Dementia is an incurable devastating brain condition. In every 1000 Australians, there are 15 living with dementia who will struggle to think, reason and remember. This condition means that they will see loved ones who they once treasured as complete strangers. Everyday tasks become highly challenging as they misplace things and forget events.

'I talked to a Lady' is written by Tanya Howden about her mother. Her mother suffers from dementia and is unable to recognise her daughter.

Questions

1 What is the overall mood of the poem?

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2 The poet utilises a lot of repetition as well as anaphora in the text. Can you spot these techniques?

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3 What is the overall effect of these techniques?

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4 What is the meaning of the word 'bewildered'? Can you utilise it in a sentence?

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5 How would you describe the mother in this case?

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