A Call

Question 1

Father carefully weeding shows his careful, meticulous nature

Answer 1

• Touching, inspecting, separating one stalk from the other
• gently pulling up/Everything not tapered, frail and leafless

Question 2

The clock as a metaphor of passing time - human mortality

Answer 2

The amplified grave ticking of hall clocks

Question 3

The weeds are vulnerable

Answer 3

Each little weed-root break

Question 4

Heaney is feeling overwhelming emotion for his father

Answer 4

Next thing he spoke and I nearly said I loved him

Question 5

A reference to the play ‘Everyman’

Answer 5

if it were nowadays,/This is how Death would summon Everyman

Question 6

Heaney’s use of assonance to convey his father’s slow movements

Answer 6

Down on his hands and knees beside the leek rig

Question 7

Image of the hall which uses sibilance to convey peace and calm

Answer 7

mirror glass and sunstruck pendulums