Literary Devices
Example of Anaphora from the poem
"digging" or "between my finger and my thumb, the squat pen rests"
What is the author doing at the beginning of the poem?
Sitting in his room with his pen, watching his dad work.
The tone in the majority of the poem.
Self deprecating and admiring
What is the author's name?
Seamus Heaney
How is enjambment used in the poem
to quicken the pace
What is most of the poem describing
Why does his father "come up 20 years away"
The shift in tone by the end
Admiring and motivated, no longer self deprecating
What is the poem about?
The author's struggle to define himself as a poet
How is synecdoche used in the poem
"digging" is referring to farming
He can't follow in his family's footsteps
Why does the author liken the pen to a gun
people say "the pen is mightier than the sword" so that's his way of showing the strength in his choice of profession.
Words or phrases from the poem that give it a self deprecating tone
"The squat pen rests" , "But I've no spade to follow men like them"
other answers may be accepted
What country does it take place in?
Ireland
What does the use of anaphora do for the poem's meaning?
Either make the tone shift more dramatic or make farming seem much more difficult
Why can't the author follow in his family's footsteps?
He says "I've no spade to follow men like them"
What is the main comparison in the poem
He compares the physical labor or farming to his mental labor of writing
Words or phrases that give it an admiring tone
"By god the old man could handle a spade"
Other answers may be accepted
When was the poem written?
Summer of 1964
What does the use of synecdoche do for the poem's meaning?
Exaggerates the labor involved in farming, making the task seem more grueling. Adds more weight to the admiration and self deprecation.
What does the family farm in the poem?
potatoes!
Why does the author refer to his life's work as "digging"
He wants to honor his family heritage even though he didn't follow in their exact footsteps.
Words or phrases that give it a motivating tone
"I'll dig with it"
What city was the author born in?
Dublin