Another aspect of country life is expressed by Heaney in his words like “grow up and plough” and “follow in his broad shadow” . This aspect refers to the bonds between people, and in this case, they are great. Heaney wanted to grow up and plough like his father, and so we can extract from this that country life was fun at times, but it was really about families, because it can get lonely on a farm in the middle of nowhere. The images in these lines, such as “stumbled in his hob-nailed wake” can be seen by the reader as quite funny, but they also give them an idea of the life in the country, where the children tend to grow up and follow in their father’s footsteps. However, here, it is clear to see that Heaney is not just describing any father-son relationship, but a very special one, and Heaney is seen to be very much in awe of his father, “All I ever did was follow...”. This serves to illustrate more the skill of the father because later on in the poem, Heaney says that “I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, yapping always” and for the father to produce such perfect work in the face of provocation shows the reader that, through the image of a small boy tagging along, country life can be very trying at times.
Lastly in “Follower”, Heaney says “It is my father who keeps stumbling behind me, and will not go away”. This tells the reader that on a farm, and in the close-knit communities of country areas in general, there is a much larger sense of family, and even though Heaney’s father may be a nuisance now, because of the strong bonds that exist on the farm, he is not send off to a retirement home, but kept as a family member. This image is very poignant.
This poem serves to show the reader that life in the country can be difficult at times, but to reap the rewards, you have to work very hard first. It also has themes about the relationship between father and son in the country and especially on farms.
In “The Early Purges” Heaney uses words such as “drown”, “trapped”, “snared”, “shot” or “tug” to describe the various ways in which animals are killed on the farm. These words show that country life could be brutal because it was not necessarily enjoyable to kill these animals, but it was something that had to be done. The images which he uses here, such as “with a sickening tug, pulled old hens’ necks.” are not pleasant, but they are certainly very effective because the reader immediately knows what is going on, and can relate to both sides of the argument, i.e. Taggart and the young Heaney.
Country life is seen here through the eyes of the young Heaney as brutal and unfair on the animals, “Dan Taggart pitched them [the kittens]...into a bucket”. However, the words which Heaney uses are very clever, because the reader does not necessarily side with Heaney. The arguments put up by Dan Taggart, such as “Sure isn’t it better for them now?” are seen to be reasonable later on in the poem when Heaney says “It makes sense”. The images which he uses, however, encourage the reader to sympathise with Heaney, such as “Suddenly frightened, for days I sadly hung round the yard” where we picture this small boy frightened at the power of adults over the poor helpless animals.
Country life is seen as one of change, because of the transition from thinking of animals being killed as brutal, to thinking that they are pests and “have to be kept down”, but this change is set against the stationary town life, to provide an interesting contrast in the poem. Country life here is portrayed as very different from what townspeople think. “They consider death unnatural” and the constant arguments which they have, such as “‘Prevention of cruelty’ talk cuts ice in town” heighten the readers perception of country life.:
This poem again, like “Follower” shows that life in the country can be very difficult, especially if you have to kill small animals, but if you work hard, then the farm will run better.
In “Digging”, country life is portrayed in a slightly different way to in all the others. The skill which some people have to work on a farm is focused on in this poem, and also the theme of relationships on the farm is brought back in. Heaney’s father has great skill when it comes to digging, “levered firmly” and “By God, the old man could handle a spade”. This shows the reader that country life is not all easy, and even to work on a farm, you need to have quite a lot of skill. The images produced by these words are very effective because they give the reader a picture of a man who is not only digging, but doing it with immense skill, which is not something which we usually associate with a job like that. This means that we concentrate more, and, like Heaney, we are more in awe of his father.
This poem is also about the admiration and respect which Heaney shows towards his father. The words such as “straining” show that Heaney’s father was working very hard, as he did not break very often because he “stooped in rhythm”. It is these words which conjure up such image of Heaney’s father never stopping unless he has finished a job, so the images produced are very effective, because they help us to understand the young boy’s admiration for his father. Country life is therefore seen as difficult, but there is also the family element too. Heaney wants to be like his father, but the difference between this poem and “Follower” is that Heaney realises that he has “no spade to follow men like them.
The continuation of farming from Heaney’s grandfather, to Heaney’s father, “the old man could handle a spade. Just like his old man” shows the reader that country life is very family orientated, and professions are often carried down from father to son. The images of Heaney’s father being taught to dig by his father are very powerful and effective, because they show the reader the strong bonds between people on a farm, and in country life generally.
The last line, “The squat pen rests. I’ll dig with it.” show that in the country, it is often expected that people like Heaney will follow in their father’s footsteps, but Heaney is seen here to choose to be a writer. The image of Heaney digging out his memories with pen are very effective because the reader can visualise the likeness between poetry and farming. However, the image is also a surprise, because Heaney says in “Follower” that he wants to be like his father, but here he has changed his mind.
This poem, like the other two, has main themes, and they are very similar to the others. It is all about the hard work involved in running a farm, the relationship between the father and son, and the expectation that profession and skills will be carried on throughout the family.