WAEC SSCE - Literature In English - 2022 (Drama & Poetry)

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Sesay's "Song of the Women of my Land'' examines the human condition, the suffering of women, oppression, pain, the ravages of time and death. Social criticism is at the heart of this poem. The poem further underscores the point that people die but artists or poets have the ability to preserve them in their art, for all eternity. Contrast is dominant in the poem and encompasses more in the use of metaphors and similes.
"They ploughed the terrain of their mindscape/ for a song" – This metaphor describes their minds as a garden or farmland that is ploughed in preparation for the sowing of seeds. This figure of speech suggests how they thought very seriously about the most appropriate song that can capture or describe their pathetic situation.
"They sponged off their anguish." -This is a very powerful metaphor that compares the way people mop floors or swab wounds to the way the women use their song to ease their anguish. This is almost therapeutic. This metaphor conveys not only what the women have in their lives (they do have a song) but more importantly, what they do not have in their lives – men. That is, they lack men who can champion their cause, or heal their pain and they now use their song as a balm for their agony.

The above excerpts are examples of how the poet uses vivid differences to show similarities and emphasize the central idea of the poem.

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Chief Gbanya is a great leader and warrior who chooses his wars carefully. He does not keep his promise to choose Yoko as his successor. He foresees his death and hopes he doesn't die a humiliating death. Hence, he decides not to ambush the Governor and his envoy instead he receives the Governor with a fun fare which leads to his humiliation in the presence of his chiefs. Chief Gbanya was poisoned and he died knowing that his most trusted person betrayed him and handed leadership of Senehun to Yoko.

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In "The Lion and the Jewel," Wole Soyinka presents the contest between tradition and modernity through the characters of Sidi and Lakunle. Sidi represents traditional values and culture while Lakunle represents modernity and change. The play shows how these two ideologies clash and how difficult it is to reconcile them. Lakunle tries to convince Sidi to abandon her traditional ways and embrace modernity, while Sidi is reluctant to give up her culture. However, as the play progresses, both characters learn to appreciate and understand each other's perspectives, suggesting that a balance can be achieved between tradition and modernity. Ultimately, the play suggests that it is important to honor and respect tradition, but also embrace change and progress.

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In the play "Look Back in Anger," Jimmy Porter expresses his disdain for the Victorian society of his time. He criticizes the class system, gender roles, and cultural conservatism that characterized the era. Jimmy is particularly frustrated by the rigid expectations placed on individuals based on their social status and gender, which he feels stifles individuality and creativity. He sees the Victorian society as hypocritical, oppressive, and morally bankrupt, and he yearns for a more authentic and progressive way of life. Overall, Jimmy's views about the Victorian society reflect his rebellious and iconoclastic personality, as well as his desire for social and cultural change.

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In the play "Look Back in Anger" by John Osborne, Alison's reactions to Jimmy's attacks on her family are complex and varied. Alison is married to Jimmy, who often expresses his anger and frustration by criticizing and mocking Alison's upper-class background and her family. Alison's reactions to these attacks can be seen as a mix of emotions and responses.

At times, Alison appears to be hurt and affected by Jimmy's harsh words about her family. She may feel a sense of shame or embarrassment, especially when Jimmy exposes the hypocrisy or pretentiousness of her family's social class. These attacks on her family may also cause Alison to question her own identity and values, leading to moments of inner turmoil and confusion.

On the other hand, Alison's reactions also indicate a certain level of tolerance and understanding. Despite Jimmy's relentless criticisms, she often remains calm and composed, showing resilience in the face of his attacks. She may choose not to engage in direct arguments or defend her family, perhaps recognizing the validity of some of Jimmy's critiques. This suggests a certain level of acceptance and self-awareness on Alison's part.

Overall, Alison's reactions to Jimmy's attacks on her family are a complex mix of emotional vulnerability, self-reflection, and resilience. She navigates the tension between her loyalty to her family and her growing awareness of the flaws within her social class. Her responses may vary depending on the specific context and the intensity of Jimmy's attacks, but they ultimately contribute to the exploration of class dynamics and personal identity in the play.

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Troy's upbringing significantly influences his relationship with his children in the play "Fences" by August Wilson. As a child, Troy had an abusive father who treated him poorly, and this shaped his view of the world and relationships. Troy's father was physically abusive, and Troy had to work hard to escape from him. As a result, Troy developed a hard exterior and a tendency to dominate others, especially his family.

This experience affected his relationship with his sons, Lyons and Cory. He is often harsh and dismissive towards Lyons, his oldest son, and criticizes him for not having a steady job. Troy sees Lyons as lazy and undisciplined, which causes friction between them.

Similarly, Troy's relationship with Cory is also strained. Troy doesn't want Cory to play football, and he sees it as a waste of time. This is because he believes that racism will always limit Cory's opportunities, and he wants him to focus on getting a practical job. Cory, on the other hand, is passionate about football and feels like his father doesn't understand him. This leads to a major conflict between them, and Troy's overbearing nature causes a rift in their relationship.

In summary, Troy's troubled upbringing has a significant impact on his relationship with his children. His tendency to dominate and control them leads to conflicts and misunderstandings. His experiences with his abusive father have made him overly protective and critical, and he struggles to understand and connect with his children as a result.

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The play criticises the gender roles assigned to women in the traditional society. In Senehun and Mendeland at large, women are not treated as equals of men. Women are considered fragile, vulnerable and incapable of managing crises. From the beginning of the play, Chief Gbanya tries to relegate Madam Yoko's duties to dancing and satisfying him in bed, and not to interfere in state affairs. To Chief Gbanya such responsibility is meant for men alone. Chief Gbanya shares the same sentiment with his Chief Warrior Ndapi who beats and pounds on his wife – Jilo, at any slightest opportunity. He beats Jilo for not always serving him his food at the right time, being lazy and not looking after their daughter. Initially, Gbanya has promised Yoko she would be his successor. However, with troubles around, he feels reluctant to handover the throne to her because he believes women cannot handle a land at war. This is the same stance of Lamboi. The excuse he gives for wanting to kill Gbanya is because he does not want the latter to appoint Yoko as his successor. However, the women protest in different ways. Jilo protests by having an affair with Lansana who takes her as a human being by showers her love, admires her good looks, qualities and praises her alluring waist which is in contrast to Ndapi who rarely appreciates her food, beauty and skills in bed. Obviously, if not for Yoko's doggedness and insistence, a woman would not have become the chief of Mendeland; talk more of expanding the chiefdom.
In Mendeland, women usually are not allowed into the Poro cult. Yoko is the only exception. In the village, there is a certain prejudice held against women. They are considered inferior and except for Yoko who forges ahead, women are not assigned ruling positions.

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"The Good Morrow" is a love poem by John Donne, and the mood of the speaker can be described as joyful and content. The speaker is expressing his love for his partner and the deep connection they share, suggesting that their love has awakened him to a new world of joy and meaning. The language used in the poem is positive and optimistic, creating a sense of happiness and fulfillment. Overall, the mood of the poem is one of love, joy, and satisfaction.

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"The Journey of the Magi" is a poem by T.S. Eliot that explores the theme of regret. The poem is a dramatic monologue in which one of the Magi reflects on his journey to witness the birth of Christ. The Magus describes his journey as difficult and painful, and he expresses regret for having undertaken it. He describes the journey as a "hard and bitter agony," and laments that they were "no longer at ease" with the old dispensation.

The Magus also expresses regret for the way his life has changed since he encountered Christ. He describes himself as "no longer devout," and he no longer finds joy in the things he once enjoyed. He reflects on the difficulties he has encountered since he witnessed the birth of Christ, and he acknowledges that his life has been forever changed.

In the end, the Magus suggests that his journey was ultimately worth it, despite the difficulties and the regret he feels. He acknowledges that he and his fellow Magi were "led all the way" and that their journey was "satisfactory." However, the poem suggests that regret is an inevitable part of any journey, particularly one that involves significant change or transformation.

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In August Wilson's play "Fences," Gabriel, the brother of the protagonist Troy, serves as a source of comic relief. Gabriel is portrayed as having suffered a head injury during World War II, which has left him with a mental disability. Despite his disability, Gabriel is depicted as a joyful and exuberant character who often bursts into song and dance. His antics and exaggerated behavior provide a break from the tension and drama that permeate the play, and his lightheartedness helps to balance out the more serious themes of the story. Additionally, Gabriel's childlike innocence and pure-heartedness make him endearing to the audience, and his presence in the play serves to humanize the other characters and emphasize their flaws and shortcomings. Overall, Gabriel provides a much-needed dose of humor and levity in an otherwise heavy and emotionally charged play.

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"The Leader and the Led" by Professor Niyi Osundare is an allegorical poem that avers the kind of leadership in Africa and what leadership ought to be. The poem establishes the cat and mice relationship that exists between African leaders and their followers.

The poet's African origin and the siting of the tropics as the meeting place of the animals unmistakably point Africa as the point of reference in the poem. The poet no doubt addresses the eyesore of leadership deficiency Africa as a continent is plagued with. Osundare first addresses the issues of bad leadership, leadership ineptitude, and gross misgovernance which have become the rallying cries for many short-changed African followers. The poet, as he does, examines the kind of relationship that exists between African leaders and their followers. He then typifies the type of leadership peculiar to African countries since their purported independence from European colonialists.

The poet uses the attributes, bodily features and predatory ability of some of the contending animals as proofs of the leadership inadequacies Africa is beset with. In "the lion" and "the hyena", Osundare shows African leaders as exploiters and oppressors. With their powers, they exploit Africa and its citizenry of resources and oppress the people they are supposed to lead. This makes them ideal replacements of their equally exploiting colonial masters. In the the typical ways of "the lion" and "the hyena", these leaders endanger the lives of those whom they have sworn to protect. In "the lion", the poet uses "the ferocious pounce of his paws" on antelopes as an analogy of the deliberate and calculated oppression of the citizenry by the machinery of the state. The poet also portrays the elitism of African leaders typified by the farness of the giraffe's eyes from the ground. African leaders are only close to the people before assuming power or when they are seeking for votes into elective posts. Once they assume power, they distance themselves from the masses. In "the zebra", the poet references the dubiousness and deceptiveness of African leaders. Using "the duplicity of his stripes" as a focal point, the poet posits that African leaders can not be trusted to do anything right or taken for what they say or on the face value because behind their sugar-coated lies are several ulterior motives. Like "the pack" of animals, the people are justifiably suspicious of their leaders' "duplicity".

No doubt, Niyi Osundare's "The Leader and the Led" has done justice in its depiction of the type of leadership in Africa. The poem figuratively describes African leaders as "ferocious", "lethal" in appetite, duplicitous, greedy, "riotous" and "trampling". The poem, however, offers insights on what ideal leadership is. It says ideal leadership embodies transparency, compassion, humility, legitimacy, the will to govern, the readiness to listen to the followers, and a balance between ideas on the opposite sides of the fringe.

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The significance of the use of the play-within-a-play technique in "The Lion and the Jewel" can be understood in a simple and comprehensive way.

The play-within-a-play technique is a literary device where a drama or performance is embedded within the main play. In "The Lion and the Jewel," this technique is employed to serve multiple purposes.

Firstly, it provides a metatheatrical element to the play, blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction. By having the characters perform a play within the main story, the audience is reminded that they are watching a theatrical performance. This self-awareness adds depth to the storytelling and invites the audience to reflect on the nature of theater itself.

Secondly, the play-within-a-play allows for a different perspective on the themes and conflicts presented in the main story. It offers an opportunity to explore contrasting viewpoints, challenge assumptions, or provide commentary on the actions and choices of the characters. This technique enriches the narrative by offering multiple layers of meaning and fostering a deeper understanding of the central themes.

Additionally, the play-within-a-play can serve as a tool for characterization. It provides insights into the personalities, desires, and motivations of the characters involved in the performance. Their roles in the play-within-a-play may parallel or contrast their roles in the main story, shedding light on their relationships and internal conflicts.

Overall, the use of the play-within-a-play technique in "The Lion and the Jewel" adds complexity, depth, and thematic resonance to the narrative. It engages the audience intellectually and emotionally, highlighting the power of storytelling and the multifaceted nature of human experiences.