1a. What is the speaker doing when he hears a sound? What is making this sound?
2a. What does the sight of his father make the speaker think of "twenty years away"? In lines 15 and 16, what does the speaker say about his father?
3a. Of what does the father's actions twenty years ago remind the speaker? What does the grandfather do almost immediately after drinking the bottle of milk?
1b. Do the activities father and son are involved in seem similar at first? Explain.
2b. How would you describe the speaker's feelings for this memory of his father?
3b. What does the grandfather's actions suggest about his character? Why do you think the sight of his father digging in the present makes the speaker think of increasingly distant memories?
4a. What does the speaker decide to do? What does he mean by his decision?
4b. In what ways does the speaker decide to be like his father and grandfather? In what ways does he decide to be different?
5a. Explain how you think the speaker's father and grandfather would feel about the approach the speaker is taking to carrying on family tradition.
5b. Do you prefer work that is physical or work that is mental? Explain your thoughts and feelings about both types.
Flashback. Where does the flashback in line 7 send the reader? Where do lines 15–17 send the reader? What information do these flashbacks provide? Explain whether the speaker's decision to dig with his pen would be as meaningful without these flashbacks.
Figure of Speech. Identify places in the poem where dig or digging is used literally. Where is it used figuratively? What does the speaker mean by the word dig where he used it figuratively?
Brainstorming. One way to expand your vocabulary is to think of different words or phrases to express a word. Brainstorm a list of three words that have similar meanings as the word tradition. Consult a dictionary and a thesaurus if necessary. Write the definition for each word, and use each in a sentence.
1. Word: Definition: Word in Context:
2. Word: Definition: Word in Context:
3. Word: Definition: Word in Context:
Using Who and Whom. Review the Language Arts Survey 3.47, "Using Who and Whom." Then indicate the correct word for each sentence below.
1. click to select answer Who Whom may I say is calling?
2. click to select answer Who Whom is able to participate?
3. From click to select answer who whom did you hear the news?
4. click to select answer Who Whom did your dog bite?
5. Where is the man click to select answer who whom takes our tickets?
6. click to select answer Who Whom did you see?
7. click to select answer Who Whom apologized?
8. By click to select answer who whom is this song?
9. click to select answer Who Whom remembers the date?
10. The teacher click to select answer who whom we liked was out on maternity leave.
