Aunt Julia

Question 1

What is Aunt Julia about?

Answer 1

MacCaig reminiscing about going to his Aunt Julia’s house for the holidays and and what kind of print she left on him before she died.

Question 2

What are the wider themes of Aunt Julia

Answer 2

Loss
Disconnection
Regret
Traditionalism

Question 3

What does MacCaig mean when he says “Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic”?
line 1

Answer 3

The use of a short statement to emphasis the fact that they can’t communicate due to Aunt Julia speaking Gaelic and MacCaig not.

Question 4

What does MacCaig mean when he says “silenced in absolute black”?
line 28

Answer 4

MacCaig uses colour symbolism in “black” suggesting darkness and death, to make us think that aunt Julia has passed away.

Question 5

what is the general tone at the end of the poem?

Answer 5

Regretful

Question 6

what does maccaig mean when he says “very fast and very loud”?
line 2

Answer 6

the use of intensifiers strongly communicate the fact that he couldn’t understand her even if he spoke Gaelic he would still find it hard to understand her.

Question 7

What does maccaig mean when he says “I could not answer her - I could not understand her”?
line 3-4

Answer 7

the use of repetition strengthens the idea that maccaig has a sense of helplessness in the fact that he couldn’t understand his aunt because of the large language barrier separating them.

Question 8

What does MacCaig mean when he says “her right arm drew yarn marvellously out of the air”?
Line 10-11

Answer 8

MacCaig uses an admiring tone to to show how fascinating and magical this activity was to him as a child.

Question 9

What does MacCaig mean when he says “by the time I had learned a little, she lay”?
Line 26-27

Answer 9

The uses of alliteration brings focus to the words “lay, “little” and “learned”which shows that by the time MacCaig had learned enough Gaelic to communicate with A.J. she was dead.

Question 10

What does MacCaig mean when he says “she wore men’s boots”?

Line 5

Answer 10

Imagery emphasises Aunt Julia’s practicality and how hard she’s always working for herself.

Question 11

What does MacCaig mean when he says “with so many questions unanswered.”?
Line 36-37

Answer 11

MacCaig uses a regretful tone to show he’s annoyed at himself for not being able to talk with her and that it was his fault.

Question 12

What does MacCaig show when he says “getting angry, getting angry”?
Line 35

Answer 12

The use of repetition emphasises how worked up and angry he’s getting at the fact that he couldn’t communicate with her.

Question 13

What does MacCaig mean when he says “with a seagull’s voice”?
Line 32

Answer 13

The use of a metaphor shows the poet reminiscing about his time with Aunt Julia even if it’s just her loud and piercing voice.

Question 14

What does MacCaig mean when he says “But I hear her still, welcoming me”?
Line 31

Answer 14

The use of metaphor shows that the MacCaig still holds onto his memories of her fondly.

Question 15

What does MacCaig mean when he says “a keeper of threepenny bits”?
Line 22

Answer 15

The word choice of “keeper” suggests that she has very little money and is very careful with i.

Question 16

What does MacCaig mean when he says “she was winds pouring Welty”?
Line 19

Answer 16

The use of word choice of “pouring” suggests the sheer amount of weather that she experienced and that it never stopped her doing what she needed to do.

Question 17

What does MacCaig mean when he says “water flouncing into them”?
Line 18

Answer 17

The word choice of “flouncing”suggests movement and vigour showing that A.J. is an energetic character just trying to get the job done.

Question 18

What does MacCaig mean when he says “when she wore any”?

Line 6

Answer 18

The use of implication suggests that she mostly didn’t wear any boots therefore showing that she had been toughened from all the manual labour and she didn’t care what people thought about her .

Question 19

What does MacCaig mean when he says “she was buckets”?

Lines 17

Answer 19

The use of a metaphor suggests that Aunt Julia is always hardworking because she’s got to do it it.