WAEC SSCE - Literature In English - 2007

A bitter remark intended to wound the feelings is

Détails de la réponse

A bitter remark intended to wound the feelings is a sarcasm. A sarcasm is a form of irony in which someone says something but means the opposite, often to mock or ridicule someone or something. It is a kind of bitter or cutting remark that is intended to hurt or insult someone, and is often used to express contempt or ridicule. Sarcasm is often delivered with a tone of voice that is exaggerated or dripping with sarcasm, making it clear that the speaker does not mean what they are saying at face value.

''They also serve who only stand and wait'' illustrates

Détails de la réponse

Read the extract and answer the question

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began,
So is it now that I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow
The child is father of the man

The mood of the poem is that of

Détails de la réponse

The mood of the poem is that of elation. The speaker expresses his joy and excitement at the sight of a rainbow, and states that he has felt the same way since he was a child, and will continue to feel the same way as an adult. The line "My heart leaps up" conveys the speaker's enthusiasm and happiness at the beauty of nature.

Read the extract and answer the question

As thou art to thyself:
Such was the very armour he had on
When he the amitious Norway combated;
So frown'd he once, when , in an angry parle,
He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice....
(Act 1, Scene one, lines 59-63)

The speaker is

Détails de la réponse

''Forty hands descended on the devilish head'' illustrates

Détails de la réponse

Read the extract and answer the question

As thou art to thyself:
Such was the very armour he had on
When he the amitious Norway combated;
So frown'd he once, when , in an angry parle,
He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice....
(Act 1, Scene one, lines 59-63)

The speaker is addressing

Détails de la réponse

UNSEEN POETRY AND PROSE

Read the poem and answer the question
Bent-double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we curse through sludge
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge,
Men marched asleep, many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shed. All went lame, all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; even deaf to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softy behind.

The dominant figure of speech in the first stanza is

Détails de la réponse

The dominant figure of speech in the first stanza is simile. This is because the poet is using the words "like" and "as" to compare the soldiers to "old beggars under sacks" and "hags". The soldiers are also described as "bent-double" and "knock-kneed", which further emphasizes their physical exhaustion and suffering. The use of simile helps to create a vivid image of the soldiers' plight and conveys the harsh realities of war.

UNSEEN POETRY AND PROSE

Read the poem and answer the question
Bent-double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we curse through sludge
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge,
Men marched asleep, many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shed. All went lame, all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; even deaf to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softy behind.

The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is

Détails de la réponse

Pick the odd item out of the options listed below

Détails de la réponse

The odd item out is "Dialogue" because it refers to a conversation between two or more people in a literary work, whereas the other options refer to aspects of poetry. "Verse" is a single line of poetry, "Stanza" is a group of lines forming a unit in a poem, and "Rhythm" is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

UNSEEN POETRY AND PROSE

Read the poem and answer the question
Bent-double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we curse through sludge
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge,
Men marched asleep, many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shed. All went lame, all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; even deaf to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softy behind.

The expression Drunk with fatigue illustrates

Détails de la réponse

The expression "Drunk with fatigue" is an example of a metaphor. It is a figure of speech that compares two things without using "like" or "as". In this case, the soldiers' extreme tiredness and exhaustion is being compared to the state of being drunk, which emphasizes just how tired they are.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet

Read the extract below and answer the question

A : What, has this thing appeared again tonight?
B : I have seen nothing
(Act I, Scene one, lines 21-22)

This thing refers to a

Détails de la réponse

The word "this thing" in the given extract refers to a "ghost". In the play, Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father who appears to him and speaks to him. In this particular exchange between two characters, A asks if the ghost has appeared again and B denies seeing anything. Therefore, "this thing" can be interpreted as a reference to the ghost that has been previously sighted by A.

Read the extract and answer the question 45-50

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd,
Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape.....
(Act l, Scene four, lines 39-43)

The setting of the extract is

Détails de la réponse

Read the passage and answer the question

world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning.My great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be. And if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would be turned to a mighty stranger _ is should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods; time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath _ as source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!. He's always, always in my mind _ not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being....

annihilated in the extract implies

Détails de la réponse

In the context of the passage, "annihilated" means "death." The speaker is saying that if everything else in the world were to remain and only Heathcliff were to die, the universe would feel like a stranger to her. This emphasizes the strong attachment and love that the speaker has for Heathcliff, and how his absence would devastate her.

Pick the odd item out of the options listed below:

Détails de la réponse

The odd item out is "allusion" because it is a literary technique used to reference another work or event, whereas the other three options are types of poetry. A sonnet is a 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and structure, an epic is a long narrative poem typically about heroic deeds and adventures, and an ode is a lyrical poem that expresses admiration or praise for a person, event, or thing.

Read the passage and answer the question

world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning.My great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be. And if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would be turned to a mighty stranger _ is should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods; time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath _ as source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!. He's always, always in my mind _ not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being....

My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath illustrates

Détails de la réponse

The phrase "My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath" illustrates a simile. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as" to show similarity between them. In this case, the speaker compares her love for Heathcliff to the eternal rocks beneath, implying that her love is strong, constant, and unchanging like the rocks.

In drama, ' denouement' is the same as

Détails de la réponse

In drama, 'denouement' is the same as 'resolution.' It is the part of the plot that follows the climax, where the conflicts or issues are resolved, and the story reaches its conclusion. The denouement ties up the loose ends of the plot, explains any remaining questions or conflicts, and provides closure for the audience.

A praise poem is

Détails de la réponse

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet

Read the extract below and answer the question

A : What, has this thing appeared again tonight?
B : I have seen nothing
(Act I, Scene one, lines 21-22)

The speaker is addressing

Détails de la réponse

UNSEEN POETRY AND PROSE

Read the poem and answer the question
Bent-double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we curse through sludge
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge,
Men marched asleep, many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shed. All went lame, all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; even deaf to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softy behind.

Sludge in the extract means

Détails de la réponse

In the given extract, sludge refers to mud. This is evident from the description of the soldiers who are "Bent-double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we curse through sludge". The phrase "curse through sludge" suggests that the soldiers are struggling to walk through thick, sticky mud. Additionally, the line "All went lame, all blind" suggests that the difficult terrain is causing the soldiers to become physically impaired.

Read the extract and answer the question

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began,
So is it now that I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow
The child is father of the man

The rhyme scheme of the poem is

Détails de la réponse

A regular group of lines in poetry constitutes

Détails de la réponse

A regular group of lines in poetry is called a stanza. It is a unit of poetic lines that are usually separated by a space and are characterized by a fixed number of lines, a particular rhyme scheme, and a specific metrical pattern. Stanzas are used to organize a poem and to convey different thoughts, ideas or emotions in each unit, allowing for breaks or shifts in the poem's tone, mood, or theme. In contrast, rhythm refers to the pattern of sounds and syllables within a line or verse, while metre is the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

Read the extract and answer the question

As thou art to thyself:
Such was the very armour he had on
When he the amitious Norway combated;
So frown'd he once, when , in an angry parle,
He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice....
(Act 1, Scene one, lines 59-63)

The passage conveys an atmosphere of

Détails de la réponse

Read the extract and answer the question

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began,
So is it now that I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow
The child is father of the man

The literary device used in line 1 is

Détails de la réponse

Read the extract and answer the question 45-50

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd,
Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape.....
(Act l, Scene four, lines 39-43)

The character who just spoke before the speaker is

Détails de la réponse

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet

Read the extract below and answer the question

A : What, has this thing appeared again tonight?
B : I have seen nothing
(Act I, Scene one, lines 21-22)

Speakers A and B are

Détails de la réponse

Speaker A and B in the given extract are officers. They are discussing whether the ghost has appeared again or not. The use of the word "thing" indicates that they are not sure what they have seen, but it has made them curious enough to investigate further. The mention of the ghost and their conversation about it suggests that they are part of a military or guard unit assigned to protect the castle.

Read the extract and answer the question 45-50

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd,
Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape.....
(Act l, Scene four, lines 39-43)

Line 1 suggests the speaker's belief in

Détails de la réponse

The line "Angels and ministers of grace defend us!" suggests the speaker's belief in spirits. The speaker is calling upon spiritual beings, specifically angels and ministers of grace, to protect them from harm. This indicates that the speaker believes in the existence of spiritual entities, which is a common belief in many cultures and religions.

Read the extract and answer the question

X : What is the matter?
Y : Save yourself, my lord:
The ocean, overpeering of his list,
Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste
Than young Laertes....
(Act 4, Scene five, lines 97-101)

The other character present in the scene is

Détails de la réponse

Read the passage and answer the question

world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning.My great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be. And if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would be turned to a mighty stranger _ is should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods; time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath _ as source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!. He's always, always in my mind _ not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being....

The diction of the extract conveys the speaker's

Détails de la réponse

The diction of the extract conveys the speaker's determination. The speaker expresses a strong devotion to Heathcliff, suggesting that his presence is the most important thing to her. She says that if Heathcliff were annihilated, the universe would seem like a stranger to her. The speaker's use of language and imagery emphasizes her conviction and unwavering commitment to Heathcliff, indicating a strong sense of determination.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet

Read the extract below and answer the question

A : What, has this thing appeared again tonight?
B : I have seen nothing
(Act I, Scene one, lines 21-22)

The speakers were

Détails de la réponse

''A black beautiful brilliant bride'' is an example of

Détails de la réponse

The example "A black beautiful brilliant bride" is an example of alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant sounds of neighboring words. In this case, the "b" sound is repeated in each word of the phrase, making it an example of alliteration.

Lines of regular recurrence in a poem constitutes

Détails de la réponse

Lines of regular recurrence in a poem are known as a refrain. It is a repeated phrase, line, or group of lines that appear at the end of stanzas or between them in a poem. The use of a refrain can add emphasis to the central theme, create a musical quality to the poem, and make the poem more memorable for the reader or listener. The refrain is a powerful tool that poets use to convey their message and engage their audience.

An individual who acts, appears or is referred to as playing a part in a literary work is a

Détails de la réponse

The correct answer is "character". In literature, a character is an individual who is portrayed in a story or play, and who may have a distinct personality, appearance, or role in the plot. Characters can be protagonists (main characters), antagonists (villains or opponents), or supporting characters. They can also be flat (one-dimensional) or round (multi-dimensional), depending on the level of complexity in their portrayal.

Read the passage and answer the question

world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning.My great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be. And if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would be turned to a mighty stranger _ is should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods; time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath _ as source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!. He's always, always in my mind _ not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being....

The speaker's love for Heathcliff is

Détails de la réponse

The speaker's love for Heathcliff is indestructible. The passage suggests that the speaker's love for Heathcliff is so strong that it would endure even if everything else in the world perished. The speaker states that Heathcliff is always on her mind and that she and Heathcliff are one and the same, indicating a deep, unbreakable bond. The comparison of her love for Linton to foliage in the woods, which will change with time, underscores the fact that her love for Heathcliff is not like that and is, instead, unchanging and constant like the eternal rocks.

Read the extract and answer the question

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began,
So is it now that I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow
The child is father of the man

The subject of the extract is

Détails de la réponse

The subject of the extract is the unchanging cycle of nature. The speaker expresses how he feels when he sees a rainbow, and how he has felt this way since his childhood and still feels this way in adulthood, and will continue to feel this way as he grows old. The final line "The child is father of the man" suggests that the speaker believes that childhood experiences shape the person one becomes in adulthood, and that the natural world plays a crucial role in this shaping. The poem emphasizes the continuity and cyclical nature of human life, as well as the importance of nature in shaping human experiences.

Read the extract and answer the question

X : What is the matter?
Y : Save yourself, my lord:
The ocean, overpeering of his list,
Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste
Than young Laertes....
(Act 4, Scene five, lines 97-101)

Speaker Y is

Détails de la réponse

Read the extract and answer the question

X : What is the matter?
Y : Save yourself, my lord:
The ocean, overpeering of his list,
Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste
Than young Laertes....
(Act 4, Scene five, lines 97-101)

Speaker x IS

Détails de la réponse

A literary device which expresses meaning in its direct opposite is

Détails de la réponse

The literary device which expresses meaning in its direct opposite is irony. Irony occurs when words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from their actual meaning. Irony can take many forms, such as situational irony, verbal irony, or dramatic irony. It is often used to create humor, add depth to characters, or to make a point about a particular situation or issue. For example, if someone says "What a beautiful day" when it is actually raining heavily, that is an example of verbal irony.

Read the extract and answer the question 45-50

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd,
Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape.....
(Act l, Scene four, lines 39-43)

The speaker is

Détails de la réponse

Read the extract and answer the question

X : What is the matter?
Y : Save yourself, my lord:
The ocean, overpeering of his list,
Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste
Than young Laertes....
(Act 4, Scene five, lines 97-101)

The King had just requested that all the

Détails de la réponse

Read the extract and answer the question

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began,
So is it now that I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow
The child is father of the man

The literary device used in line 6 is an example of

Détails de la réponse

The literary device used in line 6 is paradox. A paradox is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or absurd but in reality, expresses a possible truth. In the line, "The child is father of the man," there is an apparent contradiction because a child cannot be the father of a grown man. However, the statement expresses the truth that the qualities and experiences of childhood shape and influence the person one becomes as an adult.

The subject of discussion is

Détails de la réponse

Read the extract and answer the question

X : What is the matter?
Y : Save yourself, my lord:
The ocean, overpeering of his list,
Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste
Than young Laertes....
(Act 4, Scene five, lines 97-101)

The characters who come on the scene shortly afterwards are

Détails de la réponse

Which of the following is NOT true of balled?

Détails de la réponse

A deliberate violation of the rules of verification constitutes

Détails de la réponse

A deliberate violation of the rules of verification in literature is known as "poetic license." This term is used to describe when a writer or poet intentionally deviates from the standard rules of language or literary conventions in order to achieve a specific effect. For example, a poet may use imperfect rhyme or unconventional syntax to create a unique and memorable line of poetry, or an author may alter historical or factual details in a novel for the sake of storytelling. Poetic license allows writers to be creative and expressive in their work, even if it means breaking the rules.

UNSEEN POETRY AND PROSE

Read the poem and answer the question
Bent-double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we curse through sludge
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge,
Men marched asleep, many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shed. All went lame, all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; even deaf to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softy behind.

The extract conveys a mood of

Détails de la réponse

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet

Read the extract below and answer the question

A : What, has this thing appeared again tonight?
B : I have seen nothing
(Act I, Scene one, lines 21-22)

Speaker A is

Détails de la réponse

Speaker A is Marcellus. In the play 'Hamlet', the conversation takes place between Bernardo, Marcellus, and Horatio. In this conversation, Marcellus sees the ghost of the dead king Hamlet twice and he is the one who initiates the conversation by asking Bernardo if he has seen the ghost. Therefore, in the given extract, the speaker A is Marcellus.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet

Read the extract below and answer the question

A : What, has this thing appeared again tonight?
B : I have seen nothing
(Act I, Scene one, lines 21-22)

Speaker B is

Détails de la réponse

Read the passage and answer the question

world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning.My great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be. And if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would be turned to a mighty stranger _ is should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods; time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath _ as source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!. He's always, always in my mind _ not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being....

If all else perished and he remained illustrates

Détails de la réponse

The phrase "If all else perished and he remained" illustrates antithesis. Antithesis is a rhetorical device in which two contrasting ideas are put together in a sentence to create a contrasting effect. In this case, the speaker is saying that even if everything else in the world were to disappear, as long as Heathcliff remains, she would continue to exist. This creates a strong contrast between Heathcliff and everything else in the world.

''She waited for him for a thousand years'' illustrates

Détails de la réponse

The phrase "She waited for him for a thousand years" illustrates hyperbole. Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. In this case, the exaggeration is the idea that the woman waited for the man for an incredibly long time, far beyond what is humanly possible.

Read the extract and answer the question 45-50

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd,
Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape.....
(Act l, Scene four, lines 39-43)

The passage creates an atmosphere of

Détails de la réponse

AFRICAN PROSE

BUCHI EMECHETA: The Joys of Motherhood

Examine Emecheta's use of irony in the novel. 

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN PROSE

GEORGE ELIOT: Silas Marner

Compare and contrast Silas' life in Lantern yard and Raveloe. 

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN DRAMA

ATHOL FUGARD: Sizwe Bansi is Dead

Discuss the theme of racial discrimination in the play. 

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN DRAMA

ATHOL FUGARD: Sizwe Bansi is Dead

Comment on the use of comedy in the play. 

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN PROSE

RICHARD WRIGHT: Black Boy

What are the causes of Richard's problems with Aunt Addie? 

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN DRAMA

JOE DE GRAFT: Sons and Daughters

Discuss the use of irony in the play

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN DRAMA 
NIKOLAI GOGOL: The Government Inspector

How is corruption exposed in the play?

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN PROSE

ISIDORE OKPEWHO: The Last Duty

With reference to the text, discuss the theme of war

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN PROSE

RICHARD WRIGHT: Black Boy

Discuss the relationship between Richard and his father.

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN PROSE

GEORGE ELIOT: Silas Marner

Examine the use of superstition in the novel.

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN DRAMA 

ROBERT BOLT: A Man For All Seasons

How does Thomas More demonstrate moral uprightness in the play?

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN POETRY

Discuss the theme of love in Seghor's I will pronounce your name

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN DRAMA 
NIKOLAI GOGOL: The Government Inspector

 Examine the use of mistaken identity in the play. 

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN PROSE

BUCHI EMECHETA: The Joys of Motherhood

What role does superstition play in the novel?

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN POETRY

Comment on the theme of conflict of cultures in Kobena Acquah's In the navel of the Soul

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN DRAMA 

ROBERT BOLT: A Man For All Seasons

Examine the role of the common man in the play. 

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN PROSE

ISIDORE OKPEWHO: The Last Duty

In what ways does Toje contribute to Oshevire's tragedy?

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN POETRY

How does Houseman present the theme of death in the poem To an Athlete Dying Young? 

Détails de la réponse

None

NON-AFRICAN POETRY

Comment on Frost's use of symbolism in The Road Not Taken. 

Détails de la réponse

None

AFRICAN DRAMA

JOE DE GRAFT: Sons and Daughters

Examine the relationship between James and his two children, Maanan and Aaron. 

Détails de la réponse

None