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11+ · English - Reading (Poetry)

EP.E28 Comprehension: Poetry Set 3

GL ASSESSMENT / CSSE 11+ Entrance English (GL Assessment / CSSE style) · Calculators not allowed · about 45 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

The Blacksmith's Forge

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Original poem created for 11+ comprehension practice.

The furnace roars a hungry red,

Its breath as fierce as August noon,

And sparks leap up like frightened stars

Escaping from a copper moon.

The hammer sings its iron song,

Clang and clatter, ring and beat,

While Old Tom's arms, as brown as bark,

Keep time with dancing, dusty feet.

The bellows wheeze, the bellows sigh,

A tired old dragon short of breath,

Yet still it feeds the greedy flame

That gobbles coal as black as death.

Horseshoes curl like sleeping snails

Along the wall in silver rows,

And rusted chains lie still as rivers

Frozen fast where no wind blows.

Outside the world rides motorcars

And leaves the forge to fade from sight,

But Tom still sings his iron song

From morning until half the night.

When evening falls the furnace dims,

A dying sun behind grey cloud,

And silence settles on the forge

Like snow upon a linen shroud.

Choose the option that best matches stanza 1.

(a)In stanza 1, what does 'a hungry red' describe?(1)

A) The blacksmith's hands
B) The furnace
C) The horseshoes
D) The night sky

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Choose the option that best matches the poem.

(a)Which character is named in the poem?(1)

A) Old Bill
B) Young Tom
C) Old Tom
D) Farmer Giles

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Give one detail from stanza 1 that shows the furnace is extremely hot.

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

Choose the option that best matches stanza 2.

(a)In stanza 2, what does Old Tom's hammer do?(1)

A) It sings an iron song
B) It breaks the horseshoes
C) It falls silent
D) It burns the coal

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

Find and copy one word from stanza 3 that means 'worn out' or 'exhausted'.

(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)

Choose the option that best matches stanza 4.

(a)According to stanza 4, what colour are the rows of horseshoes along the wall?(1)

A) Gold
B) Silver
C) Black
D) Copper

(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)

Look at stanza 3, lines 3 to 4: 'Yet still it feeds the greedy flame / That gobbles coal as black as death'. Explain the effect of the word 'gobbles' here.

(Total for Question 7 is 2 marks)

Look at stanza 1, lines 3 to 4: 'And sparks leap up like frightened stars / Escaping from a copper moon'. Explain the effect of this simile.

(Total for Question 8 is 2 marks)

Choose the option that correctly names the poetic device used in stanza 2, line 2.

(a)'Clang and clatter, ring and beat' (stanza 2) is an example of:(1)

A) Simile
B) Onomatopoeia
C) Metaphor
D) Rhyme

(Total for Question 9 is 1 mark)

Identify one example of alliteration from stanza 4 or stanza 6 (do not use the example in stanza 2) and explain its effect.

(Total for Question 10 is 2 marks)

Explain in your own words what is happening to the horseshoes and chains described in stanza 4.

(Total for Question 11 is 2 marks)

Look at stanza 3, lines 1 to 2: 'The bellows wheeze, the bellows sigh, / A tired old dragon short of breath'. Explain the effect of personifying the bellows in this way.

(Total for Question 12 is 2 marks)

Choose the option that correctly describes the poem's rhyme scheme.

(a)What is the rhyme scheme of each stanza in the poem?(1)

A) AABB
B) ABAB
C) ABCB
D) AAAA

(Total for Question 13 is 1 mark)

Choose the option that correctly describes the poem's structure.

(a)How many stanzas does the poem have, and how many lines are in each stanza?(1)

A) 5 stanzas of 4 lines each
B) 6 stanzas of 4 lines each
C) 6 stanzas of 5 lines each
D) 4 stanzas of 6 lines each

(Total for Question 14 is 1 mark)

Explain how the rhythm of stanza 2, especially the line 'Clang and clatter, ring and beat', reflects the sound of the blacksmith's hammering.

(Total for Question 15 is 2 marks)

Look at stanza 5. What does this stanza suggest about how life outside the forge is changing?

(Total for Question 16 is 2 marks)

Explain what the word 'motorcars' in stanza 5 tells us about the historical period in which the poem is set.

(Total for Question 17 is 2 marks)

Stanza 2 shows the forge full of energy and movement, while stanza 4 shows stillness and silence. Explain how the poet creates this contrast, using evidence from both stanzas.

(Total for Question 18 is 3 marks)

Look at stanza 6, lines 3 to 4: 'And silence settles on the forge / Like snow upon a linen shroud'. Explain what this simile suggests about the forge's future.

(Total for Question 19 is 3 marks)

Choose the option that best describes the tone of the final stanza.

(a)What is the overall tone of stanza 6?(1)

A) Joyful and triumphant
B) Mournful and nostalgic
C) Angry and bitter
D) Comic and light-hearted

(Total for Question 20 is 1 mark)

Explain how the poet uses imagery and structure across the whole poem to show the decline of the forge and its way of life. Support your answer with quotations from at least two different stanzas.

(Total for Question 21 is 4 marks)

Choose the option that correctly identifies the metaphor used in stanza 6.

(a)Which word in stanza 6 acts as a metaphor for the fading light of the sun?(1)

A) Falls
B) Dims
C) Dying
D) Cloud

(Total for Question 22 is 1 mark)

Look at stanza 3, line 3: 'Yet still it feeds the greedy flame'. Explain the effect of describing the flame as 'greedy'.

(Total for Question 23 is 2 marks)

Why might the poet have chosen to write about a blacksmith's forge, rather than a modern factory, to explore ideas of change? Use evidence from the poem to support your answer.

(Total for Question 24 is 3 marks)

'The poem is really about the passing of time, not just a forge.' To what extent do you agree? Give reasons for your view, using evidence from the poem.

(Total for Question 25 is 4 marks)

Mark scheme · EP.E28 Comprehension: Poetry Set 3

Question 1

(a) B1 B
(a) Answer: B) The furnace

Question 2

(a) B1 C
(a) Answer: C) Old Tom

Question 3

B1 any one valid detail from stanza 1, e.g. 'a hungry red' or 'breath as fierce as August noon' (oe)
Answer: 'a hungry red' or 'breath as fierce as August noon' (either accepted).

Question 4

(a) B1 A
(a) Answer: A) It sings an iron song

Question 5

B1 'tired' (oe)
Answer: tired

Question 6

(a) B1 B
(a) Answer: B) Silver

Question 7

Level 1 (1): Simple comment that 'gobbles' shows the flame eating quickly, with little or no further explanation.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation of how 'gobbles' personifies the flame as a greedy, animal-like eater, making it feel alive and insatiable rather than simply burning.
Indicative content:
- 'Gobbles' suggests fast, greedy, animal-like eating rather than the flame simply burning coal
- This personifies the flame, making it feel alive, hungry and almost dangerous
- It is more vivid and effective than a plain word such as 'burns', which would not suggest the same greedy appetite

Question 8

Level 1 (1): Simple identification of the simile with little or no explanation of its effect.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation of how the simile suggests the sparks are bright, quick-moving and scattering, as if alive and fleeing.
Indicative content:
- Comparing the sparks to 'frightened stars' suggests they are small, bright and numerous, like points of light scattering across the dark forge
- The word 'frightened' personifies the sparks, making their sudden, quick, erratic movement feel alive and urgent, as though escaping danger
- 'A copper moon' continues the glowing, reddish-orange colour imagery of the furnace, linking the sparks visually back to the fire that produced them

Question 9

(a) B1 B
(a) Answer: B) Onomatopoeia

Question 10

Level 1 (1): Correct identification of an example of alliteration, with little or no explanation of effect.
Level 2 (2): Correct identification with a clear explanation of how the repeated sound reinforces meaning, such as quietness or stillness.
Indicative content:
- 'Sleeping snails' (stanza 4): the repeated soft 's' sound mimics quietness and gentle, slow movement, matching the coiled, resting horseshoes
- 'Silence settles' (stanza 6): the repeated soft 's' sound echoes the hush and stillness being described, almost sounding like the quiet it names
- Either example is acceptable if the sound repeated is correctly identified and linked to a sensible effect, such as creating a soft, quiet or peaceful atmosphere

Question 11

B1 the horseshoes are hanging unused, coiled up in rows along the wall (oe)
B1 the chains are hanging motionless and unused, showing no activity or work is currently happening (oe)
Answer: The horseshoes are hanging unused in coiled rows along the wall, and the chains are hanging completely still, showing that no work is currently taking place with them.

Question 12

Level 1 (1): Simple comment that the bellows are personified, with little or no explanation of effect.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation of how the personification suggests the bellows (and the forge itself) are old, tired and struggling to keep working.
Indicative content:
- Giving the bellows human actions ('wheeze', 'sigh') and comparing them to 'a tired old dragon short of breath' makes them seem alive but worn out
- This suggests the equipment (and, by extension, the forge and its trade) is old, tired and labouring hard to keep going
- It creates a slightly sad or sympathetic tone, hinting at the forge's fading strength even while it is still working

Question 13

(a) B1 C
(a) Answer: C) ABCB

Question 14

(a) B1 B
(a) Answer: B) 6 stanzas of 4 lines each

Question 15

Level 1 (1): Simple comment that the line sounds like hammering, with little or no explanation.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation of how the short, strongly stressed words and repeated rhythm create a beat-like pattern that mimics hammer strikes.
Indicative content:
- The line is made up of short, strongly stressed words ('Clang', 'clatter', 'ring', 'beat') separated by commas, creating a steady, repeated beat
- This regular, hammering rhythm mimics the physical sound and motion of a hammer striking metal again and again
- Combined with the onomatopoeic words, the reader almost 'hears' the forge at work through the sound of the line itself

Question 16

Level 1 (1): Simple comment that the world outside is changing, with little or no supporting detail.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation that the outside world is modernising, and that this leaves the forge and its traditional way of working behind or overlooked.
Indicative content:
- 'Outside the world rides motorcars' shows that new technology and modern transport are becoming ordinary in the wider world
- 'And leaves the forge to fade from sight' suggests the forge is being forgotten or overlooked as this modernisation continues
- Despite this, Old Tom keeps working just as before, showing a contrast between the changing outside world and the unchanging routine of the forge

Question 17

Level 1 (1): Simple comment that the poem is set some time in the past, with little or no supporting detail.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation that 'motorcars' suggests an earlier era of motoring set against a traditional trade, implying the poem is set at a time when cars were newly replacing older ways of life.
Indicative content:
- The old-fashioned word 'motorcars' (rather than 'cars') suggests an earlier period, likely the early to mid-twentieth century
- Placing 'motorcars' next to the traditional trade of blacksmithing suggests this is a time of transition, when new technology was beginning to replace older crafts
- This supports the wider idea in the poem of an old way of life gradually being left behind as the modern world changes

Question 18

Level 1 (1): Simple identification of one relevant detail from either stanza, with little or no explanation of contrast.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation referring to evidence from at least one stanza, showing some understanding of the contrast between energy and stillness.
Level 3 (3): A developed explanation using evidence from both stanzas, clearly showing how active, energetic language in stanza 2 contrasts with still, frozen imagery in stanza 4.
Indicative content:
- Stanza 2 uses active verbs, onomatopoeia and movement ('sings', 'Clang and clatter', 'dancing, dusty feet') to show constant sound and motion
- Stanza 4 uses still, frozen similes instead ('curl like sleeping snails', 'still as rivers... Frozen fast where no wind blows') to show inactivity and silence
- The contrast between busy movement and complete stillness highlights the difference between the forge at work and its tools lying unused, which may hint at the forge's coming decline

Question 19

Level 1 (1): Simple comment that the simile suggests quietness or an ending, with little or no further explanation.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation referring to either the gentle imagery of snow or the associations of a shroud, with some link to the forge's future.
Level 3 (3): A developed explanation linking both the gentle, gradual imagery of snow and the deathly associations of a shroud, showing a full understanding of what the simile suggests about the forge's decline.
Indicative content:
- Snow falls softly and gradually, covering everything completely, suggesting the silence settles gently but totally over the forge
- A 'shroud' is a cloth used to cover the dead, so comparing the silence to a shroud implies that the forge, or the way of life it represents, is dying or coming to an end
- Together the simile creates a solemn, mournful mood, suggesting the forge's decline is peaceful but final and perhaps inevitable

Question 20

(a) B1 B
(a) Answer: B) Mournful and nostalgic

Question 21

Level 1 (1): Simple identification of one relevant image or quotation, with little or no explanation of decline.
Level 2 (2): Some explanation of how one stanza shows decline, with a relevant supporting quotation.
Level 3 (3): Clear explanation using quotations from at least two stanzas, showing understanding of how imagery and/or structure present the forge's decline.
Level 4 (4): A developed, well-supported explanation using quotations from at least two stanzas, showing a full understanding of how imagery and structure work together across the poem to present the forge's decline.
Indicative content:
- Contrast between the energetic imagery of stanza 2 ('sings its iron song', 'Clang and clatter') and the still, frozen imagery of stanza 4 ('like sleeping snails', 'Frozen fast')
- The shift from constant work in stanzas 2 and 5 to fading light and silence in stanza 6 ('the furnace dims', 'silence settles')
- Personification and simile suggesting age, tiredness or death (e.g. 'tired old dragon short of breath', 'like snow upon a linen shroud')
- The mention of the changing outside world (motorcars, stanza 5) as a cause of the forge being left behind
- The poem's structure moves from morning energy (stanzas 1 to 2) through a fading afternoon (stanzas 3 to 5) to a quiet, dimming evening (stanza 6), mirroring the forge's decline across the poem as a whole
- Any other valid, well-supported point using accurate quotation from at least two stanzas

Question 22

(a) B1 C
(a) Answer: C) Dying

Question 23

Level 1 (1): Simple comment that 'greedy' shows the flame wants more fuel, with little or no further explanation.
Level 2 (2): Clear explanation of how 'greedy' personifies the flame as having a selfish, insatiable appetite, suggesting it is powerful and demanding.
Indicative content:
- 'Greedy' personifies the flame, giving it a human-like, selfish desire for more fuel
- It suggests the flame is powerful, demanding and never satisfied, needing to be constantly fed with coal
- This links to 'gobbles' later in the same stanza, reinforcing the idea of the flame as a hungry, almost dangerous, living presence

Question 24

Level 1 (1): A simple reason given, with little or no supporting evidence from the poem.
Level 2 (2): A clear reason given, supported by at least one relevant reference or quotation from the poem.
Level 3 (3): A developed explanation giving at least two connected reasons, well supported by evidence from the poem.
Indicative content:
- A forge represents a traditional, hand-made craft, which contrasts clearly with the modern motorcars mentioned in stanza 5, making the sense of change easy to see
- The personal, human details (Old Tom, his singing, his hammering) make the change feel individual and human rather than abstract, increasing the reader's sympathy
- The forge's fire, tools and sounds provide rich material for sensory imagery (heat, sound, movement) that a modern factory would not offer in the same vivid way, helping to build atmosphere and contrast
- Any other valid point supported by evidence from the poem

Question 25

Level 1 (1): A simple statement of agreement or disagreement, with little or no supporting evidence.
Level 2 (2): A clear viewpoint supported by at least one relevant quotation or reference from the poem.
Level 3 (3): A developed viewpoint supported by more than one piece of evidence, showing understanding that the forge may symbolise a wider change over time.
Level 4 (4): A well-developed, evaluative response supported by clear evidence, which also considers an alternative view (for example, that the poem is equally about the specific, personal subject of Old Tom and his forge).
Indicative content:
- The poem's movement from morning energy (stanzas 1 to 2) through to evening (stanza 6) mirrors the passing of time within a single day, and symbolically suggests a longer era coming to an end
- The mention of 'motorcars' in stanza 5 signals historical change and modernisation encroaching on a traditional trade
- Imagery of ageing and death ('tired old dragon', 'dying sun', 'linen shroud') suggests the forge stands for something bigger than itself: the end of a whole way of life
- A valid alternative view: the poem focuses closely on the forge and Old Tom as specific, vivid, personal subjects, so 'the passing of time' is only one of several possible readings, alongside the poem simply celebrating a disappearing trade
- Any well-evidenced personal response, whether agreeing, disagreeing or partly agreeing, is creditable if properly supported

Comprehension: Poetry Set 3 - Worksheets, Questions and Revision