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CE.E16 Reading and Comprehension (Poetry) Set 3

ISEB COMMON ENTRANCE ISEB Common Entrance 13+ English (Reading and Comprehension) · Calculators not allowed · about 85 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Read the poem carefully, then answer all the questions that follow. Support your answers with reference to the text, including short quotations where helpful. Continue longer answers on lined paper if you need more space.

Fenland Dawn

Original poem written for Revision Library.

1 Mist lies along the dyke like breath held in,

2 The willows lean and listen to the reeds,

3 A heron stands on stilts of grey and thin

4 Watching the water where the current feeds.

5 The sun climbs up behind a bank of cloud,

6 Pale as a coin too worn to read its face,

7 And somewhere out beyond the poplars' crowd

8 A church bell counts the hour into space.

9 The fields lie flat as pages waiting ink,

10 Furrowed and brown, they wait for what will grow,

11 While frost still silvers every fence and link

12 And geese in arrows write the sky they know.

13 I stand and watch the morning shrug off night,

14 And feel this old flat land turn gold with light.

Find and copy the word in stanza 1 (lines 1 to 4) that describes the colour of the heron's legs.

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Find and copy the word in stanza 2 (lines 5 to 8) that suggests something is old or worn.

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Name two creatures mentioned in the poem and give one supporting quotation for each.

(Total for Question 3 is 2 marks)

Look at line 1: 'Mist lies along the dyke like breath held in.' Explain what this simile suggests about the mist.

(Total for Question 4 is 2 marks)

Explain what 'furrowed' (line 10) suggests about the fields.

(Total for Question 5 is 2 marks)

Look at line 6 of the poem: 'Pale as a coin too worn to read its face.'

(a)Identify the poetic technique used in this comparison.(1)

(b)Explain the effect of this comparison.(3)

(Total for Question 6 is 4 marks)

Look at line 11 of the poem: 'While frost still silvers every fence and link.'

(a)Identify the sound device used in 'still silvers'.(1)

(b)Explain the effect of this sound device.(2)

(Total for Question 7 is 3 marks)

What is personified in stanza 1 (lines 1 to 4), and how does this affect the reader's impression of the landscape?

(Total for Question 8 is 3 marks)

Explain the effect of the simile 'The fields lie flat as pages waiting ink' (line 9).

(Total for Question 9 is 3 marks)

Identify the rhyme scheme of lines 1 to 4 and name this pattern.

(Total for Question 10 is 2 marks)

Explain what the poet means by 'geese in arrows write the sky they know' (line 12).

(Total for Question 11 is 3 marks)

What effect does the final rhyming couplet (lines 13 and 14) have on the reader?

(Total for Question 12 is 3 marks)

The poem is written throughout in the present tense. Explain the effect this creates for the reader.

(Total for Question 13 is 3 marks)

Compare the tone of the final two lines with the tone of the rest of the poem.

(Total for Question 14 is 3 marks)

Explain how the poet uses colour and light across the whole poem to show the passing of time.

(Total for Question 15 is 4 marks)

'The poet gives the landscape human qualities throughout the poem.' Explain how, using two examples from different parts of the poem.

(Total for Question 16 is 4 marks)

How does the poet use the natural world (the heron, the willows and the geese) to reflect ideas about time and the changing season?

(Total for Question 17 is 5 marks)

Choose ONE image from the poem that you find effective. Explain why you chose it, referring closely to the poet's use of language.

(Total for Question 18 is 5 marks)

Compare the way the poem begins and ends. What has changed for the reader by the final line? Use evidence from the whole poem in your answer.

(Total for Question 19 is 6 marks)

'The poet is more interested in change than in describing scenery.' To what extent do you agree? Support your answer with reference to the language and structure of the whole poem.

(Total for Question 20 is 8 marks)

Mark scheme · CE.E16 Reading and Comprehension (Poetry) Set 3

Question 1

B1 grey (accept 'grey and thin' as the full phrase)
Answer: Grey.

Question 2

B1 worn (accept 'too worn')
Answer: Worn.

Question 3

B1 names one creature with a supporting quotation, e.g. heron - 'A heron stands on stilts of grey and thin' (line 3) (oe)
B1 names a second, different creature with a supporting quotation, e.g. geese - 'geese in arrows write the sky they know' (line 12) (oe)
Answer: Heron ('A heron stands on stilts of grey and thin', line 3) and geese ('geese in arrows write the sky they know', line 12).

Question 4

B1 recognises the comparison to held/restrained breath (oe)
B1 explains the effect, e.g. suggests stillness, quiet tension or a sense of anticipation, as though the whole scene is waiting (oe)
Answer: The still mist is compared to held breath, suggesting stillness and quiet tension, as though the scene is waiting for something to happen.

Question 5

B1 recognises the literal meaning: ploughed grooves/lines in the soil (oe)
B1 explains a further connotation, e.g. suggests age or wrinkles, like a weathered face, linking to the idea of an old, worked landscape (oe)
Answer: 'Furrowed' literally describes the ploughed grooves in the soil, but it also suggests wrinkles, hinting that the land is old and worked, like a weathered face.

Question 6

(a) B1 simile
(a) Answer: Simile.
(b) B1 identifies the visual comparison, e.g. the pale, round sun behind cloud looks like a coin (oe)
(b) B1 develops the idea of wear/age, e.g. 'too worn to read' suggests markings rubbed smooth over time (oe)
(b) B1 links this to the effect on the reader, e.g. the sun appears faint, dim or indistinct rather than bright, fitting the hazy early morning (oe)
(b) Answer: The pale, round sun behind cloud is compared to an old, worn coin whose markings can no longer be read, suggesting the sun looks faint, dim and indistinct in the early morning light.

Question 7

(a) B1 alliteration / sibilance
(a) Answer: Alliteration (sibilance).
(b) B1 describes the soft, hushed sound created by the repeated 's' (oe)
(b) B1 links this to meaning, e.g. mimics the quiet, delicate way frost settles, reinforcing the poem's still, hushed early-morning mood (oe)
(b) Answer: The soft repeated 's' sound creates a hushed, delicate effect that mimics the quiet way frost settles overnight, reinforcing the poem's still, early-morning mood.

Question 8

B1 identifies personification, e.g. the willows that 'lean and listen' (oe)
B1 explains the human quality given, e.g. willows are given the ability to listen, as though paying attention (oe)
B1 explains the effect on the reader, e.g. makes the landscape feel alive, alert or watchful, as though nature itself is aware of the coming day (oe)
Answer: The willows are personified as leaning and listening, giving them a human, attentive quality that makes the landscape feel alive and alert, as though nature itself is aware of the approaching dawn.

Question 9

B1 identifies the comparison of fields to blank pages (oe)
B1 explains the idea of emptiness/potential, e.g. the fields are bare and ready, like paper not yet written on (oe)
B1 links to wider meaning, e.g. suggests anticipation of growth, as crops will eventually 'write' themselves onto the land, echoing the poem's theme of change (oe)
Answer: The bare, ploughed fields are compared to blank pages waiting to be written on, suggesting they are empty but full of potential, ready for the crops that will grow, which links to the poem's wider theme of anticipated change.

Question 10

B1 correctly identifies the pattern as ABAB (oe)
B1 names it as alternate (or cross) rhyme (oe)
Answer: ABAB - alternate (or 'cross') rhyme: 'in' rhymes with 'thin' (A) and 'reeds' rhymes with 'feeds' (B).

Question 11

B1 recognises the reference to geese flying in a V-shaped/arrow formation (oe)
B1 explains the 'writing' image, e.g. their flight path is compared to marks or letters made across the sky (oe)
B1 explains 'the sky they know', e.g. suggests instinct, familiarity or a migratory route the geese have flown before (oe)
Answer: The geese fly in a V-shaped 'arrow' formation, which the poet compares to writing across the sky; 'the sky they know' suggests this is a familiar, instinctive journey the geese have made many times before.

Question 12

B1 identifies the couplet as a change in form from the three preceding quatrains (oe)
B1 notes the effect of the tight rhyme, e.g. creates a sense of closure, neatness or completion (oe)
B1 links this to content/tone, e.g. reinforces the calm, resolved feeling of the final image as the speaker appears and the land 'turns gold' (oe)
Answer: The couplet's tight, immediate rhyme ('night' and 'light') creates a strong sense of closure after the more spread-out rhymes of the quatrains, reinforcing the calm, resolved mood as the speaker appears and the dawn is completed.

Question 13

B1 identifies the use of present tense verbs, e.g. 'lies', 'lean', 'stands', 'climbs' (oe)
B1 explains the effect of immediacy, e.g. makes the scene feel as if it is happening now, in front of the reader (oe)
B1 develops the idea, e.g. draws the reader into witnessing the sunrise alongside the speaker, increasing the sense of shared experience (oe)
Answer: The present-tense verbs (e.g. 'lies', 'stands', 'climbs') make the sunrise feel as though it is happening in real time, drawing the reader into the scene as if they are watching it unfold alongside the speaker.

Question 14

B1 describes the tone of the earlier stanzas, e.g. quiet, still, watchful or uncertain (oe)
B1 describes the tone of the final lines, e.g. warmer, more personal, contented or affirmative (oe)
B1 explains the shift with reference to language, e.g. the appearance of 'I' and the image of the land turning 'gold' signal a move from detached observation to personal, positive feeling (oe)
Answer: The first three stanzas have a quiet, watchful tone, observing the landscape from a distance; the final couplet becomes warmer and more personal, as the speaker's 'I' appears and the land 'turns gold with light', creating a contented, affirmative close.

Question 15

B1 identifies early, muted colour/light references, e.g. mist, grey, pale (oe)
B1 identifies a middle-stage reference, e.g. frost 'silvers', brown fields (oe)
B1 identifies the final, brighter colour, e.g. 'gold with light' (oe)
B1 explains the overall pattern, e.g. the poem moves from grey, pale and silver tones to gold, tracking the sun's rise from dim dawn to bright daylight (oe)
Answer: The poem moves from grey mist and a pale, worn-coin sun, through silvered frost and brown fields, to the final image of the land turning 'gold with light', tracking the sunrise from dim, colourless dawn to bright daylight.

Question 16

B1 first example of personification correctly identified with quotation, e.g. willows 'lean and listen' (stanza 1) (oe)
B1 explanation of its effect (oe)
B1 second, different example correctly identified with quotation from a different part of the poem, e.g. the morning 'shrug off night' (line 13) (oe)
B1 explanation of its effect (oe)
Answer: In stanza 1, the willows 'lean and listen', giving them human attentiveness; in the final couplet, the morning 'shrug[s] off night', giving the day itself a human, physical gesture, together making the whole landscape feel alive and active rather than static.

Question 17

B1 heron: stillness/watching linked to the suspended, waiting moment of dawn (oe)
B1 willows: 'lean and listen', suggesting attentiveness to the passing moment (oe)
B1 geese: flying in migratory formation, directly linked to seasonal change (oe)
B1 'the sky they know' suggests instinct and a cycle that repeats each season (oe)
B1 developed point linking two or more of the above to the poem's wider theme of time passing or the season turning (oe)
Answer: The still, watching heron and the listening willows capture the suspended stillness of early dawn, while the geese, flying in a formation they instinctively 'know', point directly to seasonal migration, together suggesting both a single passing moment and the larger turning of the seasons.

Question 18

Level 3 (5): Perceptive choice of image, precisely quoted, with a developed and convincing explanation of its effect, showing close engagement with the poet's language.
Level 2 (3-4): Clear identification of an image, supported by a relevant quotation, with some explanation of its effect on the reader.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple identification of an image with minimal or no explanation of its effect.
Indicative content:
- Any one clearly identified image from the poem may be chosen, for example: the mist like 'breath held in'; the heron on 'stilts of grey and thin'; the sun like 'a coin too worn to read its face'; the fields 'flat as pages waiting ink'; the geese who 'write the sky they know'; the land that 'turn[s] gold with light'.
- There is no single correct image; credit the quality and precision of the explanation, not the specific image chosen.
- Strong answers comment closely on word choice, the type of comparison used (simile, metaphor or personification) and the mood or idea it creates, rather than simply restating the quotation.

Question 19

Level 3 (5-6): Clear, well-developed comparison of the opening and closing lines, supported by well-chosen quotations, showing understanding of how mood, focus or perspective changes across the poem.
Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant comparison of beginning and end, supported by at least one quotation, with limited explanation of the change.
Level 1 (1-2): General or list-like comparison with little or no reference to the text.
Indicative content:
- The poem opens with mist, stillness and a hint of tension ('breath held in') and a pale, indistinct sun; it ends with warmth, colour and resolution ('turn gold with light').
- The poem moves from third-person, distanced description of the landscape to first-person, personal reflection ('I stand and watch').
- The movement from grey/pale colours to gold suggests the passing of night into day and a change in mood from tentative to confident or contented.
- The closing couplet provides a sense of arrival or completion after the accumulating detail of the three quatrains.
- Accept any well-supported comparison focused on tone, imagery, perspective or structure.

Question 20

Level 4 (7-8): Perceptive, well-developed argument, sustained and precisely supported with quotation, analysing how language and structure work together to present change and/or scenery, reaching a considered personal judgement.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear, well-organised argument with relevant quotations, showing understanding of how the poet presents both scenery and change.
Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant points made about change and/or scenery, with limited reference to language or structure.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, general assertion with little or no textual support.
Indicative content:
- Arguments for 'more interested in change': the dawn breaking across the poem (mist, then a pale sun, then gold light), the fields that 'wait for what will grow', the geese migrating, the shift from stillness to movement, and the final couplet's turn to reflection and altered tone.
- Arguments for 'also/more interested in scenery': the careful, detailed description of the dyke, willows, heron, poplars, fields and geese for their own sake; the title 'Fenland Dawn' foregrounds place as much as change.
- Structural evidence for change: the quatrain-by-quatrain progression of the sunrise, the present tense throughout suggesting a moment unfolding, and the volta at the final couplet where 'I' appears and the land 'turns gold'.
- Candidates may argue either way, or suggest that scenery and change are presented together, since the changing light is what reveals the scenery; reward a supported, personal, text-based judgement rather than a particular conclusion.

Reading and Comprehension (Poetry) Set 3 - Worksheets, Questions and Revision