"I rhyme to see myself to set the darknessechoing" (Personal Helicon)

... "I rhyme to see myself to set the darkness echoing" (Personal Helicon) Seamus Heaney's depicts his past in an autobiographical way, and he attempts to preserve the traditions from the past through his poetry. He feels a great sense of guilt, because he doesn't carry out the traditions and crafts of his father and ancestors. The family that he grew up in is drifting, so as he aspires to continue the traditions of his ancestors, he is inspired by other craftsmen to create his poems about the dying traditions. He respects not only his grandfather and father's skilled hands in "digging", but he also has great respect and admiration for artisans' skills, which is dying out whether he be a "Thatcher" or a "blacksmith". He presents each of these different skills as having "the Midas touch", although only mentioned in "Thatcher". The poems are autobiographical. He wants to keep

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