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RISING FIVE
Norman NICHOLSON

Norman Nicholson is an English poet who was born in a small town near the Lake District.
He was born in 1914 and died in 1987. At the age of 16 he fell ill from TB (tuberculosis) and
was sent away to a sanatorium to rest and recover. When he left the sanatorium, he was too
weak to work so he spent his time writing poetry and plays. He was also interested in studying
the natural world around him. When you read this poem, you should be able to identify this
love of nature. Moreover, his early illness and weak state of health left him with a clear
reverence for life.

WORD DEFINITION
1. RISING A.rinsed
2. COILS B. field
3. SPECTACLES C. unfasten / loosen
4. BRIMFUL D. season
5. STARE E. the main body or stalk of a plant
6. MEADOW F. the new growth of a plant
7. BUCKLED G. ornamental edging / fluted appearance
8. CELLS H. nearly/ not quite
9. SPRING I. shaping
10. BUDS J. filled to the edge
11. UNBUTTONED K. baby’s bed
12. SHOOT L. coming into flower
13. STEM M. circles
14. CREASES N. microscopic unit of an organism
15. FRILLS O. Look at fixedly
16. SWILLED P. divergent / going off at an angle
17. BLOSSOMING Q. glasses
18. FORMING R. papers
19. DISSECTED S. wrinkles or folds
20. TANGENTIAL T. distorted
21. BOUGH U. branch
22. WRAPPERS V. flower or leaf which is not yet developed
23. CRADLE W. cut into parts

Write your answers here:

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
6) 7) 8) 9) 10)
11) 12) 13) 14) 15)
16) 17) 18) 19) 20)
21) 22) 23)

Stanza 1 (Lines 1 – 9)
1. The first part of the poem paints a vivid picture of the young boy. Describe the boy’s
physical appearance and say how the poet has managed to bring him to life. Use examples.
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2. What sort of impression of the boy’s personality do you have?

3. What is the literal meaning of the phrase ‘reflected cones of light’?

4. Identify the following literary devices and comment upon them:

Technique Example Comment

Repetition

Alliteration

Metaphor

Onomatopoeia

5. Why do you think the poet chooses to use ‘fifty-six months’?

6.What is the tone? Would you say the first two lines in a different tone to lines 8 and 9? How
would you change your tone of voice and why?
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Stanza 2 (Lines 10 –23)
7. There are lots of references to natural life in these lines. Identify them.

8. What time of year is it? What is taking place?

9. How can this related to the boy?

10. How does the poet suggest the energy of Spring?

11. What do we usually associate with the following words; ‘doubled’, ‘unbuttoned’,
‘creases’, ‘frills’? Why does the poet choose to use these words?

12. Comment on the structure of the poem and the rhyme scheme

13. What patterns of sound can you find?

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14. When does the stanza quieten down a little?

15. There are lots of images referring to light in the first two stanzas. Locate them and say
what the metaphorical meaning of light might be?

16. How do the last 4 lines of stanza 2 bring out the gradual deepening of the poet’s mood?

Stanza 3
17. Consider the theme/s of the poem. Note down the various images or metaphors by which
the poet explores these themes, taking time to link each of the images here to where they were
first introduced in the earlier part of the poem. Try to show how these last references develop
the poet’s ideas a little further on each occasion. Is the small boy himself a metaphor?

18.How has the tone and the perspective of the poem as a whole changed?

19.Comment on the poet’s use of pronouns and how this is important.

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Now try to make links with other poems on the syllabus. First of all find poems with
similar themes and then think about whether they have similar of different things to say
about that theme. What major techniques do they use?

THEMES POEMS
Changes in perception between childhood
and adulthood
(innocence to experience)

Childhood

Mortality