Digging Essay

Nidhi Ranjalkar English 10 Block E Ms. Wilkins 30/08/2012 shaft The rime digging is the first in poet Seamus Heaneys collection Death of a Naturalist (1966). This meter has a free structure, which al utters the poet to express his ghosts of compliment and the value of his as well as his ancestors operate.The poet may not be following his father and grandfathers footsteps in the area of construct which is potato gardening but that doesnt mean he does not respect, value and take pride in the work that they did. This poem clearly reflects the complex feelings of a son who has chosen to break away from the family tradition and formulate a new path for himself. The author talks about the familys potato farm. Through this poem he shows respect and pride towards their work. He succeeds by painting a scene using dissimilar types of imagery.He uses optic, auditory, olfactory and tactile imageries to paint a picture. This technique makes readers feel present as if they had just step ped into the damp potato field. The title Digging refers to the act of toilsome labour. The reader can immediately picture a scene of a man hard at work digging the ground. Seamus Heaney is not a farmer. He does not dig the ground for potatoes nor does he work in the hot fields every day. He is an author who uses his pen to dig deep into his surroundings, deep into the emotions and convey them through his writing.Heaney starts off the poem by comparing his pen to a gun. He uses this image to convey the idea of the pen is mightier than the sword. He uses this visual imagery to tell his readers that he uses his pen, as his ancestors used their spade, to make a living. Also by the key The squat pen rests, as snug as a gun, we get a feeling that Heaney likes his work and doesnt mind earning his living by writing. Digging in the hot fields is no well-to-do task. It is tiring, frustrating and tough.Heaney understands this and to show it he uses words like gravely ground and operose rump where he emphasizes on the adjectives like gravely and staining. When he says Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds, Bends low we can visualize an old man with a heavy spade in his hand, sweating, bending low, straining his back, digging. He uses that line to explain how hard his father worked and this line also reflects a bit of his pride for his father who worked tirelessly in the farms every day.Heaney also uses olfactory imagery to give the readers a feeling of the scene. The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap of soggy peat emanates an odor of potato mould, soggy peat and it helps cipher the scene to understand the poem. By doing this Heaney manages to bring the scene alive and the reader feels as if he is standing(a) near the potato field can smell these odors and the readers face immediately scrunches up in disgust.Heaney also uses tactile imagery to give us a sense of touch which helps us to make a connection. Loving their cool hardness in our hands shows the readers that he and his ancestors are quenched with their work and take pleasure in doing it. The poet talks about loving the cool hardness of the potatoes in his hands. It also shows us the sense of happiness and satisfaction experienced by the father and the grandfather aft(prenominal) their work has been done and successfully completed. Digging by Seamus Heaney is a poem based on the diverse work line between the past and the present generations and the value of hard work and determination for both work whether it is ours or not. The poet uses all these imageries to paint a clear scene in our minds which makes us care for the poem better. It also gives us a better understanding of what the poet is trying to say. Through his use of imagery, Heaney communicates his ancestors determination, the advantages of hard work and the importance of loyalty to ones family.