WorksheetsMy Parents...by Stephen Spender
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 5mins
The 'rough boys' in the poem...
were from the middle class
they were not refined or gentle
their parents did not neglect them
The poem suggests that the poet's parents were:
overly protective
like prison wardens
disapproving of the rough children
all of the above
Why do you think the poet uses the alliteration 'climbed cliffs'? Tick the right answers.
To evoke an image of freedom
To paint a picture of an unrestricted environment
To portray an image of vibrancy
To represent a peaceful world
Identify the device(s) used in the following line: "Their thighs showed through rags":
alliteration
metaphor
alliteration and metaphor
no device used
"I feared..." is mentioned twice in the poem, what technique does the poet use?
simile
metaphor
anaphora
alliteration
In one of the lines in the poem, the poet compares the boys' 'muscles' to:
tigers
iron
strong tin
steel
You can choose more than one option. In the poem, readers can infer that the poet:
blames his parents for his lost freedom
appreciates his parents' protection
believes he is kept from children of a lower class
loves to roam around the countryside
In the line, "like dogs to bark at our world", what does "our world" suggest:
the mindset of the poet
that the poet lives in a separate world
the poet comes from an upper class of respectability
all of the above
The lack of rhyme and enjambment in the poem might indicate:
the freedom the boys had
the parents' overprotectiveness
the poet's constant fear and worry
the poet's social class
Fill in the gap: "Their thighs showed through (a) ".
