'Because' by James McAuley was published in 1971 in 'Collected Poems 1936 - 1970'. 'Because' describes McAuley’s memory of the limited affection and love McAuley's parents showed. The poet blames his unhappiness and inability to love on their lack of warmth towards him. My visual representation is of a boy looking into a mirror and only being able to see his parents, facing away from each other, as McAuley believes that their lack of love influenced his identity. The poem gives an insight into how memories and experiences of the past can influence a person's future. McAuley reflects on the mundane nature of his parents’ love when he was a child. He describes their love 'as daily as the Sydney Morning Herald'. The allusion to the newspaper
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McAuley uses similes to show the effect that these seemingly insignificant events had. Memories can 'cut like a saw' and 'small things can pit the memory like a cyst'. The use of the word 'pit' shows how memories can leave a lasting mark. 'Cyst' also has a negative connotation of darkness and disease.
This is reflected in my image by the body language of the boy, whose hand on his heart, and head tilted contemplatively sideways, showing he experiences strong emotions when remembering his parents. McAuley acknowledges that painful childhood memories can have a negative impact on the future. McAuley reflects on his life and the effect his parents had on him. He admits that his negative past is 'A part of what we are'. McAuley is frustrated that, while he has memories of his parents, 'The living cannot call the dead collect'. This analogy establishes the idea that he cannot confront his parents about the ways they hurt him, because they are dead and are unable to respond. In my visual representation, the parents’ incomplete presence in the boy's life is shown by their faded grey silhouettes, distinct from the boy’s black. In this poem, McAuley suggests that a person can be left with distorted emphasis on specific memories which weighs on their mind more than others and can lead to a repetition of the
McAuley uses similes to show the effect that these seemingly insignificant events had. Memories can 'cut like a saw' and 'small things can pit the memory like a cyst'. The use of the word 'pit' shows how memories can leave a lasting mark. 'Cyst' also has a negative connotation of darkness and disease.
This is reflected in my image by the body language of the boy, whose hand on his heart, and head tilted contemplatively sideways, showing he experiences strong emotions when remembering his parents. McAuley acknowledges that painful childhood memories can have a negative impact on the future. McAuley reflects on his life and the effect his parents had on him. He admits that his negative past is 'A part of what we are'. McAuley is frustrated that, while he has memories of his parents, 'The living cannot call the dead collect'. This analogy establishes the idea that he cannot confront his parents about the ways they hurt him, because they are dead and are unable to respond. In my visual representation, the parents’ incomplete presence in the boy's life is shown by their faded grey silhouettes, distinct from the boy’s black. In this poem, McAuley suggests that a person can be left with distorted emphasis on specific memories which weighs on their mind more than others and can lead to a repetition of the