To answer an essay question on any poem, you must understand what it is about. The section includes:
- The poem in a nutshell
- A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section
- A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Wright’s intention and message
‘Request To A Year’ in a nutshell
‘Request To A Year’ was written by Australian poet Judith Wright and published in her 1955 collection, The Two Fires. The speaker in the poem recounts the story of her great-great-grandmother, who was faced with a challenging and dramatic incident involving her son. Instead of saving her son from drowning, the mother chose to sketch the incident. The poem explores ideas of female agency and artistic expression.
‘Request To A Year’ breakdown
Lines 1–4
“If the year is meditating a suitable gift,
I should like it to be the attitude
of my great-great-grandmother,
legendary devotee of the arts,”
Translation
- The speaker expresses a desire for a particular gift from the year
Wright’s intention
- The speaker starts by personifying time and suggesting that if the year were to consider giving a gift, she has a specific desire in mind
- The speaker then specifies that they desire the attitude of their great-great-grandmother, which implies that she possessed qualities or characteristics that the speaker finds admirable or valuable:
- By invoking their ancestor, the speaker is drawing a connection between past and present, suggesting a desire for continuity or a return to certain values
- The speaker then further elaborates on the qualities they admire in their ancestor by describing her as a “legendary devotee of the arts”:
- This phrase suggests that the great-great-grandmother had a deep passion and commitment to artistic pursuits
Lines 5–8
“who, having had eight children
and little opportunity for painting pictures,
sat one day on a high rock
beside a river in Switzerland”
Translation
- The speaker talks of how having children stopped her great-great-grandmother from painting
Wright’s intention
- The speaker highlights the fact that their great-great-grandmother had eight children:
- This detail immediately conveys a sense of the challenges and responsibilities she faced as a mother
- Due to her role as a mother and the demands it placed on her time and energy, the great-great-grandmother had little opportunity for pursuing her own artistic interests, specifically in painting pictures:
- It suggests that she had talents or interests in the arts but was constrained by her circumstances from fully exploring or expressing them
- The imagery of the great-great-grandmother sitting “on a high rock” beside a river in Switzerland evokes a sense of serenity and contemplation:
- It suggests a moment of respite and a tranquil setting where she could pause and reflect
Lines 9–12
“and from a difficult distance viewed
her second son, balanced on a small ice-floe,
drift down the current towards a waterfall
that struck rock-bottom eighty feet below,”
Translation
- The speaker recounts a story of her great-great-grandmother witnessing her son in danger
Wright’s intention
- The phrase “from a difficult distance viewed” suggests that the great-great-grandmother is observing the scene from afar, indicating a sense of helplessness:
- This distance may be physical but could also represent emotional distance or both
- The image of the “second son, balanced on a small ice-floe” adds a layer of danger and vulnerability to the scene
- The danger of the situation is emphasised by the fragile nature of the ice-floe and the potential for it to tip or break under the son’s weight
- The imagery of rushing water and the inevitable descent towards the waterfall creates a sense of tension and impending disaster:
- The mother’s inability to intervene as her son drifts towards this perilous fate heightens the emotional impact of the scene
- The description of the waterfall striking rock-bottom eight feet below further underscores the severity of the danger facing the son
- The imagery created here may also be a reflection of how the great-great-grandmother does not feel the maternal instincts and love that a woman was expected to feel at the time
- Her distance from the river and the impending danger could reflect the distance she feels from her role as a mother and a carer
Lines 13–16
“while her second daughter, impeded,
no doubt, by the petticoats of the day,
stretched out a last-hope alpenstock
(which luckily later caught him on his way).”
Translation
- The speaker continues the story and focuses on the second daughter’s attempts at saving her brother
Wright’s intention
- The phrase “impeded, no doubt, by the petticoats of the day” suggests that the second daughter’s movement or ability to act is hindered by the clothing of the time period:
- This detail adds a historical context to the scene and highlights the challenges faced by woman in past generations due to societal expectations and clothing conventions
- The tightness of a petticoat could represent a woman’s place in the society of that time and how they were restricted from doing what they wanted
- The second daughter takes action by stretching out an “alpenstock” as a “last hope”:
- The description suggests that the alpenstock is being used as a final attempt to rescue the son from perilous situation described earlier in the poem
- The phrase “luckily later caught him on his way” indicates that the alpenstock ultimately succeeds in aiding the son
Lines 17–20
“Nothing, it was evident, could have done;
and with the artist’s isolating eye
my great-great-grandmother hastily sketched the scene.
The sketch survives to prove the story by.”
Translation
- The speaker describes what her great-great-grandmother was doing while her son was in danger
Wright’s intention
- The first line suggests an acceptance of the situation:
- This statement could emphasise the powerlessness of the mother in the face of circumstances beyond her control
- The phrase “with the artist’s isolating eye” suggests that the great-great-grandmother observes the scene with the detached perspective of an artist:
- Instead of reacting emotionally, she approaches the situation with a sense of detachment, viewing it as if she were creating a work of art
- Despite the urgency of the situation, the great-great-grandmother takes the time to sketch the scene:
- It could suggest that the great-great-grandmother’s love or art overpowers her desire to help her child
Lines 21–22
“Year, if you have no Mother’s day present planned;
reach back and bring me the firmness of her hand.”
Translation
- The speaker re-addresses the “year” and asks for a gift
Wright’s intention
- The speaker directly addresses the year, personifying it if had the power to intervene:
- The speaker’s request suggests a longing for a gift or gesture that symbolises the love and care associated with Mother’s Day
- The phrase “reach back” suggests a desire to connect with the past or to retrieve something meaningful from earlier times
- The speaker specifies what they want when they ask for “the firmness of her hand”:
- This evokes a tactile sensation and suggests a longing for a comforting presence
- The “firmness” of her great-great-grandmother’s hand symbolises strength, security and reassurance
These lines convey a sense of longing and nostalgia and the request to the year reflects a desire for strength in the face of life’s challenges