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WorksheetsEmpty House
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 11mins
The larger setting (place) of the poem is in a (a) . The smaller setting is inside a (b) . The time isn't clear but the poem mentions (c) so perhaps it is during the (d) .
The rhyming pattern of the poem is
(a)
Which answer shows alliteration from the fifth stanza? (including correct exam format and underlining)
friend / flutter
'body beats'
'Out through the window, watch him wheel and fly'
'I won't hurt you, my friend. Don't flutter, don't start'
Choose the best answer to the question: In the poem what is personified? How is it personified?
The house is personified. It is given the human-like quality of being lonely.
The narrator is personified. He / She is given the human-like action of opening the bedroom door.
The bird is personified. It is described as a 'friend' and given the pronoun 'he'.
The water is personified. It is given the human-like action of 'rumbling'.
Match the similes to the 'best fit' shared qualities
'But his body beats wild like a feathered heart.'
still, heavy, lingering
'Driving Fear like an icicle through my heart?'
piercing, cold, penetrating
'And the silence hangs like dust in the air'
quick, light, energetic
The poem has a lot of sensory imagery to do with (a) Evidence can be seen in the lines 'And the silence hangs like dust in the air' and (b) . The poem also includes (c) imagery, such as 'I gather him gently in my hands' and (d) .
What mood is set in the first stanza? Choose the best answer and reason.
The first stanza sets a free and peaceful mood. The narrator is alone in the house without parents.
The first stanza sets a suspenseful and fearful mood. The narrator is terrified to be left alone in the house.
The first stanza sets a serious mood. The narrator longs for the noise of family and the house seems empty.
The first stanza sets a light-hearted, playful mood. The narrator exaggerates to be funny.
How could the poem's structure be changed to strengthen the serious mood?
Create a scarier title
Take away the rhyme and rhythm of the poem
Add words such as 'Nazis', 'Totalitarianism' or 'Fascism'
Change the ending so the bird dies
How does the tone of the narrator change from stanza one to stanza two?
The tone changes from (a) to (b) . The narrator (c) empty and alone in the house. Suddenly, he / she hears (d) upstairs and the tone shifts to one of fear as the narrator (e) what could be upstairs.
How does the tone of the narrator change from stanza four to five?
The tone changes from (a) to (b) The narrator carefully (c) the bird and lets him (d) , watching as he soars gracefully into the (e) .
