Aunt Julia: Stanza 1

‘Aunt Julia: Stanza 1’

Setting and Context

• The poem “Aunt Julia” is set in the Outer Hebrides, emphasising the Scottish context which serves as the backdrop to Aunt Julia’s life and character.
• The first stanza introduces us to Aunt Julia herself – a strong and vibrant woman who speaks Gaelic fluently.

Language

• MacCaig uses Gaelic words (‘seann’ and ‘cottar’) within the English text, highlighting the cultural and linguistic divide between Aunt Julia and the narrator. This gives readers an immediate sense of Julia’s identity and the world she inhabits.
• The phrase “made noises like a scarecrow” is a metaphor illustrating Aunt Julia’s unique way of communicating, making her seem both strange and endearing.

Tone and Mood

• The stanza gives a sense of Aunt Julia as a strong and independent woman who exists in a different landscape, both physical and linguistic. However, her isolation is presented as something that is neither pitiful nor passive.
• This suggests a tender, yet respectful, tone towards Aunt Julia, a tone that is sustained throughout the poem.

Structure

• The form of the poem is free verse, which allows MacCaig to vary his lines in ways that suggest the ebb and flow of conversation and thought.
• The use of enjambment within the stanza adds a sense of continuity and fluidity to the narrative, echoing the movement of the sea which is a key symbol in the poem.

Summary

• Stanza 1 of “Aunt Julia” sets the scene for the exploration of a strong, vibrant woman who lives in two worlds – the physical world of the Outer Hebrides, and the linguistic world of Gaelic. MacCaig’s use of language, tone, and structure introduces readers to Aunt Julia and her unique position in both the narrator’s life and the larger Scottish context.