In the poem "Digging" by Seamus Heaney, the narrator explores his ancestral roots through his observations of the occupations of his father and grandfather. He also places his aspirations for his career within the context of these roots. The narrator endeavors to find out more about his past and also unravel his own identity by "digging," which is a central extended metaphor within the poem. The narrator also searches through his family roots, heritage and family rituals. Several literary devices contribute to the themes of the story which cohesively create a superb piece of literature, allowing Heaney to successfully capture the themes of family, identity, ability, man and nature, and love.
Within the poem, we see three generations of men taking up a form of "digging." The three men within this family value hard work, although the narrator has chosen a different type of work. He knows that he is breaking the family tradition by becoming a writer instead of a man who works the land, and that makes him feel uncomfortable. Farming is a huge part of his family's identity and "working with the land has always been a tradition in the family" (Mcintyre 32). Our narrator has to figure out how he fits into a family where he carries out an entirely different role. Although he may have a different role from his father and grandfather, he still feels as if he has a connection with them. This is evident in the quote, "My father, digging. I look down" (5). We get to see the narrator and his father in the same setting at the same time, capturing the essence of Heaney's emotion as he "digs" alongside his father. Although they are not physically next to each other and digging in the same sense, there is still a connection.
In "Digging," the narrator struggles with his identity in connection to his family. His father and grandfather were farmers and they valued manual labor.
