Tone in "Digging"

In the poem “Digging” by Seamus Heaney, Heaney uses moods and tones of anxiety, admiration, complacency, and eventually confidence to show the speaker’s struggle between sorting his individuality and honoring his family obligation. Heaney introduces an unnamed speaker who is distracted as he tries to write by the sound of his father digging below him. The speaker continues to reflect and admire his father and grandfather’s hard work. In the end, he realizes and accepts that he cannot oblige his family’s tradition of digging, but will instead “dig” with his writing. Heaney uses the speaker’s emotional rollercoaster throughout the poem to express how the natural desire for individuality conflicts with family obligation.

When Heaney introduces the speaker, we can tell he is anxious as he tries to write. In his hand, “The squat pen rests; snug as a gun” (Heaney 2). The speaker holds his pen tightly, like a gun, because he feels nervous, protecting himself from the criticism of his family for not being able to dig. The noise “under [his] window, a clean rasping sound” and “when the spade sinks into gravelly ground” (Heaney 3-4), distracts him from his writing. The sound of the spade almost haunts the speaker, reminding him that he’s writing instead of digging. Heaney uses odd language such as “a clean rasping sound” (Heaney 3) to further express the speaker’s lack of connection with his family. Lastly, we see the speaker “look down” (Heaney 5), perhaps at himself for not digging like his father. Heaney sets up a tone of anxiety through the speaker’s distraction to show the how the conflict of individuality and obligation is not easy to deal with mentally.

As the speaker reminisces about his father and grandfather, Heaney uses prideful language and tone to show the speaker’s admiration for his ancestors. He delves deep into his past and depicts his father’s “coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft\Against the inside knee was levered firmly” (Heaney 10-11). The speaker describes his father’s work with words that show experience and pride. Heaney shows “The coarse boot nestled on the lug” (Heaney 10) to contrast the confidence he and his father have in digging. As the speaker continues to think of his father’s work, he thinks to himself: “By God, the old man could handle a spade” (Heaney 15). His thoughts show nothing but pure admiration for his father and his hard work. He continues to revel on his ancestors’ labor as he describes his grandfather “going down and down\For the good turf” (Heaney 23-24). The speaker reminds himself of his family’s determination and confidence in their work, which makes his writing feel shameful. Heaney describes the speaker’s ancestors as experienced and passionate to show how insignificant people, including the speaker, can feel as they try to differ themselves from their family.

When the speaker snaps back to his own life, he complacently admits his inability to dig, but feels confident about his writing. He thinks of his ancestors with so much pride and admiration, but when it comes to himself, he simply says: “I’ve got no spade to follow men like them” (Heaney 28). The poem’s shift of tone from inspiration to complacency shows how tough it can be to meet family expectations. The speaker takes his self-satisfied remorse and turns it into confidence. He is determined to take his pen and “dig with it” (Heaney 31). The speaker settles his conflict by obliging to his family, but in his own way. Heaney uses the speaker’s complacency and confidence to show that it is possible to meet family expectations while still being an individual.

Seamus Heaney uses the speaker’s multiple shifts in tone and emotion to help us understand how difficult it can be to decide between following dreams or expectations. People want to be themselves, but that can be difficult when family obligation looms over us. When the speaker accepts he cannot follow his family’s footsteps, he decides to forge his own path.