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Connections, Connection between characters and their surroundings,…
Connections
Techniques
Simile
Metaphor / extended metaphor
Repetition
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
Characters
Aunt Julia
The Priest
The tourists
Norman MacCaig - Narrator
The cop
Themes
Hypocrisy in the church
Evolution / Reflection on humanity
Grief
Violence in society
Connection between characters and their surroundings
'Brooklyn Cop' - (violence in society)
'thick-fleshed'
The cop has developed an outer layer to
protect him from his surroundings.
"hieroglyphs in his face"
He is hard to read, he has to keep his feeling
on the inside, show no weaknesses.
'Aunt Julia' - (grief)
"absolute darkness"
Could be negative but is actually more factual and shows
the speaker feels safe and comforted.
"being friendly"
Contrasts with the "absolute darkness" to show
that this was a happy time and the speaker felt safe.
'Assisi' - (hypocrisy in the church)
"three tiers of churches"
Contrasts between the beauty of the church and the ugliness of the dwarf.
'Hotel Room, 12th Floor' - (light and dark, good and evil)
"I watched "
Sence of time
- MacCaig is passive and uninvolved.
"I lie in bed"
MacCaig is still passive although now no longer sees the city outside (he is trying to sleep).
"I hear"
Now MacCaig hears not sees.
Specific experiences are used to explore central concerns
'Assisi' - (hypocrisy in the church)
"I understood / the explanation and / the cleverness"
Ironic
the speaker is unimpressed at the priest for being a hypocrite.
'Aunt Julia' - (grief)
"learned"
The speaker is regretful he didn't learn Gaelic earlier.
"getting angry... / questions unanswered"
The speaker is annoyed that upset that he could never really communicate with his Aunt before she died.
'Basking Shark' - (human evolution)
"displaced"
Makes the speaker rethink his point of view.
"So who's the monster?"
Questioning his origins, no longer confident in his superiority.
'Hotel Room, 12th Floor' - (light and dark, good and evil)
"jumbo sized dentist's drill"
Metaphor
- compared a potent symbol of America's power and dominance to something that connotates fear and pain. MacCaig finds it / America menacing.
"cold water flats"
The city that boasts about its advancement still allows its citizens to live in poverty, lacking basic necessities.
"the blood glazed on sidewalks."
Word choice
- "glazed" depicts the copious amount of blood. Draws attention to the harsh, painful reality of the 'modern' city after dark.
Contrast is used to explore central concerns
'Assisi' - (hypocrisy in the church)
"three tiers of churches"
Contrasts between the beauty of the church and the ugliness of the dwarf.
"higher than his head"
"the ruined temple"
Compares the dwarf to a temple, showing the dwarf should be cherished but is neglected.
'Aunt Julia' - (grief)
'silenced'
Contrasts the previous loud and fast energy
Aunt Julia had in previous stanzas.
'Hotel Room, 12th Floor' - (light and dark, good and evil)
"But now"
Turning point - from light to dark.
"midnight"
Connotates darkness and evil, unsafe.
"This morning"
Connotates light, good, safety. MacCaig is passive (uninvolved).
"come in"
Personified
- uninvited has forced its way in.
Relationships to develop key themes
'Aunt Julia' - (grief)
"absolute darkness"
Dark but still feels safe around her.
"welcoming me"
Still feels close to her even though she is dead.
"getting angry" / "questions unanswered"
He feels regret at not being able to talk with her when she was alive.
'Brooklyn Cop' - (violence in society)
" "see you, babe" "
Show how dangerous his job actually is and how he might one day never get back to his wife (due to violence).
"he hoped it, he truly hoped it"