I Hear An Army (First Reading) - Vocabulary & Meaning

"I hear an army charging upon the land."

In the beginning of the poem, what is the first 'sound' that the speaker hears?

• The sound of horses' hooves like thunder

• The sound of the metal armour worn by the charioteers

• The sound of the reins and whips

• The voices of the charioteers

Read the first two lines of the poem again.

What kind of place do you see? Where do you think the army is when they begin their attack?

• In the sky

• On a battlefield

• On the shore of a beach

• In a village

Who has foam around their knees?

• The charioteers

• The horses

• The speaker of the poem

Which of the following photos best illustrate a charioteer?

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"Arrogant, in black armour, behind them stand"

Who is being described as arrogant?

• The horses, behind the charioteers

• The charioteers, behind the horses

What does 'disdaining' mean?

• To avoid doing something

• Not agreeing to do something just because someone tells you to do so

• Refusing to cooperate or listen

• Not liking something/someone and thinking they are not worthy of your interest or respect

"And the thunder of horses plunging"

Which of the following best describes the meaning of the word 'plunging' here?

• The horses fell down to their knees

• The horses were diving or jumping into attack

• The horses were diving or jumping into water

In the second stanza, in which lines do you start to learn that the speaker is experiencing a nightmare?

You may tick more than one answer

• They cry unto the night their battle-name:

• I moan in sleep when I hear afar their whirling laughter

• They cleave the gloom of dreams, a blinding flame,

• Clanging, clanging upon the heart as upon an anvil

"They cry unto the night their battle-name"

Which of the following best describes the meaning of this line?

• The charioteers are crying

• The charioteers are singing a war song

• The charioteers are announcing their attack

• The charioteers are making people cry because they are scary

"I moan in sleep when I hear afar their whirling laughter"

Which of the following best describes the meaning of this line?

• The speaker is scared because he can hear the evil laughter of the army coming to attack him

• The speaker moans in his sleep and people around him are laughing at him because he is having a nightmare

• The speaker is uncomfortable. He moans in his sleep because he does not like his bed