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Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.

      

Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
My little sister likes to try my shoes,
to strut in them
admire her spindle- thin twelve- year old legs
In this season's styles.
She says they fit perfectly,
But wobbles
On their high heels, they're
hard to balance
I like to watch my little sister
playing hopscotch, admire the
neat hops-and -skips of her,
their quick peck,
never missing their mark, not
over-stepping the line
She is competent at peever.
I try to warn my little sister
about unsuitable shoes,
Point out my own distorted feet, the callouses,
Odd patches of hard skin.
I should not like to see her
In my shoes
I wish she would stay
Sure footed
Sensible shod
(By Liz Lochhead in poem 1, ed. Celeste flower. Singapore: Longman, 1995.)

a) Why does the little sister try the persona's shoes? (3 mks)

b) How do we know from the first stanza that the shoes don't fit? (1 mk)

c) Why does the persona like watching her younger sister play hopscotch?
(4 mks)

d) In the third stanza, the persona gives us new reasons why her little sister should not wear her shoes. What are these reasons? (2 mks)

e) What is the message of this poem? (5 mks)

f) Describe the tone of the poem? (3 mks)

g) Explain the meaning of the following lines; I should not like to see her in my shoes (2 mks)

  

Answers


Martin
a) She admires them and believes she will indeed look nice in them. (1mark)

Illust; 'In this season’s styles she says that fit perfectly' (2 mks)

b) the expression; … but wobbles on their high heels, they’re hard to balance.
(1 mark)

c) -He admires the neat hops-and-skips of her

-Their quick peck

-The fact that the neat hops-and-skips never miss their mark

-Not over-stepping the line. (4 poits= 4marks)

d) The persona points out his own distorted feet. The callouses, odd patches of hard sking (2 mks)

e) The poet notes that life is full of challenges (1 mark) and the young

(Exuberant) are advised to tread carefully lest they fall in to pitalls. (1mark)

The older generation as opposed to the youth (naïve) have acquired

experience in life and are best suited to advice the youth to tread carefully and control their youthful exuberance. (1mk)
Illustration; 'I wish she would stay sure fotted' (accept any 2 illustrations = 2 mks)

f) Cautionary tone; (1 mark)

g) the persona does not wish t see the girl face the same pitfalls that he endured
Or

The persona notes with regret that had he been a bit careful/ less careless/less carefree, he might have avoided the pitfalls that have befallen him. (2mks)
marto answered the question on April 2, 2019 at 08:39


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