Seamus Heaney Digging.

At the beginning of the poem, the writer is sat at his window, looking out at his father digging the flowerbeds.

The sight of his father digging reminds him of twenty years ago, when he watched his father dig for potato's.

Heaney also associates the skill of digging with his grandfather.

Seamus remembers the time when he carried milk to his grandfather whilst he was digging, once he had drank the milk he got straight back to work.

By the end of the poem, Heaney decided that although he admired his father and grandfather for the skill they had for digging, he wants to be a writer, this is what he is passionate for.

This poem is about Seamus Heaney watching his father dig, and remembering how when he was younger he watched his grandfather dig, this tradition has followed on. Although Heaney admires his father and grandfather, he dosent he has a good enough talent to carry on this tradition, he feels his talent lies with writing. 

The words or phrase which struck me most were  'The squat pen rests; snug as a gun', this phrase tells us that Heaney is holding his pen, the words snug as a gun suggests that his pen is powerful, it fits comfortably in his hand, the pen is supposed to be there. It then says 'The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft, against the inside knee was levered firmly', this phrase is connected to the first, it is saying that the spade is powerful when his father uses it, it fits comfortably against his leg, like the pen, the spade is supposed to be there.

Heaney is different from his father because he feels that his talent dosen't lie with digging, and being comfortable using a spade, he feels that although he admires his father and grandfather he would much rather follow what he feels he does best, which is write.