An Advancement Of Learning

Question 0

The river nosed past,

Pliable, oil-skinned,

Answer 0

‘Nosed’ sounds not very nice - could mean that the river doesn’t smell very nice

Question 1

What does Heaney learn by the end of the poem?

Answer 1

There is nothing to fear - his view of rats changes at the end - he’s decided that looking at it properly makes him realise there’s nothing to fear

Question 4

A transfer of gables and sky

Answer 4

Gives a sense of how oily the river is

Question 5

I

Considered the dirty-kneeled swans

Answer 5

The bottoms of the swans are dirty from the river

Question 6

Something slobbered curtly, close,
Smudging the silence: a rat
Slimed out of the water

Answer 6

Assonance is used which sounds like the way a wet rat moves
‘Curtly’ - quick sound
‘Slimed’ - oil is on the rat as it comes out of the water

Question 7

I turned down the path in cold sweat

Answer 7

Shows how fearful he is

Question 8

Arcs on the stones

Answer 8

The tail of the rat making a graffiti mark on the stones

Question 9

Incredibly then
I established a dreaded
Bridgehead

Answer 9

‘Bridgehead’ - a military action - he turns to face the rat which is not something he would usually do

Question 10

At my hitherto snubbed rodent

Answer 10

‘Hitherto’ - before hand

‘Snubbed’ - refusing to acknowledge

Question 11

He clockworked aimlessly a while

Answer 11

‘Clockworked’ - the rat is walking in circles - mechanically - less scary

Question 12

Stopped, back bunched and glistening,

Ears plastered down on his knobbed skull,

Answer 12

Doesn’t sound very attractive

Question 13

Insidiously listening

Answer 13

Listening in a sneaky way as if he’s up to something

Question 14

The tapered tail that followed him

Answer 14

‘Tapered’ - unfurred tail - creepy

Question 15

The raindrop eye,

Answer 15

‘Raindrop eye’ - H is beginning to feel sorry for it - it could be crying or the eye could be shiny which gives a sense of beauty

Question 16

The old snout:

Answer 16

It’s an old rat - H is beginning to feel sorry for it now he is starting to understand it

Question 17

He trained on me. I stared him out

Answer 17

‘Trained’ - like a gun but H just stares back - he doesn’t run

Question 18

Retreated up a pipe for sewage

Answer 18

‘Retreated’ - another military term - like H has one the battle with his fear

Question 19

I stared a minute after him

Answer 19

H has changed - he’s thinking of the rat - will it come back? - has he won?

Question 20

Then I walked on and crossed the bridge

Answer 20

Metaphor - he’s crossed to the other side - he’s a changed mind

Question 21

I turned to stare

With deliberate, thrilled care

Answer 21

‘Stare… Care’ - rhyming couplets - stands out which is unusual but it highlights an important moment

Question 22

But God, another was nimbling

Answer 22

‘But God’ - shows how fearful he is

‘Nimbling’ - unpredictable and creepy