Originally

Question 1

Stanza 1

Answer 1

We came from our own country in a red room
which fell through the fields, our mother singing
our father’s name to the turn of the wheels.
My brothers cried, one of them bawling Home,
Home, as the miles rushed back to the city,
the street, the house, the vacant rooms
where we didn’t live any more. I stared
at the eyes of a blind toy, holding its paw

Question 2

Stanza 2

Answer 2

All childhood is an emigration. Some are slow,
leaving you standing, resigned, up an avenue
where no one you know stays. Others are sudden.
Your accent wrong. Corners, which seem familiar,
leading to unimagined, pebble-dashed estates, big boys
eating worms and shouting words you don’t understand.
My parents’ anxiety stirred like a loose tooth
in my head. I want our own country, I said.

Question 3

Stanza 3

Answer 3

But then you forget, or don’t recall, or change,
and, seeing your brother swallow a slug, feel only
a skelf of shame. I remember my tongue
shedding its skin like a snake, my voice
in the classroom sounding just like the rest. Do I only think
I lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space
and the right place? Now, Where do you come from?
strangers ask. Originally? And I hesitate

Question 4

Themes of originally

Answer 4

Influence of geography on identity
Influence of community on identity
Change brought around by growing up.
Isolation in a new community

Question 5

Originally quote 1

Answer 5

“We came from our own country in a red room which fell through the fields .”
Is an example of visual imagery and a metaphor.
Where the poet uses the denotation of red to be symbolic of anger , to show the connotation of the frustration of Duffy and the younger members of her family.
This shows how geographical location affects identity and community affects identity, since the children are furious that they have to leave behind everything.

The use of the metaphor of “fell though the fields.” Shows the denotation of Duffy and her family uncontrollably plummeting towards their destination, this shows the connotation of the rapid and out of control nature of the journey. This shows how Duffy is unprepared for the journey and highlights the theme of how community affects identity, since Duffy is unwilling to leave behind her sense of identity and community.

Question 6

Originally quote 2

Answer 6

“Our mother singing our fathers name to the turn of wheels.”
Is an example of word choice
The poet uses the denotation of singing being the mother making a happy and pleasant sound, this shows the connotation of the optimism that Duffy’s mother feels as they travel to improve their families life.

Question 7

Originally Quote 3

Answer 7

“My brothers cried, one of them bawling home, home.”
Is an example of word choice and repetition.
The poet uses the denotation of “bawling” to show how the brother cries his eyes out at the idea of never seeing his home again, this shows the connotation of how the brother feels he is leaving behind everything he knows and leaving behind part of his identity, this shows how geographical location and community affects identity, since the brother sees his home as an important part of his life.

Question 8

Originally Quote 4

Answer 8

“As the miles rushed back to the city, the streets the house, the vacant rooms where we didn’t live any more.”

Is an example of a transferred epithet and a list
The poet uses the denotation of giving the quality of being hasty to the road behind the family, this shows the connotation of the city rapidly moving out of reach of the family as they leave, this shows how the poet feels out of control of her future and shows how she stares out of the back of the car at her home which she won’t again. This shows the difficulty of change and how it affects young Duffy.

The use of the list emphasises the number of things she will be leaving behind and shows the detail of how well she knows her home, this shows her upset of having to leave everything behind, this shows the theme of geography and identity, since Duffy’s life has revolved around the gorbals until now.

Question 9

Originally quote 5

Answer 9

“I stared at the eyes of a blind toy holding its paw.”

Is bloody useless.

Question 10

Originally stanza 2 quote 1

Answer 10

“All childhood is an emigration.”

Question 11

Originally stanza 2 quote2

Answer 11

“Some are slow leaving you standing, resigned, up an avenue where no one you know stays.”

Question 12

Originally stanza 2 quote 3

Answer 12

“There’s are sudden. Your accent wrong.”

Question 13

Originally stanza 2 quote 4

Answer 13

“Corners which seem familiar, leading unimagined, pebble dashed estates, big boys eating worms and shouting words you don’t understand.“

Question 14

Originally stanza 2 quote 5

Answer 14

My parents anxiety stirred like a loose tooth inside my head.

Question 15

Stanza 2 quote 6

Answer 15

“I want our own country I said.”

Question 16

Stanza 3 quote 1

Answer 16

“But then you forget, or don’t recall, or change.”

Question 17

Originally stanza 3 quote 2

Answer 17

“Seeing your brother swallow a slug feel only a shelf of shame.”

Question 18

Originally stanza 3 quote 3

Answer 18

“I remember my tongue shedding its skin like a snake, my voice sounding just like the rest in the classroom.”

Question 19

Stanza 3 quote 4

Answer 19

Do I only think I lost a river, culture, sense of first space and right place?

Question 20

Stanza 3 quote 5

Answer 20

Now, where do you come from? Strangers ask. Originally? And I hesitate.

Question 21

Originally links to other poems

Answer 21

Shared theme of change as you grow up with Mrs Tilschers class.
The shared theme of the difficulty of change with the way my mother speaks.
The theme of isolation between originally and war photographer.