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2 marksUnderstanding Literary Discourse

CSEC English A · January 2017 · Paper 2 · Question 2(a)(ii)

Based on the poem 'On Aging' by Maya Angelou.

Explain what concern the speaker is expressing in the phrase "Like a sack left on the shelf".

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Other parts of this question

  1. 2(a)(i)Identify the literary device used in the phrase "Like a sack left on the shelf" (line 2).[1 mark]
  2. 2(b)Explain why the writer uses exclamation marks in stanza 1 (lines 5–8).[2 marks]
  3. 2(c)Identify TWO aspects of the speaker's personality that are revealed in stanza 2.[2 marks]
  4. 2(d)Quote the line where the speaker acknowledges the pain associated with aging.[2 marks]
  5. 2(e)State TWO intentions of the speaker in the poem.[2 marks]
  6. 2(f)Explain in what way the tone of lines 5–8 of the poem is different from the rest of the poem.[2 marks]
  7. 2(g)According to stanza 3, state TWO effects of aging on the body.[2 marks]

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