Textual Analysis - MacCaig Flashcards
(52 cards)
What does the imagery of a ‘half-filled sack’ signify?
It starkly dehumanises the beggar, reducing him to an object lacking wholeness, evoking pity and discomfort in the reader.
What does the metaphor ‘sawdust might run’ suggest?
It implies artificiality, presenting the beggar as a lifeless figure, drained of dignity and spirit.
What is the irony behind ‘three tiers of churches’?
It highlights the contradiction between religious grandeur and real-life suffering, critiquing society’s misplaced priorities.
What does the phrase ‘dead yet.’ convey?
It underscores the cruel reality of being biologically alive but socially and spiritually abandoned.
What does the extended metaphor ‘clucking contentedly’ imply about tourists?
It suggests mindless conformity and consumerist detachment, critiquing the superficial nature of their experience.
What does the word ‘outside’ symbolize in the context of the beggar?
It conveys exclusion, abandonment, and the chasm between appearances and moral action.
What does the metaphor ‘ruined temple’ demand recognition of?
It asks for recognition of the beggar’s spiritual worth, questioning who the real ruin is.
What does the juxtaposition of ‘lopsided mouth…voice as sweet’ invite us to do?
It invites us to look beyond appearances, reasserting the beggar’s humanity.
What does the metaphor ‘combs my nostrils’ emphasize?
It emphasizes the hospital’s clinical, invasive nature, setting a tone of discomfort.
What does the word ‘heavenward’ suggest?
It suggests upward movement both literally and figuratively, reinforcing the theme of mortality.
What does the repetition ‘I will not feel…until I have to’ reflect?
It reflects the speaker’s psychological defence mechanism, revealing vulnerability and denial.
What does the word ‘miraculously’ imply about the nurses?
It implies awe at their composure, contrasting the speaker’s helplessness.
What does the metaphor ‘white cave of forgetfulness’ portray?
It portrays the hospital room as a sterile void, suggesting emotional disconnection.
What does the imagery of ‘withered hand…stalk’ emphasize?
It emphasizes frailty and decay, contrasting life’s beauty with its transience.
What does the metaphor ‘glass fang’ imply about medical apparatus?
It implies that technology is invasive and cannot preserve dignity.
What does the metaphor ‘distance of pain’ reveal?
It reveals emotional separation caused by suffering, showing how illness isolates bonds.
What does the imagery ‘black figure in her white cave’ symbolize?
It symbolizes death intruding into the sterile medical world.
What does the oxymoron ‘fruitless fruits’ symbolize?
It symbolizes futile attempts at comfort or sustenance, encapsulating grief and hopelessness.
What does the repetition ‘very loud…very fast’ reinforce?
It reinforces the poet’s childhood bewilderment and the barrier created by language.
What does the repetition ‘I could not… I could not’ express?
It expresses the poet’s deep regret and emotional current of loss.
What does the imagery ‘stained with peat’ suggest?
It suggests earthiness and hard labour, symbolizing traditional Gaelic life.
What does the phrase ‘right hand drew yarn’ evoke?
It evokes admiration for her connection to craft and nature, symbolic of storytelling.
What does the word ‘marvellously’ evoke?
It evokes childlike awe and magic, portraying Aunt Julia as a figure of mythical power.
What does the symbolism of ‘box bed’ represent?
It represents comfort and safety, contrasted by death’s cold finality.
