Write three to four sentences in which you compare and contrast Seamus Heaney’s poem "Digging" and the haiku by Bashō.

Answer:

Both poems connect writing with close attention to nature and ordinary physical life. Bashō uses a brief image of winter chrysanthemums and radishes to show how a changing season provides a simple subject for poetry. Heaney, in contrast, uses an extended memory of his father and grandfather digging to compare their labor with his own work as a poet, treating the pen as his spade. Thus, Bashō’s haiku is extremely concise and reflective, while Heaney’s poem is longer, personal, and focused on family heritage.