CRITICAL-ANALYSIS OF POEM “DIGGING”

BY
SEAMUS HEANEY
Introduction
"Digging" is one of the most widely known poems by the Irish poet Seamus Heaney and serves as the
opening poem of Heaney's debut 1966 poetry collection, Death of a Naturalist. It begins with the
speaker hovering over a blank page with a pen, preparing to write. The speaker then reflects on the
work ethic and skill of his father and grandfather, both of whom worked the land as farmers. Though
the speaker is breaking with that specific familial tradition, the speaker presents writing as its own
kind of labor, with speaker vowing to "dig" with the pen.

Setting:
The poem opens with the speaker at a desk, suggesting he's inside a room of some sort. He's sitting by
a window, outside of which he can hear his elderly father working in the flowerbeds. This sound
might be real or imaginary; either way, it prompts the speaker to delve into his memories—
introducing a new setting to the poem. Here, he admires the way that his father and grandfather work
the land—which is distinctly Irish because of the reference to "potatoes" and "turf."
In a sense, then, the poem takes place in the speaker's mind—but his memories are firmly rooted in
the rural Irish landscape. Indeed, part of the poem's aim is to bring that world to life—through, for
example, the onomatopoeic sounds in the penultimate stanza. Ultimately, the poem returns to the
present, the final stanza almost identical to the first. Except this time, however, the speaker turns to
the future—inspired by his father and grandfather, he resolves to write.

Themes
The poem “Digging” has following most prominent themes:

 THEME OF LABOR AND CRAFT: Most simply, “Digging” is a poem about work. As the
speaker, a writer, holds a pen in one hand, he hears his father, a former farmer, working the
ground outside. The speaker admires his father for his determination to work tirelessly and the
skill with which he uses a spade. Though the speaker metaphorically digs for words rather
than into the earth, he still draws inspiration from the work ethic and expertise of his father
(and grandfather). The poem, then, elevates manual labor by imbuing it with a sense of craft
and artistry, while also insisting on the act of writing itself as a kind of work. In the opening
of “Digging,” the speaker is poised to start writing, his pen hovering above the page. But
when he hears the sound of his father digging in the flowerbeds beneath the speaker's
window, it brings back memories of his father digging potatoes many years before. Though to
some people digging might seem like a pretty dull and repetitive task, the speaker presents it
as a kind of artistry. He focuses admiringly in minute detail on his father’s technique, while
also acknowledging the physical difficulty of the work. Digging is presented as a complex
and technical process, one involving neat "potato drills" (the rows of potatoes in the ground),
the strength to send a shovel deep into the earth again and again, and the knowledge of how
and when to scatter crops. "By God, the old man could handle a spade," the speaker says,
emphasizing the expertise required of his father's labor. Thinking about all this prompts the
speaker to reflect on his grandfather too. Like the speaker’s father, the older man provides an
example of how best to approach work: through determination and skill. The speaker recounts
how he once took some milk to his grandfather while he was digging—the grandfather drank
 the milk and got straight back to work, demonstrating his total commitment to the job at hand.
Through the memory of these two men, then, the poem shows appreciation for dedication and
effort—seeing the physical act of digging as an inspiration for writing poetry. That’s why the
first and last stanzas are very different, even though they are almost identical on first look.
Both focus on the same image—the speaker holding a pen above a page—but it’s in the final
stanza when he resolves to actually write. Except he doesn’t say “write”; he says “dig.” His
father and grandfather provide a model for a way for the speaker to approach his work. And
though the two types of work—manual and imaginative—are very different, writing is
presented as its own kind of labor—one that that, though it may not require blood, sweat, and
tears, certainly requires commitment and effort. this theme appears in the poem: Lines 1-2,
Lines 6-9, Lines 10-14, Lines 15-16, Lines 17-24, Line 28, Lines 29-31.
 THEME OF FAMILY AND TRADITION: Digging” explores the relationship between
three generations: the speaker, his father, and the speaker’s grandfather. The speaker lives a
very different life to his forebears—he’s a writer, whereas his father and grandfather were
farmers. But even though he isn’t a digger of the earth, the speaker realizes that he can still
honor his heritage by embracing the values of his elders. The speaker’s life and art are shaped
by his history, and in that history, he sees a model for how to approach his own craft. In doing
so, the poem argues, the speaker is in fact paying tribute to his father and grandfather. One
doesn't have to follow in their ancestors' footsteps exactly to honor and preserve their
heritage. The speaker’s father worked the earth, just like his father before him. Both men used
a spade skillfully and were engaged in tough manual labor. Between those two men, then,
there’s an obvious sense of continuity, of skills and heritage being passed down from one
generation to the next. The speaker, however, represents a break with this tradition. Though
he remembers the “squelch and slap” of “soggy earth” and the “cold smell of potato mould,”
he either can’t or doesn’t want to follow his elders into the same kind of work. Instead, he is a
writer—something that, on the surface at least, is about as far removed from physical labor as
is possible. The speaker acknowledges this—he knows he has “no spade to follow men like
them.” But just because he is breaking with tradition in a literal sense, in another way he
resolves to embody the values of that tradition. Hard work, grit, concentration, persistence—
all of these are traits that the father and grandfather figures have taught to the speaker, who
can now use them in his own way. This shows that the speaker is a part of his family tradition,
just in a different way, and also demonstrates that the people someone grows up with can have
a huge impact on how they see the world in later life (even if they led very different lives).
Accordingly, the poem ends on a plain-sounding expression of the speaker’s intent: “The
squat pen rests. / I’ll dig with it.” Just as the speaker’s father and grandfather approached their
work with diligence, the speaker will do the same in his writing. The use of “dig” as the main
verb here makes it clear that the lessons the speaker learned from his father and grandfather
will have a great role to play in what is to come—ensuring that tradition, in one way or
another, is honored. This theme appears in the poem: Lines 3-31.

Stanza-wise Gist/Summary Analysis

This poem is autobiographical in nature. The speaker, presumably Heaney, is sitting at his writing
desk, preparing to write, when he hears his father working in the garden outside. This conjures
memories of the speaker as a young boy, listening and watching as his father digs in the potato
garden. The speaker marvels at how well his father digs, which conjures an even older memory of his
grandfather, his father’s father, completing the arduous task of digging through peat moss. Toward the
end of the poem, the speaker writes as though he can smell the potatoes from the garden and the peat
moss his grandfather has dug. He confesses that he does not have a spade like the two generations
before him, but he does have a pen which he will use to “dig.”
The first stanza contains only two lines. The speaker is focusing on the pen in his hand. Heaney
utilizes a simile, telling the reader the pen rests “snug as a gun.” The reference to a gun is no
coincidence: Heaney expects the reader to infer that the pen is his instrument, his weapon. This idea
will repeat itself in the last stanza of the poem. In the second stanza, the speaker hears the sound of his
father’s garden spade sinking “into gravelly ground.” He gazes down at his father while he works in
the garden. There is no punctuation at the end of the last line in stanza two, the thought is continued
into the third stanza. In the third stanza ,Heaney utilizes a flashback quite cleverly in the third stanza.
The speaker is suddenly transported to twenty years ago, watching his father complete the same task.
The fourth stanza is rich in description, as the speaker paints the image of his father digging through
the potato beds. The fifth stanza is comprised of just two simple lines as the speaker marvels at his
father. The reader is then transported even further through time as the speaker then conjures images of
his grandfather performing a similar task. The eight lines contained in the sixth stanza are the longest
in the poem. The first two lines read:
“My grandfather cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner’s bog”
Here, the reader gets a glimpse into the setting of the poem. In Ireland, peat moss has been used as an
alternative to coal. Cutting turf is an incredibly grueling task and the fact that Heaney claims his
grandfather could cut more than any other man signifies not only the physical strength of his
grandfather, but Heaney’s own admiration for the hard work his grandfather was able to do by
himself. He then shares an anecdote with his reader as he describes encountering his grandfather out
on the bog one day. The speaker describes a day when he brought a bottle of milk to his grandfather.
Heaney’s grandfather barely stops his work, quickly drinking the milk and then returning to digging
and cutting. The seventh stanza returns the reader to the present day, as the speaker sits at his writing
desk.
The memories are so vivid and alive in the speaker that he can actually smell the freshly dug potatoes
and the “soggy peat”. He can hear the sound the peat made as it was cut. The speaker realizes that,
unlike his father and grandfather, he has no spade to follow in their footsteps. What he does have,
however, is revealed in the eighth and final stanza, which contains only three lines. Much is contained
in these three simple lines. First, Heaney uses repetition, as once again, he describes holding his pen
between his finger and thumb.
Heaney’s diction here is also curious, as he uses the word “squat” to describe his instrument. While it
can describe the physical appearance of the pen itself, Heaney could also be showing the connection
between himself and his father and grandfather, both of whom would have to squat in order to
properly dig for the potatoes and peat moss. The last line, “I’ll dig with it,” signifies that while
Heaney realizes his instrument is different from previous generations, he is still completing an
arduous task. While his father and grandfather dug for potatoes and moss, he is digging for the right
word, constantly attempting to create sustenance through his words.
Historical Significance: While this poem certainly is not political in nature, it does give a glimpse
into the lives of hardworking Irishmen. In previous generations, men had to dig for both food and
fuel. Because Ireland does not have a wealth of coal, men often had to dig through the bogs to acquire
enough peat moss that could be burned as an alternative means of fuel.

Tone
The tone is serious and full of reflection. The speaker is looking back through the family history,
noting how hard his father and his grandfather have worked the land. He is in awe of their
achievements yet resigned to the fact that he, as creator of the poem, is destined not to follow them
and their digging. The speaker's approach is serious and studied and quietly assured which creates a
tone of thoughtful admiration and pride. He has respect for those who were expert diggers.

Style and Diction

Heaney’s diction here in this poem is simple, appealing and curious, as he uses the word “squat” to
describe his instrument. While it can describe the physical appearance of the pen itself, Heaney could
also be showing the connection between himself and his father and grandfather, both of whom would
have to squat in order to properly dig for the potatoes and peat moss. The last line, “I’ll dig with it,”
signifies that while Heaney realizes his instrument is different from previous generations, he is still
completing an arduous task. While his father and grandfather dug for potatoes and moss, he is digging
for the right word, constantly attempting to create sustenance through his words.

Rhyme-Scheme
There is no set rhyme scheme for "Digging", no established pattern of end rhymes. The only full
rhymes occur in lines 3 and 4, sound/ground, but these are what might be called accidental because
they are not a part of a scheme. The rounded vowels do however underline the importance of the
father's use of the spade.

Internal Rhyming
Internal rhyme is in evidence, both full and slant: look/Stooping/boot/rooted/cool. And again with:
Between/clean/knee/deep/neatly/heaving. Plus: thumb/under/rump/up/lug/cut/turf. Use of these long
and short vowels, with gutterals , brings texture and interest to the sounds, giving the poem a depth of
contrast in various stanzas.

Meter
There is no set regular meter in this poem although tetrameter, four beats per line, and pentameter
lines dominate, especially pentameter, five beats per line. This steady core parallels the action of the
digger, steady and without extremes.

The opening lines are iambic tetrameter, with four stresses in each line:
Between / my fin / ger and / my thumb
The squat / pen rests; / snug as / a gun.
But note the trochees (2nd line, 2nd and 3rd feet) which together with the semi-colon pauses the
reader and places stress on pen and snug.
Pentameters follow in lines 3 and 4:
Under / my win / dow, a / clean rasp / ing sound
When the / spade sinks / into / gravel / ly ground.
Both lines have five feet and a mix of iambic, trochaic and spondaic. The spondees bring force to the
words—clean rasp and spade sinks - and, especially in line 4, combine with trochees to bring assertive
action as the spade does its work.
Shorter lines tend to slow things down, so note that stanzas 2,3,5 and 8 end with short lines to reflect
the slowing down of the spadework being observed.
Poetic and Literary Devices
 Metaphor: The pen is the spade, the speaker declaring that he will use the pen to dig with,
leaving behind the tool of his forefathers, the farmer's spade. Throughout the poem, Heaney
employs metaphors to draw parallels between digging and his own craft as a poet. For
example, he compares the pen to a gun, suggesting the power and precision of his writing.
This metaphorical connection adds depth to the poem's exploration of identity and heritage.
 Alliteration: There are several examples of alliteration, which enhances the sound and brings
variety and interest to the reader: spade sinks/ gravelly ground . . . tall tops/buried the
bright . . . squelch and slap . . . curt cuts. Alliteration, or the repetition of consonant sounds, is
employed by Heaney to create rhythm and emphasis. For example, in the line "The cold smell
of potato mould, the squelch and slap", the repetition of the "s" and "p" sounds draws
attention to the sensory experience of digging.
 Repetition: Repeating certain words and phrases in a poem gives the reader a clear message
of importance and emphasis. It can also be an echo of the action taking place, in this case, that
of digging, which is most definitely repetitive. So look out for the words: digging . . . spade . .
. down . . . men . . . turf . . . and the first line and a half . . . Between my finger and my
thumb/The squat pen rests.
 Onomatopia: Words that sound like what they mean—for example: squelch/slap/soggy.
 Imagery: Heaney uses vivid imagery to depict the scenes of digging and farming. Lines like
"The squat pen rests; snug as a gun" and "Between my finger and my thumb / The squat pen
rests; snug as a gun" evoke strong visual images, making the act of digging and writing
tangible to the reader.
 Simile: Heaney uses similes to enhance the reader's understanding of the actions and objects
in the poem. For instance, he compares the sound of the spade hitting gravel to "a clean
rasping sound / When the spade sinks into gravelly ground." This simile not only creates an
auditory image but also emphasizes the physicality of the digging process.
 Enjambment: Heaney uses enjambment, or the continuation of a sentence without a pause
beyond the end of a line, to maintain the poem's fluidity and momentum. This technique
mirrors the continuous motion of digging and reflects the speaker's stream of consciousness
as he reflects on his family's legacy.
 Symbolism: The act of digging serves as a powerful symbol throughout the poem,
representing not only physical labor but also the deeper excavation of memory and identity.
By exploring his familial roots through the metaphor of digging, Heaney delves into themes
of tradition, heritage, and the passage of time.
 Repetition: Heaney repeats certain phrases and images throughout the poem for emphasis
and thematic resonance. For example, the repetition of "Between my finger and my thumb"
reinforces the connection between the speaker's physical actions and his poetic aspirations.
 Irony: There is a subtle irony in the poem, as Heaney contrasts the physical labor of his
ancestors with his own intellectual pursuits. While his father and grandfather excel at digging,
he chooses to "dig" with his pen. This irony underscores the complexity of the speaker's
relationship with his family's legacy and his own identity as a writer.

Conclusion
Overall, through the skillful use of these literary and poetic devices, Heaney crafts a poignant and
introspective poem that explores themes of tradition, identity, and the creative process.

Written by: Javeriya Khan

Roll No: 2001
Dept: English literature and Language
Session 2020-2024
Semester: Eighth