Introduction to Poetry
17 Grade 10 Literature in English questions on Introduction to Poetry, with worked marking schemes. 17 questions are available on this topic in full.
Question 1
4 marksExplain two benefits that a Grade 10 learner gains from studying poetry. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Any two of the following, 2 marks each (1 mark for the benefit, 1 mark for the explanation) (4 marks): - Improves language skills: poems expose the learner to rich vocabulary and figurative expressions, which improves their own speaking and writing. - Develops critical thinking: interpreting meaning, devices and tone trains the learner to analyse and reason carefully. - Teaches values and awareness of social issues: poems on topics such as road safety, the environment or mental health shape attitudes and behaviour. - Promotes appreciation of culture and heritage: oral and written poems from Kenya help the learner understand and value their own and other communities. - Provides enjoyment and emotional release: poems entertain and help the learner express and understand feelings. - Builds creativity and imagination: reading and composing poems encourages original expression. - Builds confidence: reciting and performing poems develops public-speaking skills. - Opens career opportunities: e.g. in writing, spoken word, music, media and teaching.
Question 2
4 marksRead the extract below and answer the questions that follow. Rain. At last, rain — on the cracked roofs of Garissa, on the goats' thin backs, on my mother's upturned face.
(a) Explain the effect of the one-word first line. (2 marks)
(b) Explain how the arrangement of the last three lines adds to the meaning of the extract. (2 marks)
(4 marks)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 3
1 markA Grade 10 class in Kakamega wants to collect poems from an oral source for its class portfolio. Which of the following is an oral source of poetry?
A. A poem printed in the school magazine
B. Poems collected in a printed anthology
C. A poem shared on a poetry website
D. Songs sung by elders at an initiation
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 4
6 marksRead the poem below and answer the questions that follow. The boda boda roars at dawn, Its rider late, his helmet gone; He weaves between the lorries' wheels, And laughs at how the danger feels. His passenger, a girl of nine, Holds tight and trusts the yellow line; But speed is blind and roads are long, And one wrong turn can end a song. So, rider, wear your helmet tight, Slow down and keep the lane in sight; The trip is short, the life is dear — Arrive alive, and travel clear.
(a) State the number of stanzas in the poem and the number of lines in each stanza. (2 marks)
(b) Describe the rhyme scheme of the second stanza. (2 marks)
(c) Suggest a suitable title for the poem and justify your choice. (2 marks)
(6 marks)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 5
4 marksRead the stanza below and answer the question that follows. Pound, pound, the pestle falls, Grind, grind, the millet calls; Mother sings and daughter sings, And morning rises on their wings. Explain two ways in which the poet creates rhythm in this stanza. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 6
4 marksRead the two extracts below and answer the question that follows. Extract A: Every morning, my grandmother wakes before the cock crows. She lights the fire, sweeps the compound and sets the pot of tea on the three stones while the rest of the village sleeps. Extract B: Before the cock clears its throat, Grandmother is awake — fire lit, compound swept, the teapot humming on three stones while the village dreams. Using evidence from both extracts, explain two features that show that Extract B is poetry while Extract A is prose. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Any two of the following, 2 marks each (1 mark for the difference, 1 mark for supporting evidence from both or either extract) (4 marks): - Layout: Extract B is arranged in short lines of varying length, while Extract A is written in continuous sentences forming a paragraph. - Compressed language / economy of words: Extract B uses phrases instead of full sentences, e.g. 'fire lit, / compound swept', while Extract A uses full sentences with verbs and conjunctions, e.g. 'She lights the fire, sweeps the compound'. - Figurative language: Extract B personifies things, e.g. the cock 'clears its throat', the teapot is 'humming', the village 'dreams', while Extract A states the same facts literally ('the cock crows', 'the village sleeps'). - Rhythm: the short, parallel lines and pauses in Extract B create a deliberate rhythm, while Extract A follows the ordinary flow of speech. - Punctuation and line breaks: Extract B uses a dash and line breaks to create pauses and emphasis, while Extract A uses ordinary sentence punctuation.
Question 7
1 markRead the lines below and answer the question that follows. Look right, look left, and right again, then go; Walk, do not run, and keep your footsteps slow. The two lines above form a stanza known as a
A. couplet
B. quatrain
C. tercet
D. sestet
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 8
4 marksYour class is compiling a portfolio of poems from Kenya. Outline four sources from which you could collect poems for the portfolio. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 9
1 markRead the stanza below and answer the question that follows. The river once ran clear and wide, With fish that darted side to side; Now plastic bottles choke its flow, And only weeds have room to grow. Which element of poetry is shown by the matching sounds of 'wide' and 'side', and of 'flow' and 'grow'?
A. Rhythm
B. Imagery
C. Rhyme
D. Refrain
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 10
4 marksExplain two ways in which poems obtained from oral sources differ from poems obtained from written sources. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Any two of the following, 2 marks each (1 mark for the oral feature, 1 mark for the contrasting written feature) (4 marks): - Transmission: oral poems are passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation, while written poems are recorded in print or digital form. - Authorship: oral poems usually belong to the community and the original composer is unknown, while written poems normally have a known, named poet. - Stability of text: oral poems change from one performance or performer to another, while a written poem has a fixed text. - Mode of presentation: oral poems are performed before an audience, often with gestures, dance, instruments and audience participation, while written poems are usually read, often privately or silently. - Occasion: oral poems are often tied to specific occasions such as initiation, weddings, work or funerals, while written poems can be read at any time. - Language: oral poems are mostly composed in indigenous languages, while written poems may be in any language, including English and Kiswahili.
Question 11
1 markMzee Onyango, a respected elder and retired teacher in Siaya, has died. A poem composed to mourn him and celebrate his life would best be categorised as
A. a satire
B. an epic
C. an elegy
D. a lullaby
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 12
1 markWhich of the following features is typical of poetry but is NOT usually found in prose?
A. Ideas organised into paragraphs and chapters
B. Ideas arranged in lines and stanzas
C. Sentences written in a formal style of English
D. A narrator describing a series of events
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 13
3 marksYour class keeps a portfolio of poems collected from different parts of Kenya. State three details you would record about each poem so that the portfolio is useful for later study. (3 marks)
(3 marks)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 14
4 marksA classmate says, 'Any piece of writing that is set out in short lines is a poem.' Explain whether you agree with this claim, giving two reasons. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Expected position: disagree (or agree only partly). Award marks for the reasons; do not award a mark for the position alone. Any two of the following reasons, 2 marks each (1 mark for the reason, 1 mark for explanation or example) (4 marks): - Arrangement in lines is only one feature of poetry; a poem also relies on compressed, heightened language, figurative language, sound devices and rhythm. - Everyday texts such as a shopping list, a recipe, a timetable or a text message may be set out in short lines but are not poems because they lack artistic intention and imaginative or emotional quality. - Some poems (prose poems) are written in paragraphs, so short lines are not even essential to poetry. - Poetry aims to evoke feelings and images and to delight the ear; plain information broken into lines does not do this. Accept a reasoned 'partly agree' answer, e.g. that line arrangement is a typical outward feature of poetry but is not enough on its own.
Question 15
1 markWanjiru witnessed a crash involving a speeding matatu on Thika Road and later wrote a poem about what she saw. Which source of poetry did she draw on?
A. Published anthologies
B. Oral tradition
C. Personal experience
D. Religious scripture
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 16
4 marksRead the poem below and answer the questions that follow. I am the Mau, the mother of rivers. My springs once fed the Mara and the Sondu, my shade cooled the backs of herders. Now chainsaws sing in my belly at night and lorries carry my children away. Plant me back, Kenya. Every seedling you set in my soil is a river returned to you.
(a) Distinguish between the poet and the persona of a poem. (2 marks)
(b) Explain how the choice of persona in this poem helps to pass its message on environmental conservation. (2 marks)
(4 marks)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 17
4 marksExplain how each of the following elements helps a reader to analyse a poem:
(a) the title (2 marks)
(b) the stanza (2 marks)
(4 marks)
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