When the poem ‘Digging’ begins Heaney is not doing anything. It seems as if he is waiting for inspiration. In the second line, there is a strange simile; "The squat pen rests; snug as a gun". This is strange because "snug" is a comfortable word which suggests he is comfortable with his writing, but gun is a powerful and dangerous. In many ways words are powerful especially in hands of those who can use them well, they allow people to communicate and express their feeling which can be good but also bad as ‘disputes’ and bad communication can cause hurt and pain which can lead to even worse situations such as war.
In the poem ‘Follower’ Heaney looks up to his father in a physical sense, because he is so much smaller than his father, but he also looks up to him in a metaphorical sense. This is made clear by the poet’s careful choice of words. An example of this is in the lines, ‘His eye narrowed and angled at the ground, mapping the furrows exactly.’ These words effectively suggest his father’s skill and precision. The poem has several developed metaphors, such as the child's following in his father's footsteps and wanting to be like him. The father is sturdy while the child falls - his feet are not big enough for him to be steady on the uneven land.
The last line of ‘Digging’, "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 with a pen appears in my head. This makes me very puzzled but it is also thought provoking which is my opinion how a good poem should be.
"Digging" is, however, a definite memorial to Heaney's admiration of his father and grandfather. In the end we see his comparison of what the creative art that is writing and the turf digging of his father's time which additionally is art too, concluding that he is following in his father's footsteps, creating ‘art’ just a different form.
The poem ‘Follower’ ends with –
‘It is my father who keeps stumbling
Behind me, and will not go away.’
This shows that the roles have reversed he no longer has to ‘follow’ his father instead his father follows him now. Heaney uses enjambment to emphasize words this makes us remember them and we are able to reflect on the poem even after we have finished reading it. In a way it feels like Heaney resents his father, the phrase ‘he will not go away’ makes me feel that he does not want his father with him.
In conclusion I think Follower and Digging is some of Heaney’s best work, he really reflects on his relationship with his father. I think in a way Heaney feels like his father is not proud of him as he didn’t follow his footsteps and because of this he constantly writes about it. This makes me contemplate on my relationship with my father and how this can all change as I grow up.