In Seamus Heaney's," Digging" the first two lines create an image of someone holding a squat pen; "snug as a gun". And though the poem emerges into one of a boy watching his father dig and then remembering his grandfather digging as well, it has its relevance at the end. He states, "But I have no spade to follow men like them.", and so instead of digging out in a garden his squat pen digs inside of the paper to make the reader visualize still a sense of digging but in an entirely different way. The pen he "snugs as a gun" could also be the shovel or spade that his father and grandfather held "snug as a gun".
The relevance of this poem is following family traditions as best as the next generations sees fit. Although the author did not work in a field and dig as literally as his ancestors did, he still dug. Even if it was with a pen to a piece of paper. It seems that the author admires how much effort his father and grandfather put into the digging they did. So in the last line of the poem when he states, "Ill dig with it." It sounds like he will dig into whatever he is about to write about with pride and with the same ambitious attitude as they did.
Erica,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog about this specific poem. I like how you incorporated the line "snug as a gun". For me it was the most significant line of the entire poem. I believe that those simple four words hold a powerful meaning for the reader. The image that you have chosen is also a good depiction to go along with the poem. Your analysis of "But I have no spade to follow men like them.", really made me broaden my horizons to the understanding of that specific section. I agree with you when you say that he is also in a sense "digging" but on paper instead of the ground. Overall your in depth analysis to this poem made me more aware of the key focal points within the poem.
good job :) :) :)
This is a very good analysis of how a man who does not share the same profession as his father and grandfather compares himself to them through being a writer. That part of the analysis and the poem really sticks out to me because it endorses being whoever you want to be and being accepted for that, even if your ancestors were farmers and you choose to be a writer.
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