Aunt Julia

Question 1

“Aunt Julia” - start of Stanza 1

Answer 1

Each verse begins with a reference to her

Question 2

“Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic”

Answer 2

Traditional

Question 3

“Very loud and very fast”

Answer 3

Her characteristics: dynamic, energetic, lively
Repetition emphasises her emphatic determined nature.
Warmly drawn affectionate childhood memories.

Question 4

“I could not answer her-”

“I could not understand her”

Answer 4

Dash/pause places focus on his inability to communicate- emphasises it.
Repetition of “I could not” establishes and emphasises theme of frustration at barriers in communication.

Question 5

“She” - start of Stanza 2

Answer 5

Reference to Aunt Julia again

Question 6

“She wore men’s boots.”

Answer 6

She does traditionally male tasks. Wears practical clothes. Poet clearly admires her ability to complete these tasks easily.

Question 7

“When she wore any”

Answer 7

Usually barefoot - hardy/at one with nature

Question 8

“I can see her strong foot”

Answer 8

Strong masculine qualities

Question 9

“Stained with peat”

Answer 9

Reflects her life on the croft. She’s traditional and has a close connection with the land.

Question 10

“Paddling”

Answer 10

Skilful movement. Like a sea animal gliding through water. Reflects rhythmic movement. Shows admiration for Aunt’s skill..

Question 11

“I can see her strong foot stained with peat paddling with the treadle of the spinning wheel.”

Answer 11

Very precise and skilful movement.
Long sentence accentuates the lengthiness of the spinning process.
“I can see her” shows that the poet associates his Aunt with the movement and activity.

Question 12

“While her right hand drew yarn marvellously out of the air.”

Answer 12

Word choice of “marvellously” conveys the magic/illusion about the task. It’s almost entrancing for the young boy - poet.
As if she is some kind of magician. Sense of childhood wonder at the process and her expertise.

Question 13

Technique used in last three lines of stanza 2

Answer 13

Enjambment

Question 14

“Hers” - start of stanza 3

Answer 14

Reference to Aunt Julia again

Question 15

“Only house”

Answer 15

Emphasis by word placement. provides and idea of the special and exciting qualities of the poets visits to her house

Question 16

“In the absolute darkness.”

Answer 16

Although this should be frightening for a child the poet still felt safe as he was in his Aunt’s house.

Question 17

“Of a box bed”

Answer 17

Warmth/closed in/ fun and unusual for him.

Alliteration is used of the “b” sound.

Question 18

“Crickets being friendly.”

Answer 18

Sense of closeness to nature. He hears them and feels safe. This is a metaphor for crickets speaking to each other.

Question 19

“She was” - used in stanza 4, 3 times

Answer 19

Reference to Aunt Julia at the start. “She was” is also repeated throughout stanza 4 to emphasise the way she epitomised the specific way of island life. She is so connected to the landscapes and the elements that she has become part of it.

Question 20

“She was buckets and water flouncing into them”

Answer 20

This is a transferred epithet- it is the aunt who is flouncing. Gives a description of the deliberate, fast and vigorous way she moved.

Question 21

“She was winds pouring wetly.”

Answer 21

Alliteration of the soft “w” sound emphasises the fluid quality of the elements he associates with her. She is at one with nature; strong and free spirited.

Question 22

“Round house-ends.”

Answer 22

Enjambment is used here to give as sense of her fluid energy.

Question 23

“She was brown eggs, black skirts and a keeper of threepennybits in a teapot.”

Answer 23

Poet remembers her through a series of mundane, cosmetics objects. Description shows her traditional and old fashioned nature. Poet uses listing here to place emphasis on all of his memories of her and the odd details about her that only a child would remember.

Question 24

Keeper of threepennybits in a teapot.”

Answer 24

She’s thrifty and careful with money.

Question 25

“Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast” - start of Stanza 5

Answer 25

Reference to Aunt again. Opening lines of the poem are repeated however a darker tone enters the poem.

Question 26

“Spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast” - Stanza 5

Answer 26

Emphasises importance of her language and re-emphasises her dynamic, energetic and lively qualities. Contrasts with “silenced” later on

Question 27

“By the time i had learned a little she lay”

Answer 27

Alliteration of “l” sound. Structure creates balance with “I” and “She”. There is a sense of sadness and regret, too little to late. By the time the poet learned how to speak with her, she was dead.

Question 28

“Silenced.”

Answer 28

Enjambment used here to place emphasis on “silenced”.

Question 29

Contrast between “spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast” and “silenced”.

Answer 29

Contrast between loud, talkative, vibrant Aunt Julia in life and the absolute quiet of death/ her complete silence in death emphasises the impact of the loss of Aunt Julia to the poet. The once energetic talkative Aunt Julia has been silenced by death. Contrast is emphasised by use of enjambment of “silenced” at the opening of line 5.

Question 30

“Absolute black of a sandy grave”

Answer 30

Sinister and unsettling tone. Echoes idea of “box bed” in stanza 3 but unlike the comforting security of the absolute darkness of the box bed in Stanza 3, the subtle shift from “darkness” to “ absolute black” conveys the frighteningly bleak void of death and gives the idea of there being nothing after death.”

Question 31

“But I hear her still, welcoming me with a seagull’s voice.”

Answer 31

She has left such a strong impression on him that he can vividly imagine her calling him. “But” emphasises the idea of the continuing importance of her memory. Poet challenges the finality of death shown in “absolute black”.

Question 32

“With a seagulls voice.”

Answer 32

Metaphor- identifies her with her wild nature. Suggests she had a shrill high pitched voice like a seagulls piercing cry. Shows her enduring memory in the poet’s mind.

Question 33

“Across a hundred yards.”

Answer 33

She had a loud carrying voice.

Question 34

“Peat scrapes and lazybeds.”

Answer 34

Traditional crafting methods. Places her firmly in the traditional and natural environment.

Question 35

“Getting angry, getting angry with so many questions.”

Answer 35

Repetition shows building frustration. Is the Aunt angry with the poet as he cannot answer her of is the poet angry as she can never answer his questions?

Question 36

“Unanswered.”

Answer 36

Enjambment places emphasises on this word by leaving it on a line of it’s own. Sums up their inability to communicate, but also his regret. Reinforces the poets enduring sense of frustration.