Comparing Digging and Follower

Both of these poems are about childhood memories and childhood traditions.


Heaney states in both poems that his whole family were farmers, and he was expected to be a farmer too. The expectancy was for him to carry on looking after the family farm, to keep the tradition running.


He remembers being a child and admiring and looking up to his father, and his grandfather before that. They were both hardcore farmers, and during his childhood he wanted to be like his father, following him around. He remembers one time when he brought his grandfather some milk, and he barely took a break to drink it, he just kept on working. This shows his determination and how hard working he was. He remembers how strong his father was, and how he was in perfect harmony with his working animals.

The poems do not reveal much about his relationship with his father as an adult. It is likely that he thinks well of him, and that he is probably dead now.

But as an adult, he realizes that he was not cut out for farming, and writing poems was what he is content doing, as it is something he is good at and enjoys. However, he feels no regret about this.

Although the poems are similar, there are also differences between them. Digging describes more about the family tradition of farming and the expectancy for him to carry it on, while Follower describes how he used to admire his father, and stumble behind him, and nowadays the positions have been reversed.