1. Aunt Julia
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2. Textual Analysis First half of Critical Reading exam Worth 20 marks
10 marks worth of questions on published MacCaig poem.
10 mark comparative question
You should spend minutes on this.

3. Steps for Success
Use the MacCaig Revision Booklet to revise all 6 poems, learning some key quotations
Use this power point to revise the techniques for answering questions
Use past papers, specimen papers and any other questions you have to practise under timed conditions.

4. By referring to at least two examples, analyse how MacCaig uses language to convey a striking impression of Aunt Julia’s personality. (4)

5. Exam Technique Point Evidence Analysis One mark for basic comment
Two marks for more detailed or insightful comment
Aim to give as many comments (or more) as there are marks available

6. Example MacCaig depicts his Aunt as being a very strong personality:
“Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic
Very loud and very fast.”
The repetition of ‘very’ suggests that she was a boisterous, bubbling personality.

7. Other Possible answers
Repetition of ‘I could not’
Word choice of ‘She wore men’s boots’
Sentence structure ‘paddling . .. Wheel’
Word choice of ‘marvellously’

8. By referring to the writer’s use of language, explain how the poet felt when he visited Aunt Julia. (2)

9. Exam Technique Point Evidence Analysis One mark for basic comment
Two marks for more detailed or insightful comment
Aim to give as many comments (or more) as there are marks available

10. Possible Answer MacCaig felt safe when he was at his Aunt’s:
“absolute darkness”
Word choice here suggests something that would be overwhelming and terrifying, yet he did not feel afraid.

11. Other possible answers
Contrast between ‘absolute darkness’ and ‘friendly crickets’.
Personification / word choice of ‘friendly crickets.’

12. By referring to the writer’s use of language, explain how he felt about Aunt Julia when he was an adult. (4)

13. Exam Technique Point Evidence Analysis One mark for basic comment
Two marks for more detailed or insightful comment
Aim to give as many comments (or more) as there are marks available

14. Example
MacCaig expresses frustration that he was not closer to his aunt:
“getting angry, getting angry’
Repetition mirrors a sense of regret and frustration building up as the writer considers his aunt’s death and the death of a way of life.

15. Other Possible Answers
‘by the time I had learned a little’
‘silenced in the absolute black’
‘a seagull’s voice’
‘so many questions unanswered’

16. 10 mark question
By referring to this and at least one other poem, discuss how MacCaig’s descriptions of striking characters enhance our understanding of the central concerns of his poetry.

17. Structuring Your Response
Commonality (2 Marks)
Extract (2 Marks)
Elsewhere (6 Marks)

18. Commonality Respond to the question.
Identify and explain the similarity between the two or more poems you will be analysing.
Take a couple of sentences for each poem.
Use linking / comparing phrases ‘Also,’ as well’, ‘Similarly,’

19. Example
In ‘Aunt Julia’ MacCaig portrays the strong and unusual character of his aunt. She is a unique individual characterised by hard work, care and her association with rural island life. MacCaig explores the theme of loss by conveying his frustrations at her death.
In ‘Assisi’ MacCaig also portrays an unusual character. He depicts the suffering of a dwarf who is neglected by the church. By doing so he explores the theme of the hypocrisy of religion.

20. Extract PEA x 2 Point Evidence (Quotation)
Analysis (Identification and explanation of the effect of a technique)
Two points for detailed or insightful comment
One mark for more basic comment

21. Possible Answer
From the outset of the poem, MacCaig describes Aunt Julia as a powerful character:
“Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic
Very loud and very fast.”
The use of repetition illustrates how speaking Gaelic created a communication barrier between young MacCaig and his aunt. This highlights the loss of tradition as he has not kept in touch with the traditional language. X2

22. Elsewhere PEA x 6 as no longer any marks for quotations
In Assisi, MacCaig highlights the physical suffering of the dwarf:
“with his hands on backwards”
The imagery creates a negative description of the beggar and highlights his physical suffering. This is ignored by the church, conveying the them of hypocrisy.