Sad I Ams 12.
List down two pieces of advice that could help the persona feel
1. In stanza 2, what category of things that is mentioned by the persona?
Stationery
2. What does the phrase ‘the piece of good advice which no one seems to
read’ mean?
Advice that is useful but tends to be ignored by people.
3. Why did the persona compare himself to ‘the battery in which no charge
is left’?
He felt expendable and not needed after being used.
4. List down two moral values that you have learned from the poem.
Moral value 1: Be optimistic in your life
Moral value 2: Never look down on ourselves
5. What does the persona mean with being ‘a library book that no one ever
reads’?
He means to say that he feels like something that is unimportant and
ignored.
6. State the literary device used for the phrase ‘the gum is gone’.
Alliteration.
7. How would people feel if they could not find the end of Sellotape?
8. What should we do to the things that we do not want anymore? Give a
reason.
Action: Recycle/ Give to the one in need.
Reason: it is better to recycle/give it to the ones in need as not
everything is valueless and useless.
9. In stanza 1, what are the things that can be recycled?
The ring and the empty Cola can.
10. Why do you think the liquid paper is dried – up?
The liquid paper is dried – up because the cap was not put back in place
after being used.
11. Explain why an envelope without gum cannot be used.
An envelope without gum cannot be used because it cannot be sealed
and its contents would be easily seen by anyone handling the envelope.
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better.
Advice 1: Be more positive about yourself
Advice 2: Appreciate what you have
13. How does the persona in the poem feel?
The persona feels sad and neglected.
14. In stanza 2, what does ‘mars instead of mends’ mean?
It means that the liquid paper causes damage and does not help in
correcting mistakes
15. What is left unattended due to neglect in the last stanza?
The garden is left unattended due to neglect
16. State two messages conveyed in the poem.
Message 1: We must be more sensitive to the feelings of others.
Message 2: We must be more vigilant and creative about recycling things
17. What do you understand by the title of the poem?
It refers to things that are thrown away or not used any more.
18. What do you understand by ‘the toothless stapler’phrase in the
poem.
A stapler that does not work well any more / a stapler without staples
19. What do you understand by ‘springless bulldog clip’ phrase in the
poem.
A clip (used to fastening papers) where the spring does not work any
more / a clip where the spring is missing.
20. Why do you think the persona compares himself/herself to a ring
from an empty Cola can? What does he/she mean by this comparison?
The poet compares himself/herself to that ring from an empty Cola can
because he does not feel needed any more. Like him/her, the ring served
its purpose and now is thrown away. (Accept all suitable answers)
21. Use three adjectives to describe the poet.
(Accept all suitable answers)
22. What do you think could have happened to make the poet feel this 36. In stanza 3, what does the line ‘choked by bits of dirt’ mean?
way? Suggest two reasons. The carburetor is clogged with dirt.
(Accept all suitable answers) 37. In stanza 4, why do you think no one reads the book?
23. Do you like this poem? Give a reason for your answer. It is boring / uninteresting.
(Accept all suitable answers) 38. What is the poem about?
24. In stanza 1, wat does the word ‘severed’ mean? It is about discarded things that are of no use to us anymore.
Broken / damage 39. What can you do to show appreciation to someone who feels
25. Why is ‘I am” repeated in all stanzas? unwanted?
To emphasize the things discarded i. I can give the person a small gift.
26. What happens to the garden in stanza 4? I can spend more time with the person.
It is overgrown with weeds 40. In stanza 1, which word tells us that the Action Man is broken?
27. Give two lessons that we can learn from the poem. The word ‘severed’
i. Do not be wasteful. 41. In stanza 3, why is the tyre discarded?
ii. Value things that we have. The tyre’s tread is worn out
28. In stanza 1, what is the name of the toy mentioned? 42. What is sad about the stray?
Action Man No one remembers to feed it.
29. In stanza 2, why can’t the liquid paper be used? 43. Aside from discarding them, give two ways we could get rid of
It has dried up. unwanted things.
30. What has happened to the tyre? i. We could donate things that are still in good condition to those who
The tread is worn out. needs them.
31. Choose two items from the poem that can be reused. ii. We could send recyclable items to recycling centres.
i. The envelope can be reused as scrap paper. 44. Based on the first stanza, what feeling is the persona trying to
ii. The tyre can be reused as a swing. portray?
32. In stanza 2, what does the word ‘mars’ mean? The persona is trying to portray feelings of being unwanted or discarded.
Spoils / ruins 45. How do you think the persona feels when he cannot find the end
33. How is the garden described? of the Sellotape?
Messy with overgrown weeds He probably feels annoyed or frustrated.
34. Who do you think is the persona? 46. Why do all the things mentioned in Stanza 3 happen to a vehicle?
The persona is perhaps an old person that has been ignored/ forgotten. All the things mentioned happen to a vehicle because it is not regularly
35. List two ways you could show kindness to stray animals. cared for or maintained. This tells me that it is neglected by the owner.
i. Give it something to eat.
ii. Call animal welfare if you see a sick stray animal.

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47. The persona expresses many feelings and emotions. Which stanza 57. In Stanza 1, will you reuse the ‘scrapings’ in the porridge pan? If so,
describes his feelings of being forgotten? Give evidence for your answer. how?
Stanza: Stanza 3 Yes. I would feed a stray animal or the birds with it.
Evidence: The persona compares himself to a garden which is covered 58. In stanza 1, why do you think the arm of last year’s Action Man is
with weeds, a library book which is never being borrowed and read, s “severed”?
tray animals which does not get any attention from passers-by or Perhaps, it is faulty. / Perhaps the child broke it or pulled it out while
important advice which no one takes heed. All these instances describe playing with it.
the feeling of being forgotten. 59. If you need to find the end of your Sellotape easily, what would
48. Why does the poet compare himself to the things in the poem? you do?
To show that he feels ignored and neglected. I would fold the end of the Sellotape / mark the end of the Sellotape with
49. In stanza 3, the parts mentioned all belong to what object? a piece of paper.
A car 60. What would you do with your liquid paper so that it would not dry
50. Why do you think no one thinks to feed a stray? up fast?
Because a stray is not thought of as important. / Because a stray is I would cap the liquid paper tube. / Put the cap on the liquid paper tube
unwanted. (Accept any suitable answer) immediately after using it.
51. State two lessons that you can learn from this poem. 61. What would happen if you use “the tyre on which tread is worn”?
i. Learn to look after things properly. The vehicle (car) would skid. / The vehicle (car) would be involved in an
ii. To pay attention to people that are often overlooked. accident. / The tyre would burst.
(Accept any suitable answer) 62. In stanza 3, what do the characteristics of the battery, starter
52. Name an item from stanza 1 that can be recycled. motor and sparking plug signify about the persona?
A ring from an empty can. / A severed arm from a toy The persona has no energy. / The persona (feels like he) is dying.
53. In stanza 2, which object makes something worse rather than fixing 63. In stanza 3, what does “the chromium trim” which has no shine
it. imply about it?
Dried – up liquid paper. It is old, neglected and not attractive.
54. What is being described in stanza 3? 64. In stanza 4, the persona says that he is “the piece of good advice
A broken-down vehicle / a car that is in need of repair. which no one seems to need”. How are both the persona and the good
55. State two possible reasons why a library book becomes one that no advice treated?
one reads. They are rejected (not valued or unwanted). / They are considered
The book has torn or missing pages. / the book does not have an unimportant (useless).
interesting cover. 65. In stanza 4, why does no one borrow or read the library book?
56. What would you do with the ring pull of an empty drink can It is outdated. / It is old. / It is too high up in the shelf.
instead of throwing it away? 66. What does the word ‘stray’ refer to?
I would send/ collect/save it for recycling. Dogs or cats that are homeless and live in the streets.

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67. What happens to the Action Man? 79. State the literary device used for the phrase ‘the gum is gone’.
The Action Man’s arm is broken. Alliteration
68. Why is the porridge pan dirty? 80. How would people feel if they could not find the end of Sellotape.
The persona who has used the pan forgets to wash the pan. They would feel frustrated.
69. In your opinion, what emotion do you think the persona has? 81. What is the main characteristic of the things mentioned in the
Explain your answer. poem that makes the persona relate to it? Why would he feel this way?
Emotion: Sad i. The main characteristic: They are disposable and unwanted things
Reason: The persona feels unwanted. *(accept any reasonable answers) ii. Reason: Perhaps the persona feels unwanted too.
70. What happens to the envelope? 82. In stanza 3, what happened to the carburetor?
The gum is gone. It is filled with dirt.
71. In the poem, how does the persona feel? 83. How do we describe the battery that has no charge left?
Sad/ Rejected / Upset The battery is flat.
72. In your opinion, how come no one seems to want to listen to the 84. Why is the tyre discarded?
advice from others? It is discarded because the tread has worn out.
Because people think they know best for themselves. 85. What should we do to the things that we do not want anymore?
73. In your own words, state two lessons that you have learned from Give two possible suggestions:
the poem. Suggestion 1: Recycle and reuse
i. We should learn to appreciate the things around us. Suggestion 2: Give it to one in need (accept any possible answer)
ii. We should learn to listen to people’s advice. 86. In which age group do you think the persona is in?
74. In stanza 1, what does the persona compare himself with? Teenager / old people / elderly people
He compares himself with the ring of a drink can, scrapings from a 87. If you see a stray animal, what would you do?
porridge pan and the broken part of a discarded toy. I will keep it as a pet. / I will take the stray to the animal shelter./ I will
75. Where do we find the things mentioned in stanza 1? feed the stray. (accept any possible answer)
These things can be found in the household. 88. What does the phrase ‘the piece of good advice which no one
76. Why do you think the porridge pan is dirty? seems to need’ mean?
It has not been washed and has leftovers in it. Advice that is useful but tends to be ignored by people.
77. What could have caused the arm of Action Man to be severed? 89. List down two moral values that you have learned from the poem.
Give two possible reasons. Choose any two of these:
i. It could have been pulled out by a child playing with it. i. We should be positive about our status in life.
ii. The toy could have been faulty. ii. We should learn to recognize and value our abilities and possessions.
78. In stanza 2, why can’t the envelope be sealed? iii. We should keep faith with our family.
The gum is gone. iv. We should have confidence in ourselves.

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 v. We must be grateful for what we have rather than yearning for 101. Explain the line ‘that mars instead of mends’. How do we prevent
something different. liquid paper from drying up?
vi. We must show our appreciation to those who have helped us. Liquid paper that is dry will dirty than erase the writing that is being
90. Who most probably owned the Action Man? cleaned. The liquid paper pen should be capped at all times when not in
A child. use.
91. In stanza 2, what category of things mentioned by the persona? 102. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Stationery
92. What does the persona mean when he said that he is like the
garden with overgrown weeds?
He feel neglected.
93. Who do you think the persona is? Give a reason for your answer.
I think the persona is an elderly who feels unwanted. This is because the
persona associates himself with man old and unwanted things.
94. In stanza 1, which word tells us that the arm of the Action Man is
broken?
Severed
95. Give the meaning of the word ‘inert’.
It means to be without motion or power/ not working.
96. Why do you think no one wants to take the advice?
Perhaps because the persona is an elderly person and has old-fashioned
opinion about things.
97. What evidence would you give to say that the persona could be an
orphan?
The persona has made extreme comparisons which is not likely to hppen
within a family. As an orphan it is possible for the persona to feel
unwanted, unloved and neglected.
98. Why do people do with used things around the house that they do
not need any longer?
They will keep/ throw / recycle the things.
99. In stanza 2, what has happened to the stamped addressed reply?
It has been forgotten.
100. Why do you think one has ever read the library book?
Perhaps the book is not interesting.