Summary and reading focus
Ted Hughes shows a still tree transformed by a goldfinch’s arrival and the movement of its young. Sound, motion and contrast shape the poem.
Close-reading prompts
- What choice, image or event drives the text? Support your response with a detail from the prescribed text.
- How does the title connect to the central theme?
- Write a 40–50 word inference answer, then expand one idea into a 120–150 word analytical response.
Language and revision
Identify a significant image, tone shift or narrative detail. Explain its effect rather than merely naming it.