Metaphors are commonly used in poetry to bring out deeper meanings beneath the text. Authors use these literary devices as a way to convey general messages by making comparisons to simple ideas that readers can understand. Poets often incorporate extended metaphors throughout an entire poem to develop clearer ideas and better understanding on the part of the reader. Seamus Heaney uses extended metaphor to convey overarching themes of identity, self-reflection, and the act of writing in the poems "Digging," "Personal Helicon," and "From the Frontier of Writing." Heaney stands out in his poetry for the way he applies extended metaphor and circular structure to communicate the overarching themes of individual creative exploration as a writer. In his poem “Digging,” Heaney employs the use of metaphor with the act of digging. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As the poem progresses, it becomes clear that the act of digging is both literal and metaphorical. The speaker describes, “Under my window, a clean scraping sound / When the spade sinks into the gravelly soil: / My father, digging. I look down” (3-5). From the second stanza, readers get their first glimpse of the metaphor in action. The father is described as literally digging into the ground. From this description it is assumed that the family lives on agricultural land and is very in tune with the natural world. As the poem progresses, readers gain a better sense of the family dynamic seen in the fifth stanza: “By God, the old man could handle a spade. / Just like his old man” (15-16). At this point the audience begins to see the themes of tradition. Farming has remained within the family for years as each generation continues to dig in, increasing the pressure the speaker feels to continue the legacy. However, instead of participating in the excavation, he watches from the window of his room. When he observes, he delves into his memories and recalls past experiences from when he was a child. It's not until the last verse; “Between my finger and thumb / rests the stubby pen. / I will dig with it” (29-31) so that readers understand that the speaker is metaphorically digging into the writing. Looking back at the poem, the spade is actually his pencil. The metaphor is extended when the speaker uses words like "squat" to represent his perceived inferiority as a writer. This inferiority is made evident by Heaney's positive diction in describing the seemingly enduring tradition of manual labor in the family. Heaney exaggerates the agricultural background by calling it masculine and strong. Although discouraged by generational employment, the speaker continues to explore the world of writing. The lines of the poem show how the speaker delved into his memories of the past until he found peace as a writer. The poem “Personal Helicon” uses metaphors and analogies to demonstrate the speaker's journey of exploration and self-reflection. The metaphor is immediately noticeable in the title of the poem since “Helicon” is the name of a mountain in central Greece. In Greek mythology, Mount Helicon is said to have hosted one of two springs called Hippocrene. A Greek tale details the story of Narcissus, a god said to have been cursed with death after admiring his reflection in spring and realizing his self-love could never be matched. This allusion to Greek mythology serves to convey the themes of personal identity in Heaney's poetry with the help of the symbol of the well. The speaker recounts: "As a child they couldn't keep me away from the wells... I loved the dark drop,the trapped sky, the smells" (1-3). At the beginning of the poem, the speaker describes his love for the well using a childlike tone developed through Heaney's diction. However, as the verses continue, the tempo also increases. The speaker ages, which is seen in the change in tone when describing the GOOD. The well is no longer perfect, but rotten and deep. This realization is evident when the speaker describes “. . . a mouse slapped my reflection” (16). The negative description of the rat illustrates the realization of adulthood. The speaker recognizes that he is no longer a child, just as Narcissus recognizes his reflection. Throughout the poem, the speaker has looked into these wells and seen himself. Left with the realization of his reflection, the speaker explains his passion for poetry. Unlike his father before him, the speaker has “. . . prying into the roots, rummaging in the slime, / looking, big-eyed Narcissus, in some spring / is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme” (17-19). Moving away from the family tradition of agricultural manual labor, the speaker is discovering his writing. He is no longer a curious young man, but is instead an adult poet who is prying into his family roots and past memories. As he gazes into the dark abyss of the past, the speaker participates in critical self-analysis and creates a stronger identity as a poet. Once again, Heaney develops an extended metaphor surrounding the act of writing itself in “From the Frontier of Writing. ” Reading the poem, the literal translation is that of a battlefield. A normal car has to be inspected by the police who keep questioning the passengers and invading their privacy. Heaney uses this situation as a metaphor to portray the criticism that authors face after submitting their works. In the poem it is seen that the first four stanzas represent the literal meaning of the poem, while the second four stanzas represent the figurative meaning. The speaker describes, “So you drive to the frontier of writing / where it happens again. Guns on tripods; / the sergeant with the microphone on and off repeating” (13-15). Heaney uses militaristic language to show the intensity and magnification of the criticism. To really elaborate the message, Heaney develops the metaphor seen throughout the tercets with intense and continuous language. This heaviness is visible until the end of the poem, when the speaker notes, “And suddenly you are done, accused and yet freed, / as if you had passed behind a waterfall” (19-21). After all criticism has been overcome, the authors are free again. Although the process is tedious and extreme, there is a reward in the end. Once you get past the harsh criticism, things become clear. The waterfall shows that outside opinions are swept away because the speaker is at peace with his writing. When you have confidence in your abilities, the rest doesn't matter. We continue with the final simile in which the soldiers are like shadows seen in the shiny windshield (24). After the hard journey of writing, things become clearer and one's identity is strengthened. In conclusion, Heaney uses metaphors in his literature to reinforce underlying messages by making understandable comparisons. Heaney achieved this by using recognizable components to enhance deeper understanding. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In “Digging,” Heaney uses the action of digging to represent the speaker's exploration of writing. Instead of a spade like his father, the speaker works with a pen to explore his passion. Similarly in “Personal Helicon,” Heaney connects Greek history.