What is an autobiographical poem?
A poem about the life of the poet
A poem about the life of someone the poet knows
A poem about the life of someone famous
What is the title ‘Originally’ attempting to suggest?
That where we come from is a place never to be forgotten and shapes us
That where we come from cannot be changed
That where we come from, although important, it is only part of what shapes us
What is the meaning of the metaphorical phrase All childhood is an emigration?
All childhood is an emigration
That growing up will always mean constantly changing and evolving
That growing up will always mean having to move around the country for many children
That growing up will always mean gradually changing
Why is the poem made up of three stanzas of eight lines?
To divide the poem up into a twenty-four hour time frame
To help the reader focus more on each stanza
To divide the poem into a straightforward time frame of the stages in the poet’s life
How does the poet convey her sense of confusion when she is faced with language and behaviour which is new to her?
Through the phrase corners, which seem familiar
corners, which seem familiar
Through use of the phrase Others are sudden./Your accent wrong
Others are sudden./Your accent wrong
Through use of the phrase big boys/eating worms and shouting words you don’t understand
big boys/eating worms and shouting words you don’t understand
What does the poet’s use of the word choice skelf reveal about the poet after she has moved to England?
skelf
She finds it difficult to find an exact translation of the word in her new environment
She finds it difficult to completely relinquish her use of Scottish words
She finds it difficult to speak to others around her
How does the poet reveal how her brothers were able to adapt to their new home compared to her?
She recalls seeing her brother swallow a bee
She recalls seeing her brother swallow a butterfly
She recalls seeing her brother swallow a slug
What technique is employed in the expression my tongue shedding its skin like a snake?
my tongue shedding its skin like a snake
Oxymoron
Hyperbole
Simile
Why is the poet unable to answer the question ‘Do I only think/I lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space/and the right place?’
She is still unclear about how to define her identity
She is still unclear about who she is
She is still unclear about why her brothers adapted so easily
What are the key themes of the poem?
The importance of emigrating and how it can make you feel different when you are a child
The importance of moving to a strange place and trying to adapt
The importance of early childhood memories and experiences in shaping identity