Aunt Julia- Stanza 5 Flashcards
“Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very loud & very fast”
.Repetition
.This is effective as it emphasises the major impact and impression of Aunt Julia because it directly repeats the first line. This implies that the area of their relationship that initially intimidated him was now the one thing he deeply regretted not appreciating as much as he should have. He realises he should break down the communication barrier between them and finally embrace his Scottish heritage and culture.
“learned a little”
“silenced”
.Connotations of death, end and grief
.This suggests the final end to Aunt Julia’s life and her constant unyielding voice; her death is finally deafened and brought to an end. It emphasises the inevitability and inescapable nature of death that even Aunt Julia cannot fight.
“absolute black”
.Connotations of darkness, bleak and final
.This suggests the bleak finality of her death which she had the inability to fight; she cannot return from it. It also contrasts with the “absolute darkness” from earlier which he found so much comfort and warmth in however now the speaker has hit a point of no return and will never experience that again.
“sandy grave”
“But I hear her still”
. Connotations of long-lasting impact, memory and effect
. This suggests that the speaker has went through a change in perspective from the memory of her death and her voice, which now heavily effects him. It also emphasises the long-lasting impact Aunt Julia’s voice and character has had on the speaker as an adult.
“welcoming”
“a seagull’s voice”
“getting angry, getting angry”
. Repetition
. This is effective as it emphasises his increasing frustration towards his inadequate attempts to communicate with her. It also highlights his resentment at his insufficient knowledge of his own Scottish heritage.
“so many”
“unanswered”
.Connotations of lack of knowledge, disappointment, and inadequacy
.This suggests a lack of knowledge and fulfillment, as well as experiences they could have shared with each other however due to the communication barrier they couldn’t do so. The isolation of the word on the last line emphasises the extreme disappointment and inadequacy the speaker feels.
