The focus of this paper will be to illustrate how serialization, when applied to poetry, can be used by writers as an effective tool in characterization and communicating emotions. Knowledge of serialization is especially useful to students of literature and journalism. The poem we will examine is Digger Goes on Vacation by Jim Daniels.
     First, we see that the poem can be divided into four sections: the first twelve lines show Digger and his family preparing for their trip to Florida; lines thirteen through forty-nine depict their time on the road; the next 49 lines describe the family’s time in Florida; and lines ninety-nine through 121 describe the journey home.
     Next, let’s examine each section in detail.
     The first section is rather unremarkable until we get to lines eleven and twelve. There we see the family preparing for vacation and learn why Digger’s son is not accompanying them. Everything seems normal until we approach the passage concerning Digger’s wife: “You think you have given her nothing” [lines 11-12]. Here, at the beginning of his journey, we see that all is not well. Digger’s guilt sets the stage for the rest of the poem.
     The journey begins  with Digger’s purchase of a box of peanut brittle for his wife [line 14], supposedly to make up for his feelings of inadequacy.  However, this act does little to alleviate his guilt, as shown by his weak smile as she kisses him [lines 15-16]. This kiss merely reminds him of the kiss he receives every day as he leaves for work [lines 17-19] -- a place he apparently does not want to recall, as shown in the following  references to time: “You have two weeks.” [line 22] implying that Digger has two weeks to enjoy away from work; and “you have fifteen more years.” [line 25], a passage which could be interpreted to mean he has fifteen more years to endure the monotony of his job before he retires.
     Later in the journey, we see Digger’s dissatisfaction redirected from his job to his wife: “If somehow she could lose some weight” [line 34]. Digger then turns his critical eye upon himself “if we [emphasis added] could just lose all this weight” [lines 40-41]. This reference to weight could also be a metaphor for the burdens Digger must bear, such as his dead-end job and mediocre marriage. The poem sheds more light on Digger’s marriage when his wife’s hand is compared to a snowball that he wants to melt [lines 47-49], symbolizing that the initial passion they once shared has now fizzled.  As we move deeper into the poem, a pattern seems to form -- the farther Digger travels, the more we learn about his feelings, and the more “human” he becomes.
     The third section of the poem reveals even more about Digger. We learn that he is reading the same book he’s been trying to finish since his vacation the previous year, showing us that the only opportunity he has for such indulgences is while he’s away from his home and his job. We also sense some resentment toward his wife, whom Digger believes packed the book to “keep my eyes off the women” [lines 62-63]. Though his wife’s passion for him seems little more than a dying ember, her possessiveness remains a raging inferno.
     Digger’s feelings toward his wife brighten in the next few lines, however. When she dutifully hands him the beer he requests, he realizes that she really cares for him, and he seems truly happy for the first time in this poem [lines 68-74]. She then is overjoyed when Digger professes his love for her [lines 78-81]. Despite this happy moment, the reader senses it to be bittersweet, for Digger hasn’t said “I love you” to his wife since last year’s vacation [lines 82-83]. We are left feeling that the only time these two feel alive, happy, and in love, is while they are away from their dreary life at home, a time which is all too short.
     As we move toward the end of the third section, we see Digger drawing pictures of work-related items in the sand, symbolizing that his good times are about to end and that there is no escape from his dull life at home. He tries to forget by kicking sand over the drawing, but no matter how he tries, the images still haunt him [lines 87-98]. Such symbolism also serves as a segue into the poem’s final section.
     In the last part of the poem, Digger is shown peeling away his sunburnt skin. He tells his daughters that when his old skin is gone, he will become a new person, an astronaut. Like a lizard shedding his skin, Digger will be reborn anew -- he will have a fresh start at life, a new beginning, a chance to live out his dreams. He wants to “get lost in space,” leaving his old life behind. His wife, however, reminds him that his old life is inescapable as he is “already lost in space” [lines 99-111].
     The poem’s final lines show Digger drinking alone at a local bar. “This is how you always become a new person,” it reads. Apparently, the only way Digger can forget his dull, dreary existence is by drowning his sorrows in drink. Though this is a temporary solution at best, it is all he has [lines 112-121].
     By serializing Digger’s physical journey, the author has helped us to understand the character’s emotional journey, as well as breathed life into his character. As the poem opens, Digger seems indifferent and ill-defined. Then, as he begins his journey, he wrestles with feelings of guilt, resentment, and doubt. Upon reaching his destination, his spirit soars for a short time, then comes crashing to the ground when he realizes his life is inescapable. Finally, as he returns home, Digger accepts his fate, realizing that he is too immersed in his life to radically alter it. Such changes must remain the stuff of dreams.

Works Cited
Daniels, Jim. “Digger Goes on Vacation.” Critical Strategies for Academic Thinking and  Writing. Edited by Mike Rose and Malcolm Kiniry. Boston, MA. Bedford, 1998. 193-197.

Related Links:
Jim Daniels: Portrait of a Family Man in Blessing The House