Digging is seen as a tradition to the poet's family for many generations, as he expresses his feelings related to the past, present and future. Not only does he speak of digging literally but also digging metaphorically; going down deeper to find truth and history of the family.
We immediately discover his liking for writing, "squat pen rest; snug as a gun". This simile suggests words are just as harmful as bullets, and that a writer has as much freedom in expressing their feelings even in such a simple simile told in monosyllabic words, conveying strength and power. Instead of describing and confining to the room he sits in, he turns his attention to the outside world where he sees his father undergoing the known tradition. This displays his curiosity and perhaps his guilt in resorting to playing with a pen and not a spade.We learn of his admiration for his father, who puts much effort into producing potatoes.
"Bends low, comes up twenty years away," suggests his father is of an old age but there is this continuous movement feeling, knowing he has performed this task for many years. Perhaps it also implies he is still full of energy like when he was younger and still digs at the same dedicated standard. This is followed on with "stooping in rhythm through potato drills," emphasizing the tedious, monotonous ritual, carried out for twenty years. Drills as well as meaning digging, also defines military line-ups and implies the self-discipline involved to carry out this tiring work."Coarse boot nestled on the lug" is an example of antithetical juxtaposition. The harsh sound of the boot contrasts with the warm inviting nest on the lug, as if to say the spades only purpose is to perform the tradition regardless of the type of individual.
The fourth stanza recalls positive images of digging and even relates to the readers touch sensitivity, with the potatoes cool hardness in our hands. The strong, healthy potatoes can be contrasted to the later description as "soggy peat", this in relation in his memory as he recalls the stages of digging. The stanzas are of all different length imitating unpredictable thoughts mimicking what happens with memory relapses, moving on from one thought to another.Throughout the poem the short end-stopped lines, are the most simple yet powerful inconveying definite feelings or actions.
For example "Digging" and "the squat penrests." Monosyllabic words also help to achieve this effect.He interrupts himself with "By God, the old man could handle a spade." The colloquial language used strengthens the conversational tone found in this short stanza as he thinks back in his mind.
He travels back further in time, remembering the sight of his grandfather when he was a child. "Nicking and slicing" and cutting "more turf in a day", suggests his grandfather's destructiveness and his brutal ways. The onomatopoeia portrays the sound the poet can recall when thinking of his grandfather, making the past come to life once again. "Toner's bog" is a specially chosen place as it can be assumed its associated with Ireland where it is ironic to think it suffers from potato famine. Yet again the continuous feeling of movement is implied with the repetition of going down and down as if the job is endless which is why the tradition has lasted for so long, until now where it's the poet's position to take over.
The poet now takes into account all the negative aspects of digging, "cold smell of potato mould" appeals sensuously as we can feel, taste, smell and see all these unpleasant sightings. The mould represents too much time has passed by and perhaps the tradition should come to a halt. The squelch and slap appeals to our hearing sense and another unattractive image comes to mind of mud and wet, cold weather conditions as well.All bad memories come back to him. Through this metaphor; " through living roots awaken in my head" he thinks of all the links and relatives from past generations; bound to agriculture and deprived from education. His ancestors are still alive within him.
Images of roots wriggling and reaching towards him come to mind but they fail to touch his heart. He decides he is not suitable to follow his ancestors and father's footsteps, as a result giving up years of tradition.His final thought, an uplift and optimistic one where he decides writing is the best way ahead for him. The perception of the pen changes in the last three lines.
He is interested in talking about the physical activity that takes place in the proceeding of the tradition but not much feelings or thoughts are recognised from the diggers which is one reason for not being near education and not able to write whereas the poet can do, making him very different to his traditional ancestors.This poem is written by Seamus Heaney and reflects his own experience with his family. He will dig with his pen, suggesting he has a tool of his own and can be as brutal with it as his ancestors were with digging.
