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CE.E27 Reading and Comprehension (Poetry) Set 5

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.

The Ferryman

Original poem written for Revision Library.

1 The river wakes when daylight dies,

2 And wears the sky upon its skin;

3 The ferryman, with weathered eyes,

4 Waits by the reeds to take us in.

5 His boat is old, its timbers grey,

6 Yet still it rides the current's will;

7 He rows through mist that will not stay,

8 Past willows bowed and standing still.

9 No word he speaks, though we may ask

10 Where all his silent journeys end;

11 He wears his patience like a mask,

12 As if the dark were his own friend.

13 We reach the bank; the church bells chime;

14 He nods, and turns his boat once more,

15 To carry someone else through time,

16 Forever rowing, shore to shore.

Look at stanza 1 of the poem (lines 1 to 4).

(a)Find and copy the single word in line 1 that shows evening is arriving.(1)

(b)Find and copy the word in line 3 that suggests the ferryman is old.(1)

(c)According to line 4, where does the ferryman wait for passengers?(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 3 marks)

Find and copy two words or phrases from stanza 2 (lines 5 to 8) that show the ferryman's boat is old.

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

Explain what 'bowed' means in line 8 ('Past willows bowed and standing still').

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

Look at line 11 of the poem: 'He wears his patience like a mask.'

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

(b)Explain the effect of this simile.(2)

(Total for Question 4 is 3 marks)

Look at line 1 of the poem: 'The river wakes when daylight dies.'

(a)Identify the poetic technique used to describe the river.(1)

(b)Explain the effect of this personification.(2)

(Total for Question 5 is 3 marks)

Explain what the phrase 'silent journeys' (line 10) suggests about where the ferryman takes his passengers.

(Total for Question 6 is 2 marks)

The poet uses a repeated sound across several words in the poem, for example 'wakes', 'wears', 'weathered', 'waits' and 'willows'.

(a)Identify the sound device used here.(1)

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

(Total for Question 7 is 3 marks)

Identify the rhyme scheme of stanza 1 (lines 1 to 4) and give evidence to support your answer.

(Total for Question 8 is 2 marks)

What mood is created in stanza 3 (lines 9 to 12)? Use evidence from the poem to support your answer.

(Total for Question 9 is 3 marks)

Explain what 'his own friend' (line 12) suggests about the ferryman's relationship with the darkness.

(Total for Question 10 is 2 marks)

Look at the shift between stanza 3 (lines 9 to 12) and stanza 4 (lines 13 to 16). Explain how the poet's presentation of the ferryman changes at this point in the poem.

(Total for Question 11 is 4 marks)

What can you infer about the ferryman's character from the poem as a whole? Use evidence from at least two different stanzas.

(Total for Question 12 is 3 marks)

The poem begins with the idea of a river crossing (stanza 1) and ends with the phrase 'shore to shore' (line 16). Explore the effect of this circular structure.

(Total for Question 13 is 4 marks)

Explore how the poet presents the passing of time across the whole poem, referring to at least two different moments in the poem.

(Total for Question 14 is 4 marks)

How does the poet present the ferryman as a mysterious figure? Support your answer with reference to the whole poem.

(Total for Question 15 is 5 marks)

Explore how the poet uses structure and form (including rhyme, the four-stanza pattern and the shift between stanza 3 and stanza 4) to reflect the poem's meaning.

(Total for Question 16 is 8 marks)

What do you think the poem suggests about facing the unknown or about mortality? Support your ideas with reference to the whole poem.

(Total for Question 17 is 6 marks)

'The poet creates mystery through what is left unsaid, rather than through anything dramatic that happens in the poem.' To what extent do you agree? Support your answer with reference to the language and structure of the whole poem.

(Total for Question 18 is 8 marks)

Mark scheme · CE.E27 Reading and Comprehension (Poetry) Set 5

Question 1

(a) B1 dies
(a) Answer: Dies.
(b) B1 weathered (accept 'weathered eyes')
(b) Answer: Weathered.
(c) B1 by the reeds (oe)
(c) Answer: By the reeds.

Question 2

B1 old (line 5)
B1 timbers grey (line 5) (oe, accept any second distinct valid quotation from stanza 2)
Answer: 'old' and 'timbers grey' (both line 5).

Question 3

B1 bent over / leaning down / drooping (oe)
Answer: Bent over or leaning downwards.

Question 4

(a) B1 simile
(a) Answer: Simile.
(b) B1 recognises that the ferryman's patience is compared to a mask, something worn to hide the face (oe)
(b) B1 explains that this suggests his calm is a disguise concealing his true feelings, adding to his mysterious character (oe)
(b) Answer: Comparing his patience to a mask suggests his outward calm hides his true feelings, reinforcing how mysterious and unknowable he seems.

Question 5

(a) B1 personification
(a) Answer: Personification.
(b) B1 recognises that the river is given human life or the ability to wake (oe)
(b) B1 explains the effect, e.g. makes the landscape feel alive or eerie as evening falls, setting a mysterious atmosphere from the very first line (oe)
(b) Answer: Giving the river the human action of waking makes the landscape feel alive and slightly eerie as darkness falls, setting a mysterious atmosphere from the opening line.

Question 6

B1 recognises that the destinations are secret or unknown (oe)
B1 develops this, e.g. suggests something beyond ordinary understanding, giving the poem a darker or more symbolic feel (oe)
Answer: 'Silent journeys' suggests the ferryman's destinations are secret or unknowable; this hints at something beyond ordinary experience, giving the poem a darker, more symbolic undertone.

Question 7

(a) B1 alliteration
(a) Answer: Alliteration.
(b) B1 describes the soft, repeated sound created by the 'w' words (oe)
(b) B1 links this to meaning, e.g. echoes the sound of water or wind, reinforcing the poem's calm, flowing atmosphere (oe)
(b) Answer: The soft, repeated 'w' sound echoes the sound of water and wind, reinforcing the poem's calm, flowing atmosphere.

Question 8

B1 correctly identifies the pattern as ABAB (oe)
B1 gives correct rhyme evidence, e.g. 'dies' (line 1) rhymes with 'eyes' (line 3), and 'skin' (line 2) rhymes with 'in' (line 4)
Answer: ABAB - 'dies' (line 1) rhymes with 'eyes' (line 3); 'skin' (line 2) rhymes with 'in' (line 4).

Question 9

B1 identifies an appropriate mood, e.g. mysterious, uneasy, secretive (oe)
B1 gives supporting evidence, e.g. 'No word he speaks' (line 9) or 'silent journeys' (line 10)
B1 gives a second, different piece of supporting evidence, e.g. 'like a mask' (line 11) or 'his own friend' (line 12)
Answer: A mysterious, uneasy mood is created, supported by 'No word he speaks' (line 9), 'silent journeys' (line 10) and 'as if the dark were his own friend' (line 12).

Question 10

B1 recognises that he is comfortable with, or unafraid of, the dark (oe)
B1 develops this, e.g. personifies the dark as a companion, reinforcing his solitary, mysterious nature (oe)
Answer: It suggests the ferryman is entirely at ease with the darkness, almost treating it as a companion, which reinforces how solitary and mysterious he seems.

Question 11

B1 identifies that stanza 3 presents the ferryman as an individual, private figure, e.g. 'No word he speaks', 'his own friend' (oe)
B1 identifies that stanza 4 widens this to suggest he is a recurring or universal figure, e.g. 'someone else through time', 'Forever rowing' (oe)
B1 explains the effect of this shift, e.g. he moves from a specific, private character to a timeless, almost symbolic figure (oe)
B1 develops this further, e.g. this widening deepens the poem's sense of mystery, since the reader now questions whether he is an ordinary man at all (oe)
Answer: Stanza 3 presents the ferryman as an individual, silent and private figure; stanza 4 widens this to suggest he endlessly repeats the same journey for others, so he shifts from a specific person into a timeless, symbolic figure, deepening the poem's sense of mystery.

Question 12

B1 valid inference with evidence from one stanza, e.g. patient/calm - 'rides the current's will' (line 6) or 'wears his patience like a mask' (line 11)
B1 valid inference with evidence from a different stanza, e.g. solitary/mysterious - 'weathered eyes' (line 3) or 'No word he speaks' (line 9)
B1 a third, distinct, well-supported inference, e.g. unchanging/resigned to his role - 'Forever rowing, shore to shore' (line 16) (oe)
Answer: The ferryman appears patient and calm (lines 6 and 11), solitary and mysterious (lines 3 and 9), and resigned to an endless, repeating role (line 16).

Question 13

B1 recognises that the poem opens and closes with the idea of a river crossing, e.g. links line 1 to line 16 (oe)
B1 identifies this as a circular or cyclical structure (oe)
B1 explains one effect, e.g. suggests the ferryman's task never truly ends, reinforcing an endless, repeating routine (oe)
B1 explains a second, distinct effect, e.g. mirrors the poem's wider themes of time passing, since the crossing will happen again and again (oe)
Answer: The poem's circular structure, opening on the river and closing with 'shore to shore' and 'Forever rowing', suggests the ferryman's journey never truly ends. This reinforces the poem's wider themes of endless, repeating time, hinting that the crossing will begin again for someone new.

Question 14

B1 identifies a first time reference with evidence, e.g. dusk in stanza 1 ('when daylight dies', line 1)
B1 explains its effect, e.g. sets the poem at a transitional, in-between time of day (oe)
B1 identifies a second, different time reference with evidence, e.g. 'Forever rowing' (line 16) or 'carry someone else through time' (line 15)
B1 explains its effect, e.g. suggests time becomes endless and repeating for the ferryman, unlike the single crossing made by the speaker (oe)
Answer: Time is first presented as transitional, set at dusk as 'daylight dies' (line 1), suggesting change and uncertainty. By the end, time becomes endless for the ferryman: he will 'carry someone else through time' (line 15) and is 'Forever rowing' (line 16), contrasting the passengers' single crossing with his own eternal repetition.

Question 15

Level 3 (5): Developed, precise exploration of the ferryman's mystery, using well-chosen quotation and appropriate terminology to show a clear grasp of how language and detail combine to build his enigmatic character.
Level 2 (3-4): Clear identification of the ferryman's mysterious qualities with relevant textual reference and some explanation of how language creates this effect.
Level 1 (1-2): Basic or general identification of mystery (for example 'he seems strange'), with limited or no textual support.
Indicative content:
- The ferryman is never named and little is revealed about who he is or where he comes from.
- He 'speaks' no words (line 9), and the speaker cannot discover where his 'silent journeys end' (line 10).
- The simile 'wears his patience like a mask' (line 11) suggests he conceals his true self.
- Line 12, 'As if the dark were his own friend', hints that he may not be an ordinary man.
- The final image of him 'Forever rowing' (line 16) suggests he is a timeless, recurring figure rather than a single individual.

Question 16

Level 4 (7-8): Perceptive, well-developed exploration of structure and form across the whole poem, with precise and effective use of quotation and confident exploration of the poet's methods.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear exploration with relevant textual reference and some explanation of how rhyme, stanza pattern or the stanza 3 to 4 shift shape meaning.
Level 2 (3-4): Some exploration with reference to the text, though development may be limited or address only one structural feature.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple or general comment on structure, with limited or no clear textual reference.
Indicative content:
- The four ABAB-rhymed quatrains create a steady, controlled rhythm that contrasts with the poem's unresolved, mysterious content.
- The shift at stanza 4 widens the focus from the individual ferryman to a timeless, repeating figure ('someone else', 'Forever'), marking a clear structural turn.
- The circular structure, opening and closing with the idea of a crossing, reinforces the sense that the ferryman's journey is endless.
- The controlled, regular rhyme scheme sustained throughout mirrors the ferryman's own calm, unchanging surface, which masks the poem's unanswered questions.
- Overall, form and content work together: a steady, repeated pattern contains a poem that deliberately withholds resolution, mirroring the ferryman's own concealed nature.

Question 17

Level 3 (5-6): Perceptive, well-developed personal response exploring the poem's ideas about the unknown or mortality, using a range of precisely chosen references across the whole poem and confident, accurate terminology.
Level 2 (3-4): Clear response with relevant references from more than one part of the poem, showing sound understanding of how the poem addresses this theme.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple or general response with limited or single reference to the text, showing basic awareness of the theme.
Indicative content:
- The poem can be read literally, as a simple river crossing, or symbolically, with the ferryman suggesting a guide across a boundary between life and death.
- The calm, patient tone of the ferryman (line 6, line 11) could suggest facing the unknown with quiet acceptance rather than fear.
- The unanswered question in lines 9 to 10 ('Where all his silent journeys end') leaves the destination deliberately unresolved, reflecting real uncertainty about the unknown.
- The final image of him 'Forever rowing, shore to shore' could be read as reassuring (someone always guides the way) or unsettling (the crossing is endless and inescapable).
- Strong answers weigh more than one possible reading and reach a supported, personal conclusion, rather than asserting a single fixed meaning.

Question 18

Level 4 (7-8): Perceptive, well-developed argument, sustained and precisely supported with quotation, analysing how language and structure work together to withhold information, reaching a considered personal judgement.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear, well-organised argument with relevant quotations, showing understanding of how the poet withholds or reveals information.
Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant points made about what is left unsaid, with limited reference to language or structure.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, general assertion with little or no textual support.
Indicative content:
- Arguments for 'agree': nothing dramatic happens in the poem, no storm, accident or conflict, yet mystery still builds through silence and withheld detail (e.g. 'No word he speaks', 'silent journeys').
- Further support: the ferryman is never named, and his final destination and true nature are never explained, right through to the ambiguous final stanza.
- Structural evidence: the shift at stanza 4 widens rather than resolves the mystery, since the reader learns he repeats the journey but not why or for whom, exactly.
- Arguments for a more balanced view: some events do occur (the boat moves, the crossing happens, the bells chime), so mystery is not created purely through inaction, but through how little the poem explains about these events.
- Candidates may argue either way, or suggest that the calm, controlled events of the poem are precisely what makes the withheld information so noticeable; reward a supported, personal, text-based judgement rather than a particular conclusion.

Reading and Comprehension (Poetry) Set 5 - Worksheets, Questions and Revision