Question

My head is full of whispers Which tomorrow will be silent. Listen. The glass is breaking. The trees are stumbling forward into the night. Winds rush to meet them. The moon is broken like a mirror, its pieces flash now in the crown of the tallest Oak.

1. Identify the figure of speech used in the line: "The trees are stumbling forward into the night".    (1)
2. Explain the significance of the line:   (2)
   "The moon is broken like a mirror, its pieces flash now in the crown of the tallest Oak." Answer in about 40 words.
   
3. Complete the sentence with the appropriate option.   (1)
   In the third line, the word 'Listen' is used to _______.
   1. serve no purpose but to complete the sentence.
   2. emphasise listening carefully to the sound of glass breaking.
   3. emphasise listening carefully as a change is about to take place.
   4. make the reader more attentive.
4. What does the line: "My head is full of whispers which tomorrow will be silent" tell us about the poet's state of mind?   (1)

Answer 1

1. The literary device used is personification.
2. The moon is compared to a fragmented mirror, with the oak tree's shadow splitting it into multiple pieces.
3. In the third line, the word 'Listen' is used to emphasise listening carefully as a change is about to take place.
4. The poet recalls her thoughts being filled with the quiet sounds of trees, which appear eager to escape. The poet regrets that the sounds will not be heard the next day, since everything will go silence.