A Senior English analysis deck for “Digging” by Seamus Heaney, designed to develop students’ analytical thinking, close reading, and essay-writing skills through the study of this evocative free verse poem.

Through engaging and thought-provoking learning activities, students explore themes of heritage, identity, generational legacy, labour, and the role of the poet while examining Heaney’s reflection on his father’s and grandfather’s connection to the land and his own choice to “dig” with his pen instead of a spade. The deck encourages students to analyse Heaney’s distinctive narrative voice, sensory imagery, and poetic technique to develop sophisticated understandings of the text.

What’s included
• Analysis of themes, voice, context, and cultural assumptions
• Exploration of heritage, identity, generational legacy, and labour
• Language features, imagery, symbolism, and figurative language analysis
• Examination of narrative voice, point of view, and characterisation
• Close reading and comprehension activities
• A structured sequence of analysis slides paired with classroom-ready learning activities
• Engaging activities designed to promote discussion, interpretation, and critical thinking
Teaching approach
This resource follows a flexible, activity-based approach rather than a scripted lesson-by-lesson format. Teachers can work through the deck in order or select individual slides and activities to suit their classroom needs, supporting students in developing deeper understanding through discussion, close analysis, collaboration, and analytical writing.

File info
• Provided as a non-editable PDF
• Not designed as an editable PowerPoint
How to use
• Upload to your LMS (Google Classroom, Canvas, etc.) for digital learning
• Print selected pages for classroom use
• Display pages to support discussion, analysis, and writing activities
• Upload to presentation or design platforms if you wish to adapt for your own use (formatting may vary depending on the program used)