Poetry Quiz - To My Father, Who Died

What literary device is present in the title? (1)

Consider the title of the poem. How does it shape the reader's understanding of the poem? (2)

Name the figure of speech used in line 2: "sit in the caves of my sockets" (1)

Name the figure of speech use in line 4: "to where the sea breathes white and ash" (1)

How does stanza 2 reflect the speaker's relationship with her father (1)

• The metaphor implies that the poet is trying to see the beach through her father's eyes and through his lens and perspective

• The speaker expresses that her father is oblivious to the ocean and its features (e.g. views, topography, birdlife) unless they are related to his fishing. She implies that similarly, he pays her no attention unless it benefits him

• The anti-climax implies that her father was disappointed and perhaps wanted a son after 2 girls

• The fish are compared to coins to emphasise the importance of fishing to her father and enhance the idea that the fish represent treasures to him

• I don't know

Explain the pun in line 10: "the churned water, the lure within," (2)

Discuss the effectiveness of the comparison made in line 12 to the message in the poem: "where fish disperse like coins in light." (2)

• The anti-climax implies that her father was disappointed and perhaps wanted a son after 2 girls

• The word 'lure' is a pun referring to an object used to attract fish and it means to tempt or entice

• The metaphor implies that the poet is trying to see the beach through her father's eyes and through his lens and perspective

• The fish are compared to glittering coins to emphasise the importance of fishing to her father. This enhances the idea that the fish represent treasures to him and he considers them more valuable than his own daughter

• I don't know

Comment on the poet's choice of the word 'flotsam' in line 18 : "and other flotsam fragments on your shores," (1)

• Flotsam signifies emotions, this hints at her feelings

• Flotsam indicates treasures, this suggests she was valuable

• Flotsam symbolises nature, this conveys her connection to the environment

• Flotsam refers to debris, this implies that she was unwanted

• I don't know

Was the speaker close to her father? Support your answer with evidence from the text. (2)

How does the sea function as a symbol in the poem? (2)