2025 N5 - MacCaig's Poetry Revision Questions

Which technique is used in “the hospital smell combs my nostrils” (Visiting Hour)?

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Personification

• Alliteration

What is one consequence of Aunt Julia’s inability to communicate with the poet?

• Power

• Fear

• Poverty

• Isolation

What does the “wildest of warwhoops” (Hotel Room 12th Floor) symbolise?

• Urban chaos

• Celebration

• Party culture

• Nature’s power

Which technique is used in “room-sized monster with a matchbox brain” (Basking Shark)?

• Onomatopoeia

• Metaphor

• Assonance

• Irony

How is the priest described in Assisi?

• Enlightened

• Lazy

• Hypocritical

• Humble

What does the “gorilla with a nightstick” (Brooklyn Cop) imply about the police officer?

• His vulnerability

• His brutality

• His intelligence

• His wisdom

How does Visiting Hour portray human vulnerability?

• Through humour and unusual sensory description

• Through imagery of a dying person

• Through depictions of the staff

• Through discomfort

What connects the themes of Aunt Julia and Assisi?

• Both focus on travel

• Both focus on nature’s beauty

• Both critique religious hypocrisy

• Both explore communication and misunderstanding

What atmosphere is created by “broken bones” and “harsh screams” in Hotel Room 12th Floor?

• Sadness

• Tranquility

• Chaos and laughter

• Violence and fear

Which quotation from Basking Shark reflects the poet’s introspection and broader reflection on humanity?

• “That once I loved”

• “So who’s the monster?”

• “Matchbox brain”

• “Sea tin-tacked with rain”