1. Some people think that dreams can be prophetic (predict the future). Discuss whether you agree or disagree with this view.
2. Do you agree that it is difficult for young people to imagine ever growing old? Can you imagine what you might look like in fifty years’ time?
COMPREHENDING AND RESPONDING
1. Explain the title of this poem in your own words. 2. What do you think the poet means when he writes that he had ‘no human fears’?
3. In stanza one, how does the poet convey that this girl/woman seems ageless? Refer to the poem in support of your answer.
4. Overall, how would you describe the tone of stanza one? Explain your answer.
5. In stanza two Wordsworth writes that this girl/woman has ‘No motion’ and ‘no force’. What do you think he means by this? Support your answer with reference to the poem.
6. In line six, why do you think Wordsworth chooses to focus on just two of the five senses? Explain your answer with reference to the poem.
7. Do you think the image of this girl/woman being ‘Rolled round’ is positive or negative? Support your answer with reference to the poem.
8. Overall, how would you describe the tone of stanza two? Explain your answer.
9. Some critics feel that there should be another stanza between stanzas one and two explaining what happened to this girl/woman. Do you agree? Refer to the poem in support of your answer.
10. What theme or themes can you find in this poem? Refer to the poem in support of your answer.
CREATING 1. Write a personal essay about the role of daydreams in your day to day life.
2. Write a persuasive speech about a dream of yours which you wish to see realised in the world today. Your speech can be serious or humorous, or a mixture of both.
3. Write a short guide for your school website, in bullet points, advising students on how to survive the school day.
