Aunt Julia Flashcards
Describe the structure/form of the poem
- The poem is in the first person narrative, which highlights how this is a personal recollection
- The poem is in free verse with irregular line length, no pronounced rhythm and regular rhyme scheme. As a result the poem reads as more like an autobiographical extract
- This poem is in free verse which corresponds with aunt Julia’s eccentricity and unpredictability.
- Writing in free verse helps to create a conversational style and tone, while the use of enjambment and repetition allow him to emphasise key aspects of the poem.
- The poem still retains poetic structure which allows the poet’s repetitions to stand out e.g: “Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic/ very loud and very last” Aunt Julia’s Gaelic culture is clearly the aspect of Aunt Julia which fascinates the poet – probably because it makes her so different from most of the other people that he knows.
What three elements of nature is Aunt Julia depicted through metaphors of nature?
Julia is depicted in a series of striking metaphors that show how the young narrator connects her with three elements of nature - earth, water and air.
How does the poem end with a tone of regret?
The last stanza introduces a tone of regret before ending with a picture of the larger than life character calling to him still “getting angry, getting angry/with so many questions unanswered.”
The reason for this regret is that only after Julia’s death did the poet learn enough Gaelic to be able to communicate with her. Hence, all the questions that he would have asked to her must now remain unanswered, just as her questions to him as a child had been.
Outline the specific focus in each of the 5 Stanza’s
- The first introduces the subject of the poem - Aunt Julia.
- The second describes her physical appearance and the objects MacCaig most strongly associates with her.
- In the third stanza, the perspective moves to the way the poet felt when he visited her.
- In the fourth, he uses personification to create a sense of her character.
- The concluding stanza reflects his frustration that he could not communicate effectively with his aunt while she was alive. It also expresses his enduring affection and admiration for her.
Comment on the words used in this stanza and the poet’s use of repetition.
• What feeling does it create?
The speaker states “I could not answer her, I could not understand her”, immediately establishing one of the main themes - frustration at barriers in communication. The simplistic language stems from the fact it is with the eyes and ears of a child that he remembers Aunt Julia, potentially highlighting his ignorance to his cultural identity. The repetition of “I could not” reinforces the idea of the barrier in communication.
“very loud and very fast” - repetition of very emphasises her vitality and life. The use of straightforward language reflects her straightforward and practical nature. The words “loud and fast” give a sense of energy
Comment on how the punctuation in the first stanza creates a sense of impatience and frustration
The end stops and closed punctuation suggest that he was close minded and didn’t wish to understand gaelic.
What impression of Aunt Julia are we given in the first stanza?
In spite of this inability to understand or be understood, the tone is affectionate. This emphasises that, even without a common language, strong bonds can be created.
Already in this vivid description we have the impression of Julia as a dynamic, vigorous and forceful character.
How does MacCaig create an impression of strength in the 2nd stanza?
The poet begins to create a picture of a woman who lives a life close to the soil in this rural landscape.
“Men’s boots” - shows how she was a strong woman who didn’t conform to society and she was a labourer, just as strong as a man.
Her work is physically demanding, both out of doors and within her house. She is often barefoot but if shod, wears practical men’s boots and the poet clearly admires her completing these tasks with capability.
“Strong foot” - She is both physically and ideologically strong, placement at the end on line highlights this
“Stained with peat” - she is strongly connected connected to her landscape, crofting rural lifestyle and her cultural heritage
She is burly, and shows a sense of power and strength.
What do you think are the key words in the second half of Stanza Two? – Consider the words ‘paddling’ and ‘marvellously’.
The long line “paddling with the treadle of the spinning wheel” accentuates the lengthiness of the spinning process. It also creates a sense of movement and activity which MacCaig associates with his aunt. “Paddling” links her to water, which is a natural image
As he continues to recall the spinning process, the description of “her right hand drew yarn/marvellously out of the air” conveys the air of magic or illusion about the task. It is almost entrancing for the young boy watching.
The long vowels in “her hand drew yarn” elongate the line. This helps to convey the impression of the wool being stretched out and made taut.
The use of the present tense throughout this stanza creates a sense of immediacy and shows how vividly and readily he can still access these memories.
Stanza 3
• There is not much description of the woman here but rather a sense of the feeling of safety and comfort she creates.
• How does MacCaig create this feeling?
In stanza three we see that the language barrier was surmounted by an instinctive bond between the speaker and his aunt. As a result, the young boy feels safe and secure in the dark island of the box bed in Aunt Julia’s home.
It is enclosed and comforting. He vividly remembers lying “in the absolute darkness listening to crickets being friendly.” Again the affection he feels for her is evident in the decision to open this stanza with the pronoun Hers, emphasising her significance to him.
What does MacCaig employ in stanza four to describe his aunt?
In stanza four, MacCaig employs personification to compare his aunt with the elements he associates with the landscape - the wind and water, and with the objects and garments that most strongly evoke her.
How is aunt Julia linked to water and air in stanza four?
She is so connected with the landscape that she becomes part of it. The observations are those of a child, fascinated by both the curious and the ordinary.
In the poet’s memory Julia becomes intertwined with the natural forces of wind and rain, in the description of the “winds pouring wetly/round house-ends.”
It highlights how she had to work in very harsh conditions. The line has a lyrical lilt as created by the alliteration. The fact she is linked to two elements shows her power. Wind is an elemental force which brings the life giving property of water.
Describe the metaphor “she was buckets and water flouncing into them”
Word choice: “buckets”
A sturdy object which carries on a sense of moral and physical strength. She wasn’t particularly attractive, just functional. A bucket is vital to life by carrying water.
Again the impression conveyed is of a woman in constant motion. The transferred epithet used in the “flouncing” water gives a description of the deliberate, vigorous way she moved.
What mundane domestic objects was she associated with?
At the same time he remembers her through a series of mundane domestic objects.
She was “buckets/and water flouncing into them” and also “brown eggs, black skirts/and a keeper of threepennybits”
What is the impact of the metaphors used in stanza four?
These metaphors extend beyond merely describing Julia as an individual. She is also a symbol associated with, or representative of, the particular landscape, lifestyle and culture of this geographical area.
Aunt Julia epitomises the specific way of life of the crofting islanders who worked the land in a harsh, unforgiving climate. Despite the arduousness of this lifestyle, there is a pride and honesty to this life that the speaker obviously admires.
Julia could even be taken to symbolise the land and elements themselves in this part of the world – difficult at times, yet ultimately providing an honest, noble self-sufficient existence.
