Blessing

Question 1

Skin cracks like a pod

Answer 1

The poet uses a simile to describe the dehydration that the people experience and suggest the harsh climate

Question 2

Imagine the drip of it

Answer 2

The imperative encourages the reader to empathise with the feelings of those who are suffering from the lack of water, as if water has become a figment of their imagination.

Question 3

‘Drip’ and ‘small splash’

Answer 3

The onomatopoeic words convey the scarcity of water and how valueable it is as there is only so much.

Question 4

The voice of a kindly god

Answer 4

This suggest that water is an act of kindness from the divine god, linking back to the title:water is a ‘blessing’

Question 5

Sudden rush

Answer 5

The sibilance mirrors the sound and possibly the refreshing feeling of water and the caesura anticipates the burst of water from the pipe

Question 6

Water as ‘silver’

Answer 6

The metaphor highlights how precious the water is

Question 7

Liquid sun

Answer 7

The metaphor accentuates the worth of water as it’s as hard to get as something with provides for the earth and is extremely hot

Question 8

Frantic hands

Answer 8

The assonance implies they are desperate for water because it’s very scare in their region.