Aunt Julia (Stanza Five) - Norman MacCaig

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  • aunt julia - stanza five
    • 'Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast'
      • takes us back to the beginning of the poem
    • 'in the absolute black of a sandy grave'
      • absolute black creates a sinister tone
      • shift from the comfort that the poet felt when he was at his aunt to the inevitable death
    • 'by the time I had learned a little, she lay silenced'
      • by the time the poet had leaned a little of bit of Gaelic, his aunt was dead
      • the word choice of silenced is a huge contrast to what Julia was like in the beginning
      • enjambment of silenced (on next line), emphasises the contrast between Julia alive and dead
    • 'but I hear her still, welcoming me with a seagull's voice across a hundred yards'
      • even though his aunt is dead, he can still hear her
      • she had a big impact on his life so much so that he can remember her voice
      • the metaphor of seagull tells us that the voice was loud and shrill
      • metaphor of seagull connects her back again to nature
      • the loudness is emphasised as you can hear it from a long way away
    • 'getting angry, getting angry with so many questions unanswered'
      • repetition of angry tells us that we should cherish our culture and heritage before its all gone
      • he's angry at himself for not learning Gaelic quick enough to actually communicate with his aunt

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