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Retake 2006-7Revision booklet

The Anthology

ContentsSECTION ONE – Short Stories2 – Country Lovers3 – Veronica4 – The Schoolteacher’s Guest5 – The Gold Cadillac6 – A Stench of Kerosene7 – Vendetta8 – Key points for Short Story EssaysSECTIO N TWO – Poetry9 – Miracle on St David’s Day and Death of a Naturalist10 – The Barn and Follower11 – Digging and Mid-Term Break12 – An Unknown Girl and Once Upon a Time13 – Not My Best Side and Still I Rise14 – The Road Not Taken and Warning15 – I Shall Paint My Nails Red and At Grass16 – Mirror and Old Man, Old Man17 – Poetry Glossary

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Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer

Author: Nadine Gordimer (born 1923) has made her career under difficult circumstances. Born an English-speaking Jew in South Africa, she resented and resisted the pressure to conform to the white supremacist attitudes embodied in the system of apartheid. She has been politically active most of her life, and has often written about the relationships among white radicals, liberals and blacks in South Africa. In 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Although she is one of the most distinguished of modern female writers, she resists being classed as a feminist.

Context: Apartheid consisted of numerous laws that allowed the ruling white minority in South Africa to segregate, exploit and terrorize the vast majority: Africans, mostly, but also Asians and ‘Coloureds’ (people of mixed race). In white-ruled South Africa, black people were denied basic human rights and political rights. Their labour was exploited and their lives segregated. Under Apartheid, racist beliefs were enshrined in law and any criticism of the law was suppressed. Apartheid was racism made law. It was a system dictated in the minutest detail as to how and where the black population would live, work and die.

Summary: Set in Apartheid South Africa, this story is about the lustful relationship between a white man and a black woman. Paulus is the son of a white farmer. Thebedi is a black woman who works on the farm. They pursue a secret friendship when they are young, giving each other secret gifts. Paulus then goes to veterinary college. The two begin a hidden sexual relationship. Shortly after marrying a man from her village who had always liked her, Thebedi has a mixed race child. When Paulus returns from college, he visits her and the baby and tells her to hide it and get rid of it. She refuses. He returns a second time and the child is ill with diarrhoea. He tells her he will give it something. Whilst she stands outside listening to him, she hears the noises of the baby going into a deep sleep. The baby then dies. Some of the other women in the village report the incident and a charge of murder is filed against Paulus. Thebedi is emotional when giving evidence. When the case comes to trial a year later, she has had another child and changes her story, saying that Paulus did not feed the child anything. The court dismisses the case on the grounds that there was no evidence the child was Paulus’. The court agrees that the two probably had a sexual relationship. Throughout all of this, Thebedi's husband stands by her. Paulus is praised by the press for being freed, but he does not want the attention. His family are very ashamed. Thebedi tells the newspapers that the relationship was just a thing of their childhood.

Themes: Love, friendship and lust, marriage and sex, death and murder, racism and prejudice, wealth and education.

Cross referencing: Veronica (wealth, education, friendship, love), The Gold Cadillac (racism and prejudice), A Stench of Kerosene (love, family, death/suicide, unwanted children)

Key Quotes: ‘The farm children played together when they were small; but once the white children go

away to school they soon don’t play together any more.’ ‘The trouble was Paulus Eysendyck did not seem to realise that Thebedi was now simple on of

the crowd of farm children down at the kraal.’ ‘There was a risk someone would discover her or traces of her presence if he took her to his

own bedroom.’ ‘ “Don’t take it out. Stay inside. Can’t you take it away somewhere? You must give it to

someone.”’ ‘The Defence did not contest that there had been a love relationship between the accused and

the girl, or that intercourse had taken place, but submitted that there was no proof that the child was the accused’s.’

‘The young man refused to accept the congratulations of the press and public and left the court with his mother’s raincoat shielding his face from photographers. His father said to the press, “I will try and carry on as best I can to hold up my head in the district.”’

“It was a thing of our childhood. We don’t see each other any more.”

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Veronica by Adewale Maja-Pearce

Author: Adewale Maja-Pearce was born in London (1953). He grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, but returned to London to complete his education and is a prominent writer within the literary world. He now lives back in Lagos.

Context: Veronica is set in Nigeria, a country with a troubled political history. The country has been torn apart by divisions between tribes and political groups, suffering massacres and civil war. As a result, financial development within the country has been limited and rural areas have been badly affected by poverty.

Summary: In a rural village: Okeke and Veronica are childhood friends, despite Veronica being poorer and having to bring up her brothers and sisters due to her brute of a father and a weak mother. Okeke leaves the village for school and eventually University to study to become a doctor. He urges Veronica to leave; she feels tied to her family. Ten years pass before Okeke’s job brings him back to the poverty of the village. Veronica is in her old hut; her parents are dead and her siblings gone. She has a baby and a husband who has escaped war in the north but still she will not leave.Another three years pass, marred by war, and on Okeke’s return Veronica’s remaining family have died and she is herself close to death. Okeke tries to help but she longs to die, her final wish to see Okeke again granted. She dies in his arms and he buries her near the stream that they visited frequently as children.

Themes: Love and friendship, death, education, duty to family, poverty/ wealth, divisions.

Cross referencing: The Schoolteacher’s Guest (friendship), Country Lovers (divisions between rich/ poor, love, friendship)

Key Quotes: ‘We had grown up together in my native village. Her family had been even poorer

than mine, which was saying something in those days.’ ‘But for all the misery of my own life she never seemed to envy me mine.’ ‘And then came the day when I was to leave for good. I had won a scholarship to the

University and I knew in my heart I would be away a long time.’ ‘ “…why don’t you get out of this place? It has nothing to offer you.” ’

“I can’t just leave my family.”’ ‘That was the trouble with village life, nothing ever changed’ ‘The place was crawling with disease and everybody was living – surviving, rather – in

acute poverty.’ ‘ “…don’t be sorry for me. We are managing, and God has blessed us with a son. Is

that not enough?”’ ‘Three years passed before I could travel to the village. This time I went alone. When I

got there and saw all the destruction I could have wept.’ ‘She closed her eyes and turned her face to the wall. I gathered her up in my arms.

She weighed no more than a ten-year-old-child. She was dead before I reached my car. I cried that night for the terrible waste.’

‘I dug her a grave and buried her and afterwards I watched the flow of the stream until it was time for me to go away for the last time.’

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The Schoolteacher’s Guest by Isabel Allende

Author: Isabel Allende (1942 - ) was born in Lima (Peru). Her father was a diplomatic official in Chile and she moved around South America considerably after marrying and becoming a writer.

Context: South America is predominantly Catholic due to its Spanish heritage. This story is set on the edge of a rainforest – think about the wild but isolated connotations this raises. Teachers and those in similar jobs are afforded respect within such communities.

Summary: Ines the schoolteacher and Riad Halabi, a nomadic salesman turned shopkeeper, have been firm friends since the day the Turk arrived in Agua Santa. It was the same day Ines’ twelve year old son was shot dead for trying to retrieve a fallen mango. The killer ran away and the locals filled his house with mangoes; leaving it to rot. Years have passed and Ines arrives in Riad Halabi’s shop to tell him she’s chopped the head of her son’s killer off (he had the misfortune to book into her guesthouse). The Turk rallies the community who dispose of the body in the remains of the mango house and keep the murder a secret so as not to incriminate their beloved schoolteacher. The secret is kept until the narrator is freed to tell it by Ines’ death.

Themes: Murder, death, revenge, friendship, love, community, motherhood.

Cross referencing: Vendetta (revenge killing, motherhood), strong women in most stories, Veronica (friendship).

Key Quotes: ‘The boy was the centre of the school teacher’s life; she cared for him with an

unwavering devotion…’ ‘After a few weeks, the sun had fermented the fruit, which burst open spilling a

viscous juice and impregnating the walls with a golden blood, a sweetish pus, that transformed the dwelling into a fossil of prehistoric dimensions…’

‘The schoolteacher Ines was the most respected matron in all Agua Santa.’ ‘ “I had to do it. It was fate… I recognized him instantly. I’ve been waiting all these

years; I knew he would come sooner or later. He’s the man with the mangoes.”’ ‘ “ An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, Turk. Isn’t that what your religion

teaches?”’ ‘The inhabitants of Agua Santa wakened from the lethargy of years, excited by the

unbelievable news that was being passed from house to house…’ ‘They stuffed the victim in a canvas sack, wrestled it out to the street, and

unceremoniously threw it into the back of Riad Halabi’s truck. They drove through the town, right down the main street, waving, as usual; to anyone they happened to see.’

‘The next day the inhabitants of Agua Santa returned to their usual chores exalted by a magnificent complicity, by a secret kept by good neighbours, one they would guard with absolute zeal and pass down for many years as a legend of justice…’

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The Gold Cadillac by Mildred Taylor

Author: Mildred Taylor was born in Mississippi in 1942, but moved with her family to Toledo, Ohio, as a child. She joined the Peace Corps as a young woman and spent time working in Africa as an English teacher. Upon her return to the USA she recruited for the Peace Corps and began writing. Her work often deals with prejudice and the rights of black people.

Context: Segregation was a major problem for black Americans in the 1950s/60s. They were not allowed to use the same facilities as white people and had fewer civil rights. This was a particular issue in the Southern states, where centuries of slave ownership had made white people see blacks as second class citizens. Lynchings and beatings were a danger, as was the Ku Klux Klan, a racist organisation that believed in white supremacy.The Civil Rights movement of the late 1960s helped black people gain equality, although prejudice still exists today.

Summary: ‘lois and Wilma, black sisters living in a black neighbourhood in Ohio are delighted when their father brings a Gold Cadillac home. Their excitement is shared by uncles and neighbours, though their mother refuses to ride in it. She wanted to spend money on a new house and prevents the girls riding in it too. The Cadillac is a source of great fun until the father announces he is planning to drive to Mississippi to visit family. Concern is expressed at the danger of the journey, but the mother insists the whole family go. The journey south provokes confusion in the girls due to the signs reading NO COLOUREDS at motels and restaurants. Their father is arrested in Memphis by police who do not believe the car is his; he is later released but the girls are scared by the experience. They continue the journey in an old Chevy and upon their return to Ohio the father sells the Cadillac in favour of a more modest vehicle and the promise of a new house. The family are happily reconciled though the neighbours assume they are now poor.

Themes: Prejudice, wealth, community, family and love.

Cross-referencing: Country Lovers (prejudice, wealth, love), Veronica (wealth, family, love), The Schoolteacher’s Guest (community, friendship)

Key Quotes: ‘I was proud to say that car belonged to my family. I felt mighty important as people called to

me as I ran down the street.’ ‘…my then my father said he was going to drive the car south into Mississippi to visit my

grandparents and everybody stopped laughing.’ ‘I couldn’t understand why the signs were there and I asked my father what the signs meant.’ ‘We reached the Mississippi state line and soon after we heard a police siren. A police car

came up behind us…Two white policemen got out of their car. They eyeballed the Cadillac and told my father to get out. “Whose car is this, boy?” they asked.’

‘Instead of driving through Mississippi in golden splendour, we travelled its streets and roads and highways in Cousin Halton’s solid, yet not so splendid, four year old Chevy.’

‘He said it all had to do with the fact that black people had once been forced to be slaves. He said it had to do with our skins being coloured. He said it had to do with stupidity and ignorance.’

‘…my father said to hold my head high. We and the family knew the truth. As fine as the Cadillac had been, he said, it had pulled us apart for a while.’

‘I would remember that ride and the gold Cadillac all my life.’

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A Stench of Kerosene by Amrita Pritam

Author: Amrita Pritam (born 1919) is a household name within the Punjab region of India due to her position as the most prominent woman Punjabi poet and fiction writer. She lives in Delhi.

Context: A Stench of Kerosene deals with the cultural issues of arranged marriages and duty to the family within a rural environment. The lack of modern trappings in the story makes it difficult to gauge the time at which it is set.

Summary: Guleri and Manak have been married for nearly eight years. They met at the annual fair in Chamba, Guleri’s native village, and after Manak persuaded Guleri’s father to allow him to marry his daughter they moved together to Lakarmandi – Manak’s native village. Each year after the harvest, Guleri spends a few days over harvest festival visiting her family in Chamba. This year, however, Manak is reluctant to let Guleri go. He is unable to give her a good reason to stay and she departs, leaving Manak rather subdued. The reason for his unhappiness is revealed: his mother has bought him another wife as she is annoyed that Guleri has not produced any children during their marriage and was waiting for Guleri’s annual visit to bring the new bride to Lakarmandi. Manak dutifully accepts his new wife but is deeply troubled. He then learns that Guleri is dead; learning of his bride, she soaked herself in kerosene and set herself alight. Manak, crushed, retreats into himself and goes about his usual chores with no emotion. His new wife complains about him but becomes pregnant, much to the delight of his mother. When his son is placed upon his lap, Manak wakes from his expressionless state, screaming for the child to be taken away as he stinks of kerosene.

Themes: Love, family, duty, unwanted children, mothers, death.

Cross referencing: Country Lovers (love, death, unwanted children, family, duty), Veronica (death, family, duty, love), Vendetta (mothers, death).

Key Quotes: ‘She did not have to express her excitement in words; the look on her face was

enough. Her husband pulled at his hookah and closed his eyes. It seemed as he either did not like the tobacco or that he could not bear to look at his wife.’

‘He looked at her sadly. Then putting the flute to his lips, blew a strange, anguished wail. “Guleri, don’t go away,” he begged her. “I ask again, don’t go away this time.” He handed the flute to her, unable to continue.’

‘[Manak’s mother] had paid five hundred rupees to get him a second wife and she was waiting, as Manak knew, for Guleri to go to her parents before bringing in the new bride. Obedient to his mother and to custom, Manak’s body responded to the new woman but his heart was dead within him.’

‘ “When she heard of your second marriage, she soaked her clothes in kerosene and set fire to them.”’

‘The days went by. Manak resumed his work in the fields and ate his meals when they were given to him. But he was like a dead man, his face blank, his eyes empty.’

‘Manak stared at the new-born babe in his lap… suddenly the blank eyes filled with horror and Manak began to scream. “Take him away!” he shrieked hysterically, “Take him away! He stinks of kerosene.”’

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Vendetta by Guy de Maupassant

Author: Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893). He originally began studying law but at the age of 20 volunteered to serve in the Franco-Prussian War. Following this he worked as a civil servant. During the 1880s he wrote 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books and one volume of poetry. His style is usually objective and sometimes comic; drawn upon simple episodes from everyday life. However, he had suffered in his 20s from syphilis which later caused increasing mental disorder – hence his darker, nightmarish stories. In 1892 he tried to commit suicide by cutting his throat and was committed to a mental asylum in Paris where he died in 1893.

Context: Set between Corsica (French) and Sardinia (Italian), Vendetta draws upon issues of national divides and stereotypes. We’ve seen from A View… that Mediterranean people are typically impulsive and passionate. The idea of family loyalty and mafia-style revenge killing is particularly relevant here. The windswept, barren coastline could be seen to symbolise the bleak outlook on life the widow Saverini has without her son (the first paragraph deals heavily with this idea of isolation).

Summary: Following the murder of her son by Nicolas Ravolati, who subsequently escapes to Sardinia, the widow Saverini swears revenge and does not sleep until she hatches the plan to train her dog, Semillante, to savage Ravolati. She trains the dog methodically by starving it and baiting the neck of a dummy and finally decides the time is right to execute her plan. Disguised as a beggar man she travels with Semillante to Sardinia and sets the dog upon Ravolati. Her revenge complete, she returns to Corsica and sleeps well at last.

Themes: Death and murder, revenge, family loyalty, isolation.

Cross referencing: The Schoolteacher’s Guest (revenge killing), the issues of strong women we have seen in most of the stories.

Key quotes: ‘The widow Saverini’s house was planted on the very edge of the cliff, and its three

windows opened upon this wild and dreary prospect.’ (setting) ‘ “Never fear, never fear, you shall be avenged, my son, my little son, my poor child.

You may sleep in peace. You shall be avenged, I tell you. You have your mother’s word, and you know she never breaks it.”’

‘He had no brother, nor any near male relation. There was no man in the family who could take up the vendetta. Only his mother, his old mother, brooded over it.’

‘…the old mother had an inspiration of savage, vindictive ferocity.’ ‘With her eyes fixed upon the Sardinian coast, she walked up and down her room. He

was over there, the murderer.’ ‘Motionless and silent, with burning eyes, the old woman looked on.’ [as Semillante

first tears the black pudding from the dog’s neck] ‘ “Tear him! Tear him!” The maddened animal flew at his throat.’ ‘That night she slept well.’

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Answers on Literature Texts

All the questions you will be asked on literature texts will be about the techniques the writers use to achieve various effects. Below are some of the techniques worth considering, with examples.

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Suspense: in ‘A Stench of Kerosene’, Amrita Pritam creates suspense by letting us know that Manak doesn’t want Guleri to go to her village but not telling us why until after she has gone.

Surprise: the opening of ‘The Schoolteacher’s Guest’ is a good example of surprise: ‘… and announced to him that she had just cut off the head of a guest in her boarding house.’

Symbol: the flute in ‘A Stench of Kerosene’ and the golden Cadillac in Mildred Taylor’s story are both used as symbols. What others can you find? How are they used?

Point of View: three of the stories in the anthology are told in the third person (‘Country Lovers’, ‘A Stench of Kerosene’ and ‘Vendetta’) and two are obviously told in the first person (‘Veronica’ and ‘The Gold Cadillac’). ‘The Schoolteacher’s Guest’ seems to be told in the third person until the last sentence, ‘… until the death of the schoolteacher Ines freed us, and now I can tell the story.’ What effect on the reader does the point of view have in each story?

Narrative Voice: in ‘Country Lovers’, Gordimer moves between a formal, almost academic voice (‘the child’s explorations of the adventurous possibilities’) and an almost chatty style (‘The trouble was Paulus Eysendyck …’); when does she use which and why? In ‘Vendetta’, de Maupassant’s voice is mostly detached (‘Paolo Saverini’s widow dwelt alone …’), but once or twice he seems to express a point of view (‘One evening, Antoine Saverini was treacherously stabbed …’); again, when and why does he do this?

Setting: the setting a writer chooses and what s/he says about that setting can be very important. In ‘Vendetta’, the setting is wild and savage (‘those deadly straits where scarcely a ship ventures’); this tells us that the people who live there and the story itself will also be wild and savage. Settings can also have symbolic associations: the stream in ‘Veronica’, for example, is used to help create the story’s sense of inevitability.

Dialogue/Conversation: first, look at when dialogue is used: in ‘Country Lovers’ and ‘Vendetta’, the writers use dialogue only at certain points in their stories; which points and why? Then look at how dialogue is used to reveal character, emotions and relationships. In ‘The Schoolteacher’s

Guest’ the schoolteacher is happy to call the Lieutenant because ‘I’m in the right, he killed my boy.’ In ‘The Gold Cadillac’, the Mississippi cop shows his prejudice when he calls the father ‘boy’.

Foreshadowing: writers sometimes give hints to their readers about how the stories will turn out; for example, the opening sentence of ‘Country Lovers’: ‘The farm children play together when they are small; but once the white children go away to school they soon don’t play together any more.’ (Note how this is picked up at the end: “’It was a thing of our childhood, we don’t see each other any more.’” How do the writers do this and why?

Contrasts: writers sometimes use physical contrasts to point to changes in emotion and/or relationships. In ‘Country Lovers’, Gordimer uses contrasting descriptions of Thebedi to emphasise how Paulus feels about her: the early description of ‘the drops of water beading off her dark legs’ is in sharp contrast to the later description of her hands ‘as cold as dead chickens’ feet.’

Comparison (Simile/Metaphor): writers use comparisons to make their stories more vivid and/or add layers of meaning. In ‘The Schoolteacher’s Guest’, Halabi is described as a ‘commercial pilgrim’ rather than the more usual ‘commercial traveller’. ‘Pilgrim’ suggests that he is on a personal quest for fulfilment (which he finds in Agua Santa). A few other comparisons worth noting: ‘they look like the nests of deadly birds of prey’ (‘Vendetta’); “’ You are like unripe corn – full of milk’” (‘A Stench of Kerosene’); ‘I felt as if I were in a foreign land’ (‘The Gold Cadillac’). One story, ‘Veronica’, uses no comparisons at all: why do you think this is?

Sentence Length/Complexity: Most of the sentences in ‘Veronica’ are quite short and simple: ‘Well, I went to the city and made good.’ or ‘But I never forgot Veronica.’ Why has the writer used sentences like this? By contrast, the opening sentence of ‘The Schoolteacher’s Guest’ is quite long, delaying the surprise till the end. Look for other examples of notably long or short sentences and try to work out why the writers have used them. (Sometimes, a writer will use a short sentence immediately after a long one to add impact to the short sentence; see lines 28 – 31 of ‘Vendetta’: ‘Still wearing his rough jacket … His beard and hair were matted with clots of blood.’)

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Poetry - IdentityMiracle on St David’s Day

Gillian Clarke1. What does the poet mean by describing the afternoon as ‘open mouthed/with daffodils?2. Why does line 6 come as a shock after the first five lines? Which two words in the first

verse hint at all not being as it seems?3. Write brief notes of the four patients referred to in the second, third and fourth verses.4. What did the persona feel, and why, at the beginning of the fifth verse?5. How does she describe the labourer’s voice in the fourth and fifth verses?6. How do the nurses and patients react to the new sound? What effect does his reaction

seem to be on the daffodils themselves?7. What do you think the poet might be suggesting by the last line of the poem?8. What exactly is ‘the miracle’ and why does the poet note that it is St David’s Day (1st

March)?9. Describe the poet’s attitude to the patients. How do they appear to be treated? Pick out

particular words that support your points.10.What do you think might happen next in the life of the ‘miracle’ man?EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘Miracle on St David’s Day’ and one other poem of your choice from

Collection B: Identity which also deals with the subject of change. Comment on how the poets develop the idea of change and convey its outcomes.

Death of a NaturalistSeamus Heaney

1. What do the words ‘festered’, ‘rotted’, ‘sweltered’ and ‘gargled’ add to the first ten lines of the poem?

2. Pick out a metaphor and a simile in the first ten lines and comment on their effectiveness.

3. Why do you think the poet says ‘But best of all’ before describing the frogspawn?4. Why did he fill jam pots with frogspawn every spring?5. Pick out two descriptions of the frogspawn between lines 11-21 and say what they reveal

about the poet’s attitude to it.6. Explain, in your own words, what happened ‘one hot day’ in lines 22-23 to change the

poet’s view of frogs forever.7. Pick out three phrases describing the frogs in the last verse and say what they add to the

sense of ‘obscene threat’ perceived by the poet.8. Pick out three ‘sound’ words (two of them examples of onomatopoeia) in the last 5 lines

of the poem. Say how they affect the reader.9. What ‘vengeance’ did the poet expect?EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘Death of Naturalist’ and ‘Mid-Term Break’, also by Seamus Heaney. Compare

how the strength of feeling is built up in each poem. Say which you prefer and why.

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The BarnSeamus Heaney

1. Look at the simile in line 1. Which two senses are closely linked in it? Explain how.2. What impression is given of the pile of corn in line 2?3. Why is ‘hoarded’ a particularly good verb in line 3?4. How is ‘armoury’ linked to the third verse?5. Describe briefly, in your own words, the inside of the barn. Use information from the first,

second and third verses.6. Why does the poet use alliteration in line 12?7. What emotion is suggested by ‘scuttled fast’ in line 13?8. Which three animals seem to terrify the boy in his sleep?9. How does he seem to imagine himself in the last verse? Pick out supporting evidence

from the poem.10.There are a number of vivid similes in the poem. Pick out any two and say why you think

they are successful and what they add to the poem.EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at the five poems by Seamus Heaney in Collection B: Identity. Explain how the

poet conveys the experience of childhood trauma in ‘The Barn’ and one other poem.

FollowerSeamus Heaney

1. Pick out the things the son admired about his father in the first three verses.2. Find one simile in those verses: explain its meaning and day how effective you find it.3. Look at the use of active verbs in this poem (e.g. the horses ‘strained’, the sod ‘rolled’).

Underline any examples you find in this poem.4. How do these active verbs add to your understanding of the poem?5. What does it mean to follow in someone’s shadow?6. When did the poet stop ‘following’ his father?7. Why are the sods of earth described as ‘polished’?8. The main contrast in the poem is summed up in the last verse. What is it?9. Why is the title doubly important in this poem?10.Who is the most patient in this poem? Justify your answer with examples from the text.EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYCompare the attitudes of the adult children to their aged parents in ‘Follower’ and ‘Old Man,

Old Man’ by U.A. Fanthorpe. Refer to both the ideas in the poems and the language used by the poets.

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DiggingSeamus Heaney

1. What is suggested by the simile in the first verse?2. What memory of the past is evoked in the second verse?3. What does the poet admire about his father and grandfather?4. Describe the tone of the fifth verse.5. Pick out and phrase, or line of description and explain what I means and why you chose

it.6. Pick out a metaphor and a simile from the poem and explain how they affect the reader.7. What memories ‘awaken’ in his head in the second verse?8. In what sense can line 28 be seen to be the crux or climax of the poem?9. How does the poet see himself in relation to his ancestors?10.Comment as fully as possible on the last line of the poem.

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘Digging’ and ‘Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Show how the two poets see

themselves in relation to their ancestors.

Mid-Term BreakSeamus Heaney

1. What impression is given about the narrator in the first verse?2. How does the clue in the phrase ‘bells knelling’ link to the second verse?3. How does the poet get on with his younger sibling?4. What embarrasses the poet when he arrives home?5. What is the poet’s position in the family, and how is this revealed in the poem?6. Explain, with close reference to the poem, the father’s and mother’s different reactions

to their son’s death.7. What is meant by ‘Snowdrops/And candles soothed the bedside’? (Comment on the use

of personification)8. How old was the brother, and what exactly had happened to him?9. Why is the bruise likened to a poppy and what do poppies suggest?10.How upset do you think the poet is by the loss of his brother? Refer closely to the poem

to support your answer.

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘Mid-Term Break’ and either ‘Warning’ by Jenny Joseph or ‘Miracle on St

David’s Day’ by Gillian Clarke. Examine how the poets use the element of surprise in their poems.

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An Unknown GirlMoniza Alvi

1. Explain briefly, in your own words, what happens in the poem.2. What is the place, time and year in the poem?3. Describe the hennaing drawn on the poet’s palm. Pick out words or phrases from the

poem to support your answer.4. What does the poet mean by ‘She is icing my hand’? What does it suggest?5. Pick out the lines that are repeated two or three times in the poem, then explain why

you think the poet has done this.6. Look at lines 41-42. Pick out and explain three literary devices that the poet has used

here.7. What does the poet seem to feel about ‘the unknown girl’?8. How does the ‘peacock’ link up with other reference to colour in the poem?9. Why do you think the poem is called ‘An Unknown Girl’ rather than ‘The Peacock’ or

‘Hennaing’?10.What do you think the poet’s attitude is to ‘Western’ influences on Indian life?

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘An Unknown Girl’ and one other poem in which colours are important. Explain how the poets incorporate colours into their poems and reveal their importance.

Once Upon a TimeGabriel Okara

1. Explain in your own words, the difference between people laughing ‘with their hearts’ and ‘with their teeth’.

2. Why do you think the poet refers to their ‘ice-block cold eyes’ instead of their ‘ice cold’ eyes?

3. Pick out two of the contrasts the poet makes between ‘once upon a time’ and ‘now’. What is the point he is trying to make?

4. Select 3 or 4 of the main things the poet says he has ‘learned’ in the fourth and fifth verses.

5. Do you think it is possible, or indeed, even desirable to be honest in all social situations? Explain your reasons why.

6. What do you think the poet means when he says to his son, ‘I want to be what I used to be/when I was like you’?

7. What does he mean by ‘muting’ things?8. What is the difference between ‘unlearn’ and ‘relearn’’?9. Pick out two similes from the poem and comment on what they add to the poem.10.Is this poem completely serious, or is there a funny side to it? Refer in detail to the poem

in your answer.

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYConsider how the poets in ‘Once Upon a Time’ and ‘Still I Rise’ explore the meanings of freedom in their poems.

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Not My Best SideU.A. Fanthorpe

1. Explain briefly, in your own words, the story behind the picture on page 26 of the Anthology.

2. Why does the ‘dragon’ say so much about triangles?3. What does ‘ostentatiously beardless’ suggest about the dragon’s view of St George? How

do we know that the girl (in part II) shares this view?4. What does the dragon think of his potential ‘victim’?5. What are the dragon’s views about his own death?6. Which aspects of the dragon does the girl seem to admire? What is so unexpected about

her attitude?7. St George says that he is ‘qualified and equipped to the /Eyebrow.’ Pick out words or

phrases from part III to support this statement.8. Write down five adjectives which you think best describe the apparent character of St

George based on what he says about himself.9. Which of the three characters do you prefer and why? Refer to the poem in detail to

support your answer.10.Can you think of a better title to the poem and why?

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘Not My Best Side’ and one of the other poems from Identity that uses multiple viewpoints. Show how each poet uses multiple viewpoints to help make their poem effective.

Still I RiseMaya Angelou

1. What does the poet mean by ‘bitter, twisted lies’ in the first verse?2. What does ‘sassiness’ (line 5) and ‘haughtiness’ (line 17) mean?3. What do you think the poet’s walk is like in the second verse? (Try to use your own

words)4. What does she mean by ‘I’ll rise’ and ‘I rise’?5. What three things does she compare herself to in the third verse?6. Why does she feel that people might like to see her ‘broken’?7. Why does she mention ‘oil wells’ and ‘gold mines’?8. Why does she compare herself to ‘dust’ and ‘air’?9. Why do you think the verse form changes from line 29 to the end?10.What does she mean by ‘history’s shame’ and ‘a black ocean’?11. Explain what is meant by line 40.

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘Still I rise’ and ‘Digging’ by Seamus Heaney. Explain how the two poets view their relationship with their ancestral pasts and how they see their contributions to the present.

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The Road Not TakenRobert Frost

1. What is the time of day and season of the year in this poem?2. In what ways were the roads different? In what ways were the roads the same?3. How did the traveller make his decision? What decision would you have made if you had

been in his place? Why?4. Explain the phrase ‘and wanted wear’ in line 8.5. Explain, in your own words, the last two lines of the third verse.6. Examine the role of symbolism in the poem.7. What does the poet feel about the decision that was made? Explain your answer.8. Why do you think the poet repeats ‘I’ in lines 3 and 4 of the last verse?9. Why has the poet called the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ rather than ‘The Road Taken’?10. What does the word ‘diverged’ mean and why does the poet repeat the line in which this

word appears?

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘The Road Not Taken’ and one other poem in Identity where the poet takes a positive view of his or her own actions. Consider how the poet explores freedom of choice in their poems.

WarningJenny Joseph

1. List the main examples of ‘growing old disgracefully’ that the poet considers in the first verse.

2. What does the poet mean by ‘the sobriety of my youth’ (line 8)?3. Why is line 11 so short?4. What effect do the three ‘ands’ have in line 15 of the second verse?5. How does the tone of the poem change in the third verse?6. What is the purpose of the rhetorical question in the last verse?7. Comment on the importance of tenses and pronouns in this poem.8. What does the poet’s attitude to a) freedom and b) responsibility, seem to be?9. Were you shocked or surprised by anything in this poem? Explain why or why not.10.What is the significance of the title?

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYCompare ‘Warning’ with one other poem from Identity that deals with the issue of old age. Explore in detail the different attitudes to old age in the two poems.

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I Shall Paint My Nails RedCarole Satyamurti

1. Why does the poet use the indefinite ‘I Shall’ instead of the more definite ‘I Will’?2. What does she mean by ‘… a bit of colour is a public service’?3. Why does she think she ‘will look like a survivor’ if she paints her nails red?4. How does she expect her daughter and lover to react?5. What impression do you think she wants to make on them?6. What does she mean by a ‘ten-minute moratorium’?7. What indication is there that she does not really want to make a permanent change?8. Why does she choose not to die her hair red?9. Would that gesture (of dyeing her hair) have made more impact?10.What impressions are formed of the poet’s character from what she has written? Refer to

the poem in detail in your answer.

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYLook again at ‘I Shall Paint My Nails Red’ and either ‘Warning’ by Jenny Joseph or ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou. What do the two poems have in common and how do they differ? Refer in detail to the poet’s ideas and the language they use.

At GrassPhilip Larkin

1. Explain ‘distresses’ and ‘anonymous’ as used in the first verse.2. How does the poet build up a picture of ‘classic Junes’ in the second and third verses?3. Explain the meaning of the last two and a half lines in the third verse.4. Why is the simile at the beginning of the fourth verse particularly appropriate?5. What kind of question doe line 19 contain? What does the answer seem to be?6. Why is the horses’ present home called ‘the unmolesting meadows’?7. What ideas are linked together in ‘…they/Have slipped their names, and stand at ease’?8. Why must the horses present galloping be for ‘joy’?9. Do they seem to miss the ‘fieldglass’ and ‘stop-watch’?10.How long have they been ‘At Grass’?

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYCompare the old age of the horses in ‘At Grass’ to the portrayal of old age in humans in one or two other poems from Identity.

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MirrorSylvia Plath

1. Pick out from the poem the other words and phrases that show that the mirror is ‘exact’ in what it sees.

2. Why do you think Plath describes the mirror as ‘a little god’?3. What does the mirror seem to think about the wall opposite? Pick out words or phrases

to support your answer.4. Which two things separate the mirror from the wall?5. In what sense is the mirror like ‘a lake’? Which words or ideas in the second verse add to

this effect?6. Why does Plath describe candles and the moon as ‘those liars’?7. Pick out a simile in the second verse and explain what it adds to the poem.8. Try to put the last two line of the poem into your own words.9. Look up the words ‘preconceptions’, ‘meditate’, and ‘agitation’. Write down their

meanings.10.What impression does the whole poem give about the woman’s attitude to aging?

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYBoth ‘[Mirror’ and ‘Warning’ are written by women. How far do you think they show particularly feminine views of old age? Do you think men feel the same way or differently about it?

Old Man, Old ManU.A. Fanthorpe

1. Pick out some of the adjective and verbs which the poet uses to describe her father (for example, ‘shamble’, ‘obdurate’). What do they add to the poem?

2. Using evidence in the poem, decide what kind of a father and husband the ‘old man’ has been. Pick out words to support your points

3. What particular talents did he have when he was younger?4. What do the words ‘Lord’, ‘World authority’ and ‘connoisseur’ suggest that his daughter

thinks about the old man’s character?5. What do the phrases ‘timetabled cigarette’ and ‘Self-demoted … to washing-up’, tell us

about the old man’s present way of life?6. From what he says (in italics) and how he behaves on his daughter’s visit, what does he

seem to feel?7. Look up the words: ‘recalcitrant’, ‘obdurate’, ‘surliness’ and ‘disinherited’. Why do you

think the poet chose this particular vocabulary?8. Why does the poet say he father lives in a ‘contracted world’?9. What do the last two lines suggest about the daughter’s emotional response to her

father?10.What does the phrase ‘your wife’ rather than ‘may mother’ suggest?

EXAM PRACTICE ESSAYExamine the reversals of power in ‘Old Man, Old Man’ and either ‘Follower’ by Seamus Heaney or ‘Once Upon a Time’ by Gabriel Okara.

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POETRY GLOSSARYImportant words to use when writing essays about poems

AlliterationThe repetition of the same consonant sounds at any place, but often at the beginning of words. Some famous examples of alliteration are tongue twisters. She sells seashells by the seashore, Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.Couplet In a poem, a pair of lines that are the same length and (usually) rhyme and form a complete thought. EnjambementA line ending in which the sense continues, with no punctuation, into the following line or stanza. "But in contentment I still feel The need of some imperishable bliss."Hyperbole A figure of speech in which deliberate exaggeration is used for emphasis. tons of money, waiting for ages, a flood of tears, etc. Imagery The use of pictures, figures of speech and description to evoke ideas feelings, objects actions, states of mind etc.Metaphor A figure of speech in which two things are compared, usually by saying one thing is another, or by the world's a stage, he was a lion in battle, drowning in debt, and a sea of troubles.It is probably the most important figure of speech to comment on in an essay.OnomatopoeiaA figure of speech in which words are used to imitate sounds. Examples of onomatopoeic words are:buzz, hiss, zing, clippety-clop, cock-a-doodle-do, pop, splat, thump, tick-tock. Personification A figure of speech in which nonhuman things or abstract ideas are given human attributes: the sky is crying, dead leaves danced in the wind, blind justice.RefrainA phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated throughout a poem, usually after every stanza.Rhyme The occurrence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words. The pattern of rhyme in a stanza or poem is shown usually by using a different letter for each final sound. In a poem with an aabba rhyme scheme, the first, second, and fifth lines end in one sound, and the third and fourth lines end in another.Rhyme schemeThe pattern that is made by the rhyme within each stanza or verse.SimileA figure of speech in which two things are compared using the word "like" or "as." An example of a simile using like occurs in Langston Hughes's poem ‘Harlem’: "What happens to a dream deferred?/ Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?"Stanza Two or more lines of poetry that together form one of the divisions of a poem. The stanzas of a poem are usually of the same length and follow the same pattern of meter and rhyme.SymbolWhen a word, phrase or image 'stands for' an idea or theme. The sun could symbolize life and energy or a red rose could symbolize romantic love.