A Detailed Study on Digging

A Detailed Study on Digging The poem Digging, written by the famous Irish poet, Seamus Heaney, is a descriptive, interesting poem about work. It is about the importance of and appreciation of work and family members who work. In the poem, Seamus Heaney is paying respect to his father and grandfather who were both potato farmers who worked hard their entire lives. The subject of the poem gives us a sense as to what the poet is really trying to say and get across to the reader about work he has observed close family members doing his whole life. The images and descriptions incorporated throughout, enhance our understanding of the poem and the poet, they create pictures inside our heads and show us, not tell us, what the poet is saying. We are able to identify and understand why Heaney wrote the poem and get a sense of what he is going through and the message he is trying to portray about work. There is a lot going on in this poem thematically, but everything comes back to work and Heaney’s attitude toward working. Digging is the form of work that Heaney is paying respect to throughout the poem. He is showing pride in the fact that his grandfather and then his father have worked hard all their lives and continued the family line of work, as a potato farmer. Heaney shows us that digging for potatoes is something they all loved doing: “To scatter new potatoes that we picked/Loving their cool hardness in our hands” (Heaney, 13-14). We get a sense of warmth from this, creating awareness of comfort and familiarity. Heaney greatly respects his father and grandfather: “By God, that old man could handle a spade./Just like his old man” (Heaney, 14-15). We learn the values they share, the connection they have, and the self-satisfaction that work brings them: “My grandfather cut more turf in a day/Than any other man on Toner’s bog” (Heaney17-18). Heaney shares with us that not only are his father and grandfather highly motivated and hard working, but so is he because of