When analysing ‘Follower’, we see clearly the respect, and how he idolises his father. In the first few lines, it becomes apparent how he wants to grow up and be like his father. “My father worked as a horse-plough”, which tells us clearly and direct what he does. Heaney is constantly stating how strong and powerful his father is, “his shoulders globed like a full sail strung between the shafts and the furrow.” These lines assess how strong he is, the image given to us gives the impression that he is a sailing boat. When comparing him to a sailing boat, this is not the only nautical reference. His shoulders are described as being rounded, like the sail of a ship. Also “the sod rolled over without breaking, emphising a wave, which is about to break. When Heaney is described as “mapping the furrow exactly,” the word mapping, could also possible refer to a navigation ship. I believe Heaney uses these references about ships to state his father is strong, powerful and unstoppable. Also that line refers to how skilled his father is, the word ‘exactly’ says that his father is so good at his job, that he takes pride in his word, to do it good. Other references to his being skilled are shown throughout the poem. “The horses strained at his clicking tongue”, “with a single pluck of the reins,” these lines tells us that he can control the horses really well, and they respond to him, by a simple noise, or by a small tug on the reins. He has full control over them. In the next verse, he quite plainly and simply tells us how good his father is, “An expert.” His ‘broad shadow’ and ‘the sweating team’ all signal his great strength. Heaney tells us that his father lets him ride on his back, which also tells us how strong his dad is. In these lines, he is attempting to convey that his idol (father) is very strong, powerful, skilled and he wants to grow up and be like him. He lacks his father’s skill, which he desperately wanted.
In the last verse, the roles are reversed and Heaney is giving us the impression that he is now working, but I don’t think that is the case; “it is my father who keeps stumbling behind us, and will not go away”. I believe that his father is not literally behind him, but his memory, maybe because in ‘Digging’ he doesn’t follow his fathers tradition, he is feeling guilty, for choosing to write, he cannot live up to his fathers level of skill.
In the second poem, Heaney is a young adult around the age of 18 to 19 years old. He is making a decision as to what he wants to do when he is older. His mind is caught between following the family tradition or completing what his brain has set out to do; write. Heaney is just at working age, the poem opens when Heaney describes his pen as a gun sitting in his hand. “Snug as a gun”. The simile suggests the pen belongs in his hand but it is a weapon capable of killing off his family tradition.
Heaney gives us a precise location; he says his father is under his bedroom window. “Under my window a clean rasping sound”. This is a nice word to express the sound of a spade cutting through fresh soil. The use of the spade is shown in a repetition, which gives us the idea that the spade is not just an object but also an important tool in the family’s history and future. “Gravely ground” to tell us where his father is. We are told quite plainly and simply that he is under his window digging.
Verse 3 is a lot about his dad working which is repeated from ‘Follower’.
Heaney put this verse in to tell us that even though his father has aged he still works very hard. A lot of verbs are also used in this verse. All the verbs have significance with working. “Straining rump – stooping in rhythm”.
From lines 10 onwards Heaney’s father is still working – working for his family we are told. “To scatter new potatoes that we picked”. We is a significant word in that line. It seems that he did enjoy helping his father, which makes us think if writing is really his passion or helping his dad was just a game he used to play as a child.
The next two verses are very easy to analyse. His pride in his father also dates back to his grandfather. We are told that his father did follow the family tradition, as his grandfather was also a hard worker. Heaney actually boasts about his pride in his father and grandfather’s skill. He yet again tells us how skilled they are “By God the old man could handle a spade, just like his old man”. “My grandfather cut more turf in one day than any other man on ‘toners bog’”. Heaney again gives us a location in “Follower” but Heaney’s father acknowledges him, but not for long. In “Digging” Heaney recalls a memory of taking his grandfather some milk. He drinks it and then gets back to work immediately. This was a happy memory of his grandfather, in which it shows his grandfather’s dedication to working.
In the next verse they are both described to be very skilled and similar. Then Heaney changes the tone of the poem and states, “I’ve no spade to follow men like them.” By stating this we are told that his mind is made up. The skill that he once wanted has drifted away from him and his ambitions are clearly no longer in digging but in writing. “Between my finger and my thumb the squat pen rests, I’ll dig with it”.
The relationship between Heaney and his father changed from poem to poem when he is at different ages. As a child in “Follower” Heaney obviously idolises his father and wants to be just like him, he is constantly saying how skilled he is and how he wishes to be like him. “All I did was follow”. His father knows he is there and only occasionally stops work to play with his young son. I think even though Heaney is lacking his father’s skill he still has a lot of respect that he is trying and is there with him at work.
When Heaney is an adult in “Digging” he is thinking and learning from his own thoughts and is realising that his heart is not in carrying on his family’s tradition but to write. “I’ve no spade to follow men like them”. Heaney still realises the hard work and skill that his father puts into work and appreciates it. I think Heaney’s father realised that from his son as a young child, that he would not follow his tradition. From the moment he was “tripping, falling I was a nuisance”. Heaney wishes he could finish the tradition but obviously can’t. His love is in writing.