Aunt Julia Flashcards
What technique is “Gaelic” in stanza 1?
Word Choice- It is an intro to the subject and her cultural background
“Very loud and very fast” What technique is used in this quote?
Repetition- Highlights how strange- in-comprehensive she was for the poet- very energetic
“I could not answer her-
I could not understand her” What technique is used in this quote?
Repetition- emphasises the language barrier between him and his aunt indicating how isolated he is from her
“men’s boots”? What does this suggest about Julia?
It suggests strength and that she is capable of hard work
What tense is “I can see her”?
Present tense- the tense throughout the stanza creates a sense of immediately- shows how vividly he remembers her
What technique is “strong”?
Word choice- Suggests she is capable of hard work
What technique is used in “drew yarn”?
Long vowel- elongates the line which conveys the vision of wool being stretched out
What does “marvellously” suggest?
She possessed qualities young MacCaig found fascinating
What technique is “hers”?
Word choice- It emphasises how important she was to MacCaig as a child
What tense is “was”?
Past- returns to the past- highlights the impact of his reflection and thoughts
What technique is absolute darkness?
Metaphor- reference to “absolute darkness”- foreshadows the final stanza and change of tone
What technique is “box bed”?
Word Choice- highlights how secure and enclosed he felt when staying with his aunt
“She was…She was… She was” is what technique?
Repetition- bombards the senses with a list of statements emphasising Aunt Julia is always moving/working- energetic- like nature she was unstoppable
What technique is “water flouncing”?
Transferred Epithet- it gives the impression of a woman in constant motion- the flouncing water gives a description of the deliberate, vigorous way she moved.
“Brown eggs, black skirts and a keeper of threepennybits in a teapot” emphasises what”
Her feminine side- not only did she work outside but also inside- words “brown eggs + teapot” emphasise her work in the kitchen - words “black skirts + keeper of threepennybits” emphasises that she was frugal- cannot afford to spend a lot of money
What type of structure is “Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast”?
Full Circle- the final stanza begins with the same way as the first stanza. This brings the poem to a FULL CIRCLE- effective conclusion
What technique(s) are “silenced”?
Word Choice + Contrast- contrast between loud and talkative and vibrant Aunt Julia was in life and the absolute quiet of death is emphasised using enjambment- the position of ‘silenced’ in the opening of line 28
What does “absolute black” refer to?
It refers to death- poet is accusing death for silencing her.
What techniques are “but”?
Word choice + Conjunction- this is a turning point- alerts us to the fact that there is a change in tone + thought
What technique is “still”?
Word Choice- the poet feels that death has failed to silence her
What technique is “seagull’s voice”?
Metaphor- it is a comparison that again highlights her unity with nature. The emphasis of the great distance emphasises both her strong personality and the location of where she lived and was buried.
“Getting angry, getting angry” is what technique?
Repetition- Language is effective because it is ambiguous- we don’t know who is angry the aunt or MacCaig?
