Higher English Set Texts The Poetry of Norman

Higher English Set Texts The Poetry of Norman Mac. Caig Prelim Revision, 2015

There a variety of elements to Mac. Caig’s poetry. ü Theme of isolation ü Theme of loss and grief ü Theme of lack of communication ü Deeply emotional situations ü Human experiences ü Personal experience ü Nature ü Theme of death ü Observation of people or places ü Contrast Can you link each of Mac. Caig’s poems to one or more of these elements and themes?

’ a i l u ‘ J t n Au l’ a i r mo ‘Me ’ r u o H g n ti i s i ‘V d n u So ‘Ba n i k s he t f so ‘ g ’ k r a Sh ‘A i’ s i ss y’ a D

Mac. Caig’s Creation of Mood in his Poetry has the power to evoke emotions and feelings in its readers and audience members, if it is read out loud. These emotions and feelings help establish a certain atmosphere or mood. The writer of the poem creates the mood using a number of elements such as language, setting, tone and theme. To define the mood of a poem, the reader should analyse how these different elements interact and what feeling or atmosphere they evoke. ‘Aunt Julia’ is a poem where a variety of moods are prevalent. ü Can you identify the different moods in the poem?

Mac. Caig’s Creation of Mood in his Poetry Stanza 1: “Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very louds and very fast. I could not answer her – I could not understand her. ” Repetition creates a mood of frustratio Stanza 2: “while her right hand drew yarn Word choice creates a mood of awe, won marvellously out of the air” and fondness of his Aunt. Stanza 3: “Hers was the only house where I’ve lain at night in the absolute darkness Contrast is used here to emphasise the of a box bed, listening to mood of happiness and content. crickets being friendly. ”

Mac. Caig’s Creation of Mood in his Poetry Stanza 4: “She was buckets Again, a mood of awe and water flouncing into them. wonder is created through Mac. Caig’s use of language: She was winds pouring wetly round house ends. ü Imagery (succession of She was brown eggs, black skirts metaphors) and a keeper of threepennybits ü Repetition (she was) ü Listing (emphasises the in a teapot. ” amount of things she was able to do)

Mac. Caig’s Creation of Mood in his Poetry Stanza 6: “Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic Repetition creates a mood of frustration very loud and very fast By the time I had learned “by the time I had learned a a little, she lay little she lay silenced…” “black” silences in the absolute black “grave” of a sandy grave creates a mood and sense of at Luskentyre. But I hear herregret still, welcoming mechoice creates a nostalgic Word mood of fondness for his Aunt. with a seagull’s voice across a hundred yards of peatscrapes and lazybeds and getting angry, getting angry Repetition is used here again to create a mood of guilt and frustration that he was never able with so many questions to communicate with his Aunt. “Unanswered questions” highlights the mood of unanswered. ” regret.

The Last Question (10 marks) Look at the hand out of the set text specimen. The paper is broken down as follows: There will be four questions. The first three questions will be textual analysis style questions on one of the set texts that will be given to you. Two 4 mark questions (So, two quotes and two sets of analysis per question) One 2 mark question (So, one quote and one set of analysis) Your last question will be worth 10 marks, taken from one or more of Mac. Caig’s other poems although you should refer to the poem given and discuss how it connects to Mac. Caig’s other poems (‘one or more’ /‘at least one’) v 2 marks for identifying a commonality (theme etc in ref to the question) v 2 marks from poem given (quote and analysis) v 6 marks for referring to Mac. Caig’s other poems (“one or more/at least

The Last Question (10 marks!) You will be asked about thematic connections in Mac. Caig’s work: Usually: ü Themes (loss, grief, death, - Sounds of the Day ü Contrast - Assisi (dwarf and church, poverty and wealth. - Memorial (death and floral imagery) - Sounds of the Day (contrasting sounds to highlight Mac. Caig’s grief. Positive vrs negative. ) - Basking Shark (Mac. Caig comparing him to the shark – Is he superior? ) “matchbox b room sized monster”. - Aunt Julia (“crickets being friendly” in contrast to the dark room to emphasise his comfort at Aunt Julia’s. ) - Memorial Visiting Hour Aunt Julia ü ü Personal Experience (All) Observation (All except ‘AJ’) Isolation (All) People or Places (All) ü - Nature Imagery Memorial (bird, floral) Aunt Julia (outdoors, eggs, winds) Assisi (extended metaphor – hens) Sounds of the Day (Outdoors, birds, ocean, winds, river) Basking Shark (shark, rain on the sea, “slime of everything”)