KCSE ENGLISH PAPER 1 POETRY

KCSE ENGLISH ORAL SKILLS: PAPER ONE POETRY

English poetry questions and answers for KCSE

KCSE English paper one 2022

The Quarrel by Eleanor Farjeon

I quarrelled with my brother,
I don’t know what about,
One thing led to another
And somehow we fell out,
The start of it was slight,
The end of it was strong,
He said he was right,
I knew he was wrong!
 
We hated one another
The afternoon turned black
Then suddenly my brother
Thumped me on the back,
And said “O, come along!
We can't go on all night_
I was in the wrong.”
So he was in the right.
 
From Journeys springboard springboard 6  (1990) Ginn Publishing Canada Inc.

        I.      (i)Describe the rhyme scheme of the poem and explain its function. (4 marks)

          (ii)How would you perform the following lines in the poem? (4 marks)

                 i.       I knew he was wrong!

                 ii.      So he was in the right.

KCSE English paper one 2021

The Beard 

By Proscovia Rwakyaka

In the pulpit he swayed and turned

Leaned forward, backward,

To the right: to the left. 

His solemn voice echoed,

Lowly the congregation followed;

'Do you love your neighbour?'

Meekly they bow at his keen eye

Now examining a grey head

Hearing under her sobs.

His heart kept assured

'Her sins weigh on her'

So with her he chats outside;

'Weep not, child you are pardoned,'

'But sir, your beard conjured up

The spirit of my dead goat!'

From: Poems from East Africa. David Cook and David Rubadiri (Eds.) EAEP, Nairobi. 

(i) Identify and illustrate two sound features used in the poem. (4 marks) 

(ii) Describe how you would say the following lines in the poem.

I. 'Do you love your neighbour?' (2 marks)

II. 'But sir, your beard conjured up  

The spirit of my dead goat!' (2marks)

KCSE English paper one 2018

Read the poetry below and then answer the questions that follow:

 

A POISON TREE

I was angry with my friend;

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe:

I told it not, my wrath did grow.

 

And I watered it with fears,

Night and morning with tears;

And I sunned it with smiles,

And with soft deceitful wiles

 

And it grew day and night.

Till it bore an apple bright.

And my foe beheld it shine,

And he knew that it was mine.

 

And into my garden stole, 

When the right had wailed the pole;

In the morning glad I see;

My foe outstretched beneath the tree. 

                                 By William Blake

 

a) Identify and explain any two features that would make the poem easy to recite? (4mks)

Answer

A mere identification of a sound device or feature will not earn you full marks. You must add a valid explanation in order to score the full marks. 

Rhyme: friend, end, foe, grow, fears, tears. 

Repetition: there is repetition of some words and phrases. 

The phrase “I was angry with my….” is repeated in stanza 1. The words “I” and “and” are also repeated at the beginning of several lines. 

When a question asks you to identify a specified number of features (2 in this case) you should not write more than the specified number. 

b) Describe the rhyme scheme of the poem. 

Answer

Refresh your memory on how to answer questions on rhyme scheme here.

aa bb cc ee gg hh

Regular rhyme scheme

 c) In an oral performance of this poem, how would you say the last line? 

Answer

Give verbal and non verbal cues. Mention what you would do and explain giving specific illustrations.

Verbal cues

I would say it with a falling intonation to show finality after the fateful ending of my foe’s life.

I would stress the word tree to put emphasis on the cause of death; the unaddressed anger/grudge.

Nonverbal cues 

I would wear an expressionless face to show the finality of being angry at a foe.

If you simply say; “I would use appropriate facial expressions” or “I would stress content words” you will not score any marks.

 

KCSE English paper one 2016

Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow:

Giraffes

Beyond the brassy sun store where each shade

Crouches beneath its substance at mid noon,

The tall giraffes are gathered in a glade

Grazing the green fruit of the midday moon

Patched with sienna shadow of the jungle

In pencil-slender attitudes they stand.

Grotesque in camouflage, each curved and angle

Is merged into the back cloth of the land.

These circus creatures of a poet’s dreaming

Whose silent destiny on silent strings is spun

and patterned in designs of nature scheming.

To more through dappled woods and dun

Strange genesis in which the substance seeming

The shadow, is the street of the sun!

By Phoebe Hesketh.

(Adopted from Modern Poems of Common Wealth by Maurice Wollman and John Spencer. George G. Hurry, 1996)

a) Describe the rhyme scheme of this poem and explain its function (3mks)

ab ab cd cd ef ef ef 

Regular rhyme scheme 

Function 

It creates musicality/rhythm

It makes the poem memorable

It makes the poem easy to recite

It makes the poem interesting

 

b) Identify two instances of alliteration in this poem. (2mks)

Answer:

For KCSE you should give only 2 instances or as required.

• Only the first two will be marked.
• Underline the alliterating sounds.

Beyond brassy

Gathered glade

Midday moon

Camouflage curve

Dappled dun

Strange substance seeming

Street sun

NOTE: In the line “these circus creatures of a poet’s dreaming” the words circus and creatures do not have alliteration. This is because the initial “c” in "circus" and "creatures" are pronounced differently. The same applies to shadow in the last line, the word shadow has sound / / and therefore does not alliterate with street and sun which have sound /s/.

“The shadow, is the street of the sun!”

NOTE: Alliteration is a sound device concerned with sounds and not letters. 

c) How would you say the last line of the poem? (3mks)

Give verbal and non verbal cues e.g.

I would brighten my face to show the marvel of nature.

I would point up to show the sun.

I would make a circling gesture to show the sun.

I would stress the word shadow Street and sun to show how marvelous the giraffes are.

 

KCSE English paper one 2013

Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.

DAY SEVENTEEN

i find myself

looking at the black men

with different eyes

thinking things like

               Act right fool, don’t you know

               We got a black president!

i take Barack’s

       success and failure

       personally

         

        somehow 

        i feel as if 

i respect him

   as much as

   he does me

(From Auction Block to Oval Office ; 100 poems in 100 days of Obama’s presidency by Kahlil AlMustafa. New York: MVMT publishing, 2009.)

a) Identify the instance of alliteration (1mk)

thinking things 

b) Give two examples of assonance in this poem (2mks)

I find myself 

thinking things 

don’t know 

he me 

c) How would you perform the lines in italics?

I would stress the words “fool” and “black” to emphasize how many my black brothers ought to behave with decorum now that we have a black president.

I would wear a stern face to show authority.

I would speak with conviction and authority to show my confidence in my black president.

I would say it with a high pitch and falling intonation to bring out a commanding, confident tone.

I would wear a smile to express joy about having a black president.

d) Pronouns such as “him” and “me” are usually not stressed. Explain why you would stress them in the last stanza.

They indicate a shared ancestry or identify. Both “he” and “me” are black

KCSE English paper one 2012

Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.

      If We Must Die-Claude McKay

 

If we must die- let it not be like hogs

Haunted and panned in an inglorious spot

While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,

Making their mocks at our accursed lot,

 If we must die-oh let us nobly die

So that our precious blood may not be shed

In vain, then even the monster we defy

Shall be constrained to honour us through dead! 

Oh kinsmen! We must meet our common foe, 

Though far outnumbered, let us show us brave

And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow

What though before us lies the open grave?

Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack

Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! 

 

Described the rhyme scheme of this poem. 

Ab ab cd cd ef ef gg

Regular rhyme scheme

 

Which words would you stress in the last line of this poem and why? 

Pressed, wall, dying, fighting back. 

-Any two words score

- Do not simply copy the whole line. 

- Do not introduce a new word. 

I would stress the words pressed, wall, dying and fighting back because they bring the person’s determination to fight on without giving up. 

Apart from rhyme, how else has the poet achieved rhythm? (4mks)

The poet achieves rhythm: -

By use of repetition – the line if we must die is repeated. The future is bleak for them yet they have to fight back

By use of assonance – dying fighting back

By use of alliteration – making mock/must meet/death deathblow 

By use of punctuation e.g. Dashes and commas, the long and short pauses help the author to achieve rhythm. 

(Any two features, 1mark for identification, 1mark for illustration =4marks)

 

 

KCSE ENGLISH PAPER ONE 2008

 Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow. 

       “The Debt” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar 

 

This is the debt I pay 

Just for one riotous day

Years of regrets and grief, 

Sorrow without relief. 

 

Put it I will to the end-

Until the grave, my friend, 

Gives me a true release-

Gives me a clasp of peace. 

 

Slight was the thing I bought, 

Small was the debt I thought, 

Poor was the loan at best

God! But the interest! 

 

                   (From American Negro Poetry, edited by Arna 

                     Bontempts) 

 

I.List the pairs of rhyming words. 

Play day

grief relief

end friend

release peace

bought thought

best interest

 

   II.        Describe the tone of voice that would be appropriate in the reading of this poem.

Regretful/somber /poignant /resigned tone to bring out the sorrow and desperation resulting from a foolish decision to take a loan that barely benefits him. Now he stares at a hefty debt due to the interest. 

(State and illustrate in order to get full marks; Pick only one and illustrate) 

 III.        How does the punctuation in the second stanza influence your reading of the poem? 

 

The dash signifies a significant pause to create suspense leaving the audience anticipating for more. 

The comma signifies a short pause, I may catch my breath. 

The full stop signifies finality. The speakers fate is sealed and only death can free him from his predicament. I will say the line with a resigned tone and a falling intonation. 

 

IV.        How would you say the last line of the poem? (2mks)

I would raise my voice to show the shock at the realization of the huge price I have to pay. 

I would say it with my eyes wide open to express surprise and shock due to the huge interest. 

I would emphasize the word "interest" to show my utter disbelief that a small loan can birth a huge Interest. 

 

KCSE English paper one 2006

Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow 

 

Isatou died

When she was only five

And full of pride 

Just before she knew 

how small a loss

 

It brought to such a few 

Her mother wept

Half grateful 

To be so early bereft. 

 

And did not see the smile 

As tender as the root

Of the emerging plant

Which sealed her eyes

The neighbors wailed

 

As they were paid to do

And though how big a spread

Might be her wedding too

The father looked at her

Through marble eyes and said;

“Who split the perfume 

Mixed with the morning dew?”

 

         Lenrie Peters

 

         (From: The earth is ours, edited by Ian Gordon)

 

I.Identity any two pairs of rhyming words in this poem. 

Died, pride

Knew, few(dew) 

Wept, bereft 

Spread, said

Do, too

 

   II.        Which words would you stress in line 2 of this poem and why?

Identify content words that contribute to meaning and give a specific illustration.

I would stress the words only five to emphasize the tender age. 

 

 III.        How would you say the last two lines of this poem?

I would say the last two words with a falling intonation to express finality and disappointment.

I would say the lines with a sad/somber tone to express sadness. 

  Next we analyse oral skills notes on KCSE English paper 1 oral poetry

Notes on KCSE English paper 3 essay questions and answers

What questions do you expect in a KCSE English paper one poem?