Starter quiz
- Who is the 'you' in 'Cozy Apologia'?
- Dove's son
- Dove's cousin
- Dove's brother
- Dove's husband ✓
- Dove's father
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- What does Dove compare her teenage relationships to in 'Cozy Apologia'?
- spearmint
- jelly
- licorice ✓
- gum
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- What does Dove compare her and her husband's desks to in 'Cozy Apologia'?
- cradles
- birds' nests ✓
- a warm embrace
- a fox's den
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- What method does Dove use to compare the desks to birds' nests 'Cozy Apologia'?
- onomatopoeia
- metaphor ✓
- simile
- personification
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- What image of her husband does Dove evoke in the first stanza of the poem 'Cozy Apologia'?
- him as a bird of prey
- him as chewy licorice
- him as a strong hurricane
- him as a knight-in-shining armour ✓
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- How does Dove portray her relationship with her husband in 'Cozy Apologia'?
- as exciting and unpredictable
- as extraordinarily-romantic
- as mundane, but secure ✓
- as strained and delicate
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Exit quiz
- What is the last word in the poem 'Cozy Apologia'?
- stolen
- me
- you ✓
- ordinary
- Floyd
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- Which word does Dove use to describe her and her husband's desks in 'Cozy Apologia'?
- 'twin' ✓
- Which of the following are connotations of the word "astride" in 'Cozy Apologia'?
- boldness ✓
- cowardice
- bravery ✓
- weakness
- humour
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- Which of the following words means 'the nearness or the closeness of something'?
- inseparable
- interpretation
- proximity ✓
- mundanity
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- Starting with the first, put the stories Dove tells in 'Cozy Apologia' in order of when they appear in the poem.
- 1⇔She tells the story of sitting at her desk writing a poem.
- 2⇔She tells the story of a heroic knight preparing to defeat a common enemy.
- 3⇔She tells the story of the fast-approaching hurricane Floyd.
- 4⇔She tells the story of her childhood/teenage crushes.
- 5⇔She tells the story of two people working remotely, but together.
- What might be the significance of Dove opening 'Cozy Apologia' by describing the objects around the desk she is sitting at?
- It shows us the wealth the couple have acquired together over the years.
- He is her biggest inspiration so she embraces the opportunity to write about him ✓
- She can't escape her husband's influence even though she wants to.
- It shows her anxiety as she waits for hurricane Floyd to arrive.
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Arguably, Dove tells a series of stories in the poem that all illustrate her love for her husband.
- Dove uses humour to avoid this becoming a cliched poem about love.
- Dove portrays her relationship as mundane, but secure and safe.
- A person’s interpretation of a poem is unique to them; as long as it can be supported with evidence, it is valid.
- It can be useful to consider multiple interpretations of a poem to enhance your understanding of it.
Common misconception
Students may fail to recognise that arguably, this poem is a series of stories instead of one 'big' story.
Dove arguably tells several small stories which all contribute to our understanding of the depth of love between her and her husband - Fred.
Keywords
Mundane - ordinary/usual.
Inseparable - never apart - always together.
Interpretation - your personal response to a text.
Proximity - the nearness or closeness of something.
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