words are different. These quotes are on polar opposites of the poem. This helps the reader understand that growth has occurred in the duration of the poem. It conveys the idea that the poet has come to accept the idea of becoming a …show more content…
Imagery defend in literature is to use figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses. In the poem, Heaney writes, “Between my finger and my thumb. The squat pen rests; snug as a gun...” (1-2). The imagery is powerful and paints a picture in the readers mind. Imagining a poet is sitting at his desk, staring at a blank sheet of white paper. With his pen between his thumb and finger and grasping it firmly like one does with a gun. The poet is ready to dive deep into his mind and begin the process of writing. This image is set up perfectly to give the reader an idea of what is happening and what type of things a poet may be thinking about before he writes. At the end of the story, the poet writes the same line again word for word. Conveying the idea that the poet has been running through his imagination and has come back to reality and knows he chose the right line of work. Another good use of imagery is when the poet talks about his grandfather who is hard at work on the fields. “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, going down and down; For the good turf. Digging.”(17-24). His grandfather is a hard worker and does not stop until the work is done. When his grandson brings him a glass of milk, he gulps it down and goes