Heaney grew up at a time in Irish history when there was controversy over whether young men should work in a booming industry, making their studies, serve in the army or stay in the army. their familiar family farm. Heaney very obviously chose to get an education as he won a scholarship to attend a Catholic boarding school at the age of twelve. he then went to university where he acquired knowledge (Seamus Heaney - Biographical). In "Digging", Heaney uses the images he acquired from watching his father and grandfather to describe the qualities applied in his work that he plans to pass on to previous generations to apply in his own work as a writer . For example, he uses symbols such as a cat used by his father and grandfather that interconnects with his feather of power, or the feather he uses to write poems, to emphasize strength, or the cat that his knowledge brings into his poetry because he opens up to the public. Heaney wrote explicitly in his poem "Digging" to illustrate his aim to reassure himself that he is living up to his proud legacy by releasing his first book of poetry to the public with his powerful pen through images of digging. Before the publication of his first collection of poetry containing 'Digging', Heaney had grown up experiencing the Industrial Revolution first-hand when he left the family farm to attend a Catholic boarding school in Derry. In doing so, he moved from a rural life to an urban city where he was surrounded by an industrial view of society. Thus, he gained a better understanding of subjects such as writing, which allowed him to become an educated poet. Yet Heaney admits in a lecture to a classroom full of students that he struggled with poetry in the middle of a sheet of paper......introduction to fiction, poetry , theater and writing. Comp. XJ Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Custom edition for Eastern Arizona College ed. New York: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2010. 616-17. Print.Heaney, Seamus J. “Feeling in Words.” Conference. October 1974. Thepdfportal.com. Thepdfportal.com. Internet. February 28, 2014. Moore, Andrew. “Heaney – Poems.” Heaney - Poems. Andrew Moore, nd Web. February 20, 2014. “Seamus Heaney.” Poetry for students. Flight. 5. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1999. 69-77. Print."Seamus Heaney - Biographical". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. web. March 3, 2014. “Work and poverty.” - Children and poverty, first industrial societies, child labor in industrial society, family economies. The Gale Group, nd Web. February 28. 2014.