Generations Apart

“Digging” by Seamus Heaney tells the story of work and dedication to a family tradition, planting and harvesting potatoes. With further observation, it is apparent that Seamus Heaney is the voice of the poem. He is narrating his own personal tale of admiration and appreciation. He starts out recognizing himself as a writer, “Between my finger and my thumb/ The squat pen rests; snug as a gun”, which corresponds with his occupation, and goes on to recognize his father and his grandfather as potato farmers. Although the apparent separation of generations is present and potent, the true and deeper meaning lies in the high regard that Heaney feels for the men that have forged the path before him.

A key element of “Digging” that revealed itself to me was the blurred use of time. Although three generations of men are being intricately described and observed, the line between each is not obvious. A solid union between the grandfather and father is present when Heaney says, “I look down/ Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds/ Bends low, comes up twenty years away/ Stooping in rhythm through potato drills/ Where he was digging”. The word “rhythm” creates the image of the father and the grandfather performing the same tasks with the same methods although they are a generation of time apart. The indistinguishable portrayals of the father and the grandfather set the stage for Heaney to reveal his own personal form of digging. The only line that seems to be obvious is that of Heaney himself. He does not dig with a shovel, instead, he digs with his pen, “Between my finger and my thumb/ The squat pen rests./ I’ll dig with it”. He will devote the same passion to his writing as his father and his grandfather has devoted to their, literal, digging. The word “digging” as it is used in this poem does not match its formal denotation, but instead stands for the zeal and fervor with which the men of the Heaney family have assigned to their lives, whatever occupation they have chosen. The tradition of potato farming is present, but the hard work is even more recognizably a custom in this family.

Digging is a poem of freedom and liberation from family traditions while continuing to keep ties to the past. Fitting with the idea of independence, Heaney wrote his poem in free verse. He begins the poem with a rhyme scheme, but as the story of his family is revealed and he begins to identify with the men of his past, the poem loosens to allow the speaker to use whatever words he desires. Free verse poems do not have rhyme or meter, but are still recognized as a cohesive body of poetry. There are few rules in free verse. This form of poetry fits snuggly with the idea the Heaney begins to recognize his own sense of freedom while still respecting his father and his grandfather. This casual presentation hits the reader on a personal level that allows a deep connection to occur as we all have traditions in our families that can be defined from many perspectives.

Seamus Heaney is proud of his family’s tradition. By the end of the poem, he believes that if he listens to his heart and respects his true desires, his family will be proud of him for whatever it is that he dedicates his life to. Although a personal recollection of memories, Heaney’s idea of breaking out of tradition and creating his own life and career will always be current and universal. (617)


Discussion Questions:

1.) How many different definition of the word "digging" are present in the poem?

2.) By the end of the poem, is the author sound with the idea of breaking away from the family's tradition?

3.) In the last stanza of the poem what is the significance of the line "I'll dig with it"?

4.) Do you think that his father will accept his writing as a branch of the family's tradition?