Point of View

“Digging” is written from a first-person perspective using words like “I” and “my”: “my finger” (Line 1) and “I look down” (Line 5). However, much of the poem is about the speaker observing the actions of another. During these narratives the speaker still maintains their own presence in the memories, alluding to moments like “in our hands” (Line 14) and “Once I carried” (Line 19). This keeps the poem feeling intimate and personal, placing the speaker and the reader side by side throughout the story.

The first few stanzas remain objective, an impersonal account of what the speaker observes. As the poem progresses, the narrative becomes more subjective and personal as the speaker expresses their admiration for the men of their lineage. Towards the end, the poem circles back to a simple observation of an item, but that observation holds worlds of potential for the future. In this way...