comparing Follower and Digging

Memories and family tradition in 'Follower' and 'Digging'





How Heaney shows expertise of father and grandfather

Heaney shows expertise of his Father and Grandfather in both ‘Digging’ and ‘Follower’ by saying ‘than any other man’ in Digging. He also says ‘an expert’ in Follower.

Feelings toward family

Heaney shows a number of feelings towards his Father. In Follower he shows admiration, you can see this by ‘I wanted to grow up and plough’ which shows that he wants to follow in his fathers footstep. In Digging he feels as if he hasn't got the skills to follow in his fathers footsteps.

 

Family tradition

 

In Digging the faily tradition is that they all follow in the fathers footsteps except Heaney, as they were all manual workers except Heaney who is using his pen. However in Follower the family tradition is that he wants to grow up to be just like his father.

 

Momories recalled

 

In Follower the memories recalled are about how he used to follow his father and admire him and want to do what he does when he grows older, this is similar in Digging as he wants to be like his father.

Seamus Heaney - Follower

Video of Follower

Questions

1)a) By saying 'his shoulders globed like a full sail strung' it is showing the strength and skill of Heaney's father as it is making him seem tall and braud and adapted to what he is doing like a sail is adapted to what it is doing.

1)b) By saying 'the horses strained at his clicking song' it is showing the strength and skill of Heaney's father as it is making him look as if he is in control of the horse and can control them with the simplest of movements.

1)c) By saying 'with a single pluck/Of reins, the sweating team turned around' it is showing the strength and skill of Heaney's father by showing that he is in control of the 'team' and has the ability to make them carry on and do what he wants them to do no matter how tired and slackish they get.

1)d) By saying 'dipping and rising to his plod' it is showing the strength and skill of Heaney's father as he is in control of Seamus Heaney and is keeping him following in his tracks. It is also using an extended metaphor as it is comparing the farm to a sea with the ground uneven like waves and the father is stearing the plow like a ship

2)a) By saying 'i stumbled in his hob-nailed wake' is saying young Heaney is following in his fathers footsteps.

2)b) 'I was a nuisance, tripping, falling/ yapping always' is saying young Heaney is craving attention from his father and being clumsy although his father was content of working and young Heaney was being a hinderance.

3) The young Heaney reminds me of a young horse trying to find his feet and looking to his father for guidance and what to do.

4)  The last two and a half lines shows that Heaney and his father have changed places and Heaney's father is following him whilst Heaney is trying to do his job but his father is craving care and attention.

Seamus Heaney - Digging

Reading for meaning

1) At the start of the poem, Seamus Heaney is looking out of his window.

2) The sight of his father digging in the lower bed reminds him of twenty years ago when he watched his father digging for potatoes .

3) The writer also associates his Grandad with the skill at digging.

4) The memory of him bringing a bottle of milk to him, he stood up, drank it, and went back to work

5) The writer decides to use his skill of writing rather than following his father and Grandfathers footsteps. as he believes they have talent/passion in what they do and he has talent/passion for what he does.

First Impressions

1) The poem is about how much he respects his father and grandfather and for what they do to make meats end. Also it is about how much he would like to grow up like them, he is more of a writer than a grafter.

2) The words or phrases that stuck the most are 'as snug as a gun' as it is comparing his pen to a gun and saying that it is his weapon and his pen is as powerful as a gun. And he is as comfortable with a pen than someone with a gun.

3) Heaney is different from his father as he respects him and wants to be like him but in the same sense he wants to be his own person and wants to write instead of graft.

Seamus Heaney Digging

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIzJgbNANzk

Introduction

This is my blog for my english lit course we are studying: Seamus Heaney, Gillian Clarke and Pre 1914