Chapter: 05. Foreign Lands
Practice Paper: Foreign Lands - Answer Key
A. Answer these questions.
What specific action does the poet take at the very beginning of the poem to begin his adventure? The poet climbs up into the cherry tree. What kind of “places” did the poet discover from his perch that he says he “had never seen before”? He discovered “many pleasant places more” that he had never seen before. Besides the river, what natural feature is mentioned as going “up and down” with people on it? The dusty roads are mentioned as going “up and down.” To what body of water does the “grown-up river” eventually flow? The “grown-up river” eventually flows into the sea. What two characteristics make the “fairy land” particularly appealing to children? In fairy land, all the children dine at five, and all the playthings come alive. B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
“I saw the next door garden lie, / Adorned with flowers, before my eye,”
a. How does the poet’s description of the garden using “adorned with flowers” convey its beauty from his new perspective?
* The phrase “adorned with flowers” suggests that the garden is richly decorated and beautiful, implying that the elevated view reveals its full, intricate beauty in a way not seen from ground level.
b. What does “before my eye” suggest about the immediate focus of the poet’s vision from the tree?
* It suggests that the garden is the very first and most immediate thing that catches the poet’s attention and is directly in his line of sight from his perch. “To where the roads on either hand / Lead onward into fairy land,”
a. What does “on either hand” imply about the direction of the roads the poet is observing?
* It implies that the roads extend in both directions, left and right, offering multiple paths for the poet’s imagination to follow.
b. How does the phrase “Lead onward into fairy land” shift the poem from observation to imagination?
* This phrase marks a clear shift because “fairy land” is an entirely fantastical, imaginary place, not a physical location that can be seen. It signifies the point where the poet’s observations of the real world transcend into pure imaginative creation. C. Think and answer.
The poem uses a simple act (climbing a tree) as a springboard for extensive imagination. How does this progression from the mundane to the magical reflect the way a child’s mind often works? This progression beautifully reflects a child’s mind, which often transforms ordinary situations into extraordinary adventures. For a child, a common activity like climbing a tree isn’t just about height; it’s a launchpad for fantasy. They naturally see potential for magic and wonder in their immediate surroundings, making the mundane exciting and boundless, just as the poet’s view expands from a garden to a global journey and then to a “fairy land.” If you were the poet climbing the cherry tree today, what everyday object or area in your surroundings might become your first “foreign land” when viewed from above, and what new detail would make it seem extraordinary? (Answers will vary based on individual creativity. Here’s an example):
If I were the poet, the rooftops of the houses in my street would become my first “foreign land.” From above, they might look like a vast, textured desert, with chimneys appearing like ancient, stoic totems and satellite dishes like futuristic, alien flowers. The extraordinary detail would be the hidden, miniature world of moss patches and tiny cracks, making each roof a unique, unmapped territory waiting to be explored by a tiny explorer. Why do you think the poet envisions a place where “all the playthings come alive” in his ideal “fairy land”? What does this tell us about a child’s desires or hopes? The poet envisions “playthings come alive” because it represents a child’s ultimate fantasy of companionship, agency, and magic. This tells us about a child’s deep desire for their toys to be more than inanimate objects—to be friends, participants in adventures, and to share in their imaginative worlds. It reflects a hope for a world where their play is truly real and interactive, and where their deepest wishes for magical companionship are fulfilled. 
Answer key