NCHS Sec 2 Lit Unseen Poetry Practice Paper 2022

Nan Chiau High SchoolSecondary Two ExpressLiterature in English 2021Unseen Poetry Name: _____________________ ( ) Class: __________________ Date:_____________ Read the poem carefully and answer the questions that follow: Those Winter Sundays, by Robert Hayden Sundays too my father got up earlyand put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,then with cracked hands that achedfrom labor in the weekday weather madebanked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. 1 I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.When the rooms were warm, he’d call,and slowly I would rise and dress,fearing the chronic angers of that house, Speaking indifferently to him,who had driven out the coldand polished my good shoes as well.What did I know, what did I knowof love’s austere and lonely offices? 2 3 5 10 (i) What are your impressions of the father? (ii) How does the poet effectively describe the strained relationship between thefather and the son? 3 offices: refers to the father’s roles and responsibilities 2 austere: severe or strict in manner 1 banked: a fire covered with ashes and embers, kept low but alive

Suggested answers (i) What are your impressions of the father? P + Explanation Evidence Unappreciated Explanation: ● The father did all sorts of nice things for the son, suchas waking up early on a Sunday despite being tiredfrom working all week just to make the house warmenough before waking the son up.● However, the son never responded with a word ofthanks, and even spoke indifferently, without feelingsor ‘care or love’ to his father, taking for granted whathis father has done.● The sense of regret expressed by the son alsohighlight that the father is extremely unappreciated. ● ‘No one everthanked him.’ ● ‘Speakingindifferently tohim’ ● ‘What did I know,what did I know’ Hard worker/ Resilient Explanation: ● Despite the cold, and it being a rest day, he makes aneffort to warm the house.● He seems to have a demanding job which requires alot of physical labour and effort from him● He also seems to have too much work on his hands,as ‘lonely offices’ suggest that he may put in more timethan others and may have worked overtime on his ownafter work hours. ● ‘with crackedhands that ached/ from labor in theweekday weather’ ● ‘lonely offices’ Hot-tempered/Impatient Explanation:● The son seems to fear his father, as evident n (…)● Son being fearful ‘that house’ symbolises his feartowards his father: who most likely may have projectedhis anger on his son (‘chronic angers’) through fierce ● ‘fearing thechronic angers ofthat house’

scoldings. These bouts of anger happened often(‘chronic’ = persisting long time / constantly recurring)thus highlighting how short-fused and hot-temperedthe father may have been. Authoritative/Stern/Cold Explanation:● The son’s decision to keep his distance from his fathermay suggest that the father is so stern and cold thatthe son finds him unapproachable and fear him.● The son’s deliberate slow movement in preparing forbreakfast reveals his