Look at some words, phrases and sentences that have been repeated several times in the poem "The Sands of Dee". Explain why the poet has done that.

In the poem "Books", by 'we sail along the page', the poet means that when we read a book, we get transported to the time and place of the story as smoothly and effortlessly as sailing on water. We feel like embarking on a new journey as if we were travelling along the pages.

In the poem "Two Mothers Remembered", "full circle" means the cycle of life as the speaker's role changes from being the one who is cared for by her mother to being the one who cares for her mother. The mother, once strong and nurturing, became dependent, and the speaker, once dependent and cared for, became her mother's strength.

In the poem "Two Mothers Remembered", there are similarities between the two mothers. They look the same from a distance. Their names are also the same. Even, they wear the same dress.

In the poem "Time, You Old Gipsy Man", the poet expresses both admiration and frustration towards time. He admires time for its constant movement, which is affected by nothing. Again, he is frustrated at the unstoppable and fleeting nature of time as he cannot enjoy the precious moments of life.

In the poem "Books", the poet says that reading a book can give us new ideas and 'make us imaginative. Books can take us away from reality to an imaginary world. A book is similar to a magic box, which can surprise us with different things. And most importantly, books can become our best friend.

In the poem "Two Mothers Remembered", the poet refers to herself as the strength of her mother because she took on the caregiver role. As her mother's mind and health deteriorated, the speaker provided strength and support to her mother, just as her mother once did for her.