Digging
Digging
In the poem, ‘Digging’ by Seamus Heaney, the readers have been given the chance to forth come the lifestyle in which Heaney/the speaker captures the life through his generations. Leading the readers to fall into Heaney’s own spiral of memories. The poet expresses these ideas through the use of diction, Imagery and tone.
Before the reader even looks at the first stanza they must read the title, this is the initial use of diction and word which sets the reader up to try and get a heads up on what the poem is about. However, Heaney leaves the reader blank, as the title is very vague. It is only once the poem is read do the readers come to grip with the understanding that his older generations were diggers and he is ‘digging’ through the use of his pen. In the first stanza, by singling out the fingers and the pen resting in-between, the readers instantly picture an image close up, as described. Therefore the subject becoming the hand, then the use of a simile, “snug as a gun”, saying the pen feels as though a gun placed in his hand. Despite physically not the same thing, they both need action to provide use of these tools. What I find interesting is the mere fact Heaney has represented something as serene and nonviolent as writing, which the word, “snug” resembles. However Heaney juxtaposes it with an object of complete difference. Maybe symbolising the pure power he feels when he is writing, as though a strong man when he is digging. Throughout the poem the words, “digging” and “dig” are seen constantly as he remains focused upon the overall view of the poem, not only is the word used literally, but also in the sense of sound as the reader keeps reading they begin to hear the memories until they are all ‘dug’ up and that is when he begins. As the poem ends he may not be prolonging his job passed on by generation however simply using another tool to ‘dig’ with.
To return back to the middle of the poem, the readers see the use of Imagery as enjambment
In the poem, ‘Digging’ by Seamus Heaney, the readers have been given the chance to forth come the lifestyle in which Heaney/the speaker captures the life through his generations. Leading the readers to fall into Heaney’s own spiral of memories. The poet expresses these ideas through the use of diction, Imagery and tone.
Before the reader even looks at the first stanza they must read the title, this is the initial use of diction and word which sets the reader up to try and get a heads up on what the poem is about. However, Heaney leaves the reader blank, as the title is very vague. It is only once the poem is read do the readers come to grip with the understanding that his older generations were diggers and he is ‘digging’ through the use of his pen. In the first stanza, by singling out the fingers and the pen resting in-between, the readers instantly picture an image close up, as described. Therefore the subject becoming the hand, then the use of a simile, “snug as a gun”, saying the pen feels as though a gun placed in his hand. Despite physically not the same thing, they both need action to provide use of these tools. What I find interesting is the mere fact Heaney has represented something as serene and nonviolent as writing, which the word, “snug” resembles. However Heaney juxtaposes it with an object of complete difference. Maybe symbolising the pure power he feels when he is writing, as though a strong man when he is digging. Throughout the poem the words, “digging” and “dig” are seen constantly as he remains focused upon the overall view of the poem, not only is the word used literally, but also in the sense of sound as the reader keeps reading they begin to hear the memories until they are all ‘dug’ up and that is when he begins. As the poem ends he may not be prolonging his job passed on by generation however simply using another tool to ‘dig’ with.
To return back to the middle of the poem, the readers see the use of Imagery as enjambment