Digging

"By God, the old man could handle a spade, Just like his old man" (Heaney 730). This is a clear indication that Heaney has a feeling of respect for what his father and family can do-specifically his father. The entire concept of digging for the good of the turf and not stopping for anything is undoubtedly very desirable for Heaney. The last paragraph of the poem, "Between my finger and my thumb, the squat pen rests. I'll dig with it" (Heaney 730), shows how determined he is to be like his father and to mimic what his father does. The fact that he will dig with a "squat pen" instead of a spade is a clear indication to his ambition to do whatever it takes in order to follow in the praised footsteps of his father. 

Words Heaney uses such as coarse and rasping exude an understanding to me of how difficult the conditions are in which his father works in. The line, "As snug as a gun" (Heaney 730), is indeed an interesting way to phrase it. Why gun? Why not, as snug as someone sitting next to a fire on a cold winter day? That seems much nicer, doesn't it? That's the point that Heaney is trying to make though. When you are holding a gun, it is by no means a comfortable or easy sensation. There has to be some degree of uneasiness and fear no matter who you are. To put it simply, holding a gun is not easy, and neither is following in the footsteps of his father, which is why this imagery is important.