Trio by Edwin Morgan
1. Think about audience and purpose. Who do you think would be interested in reading this
poem? (1 mark)
2. Why do you think the poem is called Trio? (Think about Christmas) (2 marks)
3. In your own words explain what each person is carrying. (3 marks)
4. Explain the image the poet uses to describe their breath in the cold winter air? (To answer
this - quote the image and then explain why it is effective) (3 marks)
5. The poet uses imagery again when he describes what the Chihuahua is wearing. What is the
image? (remember quote the image) Explain how this is effective. (3marks)
6. The poet describes the baby’s mouth “like favours in a fresh sweet cake”. Copy out the
quotation. What image is the poet using? Why is this effective? (3 marks)
7. What is the tone of the first verse? (Think about the mood the three people are in). How does
the poet use their mood to create this tone? (2 marks)
8. “Whether Christ is born, or is not born” What does this quotation mean? Think about the
mood of the three people. Think about the mood that is created by Christmas? Why does
religious belief not affect this mood too much? (2 marks)
9. “Monsters of the year go blank”. How does the celebration of Christmas affect people who
may usually be horrible? “monsters”. (2 marks) What is effective about the expression “go
blank” (1 mark)
10. Look closely at the last verse. The three people have not vanished. “yet not vanished”
because their mood has affected everyone. Explain the effect they have had on everyone. (2
marks)
11. “Laughter ringing round them like a guard”. The poet is using imagery again. Explain the
image. (think about how the word ringing is used and think about the effect of a guard) (3
marks)
12. Summary
Now think about the whole poem. Write a brief summary of the poem. You
should think about the most important things in the poem. This question is worth 6 marks.
Therefore – you could write the summary in 6 sentences. If you have one correct idea in
every sentence – you can score 1 mark for every sentence. (6 marks)
13. Word choice Think again about the whole poem. Pick out 4 words that you thought were
effective. For each word explain why you thought it was effective. For example – it may be
an onomatopoetic word, or the word may be used in an unusual way. (4 marks)
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Good by Edwin Morgan
1. Think about audience and purpose. Who do you think would be interested in reading this
poem? (1 mark)
2. Why do you think the poem is called Good Friday? (Think about Easter/setting/any other
point) (2 marks)
3. What is the narrative voice of the poem? (Think about first, second or third person.
Think about who is telling the story) ( 2 marks)
4. What do you notice about the dialogue in the poem? Why is this effective? (the words
spoken by the man who gets on the bus) (2 marks)
5. The poet uses imagery again when he describes what the Chihuahua is wearing. What is
the image? (remember quote the image) Explain how this is effective. (3marks)
6. The poet describes the baby’s mouth “like favours in a fresh sweet cake”. Copy out the
quotation. What image is the poet using? Why is this effective? (3 marks)
7. What is the tone of the first verse? (Think about the mood the three people are in). How
does the poet use their mood to create this tone? (2 marks)
8. “Whether Christ is born, or is not born” What does this quotation mean? Think about the
mood of the three people. Think about the mood that is created by Christmas? Why does
religious belief not affect this mood too much? (2 marks)
9. “Monsters of the year go blank”. How does the celebration of Christmas affect people
who may usually be horrible? “monsters”. (2 marks) What is effective about the
expression “go blank” (1 mark)
10. Look closely at the last verse. The three people have not vanished. “yet not vanished”
because their mood has affected everyone. Explain the effect they have had on everyone.
(2 marks)
11. “Laughter ringing round them like a guard”. The poet is using imagery again. Explain the
image. (think about how the word ringing is used and think about the effect of a guard) (3
marks)
12. Summary
Now think about the whole poem. Write a brief summary of the poem. You
should think about the most important things in the poem. This question is worth 6
marks. Therefore – you could write the summary in 6 sentences. If you have one correct
idea in every sentence – you can score 1 mark for every sentence. (6 marks)
13. Word choice Think again about the whole poem. Pick out 4 words that you thought
were effective. For each word explain why you thought it was effective. For example – it
may be an onomatopoetic word, or the word may be used in an unusual way. (4 marks)