1. Would you like to travel when you leave school? If so, why do you want to travel, and if not, why not?
2. Some animals are migratory and it is in their nature to travel long distances. Are human beings naturally migratory, in your opinion?
3. Which is the most beautiful country in the world, in your opinion?
COMPREHENDING AND RESPONDING
1. What kind of setting do you think Bishop is describing in stanza one, and how do you think she feels about this setting?
2. What questions about travel does Bishop pose in stanza two?
3. Write a list of the sights in stanza three that Bishop says it would have been a pity to have missed.
4. Why do you think the final two stanzas are in italics?
5. Do you agree with Pascal, who believed that all the evil in the world stems from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room? Give reasons for your answer.
6. Sometimes what is revealed in the final stanza of a poem makes us rethink the entire poem. Is this the case with ‘Questions of Travel’, in your opinion?
7. This poem is full of vibrant images. Which image did you like best? Explain your choice.
8. What sound effects did you observe in this poem? 9. What do you think the theme of this poem is? Explain your answer.
CREATING
1. You are spending a year travelling the world and are writing a blog to keep family and friends up to date with your adventures. Write a series of three of these blog posts.
2. Write the 250 word copy for an advertisement which will be placed in newspapers around the world. The product you are advertising is Ireland, and your copy should persuade international readers to visit Ireland.
3. Write a short story suggested by this line: ‘sitting quietly in one’s room.’
4. Write a descriptive essay about a place or places you have visited that you feel it would have been a pity to have missed.
5. Write a speech for a public speaking competition with the following title: ‘Travel Broadens the Mind’.
