Both poems have many similarities and differences in which Heaney presents family feelings, although in both poems, his father is shown as a man of great skill and strength internally and externally. In 'Digging', Heaney shows that his father has internal strength as he "look down/ Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds/ Bends low." At that time his father was old when he looked down and he describes him 'straining' to dig. This shows that he greatly admires his father for his determination as a man of great age that is still carrying on with his family tradition. By writing this way, he shows that his feeling towards his father is very strong and that he greatly admires his father for his determination. Also, Heaney tried to show that there are so many positive things about him that he gives an impression that he forgets that he is writing a poem and is talking to the reader by the use of colloquial "By God, the old man could handle a spade." As an effect, Heaney emphasises the point that his father has great skill with a spade and by using "By God"; to an extent he is deifying his father with this cliché. The use of this strong rhetorical statement is very effective as it gives a clear image in the reader's mind that his father is a very skilled man.
This image of his father is also present in 'Follower', when he clearly admires the skill of his father's "Clicking Tongue" that controls the horses. He described him as "An Expert" which clearly shows that he has a strong relationship with his father as well as presenting his father as a highly skilled man rather than a simple farmer. This is hinted by the large amount of marine-type words used in the poem, such as "Dipping and rising" like a ship out in the sea. "Mapping the furrow" which could be compared to someone carefully navigating a ship, which is confirmed with the following word "exactly". This show that his father was a very precise man and that he knows his place very well. "His shoulders globed like a full sail strung" which is similar to the sails of a ship that shows strength and stability. All these hints tell us that the father was very skilled in the poet's eyes, as he continuously compares his father to the characteristics and properties of the sea that is shown to be strong and powerful as well as being an experienced farmer. Heaney also emphasises the point that his father had power by giving the impression that his father had control effortlessly by a "single pluck/ Of reins" or by his "clicking tongue" over the horses which were described as the "sweating team". The way he compared the horses to a 'Sweating team' is very effective as it gives an impression that the horses are very strong but his father could control such a strong "team" that easily which shows control. This illustrates that he has a deep admiration for his father as well as portraying his father as an influential character which made him "wanted to grow up and plough" like his father, but instead all he "ever did was follow".
In both poems, the poet shows the relation between his father and him as a very strong and that the young Seamus was very influenced by his father's work. The father is shown from a man of great control, from his 'clicking tongue' to a man of who is good for his job, such as horse ploughing ("An Expert") and 'Digging' (" the old man could handle a spade") Overall, Heaney shows that he had a strong relation with his father and that he admired him greatly for his skill.
The poet makes it clear that he cannot follow his ancestors traditions as he has "no spade to follow men like them" but he would dig with his pen in which he views it as something more powerful than the spade. The pen is compared to a gun in "Digging" which it shows that although it is small/short ("Squat"), it can still make a big impact and that it suits him best rather than to farm. It is also compared to a gun due to it fitting to his hand perfectly which shows that he believes that writing "fits" his life as he was the first one in his family to go to university, which shows change in the family. Effectively, he is still carrying on his family tradition, as his ancestors were constructive by digging, he would be constructive with his pen. By doing this, Heaney also shows out the dignity and skill in the Irish labour, as stereotypically, Irishmen are well known for digging.
This is also shown in 'Follower' when the poet says that it is his "father, who keeps stumbling/ Behind". Obviously, the father is not physical behind him but is metaphorically behind him as he stills carry on with farming while Heaney becomes more 'updated' by writing. The last two sentences in 'Follower' shows that Seamus Heaney may have some kind of guilt for not following his family tradition, as he says that his father "will not go away" when he is behind him, in which the father may act as a shadow of his family tradition which he changed that follows him eternally. This gives an impression that he may have a guilty conscience about not farming like his past ancestors or that he feels that he cannot live up to his father's example. As well as that, when read, the word 'Stumbling' seems to have a rhythm along with the rest of the line that helps Heaney to emphasis that word. Furthermore, the use of the word 'Stumble' is very effective as to a large extent it is an onomatopoeia. It is also present when Heaney says he "stumbles in his hob-nailed wake". This shows that Heaney feels inferior against his father, which makes the conclusion of the poem very dramatic as Seamus Heaney is in front of his father at the end.
In "Digging", Heaney also shows that although he changes the family tradition because he has 'no spade to follow men like them', he will still dig with his pen to praise the works by his ancestors. When he wrote that "Through living roots awaken" in his head, although, it seems to refer to the peat from the previous line "Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge", although it is metaphorically referring to the roots of his family, this shows that although he cannot match "men like them", he will dig into the past of his family with his pen and praise it. Through this, Heaney shows that he has a strong passion for the work of his ancestors. Heaney also seems to remind himself about this as he repeats; "Between my finger and my thumb/ The squat pen rests" from the beginning to the end. Although on the last line, he added "I'll Dig with it". This shows determination from the writer and the use of the rhetoric is very powerful as persuades the reader that he will do a good job of writing and that he seems to be confident in himself.
From these two poems, we can tell that Heaney has a strong passion for his father and his ancestors for the work they had done. He uses many skills such as changing the number of lines in stanzas as well as the use of onomatopoeia to help him emphasis his point to the readers that makes it particularly effective.
