‘Old and New’ Poem

Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow. (20 marks)  

Old and New
She went up the mountain to pluck wild herbs,
She came down the mountain and met her former husband,
She knelt down and asked her former husband,
“What do you find your new wife like?”
“My new wife, although her talk is clever,
Cannot charm me as my old wife could,
In beauty of face there is not much to choose,
But in usefulness they are not at all alike,
My new wife comes in from the road to meet me,
My old wife always came down from her tower.*
My new wife is clever at embroidering silk;
My old wife was good at plain sewing.
Of silk embroidery one can do an inch a day;
Of plain sewing, more than five feet.
Putting her silks by the side of your sewing,
I see that the new will not compare with the old.”
 Anonymous 1st Century B.C.

    Questions

a.    What is the poem about?  (3 marks)
b.    With illustrations identify one similarity and difference in the two wives. (4 marks)
c.    Comment on any two poetic devices used in the poem.  (6 marks)
d.    Explain the meaning of the following lines.                 
    “My new wife, although her talk is clever, cannot charm me as my old wife” (3 marks)
e.    Identify aspects of social life noticeable in the poem.   (3 marks)
f.    What is the tone of the poem? (3 marks)

Old and New ANSWERS

(a)     The poem is about a woman that had been married but now divorced 1  
        She meets a man who had been her husband 1and enquires how the man is fairing with his new
        wife 1 in response her former husband concludes that there’s not much to admire in the new wife
         as there was in the old 1                                    (any 3×1= 3marks)
(b)     With illustrations identify one similarity and difference in the two wives.             (4 marks)
(i)    Both are beautiful 1  in beauty of face there’s not much to choose 1  
(ii)    The old wife was more hardworking than the new one 1  The new wife can only do an inch a day
    of silk embroidery but the old one would do more than five feet 1  
         (Accept any plausible differences)
(c)     (i)         Repetition 1  eg. Husband, she, my new wife etc 1   creates rhythm/memorability /
            musicality 1  (any of the three effects 1 mk)
      (ii)         Alliteration 1       went ……. Wild herbs 1  
                        mountain …… met
                        cannot …… could
            Creates rhythm/memorability/musically
    (iii)        Assonance 1  will …….wilty 1  
    (iv)        Consonance 1   down …….. mountain
            Creates rhythm/memorability/musically 1           (Identification and illustration to score)
(d)     His present wife maybe more educated/learned but he doesn’t find her pleasant or attractive in her talk/she doesn’t interest him with her discussion 2
(e)    –    Divorce and remarriage are allowed
                        ……Her former husband
                        ……My new wife 1  
    –    Women kneel down before men as a sign of respect …..’She knelt down…..1          
    –    Women’s duties involve collecting herbs, sewing and embroidery 1   
(f)     Ironical 1 ….. the new will not compare with the old. 1