Question 1

It can be bitter here at times like this,
November wind sweeping across the border.

Accepted Answer

The poem opens with a dark, freezing November night, symbolic of a cruel, harsh Ireland - Virgin

Question 2

The howling won’t let up. Trees
cavort in agony as if they would be free
and take off — ghost voyagers

Accepted Answer

Disturbing and unsettling imagery of the trees writhing and struggling to break free of their rooted shackles - the soil of Ireland stifles and stultifies - Virgin

Question 3

They call me Mary - Blessed, Holy, Virgin.
They fit me to a myth of a man crucified:

Accepted Answer

The statue does not relish her role - various titles have been thrust upon her - she has been used and abused by people who have shaped their own idea of the statue to fit their own understanding of religion - Virgin

Question 4

They kneel before me and their prayers
fly up like sparks from a bonfire
that blaze a moment, then wink out.

Accepted Answer

Prayers are futile and ineffectual - Mary's role is just symbolic - she is unable to act - Virgin

Question 5

centre of our foolish dance,
burning heart of stone,
molten mother of us all,
hear me and have pity.

Accepted Answer

Ironically the statue does not call on a catholic god but on the pagan sun god - Virgin

Question 6

My mother would spare me sixpence and say,
‘Hurry up now and don’t be talking to strange
men on the way.’

Accepted Answer

We are immediately catapulted into the action - the direct speech lends the poem a sense of urgency - Winkles

Question 7

the winkles
would be wet and glisten blue like little
night skies themselves.

Accepted Answer

The child imagines the wonder and mystery of the winkles - lovely sense of anticipation in these evocative lines - use of tactile and visual imagery - use of colour and a striking simile - Winkles

Question 8

I’d wave up to women at sills or those
lingering in doorways and weave a glad path through
men heading out for the night.

Accepted Answer

Enjambment increases the pace of the poem - sense of anticipation and excitement. Also, assonance - long vowel sounds slow down our reading of the poem - Winkles

Question 9

I’d bear the newspaper twists
bulging fat with winkles
proudly home, like torches.

Accepted Answer

The final striking simile suggests the child's victory and sense of achievement as she has successfully completed the epic quest of "buying winkles" - Winkles

Question 10

Little has come down to me of hers,
a sewing machine, a wedding band,
a clutch of photos, the sting of her hand
across my face in one of our wars

Accepted Answer

Meehan is candid and honest in these stark opening lines - Pattern

Question 11

We'd grow solemn as planets
in an intricate orbit about her.

Accepted Answer

Memorable simile of the children circling around their mother - she was clearly a key figure in their lives - Pattern

Question 12

He shoved my whole head
under the kitchen tap, took a scrubbing brush
and carbolic soap and in ice-cold water he scrubbed
every spick of lipstick and mascara off my face.

Accepted Answer

The short vowel sounds i.e. assonance emphasise the violence
Woman repressed in patriarchal society - Pattern

Question 13

Tongues of flame in her dark eye
she'd say, ‘One of these days I must
teach you to follow a pattern.’

Accepted Answer

Why not now? Perhaps the mother realises that she needs to let her daughter follow her dreams not someone else's pattern - Pattern

Question 14

In her heart-warming and tender poem, "Buying Winkles", Meehan recalls the excitement and anticipation of being sent on an errand to buy winkles. The poem beautifully evokes 1960s Dublin

Accepted Answer

Topic Sentence - Winkles

Question 15

Paula Meehan wrote this shocking, powerful dramatic monologue in response to the tragic death of 15 year-old Ann Lovett, who died after giving birth to her baby at the grotto in Granard, Co. Longford

Accepted Answer

Topic Sentence - Statue

Question 16

This poem provides us with a series of snapshots detailing the fractured relationship between the poet and her mother, as well as exploring the pressing social issues of the time.

Accepted Answer

Topic Sentence - Pattern

Question 17

I wore that dress
with little grace. To me it spelt poverty,
the stigma of the second hand.

Accepted Answer

Meehan's working class origins are addressed here- the repeated "s" sound reinforces her shame, it is as though she is spitting out all the words

Question 18

the Liffey for hours pulsing to the sea
and the coming and going of ships,
certain that one day it would carry me
to Zanzibar, Bombay, the Land of the Ethiops.

Accepted Answer

The verb suggests the vibrant and colourful life that lay beyond Dublin - stark contrast tween the exotic world of Zanzibar and Bombay to the cramped world of the flat she grew up in

Question 19

I would break loose of my stony robes,
pure blue, pure white, as if they had robbed
a child’s sky for their colour.

Accepted Answer

Stony robes - repression of sexuality
A symbol of a stifled and stultifying religion - assonance emphasises the despair

Question 20

‘Tell yer Ma I picked them fresh this morning.’

Accepted Answer

Colloquial language brings the voices of 1960s inner city Dublin to life

Question	Answer
It can be bitter here at times like this, November wind sweeping across the border.	The poem opens with a dark, freezing November night, symbolic of a cruel, harsh Ireland - Virgin
The howling won’t let up. Trees cavort in agony as if they would be free and take off — ghost voyagers	Disturbing and unsettling imagery of the trees writhing and struggling to break free of their rooted shackles - the soil of Ireland stifles and stultifies - Virgin
They call me Mary - Blessed, Holy, Virgin. They fit me to a myth of a man crucified:	The statue does not relish her role - various titles have been thrust upon her - she has been used and abused by people who have shaped their own idea of the statue to fit their own understanding of religion - Virgin
They kneel before me and their prayers fly up like sparks from a bonfire that blaze a moment, then wink out.	Prayers are futile and ineffectual - Mary's role is just symbolic - she is unable to act - Virgin
centre of our foolish dance, burning heart of stone, molten mother of us all, hear me and have pity.	Ironically the statue does not call on a catholic god but on the pagan sun god - Virgin
My mother would spare me sixpence and say, ‘Hurry up now and don’t be talking to strange men on the way.’	We are immediately catapulted into the action - the direct speech lends the poem a sense of urgency - Winkles
the winkles would be wet and glisten blue like little night skies themselves.	The child imagines the wonder and mystery of the winkles - lovely sense of anticipation in these evocative lines - use of tactile and visual imagery - use of colour and a striking simile - Winkles
I’d wave up to women at sills or those lingering in doorways and weave a glad path through men heading out for the night.	Enjambment increases the pace of the poem - sense of anticipation and excitement. Also, assonance - long vowel sounds slow down our reading of the poem - Winkles
I’d bear the newspaper twists bulging fat with winkles proudly home, like torches.	The final striking simile suggests the child's victory and sense of achievement as she has successfully completed the epic quest of "buying winkles" - Winkles
Little has come down to me of hers, a sewing machine, a wedding band, a clutch of photos, the sting of her hand across my face in one of our wars	Meehan is candid and honest in these stark opening lines - Pattern
We'd grow solemn as planets in an intricate orbit about her.	Memorable simile of the children circling around their mother - she was clearly a key figure in their lives - Pattern
He shoved my whole head under the kitchen tap, took a scrubbing brush and carbolic soap and in ice-cold water he scrubbed every spick of lipstick and mascara off my face.	The short vowel sounds i.e. assonance emphasise the violence Woman repressed in patriarchal society - Pattern
Tongues of flame in her dark eye she'd say, ‘One of these days I must teach you to follow a pattern.’	Why not now? Perhaps the mother realises that she needs to let her daughter follow her dreams not someone else's pattern - Pattern
In her heart-warming and tender poem, "Buying Winkles", Meehan recalls the excitement and anticipation of being sent on an errand to buy winkles. The poem beautifully evokes 1960s Dublin	Topic Sentence - Winkles
Paula Meehan wrote this shocking, powerful dramatic monologue in response to the tragic death of 15 year-old Ann Lovett, who died after giving birth to her baby at the grotto in Granard, Co. Longford	Topic Sentence - Statue
This poem provides us with a series of snapshots detailing the fractured relationship between the poet and her mother, as well as exploring the pressing social issues of the time.	Topic Sentence - Pattern
I wore that dress with little grace. To me it spelt poverty, the stigma of the second hand.	Meehan's working class origins are addressed here- the repeated "s" sound reinforces her shame, it is as though she is spitting out all the words
the Liffey for hours pulsing to the sea and the coming and going of ships, certain that one day it would carry me to Zanzibar, Bombay, the Land of the Ethiops.	The verb suggests the vibrant and colourful life that lay beyond Dublin - stark contrast tween the exotic world of Zanzibar and Bombay to the cramped world of the flat she grew up in
I would break loose of my stony robes, pure blue, pure white, as if they had robbed a child’s sky for their colour.	Stony robes - repression of sexuality A symbol of a stifled and stultifying religion - assonance emphasises the despair
‘Tell yer Ma I picked them fresh this morning.’	Colloquial language brings the voices of 1960s inner city Dublin to life

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Paula Meehan LC Eng