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O-LevelLiterature in EnglishPoetry2010/12 · May/June 2018 · Q325 Marks

Either 3 Read this poem, and then answer the question that follows it: For My Grandmother Knitting There is no need they say but the needles still move their rhythms in the working of your hands as easily as if your hands were once again those sure and skilful hands of the fisher-girl. You are old now and your grasp of things is not so good but master of your moments then deft and swift you slit the still-ticking quick silver fish. Hard work it was too of necessity. But now they say there is no need as the needles move in the working of your hands once the hands of the bride with the hand-span waist once the hands of the miner's wife who scrubbed his back in a tin bath by the coal fire once the hands of the mother of six who made do and mended scraped and slaved slapped sometimes when necessary. But now they say there is no need the kids they say grandma have too much already more than they can wear too many scarves and cardigans - gran you do too much there's no necessity. (Liz Lochhead)

  1. In what ways does Lochhead vividly create feelings of sadness in this poem?[25]

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About this question

Topic
Poetry, O-Level Literature in English (syllabus 2010). Structured question, 25 marks.
Source
O-Level Literature in English, May/June 2018 Paper 1 Variant 2, question 3.

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