These three poems are all to do with the theme identity although I specifically choose three that contrasted with each other. 'Digging' is portraying the identity of the three generations of digging, his father, grandfather and himself. '

... 'Explain how three poems concerned with developing personality, develop their themes' For this essay I will be choosing three poems, which will help me compare and contrast how each develop their themes of identity. The three I will be choosing are: 1. Digging Between my finger and my thumb the squat pen rests: snug as a gun. Under my window, a clean rasping sound when the spade sinks into gravely ground: My father, digging. I look down till his straining rump among the flowerbeds Bends low, comes up twenty years away Stooping in rhythm through potato drills where he was digging. The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft against the inside knee was levered firmly. He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep to scatter new potatoes that we picked Loving their cool hardness in our hands. By God the old man could handle a spade. Just like his old man. My grandfather cut more turf in a day than any other man on Toner's bog. Once

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