At Castle Boterel by Thomas Hardy

"AT CASTLE BOTEREL"

WORKSHEET
by Liz Hanton

We are going to discuss the techniques Thomas Hardy uses. Work through this sheet. If you do not understand any words ask your teacher.

Where does Hardy use assonance in this poem?
- Does the assonance make a harsh or soft sound?
- Does it reflect any of the noises that would be made in the day at Castle Boterel?
Where does Hardy use alliteration in the poem?
- What kind of sound does it make?
- What does it add to the poem?
What rhyme pattern does Hardy use?
- Does it give a sense of order or a sense of relaxation and continuity?
- What atmosphere is created?
Are there any interruptions to the rhythm? Look at the punctuation. Are there any question marks, colons ( : ), semi-colons ( ; ) or full stops?
- How does this change the rhythm of the poem?
- Does it make Hardy sound more or less confident and certain of himself?
Hardy repeats himself a lot. Find an example of this.
- Why do you repeat yourself, if you do, when you talk?
- What atmosphere does it create in this poem?
How does each of the short sentences at the end of each stanza change the poem?
How does a hill or a rock tell us a story? Why do you think Hardy talks about the hill and rock's story?
What do you think Hardy and Emma spoke about?

You could use numbers one to five to revise other Hardy poems and to help you to compare the five poems for the exam.