AnswersEnglish Language Arts 12Contemporary Poetry: Seamus Heaney’s “Digging”

Contemporary Poetry: Seamus Heaney’s “Digging” — Quiz Answers

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1
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Which of these words has a negative connotation?

A
jealousy
B
respect
C
sympathy
D
delight
2
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Which phrases contain an example of assonance? Choose three correct answers.

A
ride along the river
B
thumb through the numbers
C
the stars in the dark
D
gloves and a globe
E
like the light
3

Read the excerpt from "Digging" The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. But I’ve no spade to follow men like them. Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests. I’ll dig with it. Read the haiku by Bashō. When the winter chrysanthemums go, there’s nothing to write about but radishes. What common concern do these poems share?

A
Both poems put a higher value on farming than writing.
B
Both poems recognize the passing of seasons.
C
Both poems find a link between farming and the act of writing.
D
Both poems lament the dying of flowers and other vegetation.
4

Read the excerpt from "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. Read the haiku by Bashō. Early fall— the sea and the rice fields all one green. Which sentence best explains the similarities between the excerpt from "Digging” and the haiku?

A
Both are concerned with the topic of seasons.
B
Both are concerned with the topic of working.
C
Both are concerned with the topic of writing.
D
Both are concerned with the topic of farming.
5

Read the excerpt from "Digging." Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests; snug as a gun. Which statement about the use of the "snug” in this excerpt is most accurate?

A
The positive connotation of the word emphasizes how comfortable the speaker is holding his pen.
B
The negative connotation of the word shows how unpleasant the speaker finds the pen.
C
The negative connotation of the word highlights the idea that writing is a difficult profession.
D
The positive connotation of the word does not clarify whether the writer enjoys holding his pen.
6

Read the excerpt from "Digging." Under my window, a clean rasping sound When the spade sinks into gravelly ground: My father, digging. I look down Read the haiku by Bashō. Clear water— a tiny crab crawling up my leg. Which statement best describes the similarities between the excerpt from "Digging” and the haiku?

A
Both explore the topic of farming.
B
Both use alliteration to connect ideas and create interesting sounds.
C
Both are disjointed by the sound devices used by the poets.
D
Both shift from the present time to the past.
7

Read the excerpt from "Digging." The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. But I’ve no spade to follow men like them. Which idea is typically associated with the word "spade”?

A
leisure time
B
hard work
C
writing poems
D
city life
8

Read the excerpt from "Digging." The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. But I've no spade to follow men like them. Read the haiku by Bashō. Sickly, but somehow the chrysanthemum is budding. How do the senses used in the excerpt from "Digging" and the haiku affect a reader's understanding and interpretation of each?

A
The excerpt from “Digging” uses lines of equal length throughout, while the lines of the haiku are of varying lengths.
B
The excerpt from “Digging” focuses on sound devices to reveal its story, while the haiku focuses on visual imagery.
C
The excerpt from “Digging” relies much more heavily on images of nature to convey its main idea than the haiku does.
D
The excerpt from “Digging” discusses the relationship between writing and farming, while the haiku only discusses nature.
9

Read the excerpt from "Digging" Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds Bends low, comes up twenty years away Stooping in rhythm through potato drills Where he was digging. Read the haiku by Bashō. On the way to the outhouse— the white of the moonflower by torchlight. How does the structure of these poems differ?

A
“Digging” jumps from the present time to the past, while Bashō's haiku captures a single moment in time.
B
“Digging” attempts to capture a moment in the distant past, while Bashō's haiku speculates about the future.
C
“Digging” describes a moment in the present time, while Bashō's haiku jumps back in time.
D
“Digging” speculates about the future, while Bashō's haiku commemorates a time from the distant past.
10

Read the excerpt from "Digging." Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds Bends low, comes up twenty years away Stooping in rhythm through potato drills Where he was digging. Based on the word’s connotation, what does the speaker’s use of the word "straining” suggest?

A
that the father passed away 20 years ago
B
that the father is working very hard in the flowerbeds
C
that the work in the flowerbeds is quick and easy
D
that the father finds the digging enjoyable
11

Read the excerpt from "Digging." The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. But I’ve no spade to follow men like them. Which idea is typically associated with the word "spade”?

A
leisure time
B
hard work
C
city life
D
writing poems
12

Read the excerpt from "Digging." Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds Bends low, comes up twenty years away Stooping in rhythm through potato drills Where he was digging. Which statement best explains the effect of the word "straining” in this excerpt?

A
It emphasizes that working in fields is difficult and strenuous.
B
It reveals that potatoes were the main crop of Ireland.
C
It suggests that the father does not want to plant new potatoes.
D
It draws attention to the speaker’s connection to the field.
13

Read the excerpt from "Digging." Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests; snug as a gun. Which statement about the use of the "snug” in this excerpt is most accurate?

A
The positive connotation of the word does not clarify whether the writer enjoys holding his pen.
B
The negative connotation of the word highlights the idea that writing is a difficult profession.
C
The positive connotation of the word emphasizes how comfortable the speaker is holding his pen.
D
The negative connotation of the word shows how unpleasant the speaker finds the pen.
14

Read the excerpt from "Digging." Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests... Which statement best describes the effect of the assonance in this excerpt?

A
The assonance adds emphasis to the speaker’s past as a farmer.
B
The assonance connects the thumb and finger to the act of farming.
C
The assonance emphasizes that the speaker is writing about his father.
D
The assonance creates a pleasing and interesting sound.
15

Read the excerpt from "Digging." The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. But I’ve no spade to follow men like them. Which words in the excerpt are linked by alliteration?

A
edge, head, them
B
peat, edge, living
C
potato, mould, follow
D
cold, curt, cuts
16

Read the excerpt from "Digging." The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. Which statement best describes the effect of the alliteration in this excerpt?

A
The alliteration disconnects the speaker from the earth.
B
The alliteration shows that the speaker is a poet.
C
The alliteration creates pleasing and interesting sounds.
D
The alliteration makes the poem sound disjointed and choppy.
17

Read the excerpt from "Digging." The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft Against the inside knee was levered firmly. Which statement best explains the effect of the word "firmly” in this excerpt?

A
It suggests that the spade is too heavy for the father.
B
It shows that the father works with skill and control.
C
It emphasizes the speaker’s distaste for hard work.
D
It directs the reader’s attention back to the squat pen.
18

Read the excerpt from "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 gravelly 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. Read the haiku by Bashō. A crow has settled on a bare branch— autumn evening. How does the structure of these poems differ?

A
“Digging” is a long poem with no sound devices, while Bashō's haiku is a short poem with many sound devices.
B
“Digging” has multiple stanzas of varying length, while Bashō's haiku has only one stanza of three lines.
C
“Digging” has many stanzas of equal length, while Bashō's haiku has many stanzas of varying lengths.
D
“Digging” is a one-stanza poem with many lines, while Bashō's haiku has multiple stanzas with few lines.
19

Read the excerpt from "Digging." Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds Bends low, comes up twenty years away Stooping in rhythm through potato drills Where he was digging. Based on the word’s connotation, what does the speaker’s use of the word "straining” suggest?

A
that the father finds the digging enjoyable
B
that the father passed away 20 years ago
C
that the father is working very hard in the flowerbeds
D
that the work in the flowerbeds is quick and easy

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