'Landscape and I' (SQA National 5 English): Revision Note

Below is a guide to Norman MacCaig’s poem ‘Landscape and I’ in preparation for the SQA National 5 English exam. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of MacCaig’s techniques and methods

• Understanding the poem: an exploration of the themes and ideas within MacCaig’s poem

• Linking the poems: an understanding of how ‘Landscape and I’ connects to MacCaig’s other prescribed poems for the Scottish text section

Overview

In order to answer questions on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• An overview of the poem

• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Norman MacCaig’s intention and message

‘Landscape and I’ overview

‘Landscape and I’, written by the poet Norman MacCaig, reflects on the deep connection between humans and nature. He explores the enduring presence of the landscape of Loch Rannoch and Schiehallion, while also commenting on the transient elements of nature, such as light and birdsong, within these landscapes.

‘Landscape and I’ translation 

Line 1

Translation

• The poem begins by matter-of-factly, introducing “Landscape” as a character with whom the narrator is seemingly on friendly terms

MacCaig’s intention

• “Landscape” and the narrator are presented on equal terms, with the direct statement establishing a connection between the speaker and nature

• The landscape is personified (opens in a new tab) and the tone suggests an amicable relationship

Lines 2-4

Translation

• The speaker develops insight into the relationship between himself and nature, explaining how the pair communicate

MacCaig’s intention

• The reference to the speaker being the “talkative one” is wry and comedic, with the reader understanding the literal impossibility of the land speaking back

• The personification of landscape continues with the use of “he” and “His”

• The phrase “symptoms of being” suggests the landscape almost has a human existence, but is unobtrusive, quiet and unassuming

• The imagery (opens in a new tab) of a “shell” reminds the reader of how a child might hold a shell to their ear and hear the sea:

  • In this context, the image reminds the reader of the subtle nature of communication with the landscape, implying there are hidden messages to be found in nature

Lines 5-8

Translation

• The speaker describes his experience of looking across Loch Rannoch

MacCaig’s intention

• In a momentary reflection of light on the loch water, as identified by “lapses”, the “dimpling” movement and patterns of the water have warm, friendly connotations, typically associated with smiling

• A hieroglyph is literally an image of an object representing a word or sound, usually associated with ancient Egypt:

  • In this context, the imagery suggests that there has been meaning to decipher within the landscape for as long as time itself

• These messages within the natural world  “fade” but “recreate”, indicating a ceaseless energy 

• The speaker presents contrast in these lines:

  • The experience is described as fleeting, showing that nature is transient and in constant flux

  • However, despite the shifts and changes, there is also a permanence in nature as the landscape endures

Lines 9-12

Translation

• The narrator describes his awe in observing a “lark”, a bird known for its song, as it takes sudden flight

MacCaig’s intention 

• The “lark” is described as a “sprinkling”, as if it is a small detail in the natural world, but one that offers the potential of symbolic significance

• The verb “jerked” suggests a sudden change in direction, as the bird soars into a sky that is presented as empty and vast (“nowhere”):

  • But this is a setting in which meaning can still be sought (“true / Translation”) if we are prepared to look and reflect

• The hyphen is an invitation from the speaker to listen to the “cascading” sound, giving a physical, tangible quality to the “song” that exists even when the bird cannot be seen:

  • In this way, the “lark” is presented as an aspect of nature that is fleeting, but also possessing an essence that lasts beyond the physical entity

Lines 13-16

Translation

• The speaker describes a second bird, a “hawk”, a predatory creature, masterful in flight, as it hunts and catches its prey

MacCaig’s intention

• The “hawk” is presented is an all-knowing, authoritative character in the expression “knows all about it”

• Imagery is used to describe the bird as an “empty glove”, depicting a precision, lightness, and ease of movement

• Similar to “cascading” in Line 11, the speaker’s use of “steep chutes” offers a physical quality to the air, with the “hawk” presented as tunnelling marvellously though the sky

• The description of the bird as a thing of beauty and wonder is contrasted to Lines 15-16, with the “hawk” now presented as a ruthless killer

• Plosive sounds (the “c” in “cramps” and the “t” in “tear”) are used to emphasise this brutality, contrasting with the softer sounds and assonance (opens in a new tab) (explored through the long vowel sound in “smooth”) to highlight the vulnerability of the vanquished prey in the following line

Lines 17-20

Translation

• “Schiehallion” is a Munro (a Scottish mountain that is at least 3,000 feet in height), close to Loch Rannoch

• The speaker moves his focus from the finer details of nature to the vast landscape of a mountain

MacCaig’s intention

• The speaker’s reflections lead him to think - instinctively, as suggested by “of course” - to “Schiehallion”, and the mountain takes form in his imagination (“my mind”), rather than as a physical entity

• The mountain is personified, suggesting its ability to communicate with the speaker

• “Schiehallion” has a profound impact on the speaker, imprinting an abstract “meaning, an idea”

• This “idea” is given physical form in the imagery of a “hind” (a female deer) resting in a “corrie” (a bowl-shaped feature caused by glaciation):

  • This image is again of something striking and beautiful in nature, but also partly hidden

Lines 21-24

Translation

• In a summative reflection, the speaker seeks to gain favour with the landscape, with the last line offering a rallying call to the reader to embrace physical places

MacCaig’s intention

• The stanza opens with the conversational “So” to highlight the familiarity of the speaker and landscape

• Despite this familiarity, the use of the old-fashioned term “woo” suggests an ongoing attempt to charm and impress “Schiehallion” — a process that the speaker will continue until the “meaning of the meaning” has been established

• The repetition (opens in a new tab) of “meaning” emphasises the speaker’s insatiable desire to understand the landscape

• The phrase “no less” suggests a streak of philosophical perfection: the speaker will not be satisfied until “meaning” has been truly attained

• The exclamation “Oh” suggests giddy excitement or an epiphany that must be shared

• “Schiehallion” then becomes a universal symbol in the penultimate line, standing for any element in nature that humans may develop an emotional or spiritual attachment

• The conclusion is simple: “The thing is, climb it.”:

  • In a short sentence with the command verb of “climb”, the speaker asserts that understanding can only be achieved by committed, physical immersion

Writer’s methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections — form, structure and language — it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme and includes Norman MacCaig’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

MacCaig’s poem takes the form of a monologue (opens in a new tab) that explores the speaker’s relationship with the landscape.  

Structure

The regular structure of the poem suggests the harmonious nature of the relationship between the speaker and the landscape.

Language

MacCaig notably uses imagery, word choice and contrast to create a memorable impression of the landscape.

Understanding the poem

For the SQA National 5 English exam, it’s important to show a clear and thoughtful understanding of the poem’s themes and main ideas, as well as how the poet’s techniques and intentions help to convey meaning. This section focuses on two main themes that MacCaig examines in ‘Landscape and I’:

• Communication

• Identity

Communication

• In presenting the relationship between landscape and the speaker, the reader is challenged to consider their relationship with the natural world

• Communication is presented as reciprocal, with sounds like “Murmurs of ocean” a substitute for words, and the landscape saying more by being rather than speaking

• Nonetheless, communication is subtle: it is contained in "hieroglyphs" and birds that the eye can no longer see

• Communication must also be ongoing:

  • For the relationship to function, the speaker can show no complacency and must “woo”, making every effort to understand “no less”

• The poem ends with the speaker urging readers to commune with nature, but successful communication will be hard-won, for the reader must enter the physical realm to make sense of the emotional realm

Identity

• ‘Landscape and I’ creates a vivid identity of nature as a personified entity that can only be understood by humans given time and patience

• The idea of identity in ‘Landscape and I’ can be summarised by the phrase “true / Translation”:

  • While a human’s identity is shaped by external factors and social expectations, the natural world simply is

  • The “hawk”, being two things at the same time — an exquisite, aesthetic marvel and also a ruthless predator — embodies this idea

  • In human nature, we might call this duality, but in the natural world the “hawk” exists by relying on instinct

• In the poem, the speaker encourages the reader to understand this identity, and perhaps learn from it:

  • Nonetheless, understanding requires effort: hence the speaker’s call to “woo” and blunt instruction to “climb it”

Linking the poems

Most students who study MacCaig’s poetry for the SQA National 5 exam use it to answer the Scottish text section. However, you can choose to write your critical essay on MacCaig’s poetry.

If you choose to study MacCaig for the Scottish text section, you’ll need to demonstrate a broader understanding of her poetry in the final question, as required by the SQA. This means referring to ideas, themes, or techniques from at least one of his other poems.

The six prescribed poems by Norman MacCaig are:

• ‘Aunt Julia’

• ‘Hotel Room, 12th Floor’

• ‘Old Highland Woman’

• ‘On Lachie’s croft’

• ‘Landscape and I’

• ‘Basking Shark’

The final question will likely concentrate on an aspect of content, such as theme or characters in the poems, or on a technique, such as use of imagery or contrast.

Below are some useful comparisons between the six prescribed poems.