Aunt Julia

Question 1

Stanza Openings

Answer 1

every stanza opens with a reference to Aunt Julia highlighting her importance

Question 2

Aunt Julia

Answer 2

immediately establishies Aunt Julia as the subject of the poem

Question 3

Gaelic

Answer 3

she is traditional

Question 4

very…very

Answer 4

Repetition: emphasises his struggle to understand her but also her determinded nature

Question 5

very loud and very fast

Answer 5

Word Choice: suggests how energetic and lively she is

Question 6

I could not … I could not

Answer 6

Repetition: emphasises his inability to communicate

Question 7

… - …

Answer 7

creates a pause puts focus on the idea that he can’t communicate with her

Question 8

She wore men’s boots

Answer 8

Word Choice: she does mostly male tasks (outside, physical labour) she’s tough/ doesn’t confrim to expectations

Question 9

when she wore any

Answer 9

Word Choice: she is often barefoot, shows she is at one with nature/the earth

Question 10

strong

Answer 10

Word Choice: repeats idea that she is tough

Question 11

stained with peat

Answer 11

reflects her traditional croft life, emphasises connection to/ love of nature

Question 12

paddling

Answer 12

Onomatopoeia: reflects rhythmic movements

Question 13

drew yarn
marvellously

Answer 13

Enjambment: shifts focus to marvellously and also reflects fluidity of movement

Question 14

only

Answer 14

Word Choice: suggests her house is special, unique, exciting

Question 15

absolute darkness

Answer 15

usually frightening for a child

Question 16

of a box bed

Answer 16

unfamiliar but in this case exciting for him

Question 17

crickets being friendly

Answer 17

shows that he feels safe/happy at Aunt Julia’s
sense of closeness to nature

Question 18

She was buckets

Answer 18

Metaphor: buckets can carry a lot so too can Aunt Julia she is strong and useful

Question 19

water ‘flouncing’ into them

Answer 19

Word Choice: suggets speed and energy of her movements

Question 20

She was winds

Answer 20

Metaphor: just as the wind is strong and fast so too is Aunt Julia is energetic

Question 21

winds … wetly

Answer 21

Alliteration: reflects fluid sound of her movements, again emphasises connection with nature

Question 22

She was brown eggs, black skirts and a keeper of threepennybits in a teapot

Answer 22

List: emphasises amount of minor detalis he remembers , shows how important she was
Items show how traditional she was

Question 23

Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast

Answer 23

Repetition of first line emphasises communication barrier

Question 24

By the time

Answer 24

phrase suggest being late

Question 25

I had learned a little, she

Answer 25

balance between I/she suggests a feeling of regret, too little too late

Question 26

she lay silenced

Answer 26

Enjambment: brings our attention to silenced which tells us she's dead

Question 27

silenced

Answer 27

Contrast to opening lines of stanza 1 and 5

Question 28

absolute black

Answer 28

Metaphor for death, 'absolute' tells us she's not coming back, direcr contrast to her noisy life

Question 29

But

Answer 29

change of direction/ pause, emphasises that her memory lives on

Question 30

welcoming

Answer 30

Word Choice: suggests love, warmth shows close bond they had despite language barrier

Question 31

seagull's voice

Answer 31

once again identifies her with wild nature, her memory like a high pitched call of a seagull is hard to ignore

Question 32

peatscrapes and lazybeds

Answer 32

firmly places her in a traditional, natural enviroment another reference to croft life

Question 33

getting angry, getting angry

Answer 33

Repetition: emphasisies growing frustration and annoyance Unclear whether she is angry he left it too late or he is angry with himself

Question 34

so many questions

Answer 34

so much still to learn

Question 35

questions unanswered

Answer 35

Enjambment: places focus on unanswered Sums up their inability to communicate but also his regret Not only has he lost an important family member but her way of life died with her Also lost a piece of his heritage, culture and himself