norman maccaig

"Hospital smell combs my nostrils"

the smell is so intense that it is hurting his nose

"As they go bobbing along"

Synecdoche, he feels like his whole body has been taken over by this smell

"Green and yellow corridors"

Symbolism, these colours have connotations of sickness, which further stresses the poet's discomfort in these surroundings

"What seems a corpse"

The use of the word, "seems" is suggesting that he is unsure on whether it is a corpse or not and the use of the word, "corpse" is suggesting that he is dwelling on the idea of death and is all he can think about

"Trundled into a lift"

This is suggesting that the corpse is being put into the lift carelessly

"Vanishes heavenward"

It goes up in a lift, but as far as the poet is concerned, it's on its last journey. Also, the use of the word, "vanishes" is suggesting that the corpse will disappear which is also suggesting the end

"I will not feel, I will not/feel until /I have to"

The use of repetition suggests that the poet is speaking to himself, trying to avoid his emotions

"Here and up and down and there"

The unusual order of words here suggests the nurses are moving about in all directions.

"White cave of forgetfulness"

metaphor for hospital room, figurative represents death. forgetfulness emphasises the illness of his wife

"Withered hand/ trembles on its stalk"

Plant imagery/ metaphor describing her hand and showing just how weak she is

"Glass fang"

Metaphor, suggesting that the drip is vampire-like. The horror in this image is shocking, which is showing the poet's grief and distress at the sight of seeing the woman's condition, and being unable to help her

"She smiles a little"

This is suggesting that she is being hopeful which contrasts with the rest of the poem

"Clumsily rises"

Suggests that the poet is too busy thinking about his loved one and is just very overwhelmed by his emotions leaving him confused and dazed

"Books that will not be read/ fruitless fruits"

Both gifts are useless.. oxymoron, as two words contradict

" to stub/ to have"

unusual sentence opening captures attention of the reader.

"Slounge"

onomatopoeia, a made up word, the noise of the waves and also suggests clumsy movement like the word " slouch"

" once ( too often)"

use of parenthesis reflects it wasnt an enjoyable experience

"I count as gain"

suggests the experience was beneficial, this contradicts with parenthesis before

"Tin-tacked"

Visual/ aural imagery ( onomatopoeia )

" roomsized monster with a matchbox brain"

juxtaposed - contrasting adjectives. word choice of monster has connotations with imtimidating. matchbox sugests small brain- assumption

"Shoggled me/ centuries back"

shoggled- shook. speaker feels uncomfortable

" shook on a wrong branch of his family tree "

He is reminded that this shark is part of our own family tree , life on earth is connected

"Swish up in the dirt and, when it settles, a spring/ is all the clearer"

This gives us the idea that he has suddenly seen his position in evolution much more clearly. we should not feel superior

"Swish"

Onomatopoeia sounds of water

"Emerging"

Reinforces this new almost epiphany sense of clarity associated with coming out of the dark into the light

"Slime of everything"

Suggesting that we all started off like this (slime) and the use of the word "everything" helps to suggest how the poet feels connected with every animal. The word "slime" has connotations of something being unpleasant or unattractive and is also linked with the evolution of humanity again

Basking shark

at first his idea was all confusing and is getting clearer towards the end

"So who's the monster?"

rhetorical question - basking shark or norman(humanity) for judging so quick? realisation that the shark isnt the monster

"Tall fin slid away"

Giving you the impression that the shark is an elegant being which is contrasting the beginning of the poem

"Slumped like a half-filled sack on tiny twisted legs from which sawdust might run"

something that is unattractive and shapeless. dominated by the image of a physically deformed man

"clucking contently"

Imagery of hens. The alliteration of "c" helps you hear the noise the hens make and it gives you the impression that the tourists are foolishly happy

‘very loud and very fast’

she confident and talkative

"I could not answer her, i could not undertsand her’’

The repetition emphasises MacCaig's inability to speak gaelic, and the language barrier

"Marvellously"

He is in awe of her and admires her

"Men's boots"

she is ruggid and tough

absolute darkness

emphasises there is no light pollution in luskentyre

she was buckets

energetic, w speed , she has lots to do

Aunt Julia- Stanza 5

Opens with repeating the opening lines of the powm

"Seagulls voice"

Her words are incomprehensible but she still lives through nature

Stanza 5 - towards the end

Repetition of "angry" in the final three lines suggests that he is warning us to hold onto and cherish the culture and heritage of the island way of life

"Getting angry"

He is frustrated because they missed a language connection and had a limited relationship

"Questions unanswered"

limited relationship as missing a language connection

ruined temple

metaphor for the dwarf as he is deformed

whose eyes wept pus, whose back was higher than his head, whose lopsided mouth said Grazie in a voice as sweet as a child’s.

anaphora( three part list) emphasises the dwarfs struggles. no one is helping him yet he is still grateful

built like a gorilla, thick-fleshed, two hieroglyphs in his face that mean trouble

simile and metaphor, emphasises he is strong, dehumanised, intimidating

thin tissue over violence

metaphor, suggests the possibility of violence breaking out is very high

he hoped it, he truly hoped it

repetition emphasises his fear of not returning home safe, glimpse into his home life

who would be him, gorilla with a nightstick?
his victims…

would anyone want to do this dangerous job?
what if someone worse replaces him?
irony, reminder that the officer is capable of producing violence

helicopter skirting like a damaged insect

inferior to what nature can produce

jumbo size dentists drill

metaphor of empire state building, suggests it is big and scary

foreign places

suggests midnight is unknown and dangerous

its uncivilised darkness is shot at by a million lit windows

nature fighting agains civilisation

midnight is not so easily defeated

metaphorical battle

broken bones

synecdoche - memorbale image of injured humans

blood glazed on sidewalks

emphasises the violence and death, suggests it is fresh

outside the three tiers of church built

contrast w previous description. word choice of outside emphasised the dwarf isnt accepted

undrestood the explanation and the cleverness

wry tone