Letters from Yorkshire

2. The poem ends with the touching image of them tapping out ‘messages across the … miles’. This suggests that modern forms of communication such as e-mails or texting can overcome distance.
6. Technique in ‘Is your life more real because you dig and sow?’
9. The … of the poem shifts from excitement, to uncertainty and then ends up being warm and triumphant.
11. The word ‘feeding’ is a present …, which gives the impression that the action is happening now.
13. Another word for planting.
14. Sound imagery in ‘planting potatoes’ that suggests the forceful, physical nature of digging and planting.
15. Structural feature that shows the gardener’s excitement at the beginning of the poem.
16. Image used to show the coldness of the season.
17. Adjective linked to the speaker’s ‘screen’. This might suggest she is reluctant to write on a word processor – perhaps she’s an author or journalist.

1. The gardener pours ‘air and …’ into the envelope. This is a remarkable metaphor to show how the speaker is filled with joy when she receives the letters.
3. Place name (proper noun) that makes the poem sound more realistic as it is a real place.
4. Choice of month that suggests coldness but also that Spring might be just around the corner.
5. When the gardener sees the birds his instinct is to c…e his joy: he wants to share this with his partner.
7. The noun ‘…’ in the title suggests a personal form of communication.
8. Words like ‘you’ and ‘me’ that show the distance between the partners in the phrases ‘you out there’ and ‘me with my heartful of headlines’.
10. Adjective used to show distance when the pair are watching the ‘same news in …houses.’
12. The birds that return and bring the gardener hope.