ENG1501 Assignment 1 (ANSWERS) 2026 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED

Comprehensively structured ENG1501 Assignment 1 (ANSWERS) 2026 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED. Prepared to a distinction standard with detailed and well-developed responses.. Section A: Reflection: Poetry (Unit 2) Read Unit 2 of TL501 carefully. Then choose a prescribed poem that is not discussed in TL501 from the list in TL102 on the ENG1501 myModules site (the poems are available as e-reserves on the Library website). Write three short paragraphs in response to the prompts below. You must refer to the specific poem, the lines you studied and TL501. Paragraph 1: Identify the poem and poet you have chosen. Briefly explain why you chose this poem and what your first reaction to it was. Did anything about the poem surprise or confuse you? Paragraph 2: Choose two poetic devices discussed in Unit 2. Quote at least two lines or phrases from the poem and explain how these devices helped you better understand the poem’s message or emotional impact. Remember to give page references for where these poetic devices appear in Unit 2. Paragraph 3: Reflect on how engaging with this poem changed or challenged your thinking about poetry. Has it changed how you read or respond to poems in general? Give specific reasons based on your personal reading experience. Note: This question is based on your personal response and your learning from TL501. Answers that do not refer to the poem, lines from the poem, and TL501 will not receive marks. Section A: 10 marks We will use the rubric on the next page to mark the reflection: Level Mark Range Descriptor Good 6-10 • impressive engagement with the given prompts • detailed and convincing reflection Adequate 5 • generic reflection that skims the surface • relevant reflection that is not always clear Inadequate 0-4 • AI-generated response • sourced response • unconvincing reflection Section B: Prescribed Text Read the poem ‘Memory’ by Christopher van Wyk (page 102 in Voices of this land: an anthology of South African Poetry in English, available as an e-reserve on the library website) before answering the questions that follow. You must answer in full sentences, and you should support your answers by quoting from the poem. Note: You will notice that each question includes a mark allocation. This is to indicate how much you should write to support your answer. One mark represents one main point or reason. If a question counts four marks, that means that you will need to supply four points or reasons. Remember that you can use an example from a poem only once; you cannot use the same example for each of your answers. 1. Consider the poem as a whole. 1.1 Four characters appear in the poem: the speaker, his brother, his mother, and his father. Choose one characteristic that the poem reveals about the speaker’s mother and provide a quotation to support your observation. Partial answers and answers that are not substantiated with reference to the poem will not receive marks. (2) 1.2 What does the poem tell us about the family’s financial situation? Write one or two sentences explaining what the poem shows or suggests. Remember to refer to the poem or include a relevant quotation to support your answer. (2) 2. Refer to stanza one. Stanza one contains examples of two different sound devices. Choose one sound device and explain how it adds to the mood of the stanza. Your answer should name the sound device, give a quotation that illustrates it, and comment on the mood it creates. (3) 3. Refer to stanza two in relation to the poem as a whole. The poet uses animal imagery to describe both the speaker and Derek. Identify the two images used to describe the brothers for one mark and then comment on what this reveals about the differences between them. (3) 4. Refer to stanza three. This stanza contains two contrasting sets of imagery, one focusing on the father and one focusing on the meal enjoyed by the family at home. Quote the two images and explain why each one is effective in creating meaning. Finally, identify why these images are seen as contrasting. Your answer should take the form of a paragraph of at least five sentences. (5) 5. Refer to stanza four in relation to stanzas five and six. 5.1 A change occurs in this stanza. How does the poet show that something has shifted? Write at least two sentences in which you describe the change and provide a quotation from the poem to show where it happens. (2) 5.2 Why do you think the speaker has “never written it all down before” (line 21)? (1) 6. Refer to stanzas four, five and six. 6.1 In stanzas four, five and six, the speaker refers to his mother in two different ways. Write a sentence in which you quote two words he uses to refer to his mother. (1) 6.2 Comment on the connotations of each word and then write a sentence in which you account for the effect this change this creates. (3) 7. Refer to stanza six. Considering both the title of the poem and the use of the word “cauterises”, what do you think is the theme of the poem? (3)