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Worksheets2025 N5 - MacCaig's Poetry Revision Questions
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
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”
What connects Brooklyn Cop and Hotel Room 12th Floor?
Both are set in Scotland
Both explore urban violence
Both critique religion
Both romanticise city life
Which theme is prevalent in Visiting Hour and Aunt Julia?
Death
Joy
Greed
Nature
What technique(s) is/are used in “clucking contentedly” (Assisi)?
Simile
Onomatopoeia
Alliteration
Enjambment
Why is the shark described as “a thing that happened”?
It reflects MacCaig’s sense of fear
It emphasises the shark’s insignificance
It shows the poet’s admiration
It critiques human cruelty
Which quotation from Aunt Julia highlights her personality?
"She was buckets / and water flouncing into them"
"She lay silenced"
"Her right hand drew yarn"
"I could not answer her"
What technique is used in “no stockades can keep the midnight out” (Hotel Room 12th Floor)?
Metaphor
Personification
Simile
Alliteration
What theme is shared between Assisi and Brooklyn Cop?
Greed
Justice
Morality and its failures
Religion
What is the significance of the start of the closing sentence in Aunt Julia—“But I hear her still”?
It suggests the poet’s guilt over her death
It emphasises the poet’s lingering connection with her and her enduring influence
It reflects on the poet’s inability to understand her
It criticises the traditional way of life she represents
How does Assisi contrast the beggar with the church’s opulence?
By depicting the beggar’s physical frailty against the grandeur of the church
By showing the beggar’s anger compared to the priest’s calmness
By emphasising the beggar’s wealth compared to the tourists’ poverty
By contrasting the beggar’s religious faith with the visitors’ doubt
What is the significance of the metaphor “the frontier” in the Hotel Room 12th Floor?
It romanticises the idea of New York as a haven
It compares New York to a war zone
It highlights the openness and accessibility of the city
It suggests that urban life is harmonious
