Creating a grave and planting a tree requires the same action, digging a hole. The first stanza of the poem introduces a person, the narrator, digging “hole, laying you into it, carefully packing the soil”. This refers to both planting a tree, and burying a man. The weather is dark and cold which introduces a sad and harsh tone to the poem. The narrator than continues describes a tradition in Sicily, where planting of a tree represents the birth of a child, because the earth has "one more life to bear".
Similar to how the pauses after each “We” created a resonating pause, the same can be said of the poem’s end. The writer leaves the reader with a harsh and startling attribute of the subject, which allows the sad line to echo in the reader’s mind. When read aloud, the last line sounds as if it is a premature ending to the poem, which mimics the premature ending to the lives of the young men in the gang. When reading through an anthology
“Clean rasping sound”, means a clean scrape through the soil, and the word “rasping” is onomatopoeic. The alliteration of “spade sinks” and “gravelly ground” recreates the sounds of the past when his father use to dig the land for potatos. Hearing these rhythmic sounds from his window portray his father’s skill, and extent of physical effort. As Heaney begins to express his feelings of affection, and fondness towards his father in stanza 5, his sentiments of joy make him feel proud of his father, which further leads him to start boasting about him: “My grandfather could cut more turf in a day than any other man on Toner’s bog.” This phrase contrasts to Heaney’s view, where he feels alienated from his father and grandfather. However, since he is connected to his relatives, it conveys to us that he has not drifted apart from his family,
Dad carved out ¼ of the second lot into our garden. He turned over the earth and plotted the layout of the fruits and vegetables that would grow abundantly in the garden. He worked construction most of his life. Work was plentiful in the summertime but during the winter months he would be laid off for the season and he drew unemployment. When my mom died in 1970, he bought
His cartoons regularly appear in The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek and US News and World Report. The first cartoon that stands out in my mind is his cartoon depicting migrant workers in a field, slouched over picking what it looks like to be berries. The third man is carrying a large box and on his shirt that says, “undocumented”. The caption at the top reads, HARDWORKING, the cartoon to the right shows and older gentlemen leaning back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, and legs up on a desk that says U.S, he is also holding and immigration reform paper. The caption reads NOT SO MUCH.
Imagery in Seamus Heaney’s “Digging” Heany uses a great amount of imagery in this poem to make the reader feel what the speaker feels. He describes the “clean, rasping sound’ of the spade as well as the “cool hardness” of the potatoes. These positive descriptions of things connected to his ancestors reveal the speaker’s admiration, and even a bit of envy, towards his father’s achievements. The title of the poem refers to the act of hard labour and also makes one think of a funeral. Yet the digging it refers to is straightforward as Heaney is explaining the work that his father and grandfather did.
Titling the piece Digging immediately highlights for the reader the verbal connotation of the work, and puts the theme of work, and of manual labor into the limelight. As well, Heaneys use of the word gun to describe his “squat pen” in line 2 places the emphasis on machinery allowing a comparison of the human condition to present technology. This theme continues throughout the poem, as Heaney likens his fathers act of digging to that of a machine, “as his father nestled on the lug, the shaft/Against the inside knee was levered
Sarah is moving back to the Dales, and she is taking their son with her. Raul is trying to hide his temper and feelings about the situation, but he would like to express himself to her but he has agreed about “playing a part …” (p.1 ll.19 -20) He is touched in a sad way of the situation, and gets a little annoyed at her. “ Might? Thought you`d know...” (p.2. L.25) He is letting his anger and frustration come out through the shovel as he digs the grave for the dead cat.
Heaney, both the author and the narrator of “Digging”, critically compares his pen to a working tool, such as a shovel or spade, when trying to determine if his line of work is as influential as the work surrounding him. At the opening of the poem, however, this comparison finds Heaney undermining his abilities as a poet to effectively use his pen, something he believes to be a relatively insignificant implement, for purposes that would be considered of equal impact to that of a gardening tool’s. Heaney finds his limited talents fruitless, especially after he introduces his father and grandfather as successful and dedicated potato farmers who were known for their high contributions with only the use of a spade, framing Heaney to appear inferior to the accomplishments of his ancestors. Nevertheless, as the course of the poem unravels, he begins to perceive that just as his father’s and grandfather’s spade represented a key to unearthing the hidden prize of a potato, his pen could also be viewed as a key to unlocking intricate ideas and messages through the use of poetry. This profound comparison leads Heaney to embracing his pen to its full
However this also reminds us that life is always ticking away, just like the clocks. This is similar to the reference to time in “A Call”. As Heaney waits for his father we are given a detailed description of this man, through the use of a metaphor comparing them to the weeds he feels “rueful” at having to destroy. The weeds are described as “frail”, like Heaney’s father himself in old age. It is this clever use of language that allows us to visualise Heaney’s father.