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Hide and Seek Questions 2

The poem describes a boy playing a game of hide and seek, hiding in a toolshed and listening to his friends search for him nearby. As time passes, the boy starts to feel triumphant about not being found but also a sense of panic when he realizes his friends have left without discovering him in the shed.

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Hide and Seek Questions 2

The poem describes a boy playing a game of hide and seek, hiding in a toolshed and listening to his friends search for him nearby. As time passes, the boy starts to feel triumphant about not being found but also a sense of panic when he realizes his friends have left without discovering him in the shed.

Uploaded by

s23158.xu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hide and Seek: Vernon Scannell

Look at line 1
How might the first line spark the reader’s interest?

The poem starts in the tone of a boy calling out to his friends to start looking for him,

Hooks the reader into the poem by using vivid and lively expressions of children that is engaging and
indicates that the poem tells the story of the common game of hide and seek.

Look at lines 2-3


How does the poet use references to the senses to describe the boy’s experience of hiding in the
toolshed?

The poet captures the sense of smell sight and taste as in “salty dark”, “Smell like the seaside’’ to
show the crude conditions of the boy’s hiding place and to emphasise the boy’s determination of not
getting found and that he is taking the game seriously.

Look at lines 4-9


What evidence is there that the boy has played Hide and Seek before?

The boy reminds himself to hide properly by keeping quiet and still, doesn’t shout or sneeze ,and to
keep his feet hidden under the sack ,indicates that the boy has lost the game before because he
carelessly forgot to hide himself properly so that he reminds himself repeatedly.

Look at lines 7-11


How does the poet raise the tension in this section?

The nervous and tense atmosphere is created by describing as finders are getting nearer to the boys
hiding place, the boy holds his breath and keeps absolutely still to avoid getting found.The tension
increases as silence mounts through the short phrases of “Don’t….Don’t….”,bringing out the sense of
urgency and heightened excitement of the boy.
Look at line 11
Can you see any metaphorical meanings in the words ‘Stay dumb. Hide in your blindness.’?

By the way the characters tells himself to be “dumb” and hide in his “blindness”,shows a metaphor of
person turning away from his responsibilities and being perfectly aware of it, his actions of negligence
not of ignorance but rather conscious to stay blind on purpose.

Look at lines 12-15


What can the boy hear from outside the shed door and how does he feel? Why don’t his friends look
inside the shed?

All that he can hear is “whispering’’ “muttering” and “laughter”which makes him feel nervous and
excited about the possibility of getting found, also triumphant that his hiding was so good this time
that though his friends tried their best, they still had no idea where he was hidden.

The tools shed was usually seen as limited to children as equipment inside are dangerous to
youngsters who cannot handle.This can be represented as the character’s isolation he made for
himself to hide from his responsibilities and opportunities in life

Look at lines 18-20


How do the boy’s feelings start to change in this section?

In’’ it’s time to let them know you’re the winner” the boy experienced of moment of short lived
victory, feeling triumphant and excited he climbed out of his hiding place but found the ones who
sought him had already gone, as the excitement was quickly replaced with rushing panic and
uncertainty , which indicates the consequences of negligence.

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