MacCaig often focuses on upsetting aspects of life in his poetry. Referring closely to this poem and to at least one other poem by MacCaig, show how MacCaig addressed such themes in his poetry. (10 marks)

Question 1

commonality

Answer 1

•In his poem ‘Memorial’, MacCaig focuses on the enduring sadness and grief when a loved one passes away.
• In ‘Assisi’ he concentrates on revealing the hypocrisy of man and our frightening ability to ignore the needy among us.
• In both poems he uses striking use of language such as repetition and imagery to allow us to fully comprehend the upsetting aspects of life he discusses.

•In “Visiting Hour”, he focusses on the grief and anguish caused by visiting a loved one in hospital for the final time.

Question 2

Memorial

Answer 2

•In ‘Memorial’ we are faced with the suggestion that the sadness that takes hold of us when someone dies is all consuming and enduring.

	“Everywhere she dies. Everywhere I go she dies.
	No sunrise, no city square, no lurking beautiful mountain
	but has her death in it.”

     The use of repetition of ‘everywhere’ reinforces the sense that her death surrounds him and he cannot escape it.  He goes on to list the beautiful aspects of life he can no longer enjoy, the repetition of the word no stressing that all he used to enjoy has now been coloured by her death.

Question 3

Identify an appropriate technique/idea or feature of language in a different poem which illustrates the same commonality effectively (eg: theme, central relationship, importance of setting, use of imagery, development in characterisation, use of personal experience, use of narrative style) and answers the question.
•Note: Make sure that your quotation is appropriate to the question asked and that you are linking back to the question!

Answer 3

• In ‘Assisi’ we are introduced to a dwarf who is begging outside the basilica in Assisi which was dedicated to St Francis. He is surrounded by Tourists, flocking to hear the priest speaking of the virtues of the Saint:

"A rush of tourists, clucking contentedly,
	Fluttered after him as he scattered
	The grain of the word.”

MacCaig introduces a very effective extended metaphor. He likens the tourists to hens following the farmer who feeds them. He calls them a “rush” of tourists. “Rush” describes their swift movements (compared to the beggar). He says they are “clucking contentedly”. Hens are perceived as rather stupid creatures and he implies that the tourists are happy to listen to the priest, but do not spare a thought for the real suffering of the beggar. The hypocrisy is clear – they are learning about a man who helped others, but ignore the man requiring their help

Question 4

Assisi Comment Two

Answer 4

•Their ability to ignore the man is highlighted later in the poem
“ … It was they who had passed
The ruined temple outside, whose eyes
Wept pus, “
The irony is apparent. St.Francis was a “talker with birds” and we cannot help but compare his compassion with the casual attitude shown by the priest. The poet feels mounting anger as the tourists rush past the little man, totally ignoring him. MacCaig calls him a “ruined temple”, a deliberate contrast to the elaborate church with its works of art. A temple is a holy building and “ruined” gives us the idea that it has been left to rot and decay on the outside, but the holiness of the place remains inside. There follows a very vivid description of the beggar in which MacCaig spares us none of the unpleasant details and shows us how repulsive the beggar’s outward appearance is: “Whose eyes wept pus” weeping suggests pain, but also compassion. We are horrified that such clear need could be ignored.

Question 5

Visiting Hour

Answer 5

In “Visiting Hour”, MacCaig demonstrates the devastating effect that grief can have when saying goodbye to a loved one for the last time.

“She smiles a little at this
black figure in her white cave
who clumsily rises
in the round swimming waves of a bell”

The word choice of “black” holds connotations of the grim reaper, returning to the idea of death and suggesting that death is never far away. The word choice of “clumsily” and “swimming waves” suggest the poet is struggling with his emotions.