S4 'Gap Year' Questions homework! FOR WED 22nd FEB

1.Look at stanza 1. What feelings does Kay have as she awaits her son’s birth? (3)

2.Name the language techniques used in the following phrases: “tight tub of a stomach”; “turning, burping, awake, asleep”; and say how effective these expressions are in describing the expectant mother’s experience. (5)  Fully analyse to prove your answer.

3.What does the phrase “close stranger” and the word “tumshie” tell us about the poet’s feelings about her unborn child? (5)  Fully analyse.

4.How does the poet link the two sections of the poem? Two examples please. Use maps. (4) Quote and explain.

5.What is the poet’s reaction to the grandfather’s blunt advice? Evidence and analysis . (3)

6.How does she react to the news that Matthew will be returning four weeks later than expected? Evidence and analysis. (3)

7.The last two stanzas signal a further mood change. Explain the change and comment on the effectiveness of the language the poet uses to convey her feelings. (5)

8.Comment on the poet’s language in the phrase “a flip and a skip ago”. What is she trying to emphasise? (Assonance!) (2)