Request To A Year By Judith Wright

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

• Australian poet
  Talks about gender roles
  Liberal - fought for women’s rights, ecological issues and aboriginal rights

Question 2

Themes and tone

Answer 2

Themes: motherhood
Art
Gender roles
Memory/time

Tone: Formality - academic
Flippant undertone (light-hearted)

Question 3

Form and structure

Answer 3

• rhyming couplet creates a sense of resolution and confidence( she knows what she has to do)
• free verse contrasts restricting gender roles on the 19th century

Question 4

Title: Request To A Year

Answer 4

PERSONIFICATION OF A YEAR: personifies a benevolent force that can take and give.

Question 5

‘If the year is meditating a suitable gift,
I should like it to be the attitude
of my great great grandmother,
legendary devotee of the arts,’ (1-4)

Answer 5

MEDITATING VERB CHOICE: profound/ deeply, emphasises importance to her
MODAL VERB OF SHOULD: formality again emphasises the importance however creates a joking and light hearted tone
ADJECTIVE CHOICE OF LEGENDARY: creates a lot of importance, mythologising the ggg
IRONY OF LEGENDARY DEVOTEE: she wasn’t allowed to have hobbies in that time

Question 6

‘who, having had eight children
and little opportunity for painting pictures,
sat one day on a high rock
beside a river in Switzerland’ (5-8)

Answer 6

SUBORDINATING CLAUSE: creates an image of her strength
PLOSIVES: ironically dismissive tone, mocking the men who mock her
SYMBOLISM OF HIGH ROCK: show emotional distance w kids and noble perspective of the artist

Question 7

‘and from a difficult distance viewed
her second son, balanced on a small ice-floe,
Drift down the current towards a waterfall
that struck rock bottom eighty feet below,’ (9-12)

Answer 7

HARSH ALLITERATION D:emphasises double meaning of the distance
VERB CHOICE VIEWED: creates a sense of detachment
SECOND SON: her son is j a number, detachment
VERB CHOICE DRIFT: slowly - no panic in the image despite the danger
HARSH ALLITERATION OF R T: mimicks rocks and danger

Question 8

‘While her second daughter, impeeded,
no doubt, by the petticoats of the day,
stretched out a last hope alpenstock
(which luckily later caught him on his way). (9-12)

Answer 8

SECOND DAUGHTER DETACHMENT
CONTRAST: son and daughter - free and trapped (societal commentary)
SUBORDINATING CLAUSE NO DOUBT: criticises the petticoats and gender roles
FRONTING VERB CHOICE OF STRETCHED OUT: emphasises the hopelessness in this situation
SOFT ALLITERATION: light hearted tone that removes importance to thr story (it’s not the most important part

Question 9

‘Nothing, it was evident, could be done;
and with the artist’s isolating eye
my great great grandmother hastily sketched the scene.
The sketch survives to prove the story by.’ (13-16)

Answer 9

FRONTING: emphasises hopelessness
FORMALITY + SUBORDINATING CLAUSE: dismissive of the seriousness
ISOLATING VERB CHOICE: shows she prioritised art and that she has the power to immortalise a moment
SYMBOLISM SKETCH: legacy of the ggg - her spirit survives

Question 10

Year, if you have no Mother’s Day present planned;
Reach back and bring me the firmness of her hand

Answer 10

RHYMING COUPLET: finality, she’s ready to be like her ggg
APOSTROPHE TO THE YEAR: shows her admiration and want for it
MOTHER’S DAY CHOICE: shows she also is a mother and indicated women’s struggles with motherhood
FIRMNESS ADJ CHOICE: shows her strength and confidence, and ability to prioritise art