AnswersEnglish IVContemporary Poetry: Seamus Heaney’s “Digging”

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

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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 reveals that potatoes were the main crop of Ireland.
B
It emphasizes that working in fields is difficult and strenuous.
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.
2
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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
writing poems
C
city life
D
hard work
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. Which statement best describes the effect of the alliteration in this excerpt?

A
The alliteration creates pleasing and interesting sounds.
B
The alliteration makes the poem sound disjointed and choppy.
C
The alliteration disconnects the speaker from the earth.
D
The alliteration shows that the speaker is a poet.
4

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 finds the digging enjoyable
C
that the father is working very hard in the flowerbeds
D
that the work in the flowerbeds is quick and easy
5

Which lines from the poem "Digging” use assonance? Choose three correct answers.

A
Between my finger and my thumb
B
By God, the old man could handle a spade.
C
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
D
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
E
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.
6

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 positive connotation of the word emphasizes how comfortable the speaker is holding his pen.
C
The negative connotation of the word highlights the idea that writing is a difficult profession.
D
The negative connotation of the word shows how unpleasant the speaker finds the pen.
7

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 directs the reader’s attention back to the squat pen.
B
It suggests that the spade is too heavy for the father.
C
It shows that the father works with skill and control.
D
It emphasizes the speaker’s distaste for hard work.
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. Which words in the excerpt are linked by alliteration?

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

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