Divorce
1. Explain how the speaker’s sense of irritation is conveyed in lines 1-6. (4)
2. What is the speaker’s attitude to her parents (line 6-14)? (2)
3. How does the tone change in the second stanza and how is this achieved? (2)
4. Choose two examples of imagery from lines 16-23 and explain in detail how each adds to your understanding of the poem. (4)

Lucozade
1. Explain how the speaker’s sense of incompetence is conveyed in lines 1-6. (4)
2. What is the mother’s attitude towards being in hospital (line 9-20) and how is it suggested? (4)
3. What impression do we get of the mother at the end of the hospital visit and how is this given? (lines 25-8) (4)
4. How effective is the last line of the poem and why? (2)

Keeping Orchids
1. Explain how we get a sense of the speaker’s uneasiness in lines 1-12. (4)
2. What is the speaker’s attitude about herself (line 7-16) and how is it suggested? (4)
3. What impression do we get of the mother’s feelings about her own life (lines 19-28) (2)
4. What do you think the speaker is really saying in the last two lines? (2)

Bed
1. Explain how the speaker’s sense of frustration is conveyed in lines 1-6. (4)
2. What is the speaker’s attitude about herself (line 7-16) and how is it suggested? (4)
3. What impression do we get of the daughter’s feelings towards her mother and how is this portrayed (lines 25-8) (4)
4. Choose an image from lines 33-6 and explain how it is effective. (2)

Keeping Orchids
1.Many of the main ideas or concerns of the poem come across clearly in the early part of the poem. Read again the first six stanzas:
“The orchids my mother gave me… my mother’s hands are all I have.”
(a) Identify two ideas and/or concerns that are introduced in these lines.(2)
(b) Show how two examples of the poet’s use of language in this part of the poem help to clarify or illustrate her meaning. (4)
2. Show how any two examples of the poet’s use of language in the middle section of the poem effectively contribute to the main ideas or concerns of the poem. Read again the lines included in: “Her face is fading fast… a box of love letters.” (4)
3. How effective do you find the last three stanzas of the poem as a conclusion to the poem? Your answer might deal with ideas and/or language. (2)
4. With close textual reference, show how the ideas and/or language of this poem are similar OR different to another poem or poems by Jackie Kay that you have read. (8)