Another relationship between the two poems is that both authors are contemplating certain issues which they have concluded by the closing stages of the poem. It is possible that the conclusion for one issue may had been reached already by the poet at the beginning of ‘Digging’ but it is not finalized until the end. The issue this writer has is that of failure, it is clear that the poet holds an immense amount of respect for his elders and their specialized abilities but possibly has felt as if he never lived up to their expectations because his skills lay elsewhere, with the ‘pen’. He is proud of his forefathers and boasts that his “grandfather cut more turf in a day than any other man”. So the fundamental idea of the poem besides writers block, in this case, is that of acceptance, acceptance that his future does not lie in farming with “men like them”, whatever he may wish and acceptance of himself and his own personal identity.
‘The Thought-Fox’ on the other hand can be simply interpreted as just the breakthrough of writers block, by the last stanza the writer has successfully completed a page of writing, and the problem is solved. The issue of not having the ideas or imagination to write has been solved by an epiphany, a dramatic influx of ideas which could have been influenced by nature.
One of the clearly defined similarities between these two poems ideas is that they in actuality are investigating the same key matter, writers block. This leads onto the structure and the form of the two poems, which are both quite different. ‘The Thought-Fox’ has a more clearly defined arrangement within the poem, it follows an order, and it has a beginning, middle and an end. Where ‘Digging’ does not, it is the reminiscences of the poet as he sat thinking on what to write and has no noticeably regular format apart from specific repetition.
The major similarity between the two poems structure is that they both have distinct stanzas, neither are continuous free verse and both are aligned to the left hand side. One other significant point is that they both have considerably shorter lines for the very last line, this gives emphasis to the line and shows the importance of the information it is giving. The most noticeable difference between the two poems is that they do not both have regular stanzas; ‘The Though Fox’ has regular stanzas of four lines where ‘Digging’ has stanzas of varied lengths.
Language is another aspect of poems that needs to be closely analysed because a different use of language could change the tone of a poem or even its meaning for anyone reading the poem. The likeness of the two poems is that they both use a range of poetic language to create the poem, to give a certain effect. Both poems use metaphors within themselves to create a picture, such as that of the ‘clock’s loneliness’ in ‘The Thought-Fox’ and the fact that ‘living roots awaken’ within the poets head in ‘Digging’. The fox itself in ‘The Thought-Fox’ is a continuous metaphor for thoughts.
One other way in which Seamus Heaney used language for poetic effect in ‘Digging’ is through his use of well known clichés. He talks about how he “has no spade” to follow men like his father but how he has his pen and “will dig with it” instead. The association is also made between his pen and a gun and the beginning of the poem and this is a equivalent to the truism “the pen is mightier than the sword”.
A common idea to both poems is the use of the senses to stimulate the reader. Descriptions to kindle the senses in ‘Digging’ include “a lean rasping sound” for hearing, “cool hardness” for touch, “the cold smell of potato mould” and in ‘The Though-Fox’ the “sudden sharp hot stink of fox”. For the sense of sight the Heaney could see his father digging in the flowerbeds below his window and Hughes could see no stars from the window.
Other similarities between the two poems and their use of language are that they both also use such devices as onomatopoeia (“squelch” and “slap” ) and repetition of certain words (‘now’ and ‘squat pen’) or phrases at the end of the poem to stress their importance. This helps to complete the poem, to bring it back to where it started. Enjambment is prominent in each poem and is part of its structure it helps the poem to flow when read aloud. Also each poet uses language figuratively to help promote a reaction and a response from the reader. To particularly good effect is the fifth stanza from ‘The Though-Fox’. “A widening deepening greenness” could be literally referring to the melting of the snow but it could also be metaphorically talking about the blankness fading from the mind which is likened to snow, to create an effective imagine within the readers mind of how the poet overcame his writers block. Incidentally the use of non literal language makes the poem infinitely more engrossing than the pure recital of facts. The ‘angry sun’ as opposed to just ‘the sun’ is more likely to appeal to an emotion.
One of the principle differences in language is that ‘Digging’ uses alliteration for the highlighting of particular words internally (such as “gravely ground”), while ‘The Thought-Fox’ uses assonance which is the emphasis of the vowel sounds instead of the consonants and they are in couplets at the end if every second line (“alive” and “move”). Also this poem uses imagery as a successful way to create a portrayal of the scene the poet wishes to set, even if it is meant metaphorically or could have an ambiguous meaning. There is a use of some colloquial language in ‘Digging’ also, when Seamus Heaney is showing his awe and respect for his ancestors, which helps create a connection with the reader.
Neither poem has any rhyme scheme that is noticeable but the use of assonance at the end of the line in ‘The Thought-Fox’ make it seem, until you read the poem aloud, that it could possible rhyme, but it is the repetition of particular vowel sounds that gives this impression. There is the use of half-rhyme and the rhyming of certain words for emphasis in each poem. In ‘Digging’ the first five line rhyme but it does not remain consistent through out the hole piece of poetry.
There is again no clearly defined rhythm but each poem has sections which have rhythm and sections without. Of particular note is the third stanza of ‘The Though-fox’ which seems to be an anomaly. This stanza not only has a regular rhythm of eight syllables to a line, it also has one line ending in ‘leaf’ which does not have any assonance that is similar to the other lines. The reason for this is maybe to draw attention to the moment at which the poets’ ideas begin to flow and links back with the structure of the poem.
In emulation of these two poems I finish with;
My thoughts are still not firm
Inside the cavernous hole of head.
Yet to hold a concrete form,
Trying to escape from me instead.
Yet in time, their time will come,
The storm of thoughts will calm,
And from cave pour forth, to become,
An essay held within welcoming arms.
