Blessing

Question 1

skin cracked like a pod

Answer 1

strong imagery inconjunction with the similie describe the dehydration that people are experiencing, suggesting a harsh climate:

Question 2

Skin cracks

Answer 2

The repetition of the plosive “k” in “skin” and “cracks” mimics the dry, harsh landscape and suggests the damage to skin

Question 3

Imagine

Answer 3

The imperative “imagine” encourages the reader to empathise with the feelings of those suffering from dehydration, as if water has become a figment of their imagination

Question 4

Drip and small splash

Answer 4

Onomatopoeic words like “drip” and “small splash” convey just how scarce water is

Question 5

“the voice of a kindly god”

Answer 5

The final line of the stanza, “the voice of a kindly god”, suggests that water is an act of divine mercy and kindness, linking back to the title of the poem: water is a “blessing”

Question 6

“sudden rush”

Answer 6

The sibilant phrase “sudden rush” mirrors the sound and possibly the refreshing feeling of water and the caesura anticipates the burst of water from the pipe

Question 7

Blessing

Answer 7

The personification of the “blessing” singing over the children’s “small bones” illustrates the importance of the water and the magnitude of the “blessing” they receive:
It is a reminder of water’s scarcity, which offers only temporary relief
Ironically, their salvation may be due to a human flaw, such as a pipe bursting, rather than divine intervention

Question 8

Written in free verse, the poem does not have a meter

Answer 8

It could also reflect the unpredictable nature of the residents’ lives and how they are deprived of basic necessities

Question 9

enjambment

Answer 9

The writer uses enjambment to reflect the abundance of water rushing out of the pipe and the reactions of the “congregation” of people as they run towards it