What's in a title?

"Cousin Kate" - Interestingly, the poem largely focuses on the feelings of the narrator, and the actions of the lecherous lord. So why single Cousin Kate out for the title? Perhaps the speaker wishes to 'name and shame' her cousin, remaining anonymous herself. Perhaps she is drawing attention to her cousin's working class roots - remember that Kate is a shortened form of Catherine. When married to a lord, Kate would not be an appropriate name for a lady. We could suggest that in using 'Kate', the narrator is reminding her cousin where she has come from.

• How are other poem titles in the collection significant?

Practise Exam Question - Give it a Go!

3 (a) Describe the writer’s attitudes to society in ‘Cousin Kate’.
Use evidence from the poem to support your answer. (15)

Answer EITHER 2(b)(i) OR 2(b)(ii)

•         (b) (i) Explain how the writer of ‘Cousin Kate’ presents different ideas about social conflict from those in ‘Hitcher’.
Use evidence from the poems to support your answer.
You may include material you used to answer 3(a). (15)

•         (ii) Explain how the writer of one poem of your choice from the ‘Clashes and Collisions’ collection presents different ideas about conflict from those in ‘Cousin Kate’.
Use evidence from the poems to support your answer.
You may include material you used to answer 3(a). (15)

(Total for Question 3 = 30 marks)