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Poetry Analysis : Digging And Twice Shy

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Danica Capili
IB Senior English
Ms. Rowe
15 January 2016

Poetry Analysis Paper - Digging & Twice Shy Seamus Heaney published “Digging” and “Twice Shy” under the same collection of poems from “Death of a Naturalist” in 1966. The story behind “Digging” is about the internal conflict Heaney has with himself and the memories of his father working hard in the potato farm while Heaney works hard at digging into his poetry. “Twice Shy” centers on how a couple communicates their emotions felt from a date that carried meanings. The main theme for “Digging” is about the conflict Heaney has with his identity, while “Twice Shy” focuses on disillusionment between the couple. Heaney seems to struggle with realizing his own potential and qualities for something else other than what he and society thinks he should be. As for “Twice Shy” the couple has experienced the unpleasant romantic situations in the past which lead to hesitancy in a new relationship. The author built the theme of identity in “Digging” and for “Twice Shy” the newfound love of the couples through the use of imagery, rhyme, and mood. The use of imagery in both poems are used to describe an author’s use of vivid descriptions ("Purdue OWL: Literary Terms.") in order to create more depth in their work. Imagery in Digging can be found in the beginning of the poem, it is introduced by a simile - “The squat pen rests/; snug as a gun.” The pen Heaney has is being compared to a gun which represents his own kind of

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