A Complaint
Edexcel GCSE English Literature revision on A Complaint. Aligned to the Edexcel GCSE English Literature 1ET0 specification. This bank has 15 practice questions on this topic.
About this topic
Sample questions (3 of 15)
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Question 1
Who is the speaker of the line: 'There is a change—and I am poor'?
- A) The narrator
- B) The beloved
- C) A secondary observer
- D) The poet's alter ego
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Answer: The narrator
The poem is a personal lyric written by William Wordsworth. The 'I' refers to the narrator, who feels emotionally impoverished due to the loss of a relationship.
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Question 2
What literary technique is used in: 'A comfortless and hidden well'?
- A) Simile
- B) Metaphor
- C) Onomatopoeia
- D) Hyperbole
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Answer: Metaphor
By calling the source of his happiness a 'well', Wordsworth employs a metaphor. It suggests that his emotional life was once deep and sustaining, but has now become inaccessible or dried up.
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Question 3
What does the line 'And what I want I cannot name' reveal about the speaker's emotional state?
- A) He is feeling greedy for material wealth
- B) He is confused by the complexity of his own grief
- C) He is angry at his friend's betrayal
- D) He feels liberated by the change in his life
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Answer: He is confused by the complexity of his own grief
The speaker is not merely sad; he is disoriented. This line highlights the profound psychological impact of the loss, suggesting that the change in their relationship has left him unable to even identify his own needs.
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12 more questions on A Complaint — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole English Literature spec.