1. Can you remember when you learned to ride a bike? Describe this experience. 2. At what stage in life do you think children start to become independent? 3. How do you think parents feel when their children become independent?
Understand
1. How old was the daughter when her mother taught her to ride a bike? 2. What is the mother waiting for as her daughter cycles off?
Explore 3 1. Identify two poetic devices that are used in this poem and explain their effect.
2. In your opinion, why does the mother’s mouth round in surprise when her daughter pulled ahead on the curved path?
3. Focus on the form of the poem on the page. Why do you think the poet shaped the poem in this way? What do you think this form represents?
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4. How effective do you think the ending of the poem is in capturing the message of this poem?
5. ‘The poem “To a Daughter Leaving Home” is about two milestones at once.’ Do you agree with this statement? Refer to the poem to support your answer.
Create
1. Write the tweet that you imagine the mother would have written after her daughter has moved out of the family home.
2. (a) In pairs, write the dialogue that you imagine took place between the daughter and her mother when she came back from having learned to ride her bike for the first time.
(b) Act out your dialogue for the class.
Enjambment is when a sentence or phrase runs from one line of poetry into the next.
