Request to a year

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• line 1

  “If the year is meditating a suitable gift,

  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
• lines 2-3

  I should like it to be the attitude

  of my great-great-grandmother,

  wright’s intention

  • 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
• line 4

  legendary devotee of the arts,”

  Wright’s intention

  • 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
• line 5

  who, having had eight children

  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
• lines 5-6

  “who, having had eight children

  and little opportunity for painting pictures,

  Wright’s intention

  • 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
• lines 7-8

  sat one day on a high rock

  beside a river in Switzerland”

  Wright’s intention

  • 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
• line 9

  and from a difficult distance viewed

  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
• line 10

  her second son, balanced on a small ice-floe,

  Wright’s intention

  • 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
• line 11

  drift down the current towards a waterfall

  Wright’s intention

  • 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
• lines 11-12

  drift down the current towards a waterfall

  that struck rock-bottom eighty feet below,”

  Wright’s intention

  • The description of the waterfall striking rock-bottom eight feet below further underscores the severity of the danger facing the son
• 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,”

  wright’s intention

  • 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 13–14

  “while her second daughter, impeded,

  no doubt, by the petticoats of the day,

  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 may represent a woman’s place in the society of that time + how they were restricted from doing what they wanted
• lines 13-15

  while her second daughter, impeded,

  no doubt, by the petticoats of the day,

  stretched out a last-hope alpenstock

  wright’s intention

  • 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
• line 16

  (which luckily later caught him on his way).”

  Wright’s intention

  • The phrase “luckily later caught him on his way” indicates that the alpenstock ultimately succeeds in aiding the son
• Line 17

  Nothing, it was evident, could have done;

  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
• line 18

  and with the artist’s isolating eye

  wright’s intention

  • 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
• lines 19-20

  my great-great-grandmother hastily sketched the scene.

  The sketch survives to prove the story by.

  wright’s intention

  • 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
• line 21

  “Year, if you have no Mother’s day present planned;

  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
• line 22

  reach back and bring me the firmness of her hand.”

  Wright’s intention

  • 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
• Lines 21–22

  “Year, if you have no Mother’s day present planned;

  reach back and bring me the firmness of her hand.”

  Wright’s intentions

  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