aunt julia Flashcards
“very loud and very fast”
the repetition of “very” followed by things that typically make a person hard to understand shows that when the poet remembers her, one of her defining characteristics is the fact that she is impossible to hold a conversation with. this highlights the language carrier between the two that causes the poet to feel isolated as he cannot speak to and take in information from someone whom he so clearly admires.
“i could not answer her. i could not understand her”
the repetition of “i could not” emphasises the poets inability to understand her- both due to her way of life and its eccentric nature which he is not used to, but also the language barrier and his inability to communicate with her verbally. this uncrossable bridge creates a sense of isolation in the poet due to the fact that he has no one to talk to on an island and in a house so devoid of people who speak his own language.
“she was buckets and water flouncing into them”
this metaphor compares her to something that gives life (water) and refreshes living things (plants, animals, human beings)- something necessary for survival. this conveys her lively, energetic, and admirable nature. it is also a way of saying that she embodies nature and her daily tasks, connecting her to her culture and home place.
“she was winds blowing welty”
this metaphor shows that in the poets memory, aunt julia is associated with the islands most common weather- wind and rain. this illustrates her as not only one with nature but also one with the island/her home place and thus, her culture.
“she lay silenced”
silence contrasts “very loud.” she goes from being lively and energetic to complete silence. she is also still ,not active or in motion, as opposed to her supposed busy nature suggested by the variety of tasks she partakes in and her lack of care for her appearance. this contrast highlights the permanence of her demise and how she is, well and truly, gone.
