Digging By Seamus Heaney

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the poet is writing directly to the reader. Making it a more 'in touch' and personal poem to subjects that we can relate to. In this case. Having a respect for your Father or your heritage.

The poems opening line, in a simple, complete one line statement, conveys the impression of the poet talking to us directly and also sets a 'snapshot' of time for the reader:

"Between my finger and my thumb/The squat pen rests; snug as a gun"

This opening line focuses our attention to the fact that this is set in present time. It is as if the opening lines in the first stanza is creating the beginning of his memories being told by the poet.

When Seamus Heaney uses the word "gun" in relation to his "pen." The author uses this simile "gun" to express his relief that he can use his pen instead of a gun as a weapon. It shows a new belief that you do not have to use violence to achieve your goal.

Seamus Heaney is careful n choosing the word "gun" - almost a starting point in what else that ...

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retained too much water, resulting in the potato crop rotting. The message in just this word 'gravelly' is to the reader and the way that Seamus Heaney uses ambiguity, it is to educate the reader of the hardship that these farmers had to go through under the English oppressive rule. This is an example of how a pen can be a weapon.

In the third stanza where Heaney uses "twenty years" he is watching his Father digging in the flowerbeds, this brings back memories of his father working in the potato filed. This memory is what the author is choosing to document in order to give the reader a 'sense of time' and taking the reader with his memories. Going back to the point made that ...

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