SPM REVISION:There's been a death in the opposite house

There's been a death in the opposite house
As lately as today.
I know it by the numb look
Such houses have always

The neighbours rustle in and out,
The doctor drives away.
A window opens like a pod,
Abrupt, mechanically;

Somebody flings a mattress out, -
The children hurry by;
They wonder if It died on that, -
I used to when a boy.

The minister goes stiffly in
As if the house were his,
And he owned all the mourners now,
And little boys besides;

And then the milliner, and the man
Of the appalling trade,
To take the measure of the house.
There'll be that dark parade

Of tassels and of coaches soon;
It's easy as a sign, -
The intuition of the news
In just a country town.

QUESTIONS
1. How does the poet know that someone in the opposite house has died?
2. What does the poet really mean by the phrase “numb look”?
3. What does “such houses” (line 4) refer to?
4. From your knowledge of the poem, say who the speaker in this poem (the persona) is.
5. Why does the doctor “drives away”?
6. What does the word “rustle” suggest?
7. Why is the dead person referred to as “It” rather than “he” or “she”?
8. Why does the minister “own” all the mourners?
9. What does the milliner do?
10. Why does the speaker call the undertaker the “man of the appalling trade”?
11. What could the “house” (line 19) be in this poem?
12. Why is the funeral a “dark parade”?
13. What is the effect of using the word “dark”?
14. Why is it “easy as a sign” to tell when someone has died?
15. What is the theme of this poem?

IMPORTANT PHRASES :

1. Numb look suggests …………………….…………………
2. houses (line 4) suggests……………………………………….
3. house (line 19) suggests ………………………………………
4. dark parade suggests……………………………………….
5. I used to when a boy suggests………………………………
6. The intuition of the news suggests…………………………..
7. In just a country town suggests……………………………….

IMPORTANT PEOPLE- WHAT ARE THEIR ROLES/WHY ARE THEY AT THE DECEASED’S HOUSE?
1. Neighbours …………………………………………………
2. Minister …………………………………………………
3. doctor …………………………………………………
4. Milliner …………………………………………………
5. The man of the apppalling trade……………………………
6. mourners …………………………………………………
WORDS RELATED TO DEATH
Dark parade IS ……………………………………………..
Tassles and coaches ARE ………………………………………..
A window opens like a pod & somebody flings the mattress out MEANS ………………………………………………