Explore the ways in which Follower and Digging, by Seamus Heaney are looking back. How does the poet communicate his thoughts and feelings by the words and Images he uses?

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English Coursework                                                            Vicky Maberley – S11K

EXPLORE THE WAYS IN WHICH “FOLLOWER” AND “DIGGING” (BY SEAMUS HEANEY) ARE “LOOKING BACK”. HOW DOES THE POET COMMUNICATE HIS THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS BY THE WORDS AND IMAGES HE USES?

These two poems, “Follower” and “Digging” are both about sons looking at memories of their fathers. Both fathers work in manual labour. In “Digging” the father works in the garden, and in “Following”, the father works with a horse plough.

In “Digging”, Seamus Heaney looks back at memories of his father and grandfather at work. He starts his voyage into the past after hearing the “rasping” sound of his father digging in the earth. This is one of the many uses of onomatopoeia in this poem to convey images of his father and grandfather at work. His descriptions make us believe that they were destined for this career, “the coarse boot nestled on the lug”. Seamus Heaney also uses alliteration like “curt cuts” to give us a clearer image of what it is like to watch his father and grandfather work.

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In “Follower”, the father works with a horse plough. The start of the poem is different from “Digging”, as it starts already looking at the past, with no introduction. The words “horse plough” show us this is not a poem set in modern times. Seamus Heaney talks again of the strain that the father and the horses he guided felt. He says, “the sweating team turned round”. In this poem Heaney does not use as many onomatopoeic words as in “Digging”. Also, some lines flow into other, which breaks up the rhythm of the poem.

Although both ...

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