Read the following extract from Maya Angelou's poem, 'When Great Trees Fall', and answer the questions that follow: When great trees fall, rocks on distant hills shudder, lions hunker down in tall grasses, and even elephants lumber after safety.
‘Angelou’s poem is about the lasting influence of great souls.’ Explain the above statement briefly. What aspect of the poem appeals to you? Give one reason for your response.
Topic: Theme and personal response
Answer
The statement is true of the whole poem. Great souls, like great trees, shape everything that grows near them: our very minds and spirits are "dependent upon their nurture". When they die we are diminished — the air turns sterile, our senses fail, reality itself seems unreal. But their influence does not end there. After the numb period of grief, "peace blooms", and our restored senses whisper, "They existed. They existed." The memory of them makes us better than we were: "We can be. Be and be / better. For they existed."
An aspect that appeals: the honesty of the poem’s progression from devastation to quiet strength. Reason: Angelou does not offer easy comfort — she describes grief exactly as it feels, numbing and senseless — and only then shows that what such people leave behind is the will to live better, which makes the consolation believable.
4 marks across three tasks. The explanation should quote the closing lines, since "We can be. Be and be better" is the poem’s statement of lasting influence. The personal-response part is marked on the REASON, not on which aspect you choose — so any honest answer works provided you justify it from the text. Never write "I liked it because it is beautiful"; name the technique or idea that produced the effect.