5156094
Description
Flashcards by Calum Mooney, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Calum Mooney
about 8 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| View of Scotland/Love Poem | View of Scotland part of the title refers to the public aspect of Scotland - its traditions and the sense of unity that these traditions bring Love Poem part of the title refers to the private aspect - the loving relationships within families, lovers and friends The split is a reference to the two segments in Lochhead's life, which is a reference to the passage of time |
| 'Down on her hands and knees on ten at night' | Suggests that the mother is house proud and very hard-working It also implies that she is superstitious and that she must enter the new year with a clean house |
| 'jiffywaxing the vinolay' | The alliteration and neologism highlights that the mother taken the cleaning of her house very seriously and cares about Scottish traditions The fast rhythm and pace of the phrase mirrors the mother's frantic cleaning and evoke the image of her polishing Creates a vivid impression of the mother trying to clean her house |
| '(This is too ordinary to be nostalgia)' | Parenthesis and word choice of 'ordinary' displays that a memory can be obscured by a later emotional overlay, but this memory is too mundane to be sentimentalised; there is nothing glamorous about cleaning the house The line creates a straight-talking tone Lochhead is keen to avoid the idea of nostalgia as she would rather remember things without romanticising them in order to have a clear viewpoint on them. |
| 'a newly opened tin of sockeye salmon...slab of black bun' | Lochhead is describing the food she ate that day, describing the delicacies positively, showing that she can't help but feel some sentimentality |
| 'Though we do not expect anyone...fanned out' | Suggests that the mother is optimistic, and how much of a traditionalist she is when it comes to upholding Scottish traditions |
| 'petticoat-tails...bone china' | Suggests that the mother wishes to keep up appearances for the benefit of potential callers |
| 'Last year it was very quiet' | Direct speech highlights that although not many people visit her at New Year, the mother insists on cleaning the house for potential visitors Highlights that the mother believes in carrying out traditions and that traditions have changed a lot since the mother's time |
| 'Mum's got her rollers in with waveset' | The mother takes pride in her appearance and the detail of her hair further establishes the setting of the poem: the 1950s |
| 'well-pressed good dress' | Assonance further promotes the idea that the mother takes the traditions of new year very seriously and insists on celebrating them properly |
| 'Nearly half-ten already and her not shifted!' | Exclamation mark suggests that the mother is easily flustered and self-critical Adds a touch of humour as the mother must ensure she is ready before the clock strikes midnight Scottish word 'shifted' helps to set the scene of the poem The reference to the mother still cleaning half an hour later helps to emphasise how fast the passage of time is |
| 'If we're to even hope to prosper this midnight must find us how we would like to be' | This means that to ensure good luck, you must create a warm atmosphere, which suggests that the mother has a superstitious and anxious nature |
| 'A new view of Scotland...takes its place' | Word choice of 'ready' suggests that the mother likes to be well-prepared and likes to plan in advance 'View of Scotland' could mean pictures f Scotland's landscape on a calendar, once again highlighting that the mother takes great pride in Scotland's traditions Ironically, the view of Scotland offered to us is in the past, again reinforcing the relentless passing of time |
| 'Darling, it's thirty years since anybody was able to trick me' | Word choice of 'Darling' suggests direct address in the present compared to memories of childhood Hogmanays in the previous verses 'It's thirty years since...' suggests a shift from the past memories to the present |
| 'December thirty-first...' | Introduces the anecdote to highlight the contrast between her childish gullibility and her sophisticated self now (reinforced in the switch from Scots dialect to standard English' The use of italics reinforces how vivid this memory still is to the speaker and again reminds us how much the past informs and influences her present |
| 'and two already since' | Introduces the new relationship which has taken the place of relationship with her mother (spending Hogmanay with her partner-of-two-years, not her mother) |
| 'We did not know...did we?' | Rhetorical question reminds us of the happiness she now experiences in her relationship which started at Hogmanay two years previously Metaphor of 'we were the happiness' refers to the traditional exchange of good wishes and kisses that take place at midnight and how this moment changed their lives forever This also demonstrates their closeness |
| 'off-licenses pull down their shutters' | Creates a realistic tone and an everyday setting of Glasgow and that, for some people, New Year's Day is just another day There is a sense of expectation and anticipation as people prepare to bring the new year in; Lochhead successfully captures the evocative mood of New Year |
| 'In highrises and tenements' | Word choice implies that even though some people are poorer than other and are living in squalid conditions, they still make an effort to bring in the New Year properly Emphasises the special camaraderie that bonds communities together during Hogmanay Suggests the passing of time as highrises are more modern versions of the older tenements |
| 'sunburst clock tick on dusted mantelshelves' | Reference to 'clocks' hints back at the past and the inevitable passing of time |
| 'Everyone puts on their best spread of plenty' | Word choice of 'best spread' creates a sense of everyone in their homes waiting for the chime of midnight Creates a sense of community and warmth |
| '(for to even hope to prosper this midnight must find us how we would like to be)' | Repetition from earlier in the poem and parenthesis reminds us that like traditions, superstitions must also be observed Suggests that traditions that were said to be gone are in fact still present and calls into question if we have really changed at all |
| 'golden crusts on steak pies like quilts on a double bed' | Simile to glamourise the food they were eating at new year and elevates it to a symbolic level She believes that the food is tastier at new year than at any other time of the year Links back first to the bed from verse 1 where the mother's dress lay and also to the love scene from the previous verse |
| 'There is no time like the present for a kiss' | Word choice of 'time...present' ends the poem with a positive tone and once again refers to the infinite passing of time Lochhead is reminding us to remember the past and enjoy the present |
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