Nancy Fotheringham Cato, ‘The Road’: Practice Questions

In the poem ‘The Road’, what does the poet suggest will happen to the man-made structure in the distant future?

Which of the following best describes the change in the speaker's perspective of the road by the end of the poem?

In ‘The Road’, how does the poet use the contrast between the "soft" imagery of the hills and the "hard" imagery of the road to develop the poem's theme?

According to the poem, what material is used to give the road its "shining skin"?

How does the poet use sensory imagery when describing the "hot breath" of the machines?

In the final section of ‘The Road’, what does the speaker suggest the road will be considered by "history" in the future?

In what way does the poet suggest that the road represents a permanent loss of the natural world’s identity?

How does the final stanza’s imagery of a "lifeless" surface challenge the traditional Victorian notion of the "noble" expansion of civilization?

In ‘The Road’, Nancy Fotheringham Cato personifies the earth as a living, breathing entity.

(a) Provide one example from the text where the earth is described as if it can feel pain or experience injury.
(b) Briefly explain how this personification influences the reader’s feelings toward the construction of the road.

Explore how Nancy Fotheringham Cato uses violent imagery to convey the environmental impact of human progress in the poem ‘The Road’.

Your response should address:
(a) The use of color imagery, such as "red" and "grey."
(b) The metaphor of the road as a "wound" upon the landscape.
(c) What these choices reveal about the speaker's attitude toward the changing Australian landscape.