Norman MacCaig 10 Mark Questions

Visiting Hour By referring to this poem, and at least one other by MacCaig, discuss how he explores the theme of loss in his work. 10

Commonality (2) Extract (2) Elsewhere (6)

Commonality State/discuss how the focus of the question relates to the extract. State/discuss how the focus of the question relates to another of the poet’s texts. Make a statement about the “big message” of the concept identified in the question.

Commonality In Visiting Hour, MacCaig deals with the loss and how difficult it is to deal with the death of a loved one. Similarly, he deals with loss in Memorial. In this poem he shows how it is impossible to forget the loss of someone close to you, and difficult to move on. Overall, MacCaig suggests that loss is something that we will all have to deal with at some stage in our lives.

I would advise doing two detailed just in case. Extract Make one detailed comment or two less well developed comments, relevant to the question and with reference to the extract/poem printed in the exam paper. I would advise doing two detailed just in case.

Extract In Visiting Hour, the speaker is so consumed with fear of the loss of his loved one that it affects how he perceives everything in the hospital e.g. ‘what seemed a corpse’ and he sees death and loss everywhere. The sense of despair that comes with loss is also explored at end of the poem as the speaker laments that the visit will not help his loved one and he can do nothing to help her where he leaves ‘books that will not be read’ and ‘fruitless fruits’.

Elsewhere Discuss in detail two or three further examples relevant to the question from the wider text/other poems and quote/reference to support Detailed discussion of two examples should aim to achieve 3 marks each. Less detailed discussion of three examples would be awarded 2 marks each. Three basic comments would only score 1 mark each.

Elsewhere In Memorial, the all consuming, all pervading nature of loss in the death of a loved one is shown in ‘Everywhere she dies’, emphasising how deeply this death has affected the speaker and that he cannot escape the memory of her death, no matter where he goes or how hard he tries. In addition, despite passage of time, the speaker’s life is now a ‘memorial’ devoted to her memory where he states ‘I am her sad music’. This again shows the deep and painful emotional impact that her death has had on him and again how her death and memory follows and haunts him. The theme of loss is also explored in Sounds of the Day. The profound impact of loss when a relationship ends is shown through contrast between sounds – where noise represents liveliness and life - and the ‘silence’ after parting represents the deep sense of pain, loss and ultimately the ‘numb’ feeling caused by the intensity of these negative feelings.