Because by James McAuley is a thoughtful and thought-provoking text. It is a reflection of the poets life and parents and his views of them.

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Because – James McAuley

“Because” by James McAuley is a thoughtful and thought-provoking text. It is a reflection of the poet’s life and parents and his views of them. Also in a figurative sense he tells us to reflect on our own lives and see what we can change while we are still alive. He creates a gloomy feel in order to create the right atmosphere for the matter he wishes to discuss. The poem is extremely euphonic and makes us reflect on our past. When spoken, it rolls of the tongue naturally. This helps cement the intention of the poet leaving the audience with the feeling he wants to deliver.  

The title has some significance in the poem as it is directly mentioned in the line “My mother sang because…” and it also suggests the speaker is who he is because of his parents. The title invites us to question the reason for the father’s lack of emotional involvement.

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The poem is in stanzaic form consisting of 10 stanzas each with four lines (Quatrain format). Each sentence is evenly distributed in line length. The rhyming scheme is written in ABAB format. The sentences formulated in the poem are not lengthy and are lacking in complexity of form. This helps the poet by placing his point fast and quickly. Also the use of enjambments helps keep the line length in check, making the poem more consistent in its structure. “The rebuff still stuns/ My blood”. The enjambment here places emphasis on “My blood” which reminds us of the connection between ...

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