Literature-In-English Exam Past Questions and Answers | JAMB, WAEC and NECO

Literature in English is the study of works written in the English language. It includes all forms of writing, such as novels, plays, short stories, and poetry. This subject involves exploring and analyzing these texts to understand their themes and meanings.

• Question 1511:

  Use the extract below to answer questions

  Line 1: My heart leaps up when I behold
  Line 2: A rainbow in the sky
  Line 3: so was it when my life began
  Line 4: so is it now
  Line 5: so is it when I have grown
  Line 6: the child is the father of the man.

  
  The rhyme scheme of the poem is_________

  Options:
  A) acbcca
  B) abccdc
  C) abcdcc
  D) abacbc
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is C .
• Question 1512: This question is based on selection poem from Johnson, R. et al (eds.): New Poetry from Africa; Soyinka, W.. (ed.):Poems of Black African; Senanu, K.E. and Vincent, T. (eds.):A Selection of African Poetry; Maduka, C.T. et al: Exam Focus: Literature in English; Eruvbetine, A.E. et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides and Nwoga, D. I. (ed.):West African Verse
  The person in Houseman's To an Athlate Dying Young addressed the dead athlete using Options:
  A) monologue
  B) apostrophe
  C) dialogue
  D) admonition
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is A .
• Question 1513: 'Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest, that have but laboured to attain this hour'. Brutus' words in the above lines come Options:
  A) after the conclution of the plan to kill caesar
  B) soon after his wife's insisted to know the object of his unusual brooding
  C) as part of his famous address to his fellow Romans
  D) during a brief meeting between him and Cassius on how to counter the forces of Octavius and Antony
  E) after his defeat by the forces of Octavius and Antony.
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is E .
• Question 1514:

  This question is based on S.I Osammor's The Triumph of the Water Lily

  The preoccupation of the novel is

  Options:
  A) the life and times of Julian Odili
  B) Norman Obi's courtship of Effua
  C) the benefits of the extended family in Nigeria
  D) the travails and successes of Nkem and Odili
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is D .
• Question 1515:

  This question is based on Literary Appreciation

  'It was January and Monday my father had to gather his nerve to go back to teaching During the Christmas vacation he became slack and in a fury of screw-turning had to retighten himself. The long haul he called the stretch between Christmas and Easter.'

  John Updike, The Centaur.

  The long haul in the narrative above describes

  Options:
  A) a long strike
  B) Christmas and Easter holidays
  C) a long period of hard work
  D) a long vacation
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is D .
• Question 1516: This question is based on selected poems from R. Johnson and D. Ker, et al (ed.): New poetry from Africa; Wole Soyinka (ed.): poems Black Africa; K.E. senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry; M. Umukoro and A Sani, et al (eds.): Exam Focus: Literature - in - English; A.E. Eruvbetine and M. Jibril, et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides: poetry: E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer poems and D.I. Nwoga (ed.): West African Verse. The major theme of Thomas Gray''s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'' is that death renders life Options:
  A) meaningless for the rich
  B) meaningful for the poor
  C) meaningless for all
  D) meaningful for all
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is C .
• Question 1517: This question is based on General Literary Principles.The juxtaposition of two contrasting ideas in a line of poetry is Options:
  A) euphemism
  B) synedoche
  C) catharsis
  D) oxymoron
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is D .
• Question 1518:

  This question is based on Literary Appreciation'Careened,

  These oily tears

  Dripping down the tears on your depressed face,

  Will one day be staunched,

  I swear!

  Ibiwari Ikiriko, Oily Tears

  The tone of the poet is

  Options:
  A) optimistic
  B) supplicatory
  C) sympathetic
  D) piteous
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is A .
• Question 1519: In Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood, Nnu Ego is blamed for the misfortunes of her Options:
  A) parents
  B) husband
  C) siblings
  D) children
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is B .
• Question 1520:

  This question is based on S.I. Osammor's The Triumph of the Water Lily.

  The language of the novel is generally

  Options:
  A) entertaining
  B) educative
  C) romantic
  D) reportive
  Show Answer
  The correct answer is B .