What is the main literary technique used in relation to the orchids?
Simile
Synecdoche
Symbolism
What is the name given to the repetition of vowel sounds in a line?
Assonance
Alliteration
Hyperbole
What does the phrase broken waters remind us of?
broken waters
The sea
Childbirth
A waterfall
What does Kay remember from meeting with her mother?
She remembers her smiling face and warm manner
She remembers some of her clothing and digital watch belonging to her other daughter
She remembers her hand holding hers
What is the effect of the enjambment throughout the poem?
It reflects the awkwardness and unsettling nature of the meeting
It makes the sentences last longer so Kay can say more
It gives the poem a sense of order and structure
Why does the mother's hands fold and unfold the carrier bag?
fold and unfold
She wants it to be neat
She likes the sound of it
She feels uncomfortable confronting her past
What do the minor sentences Compressed. Airtight. suggest about the mother's life story?
Compressed. Airtight.
She keeps it hidden and finds it difficult to talk about it
She invites Kay in to share intimate detail.
She feels suffocated by it
What does the line A door opens and closes. suggest?
A door opens and closes.
It suggests the mother opening a door on Kay’s past and then closing it
It suggests the mother is getting into the train carriage
It suggests that Kay is shutting out her experience with her mother completely
Which poetic technique is used in my winter room?
my winter room
Transferred epithet
Metaphor
How does the last line connect to the poet's past?
Cutting the stems links back to how Kay used to watch her mother arrange flowers as a child
Cutting the stems
Cutting the stems links back to how Kay liked to pick flowers as a child
Cutting the stems reminds us of how her mother severed ties with her daughter when she put her up for adoption.