Literature in English Past Questions

Study and practice Literature in English past questions with answers and detailed explanations. Then test your knowledge using our interactive CBT practice platform and prepare confidently for your upcoming examinations.

50 questions JAMB 2378 WAEC 1459 CUSTOM 2
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Past Questions

50 questions
Question 1 of 20 50 total questions
Question 11
jamb 1997

This question is based on General Literary Principles.
What is an epic?

AA story that exalts a historical character
BAn epoch-making event
CA descriptive poem celebrating the achievements of a character
DA narrative prose describing a character
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Question 12
jamb 1997

This question is based on General Literary Principles.
Which of the following are literary genres?

APoetry, farce and faction
BFiction, poetry and drama
CDrama, faction and biography
DPoetry , orthography and fiction.
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Question 13
jamb 1997

This question is based on Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge.
Which of the following events marks the climax of the novel ?

ASusan Henchard's sale
BThe return of susan Henchard
CThe skimmity-ride
DThe disclosure of Elizabeth-Jane's identity
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Question 14
jamb 1997

This question is based on Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge.
A major irony in the Henchard-Farfrae relationship is that

AFarfrae's arrival spells Henchard's doom
Bthey employ each other
Cthey disagree over Abel Whittle
Dthe friendship ends too soon
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Question 15
jamb 1997

This question is based on Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge.
'Come, 'said Donald quietly, 'a man o'your position should ken better, sir!It is tyrannical and no worthy of you.'
Which of Henchard's actions is tyrannical?

AHe says Donald must not befriend Elizabeth - Jane
BHe asks Abel Whittle to go to Blackmoor vale half naked
CHe dismisses Jopp, his former manager
DHe decides not to marry Lucetta on Susan's return.
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Question 16
jamb 1997

This question is based on Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge.
The novel is about growth because

AFarfrae replaces Henchard as the Mayor of Casterbridge
Bof socio-economic changes in Casterbridge society
CHenchard finally permits Farfrae to woo Elizabeth-Jane
DHenchard gradually attains self-awareness
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Question 17
jamb 1997

This question is based on Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge.
Susan concealed the true parentage of Elizabeth Jane in order to

Asafeguard her daughter's dignity
Bavenge Henchard for offending her
Cescape Henchard's curse
DPrevent Newson from claiming his daughter.
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Question 18
jamb 1997

This question is based on Zaynab Alkali's The Stillborn.
Habu Adams ends up in the novel as a

Amarried man
Brepentant husband
Csuccessful businessman
Dlame lover
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Question 19
jamb 1997

This question is based on Zaynab Alkali's The Stillborn.
What is the author's final message in the novel?

AHuman beings are born evil
BLovers should never separate
Cman must confront his fate
DThe city is a wicked place
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Question 20
jamb 1997

This question is based on Zaynab Alkali's The Stillborn.
What is the most striking feature of the setting in the novel?

AThe simple but effective description of the landscape
BThe reliance on straight forward presentations
CThe effective employment of contrasts
DThe use of difficult and mystifying language.
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Question 21
jamb 1997

This question is based on Zaynab Alkali's The Stillborn.
The dialogue at the end of the novel reveals

ALi's resolve to sustain her marriage
BLi's tragic end
CAwa's role as the man of the house
Dthe cycle of life in Li's family
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Question 22
jamb 1997

This question is based on Zaynab Alkali's The Stillborn.
The two major pervasive sources of social problems in the community of the stillborn are

Aignorance and poverty
Bmodrnization and foreign culture
CChristianity and the quest for wealth
Dwitchcraft and Christianity
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Question 23
jamb 1997

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.
In my last Duchess', the poet complains about the Duchess'

Aindiscriminate love and admiration
Bunrestrained blushing
Cofficious fool
Dintermitent smiles
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Question 24
jamb 1997

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.
'BEHOLD her, single in the field,
You solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;...
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.'
The lines above from William Wordsworth's 'The Solitary Reaper' constitute

Aa soliloguy
Ban aside
Can apostrophe
Dan interior monologue
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Question 25
jamb 1997

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.
What notion dominates Oswald Mtshali's 'The washerwoman's Prayer'?

APiety
BAgeing
CIndifference
DInequality
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Question 26
jamb 1997

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.
The recurrence of the first person pronoun 'I' in Gabriel Okara's 'The callof the River Nun' creates the feeling of

Adetachment
Bimmediacy
Calienation
Dnostalgia
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Question 27
jamb 1997

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.
The phrase, 'pressurized good-breeding' from Wole Soyinka's 'Telephone Conversation', refers to the

Aspeaker's personality
Bwhiteman's upbringing
Clady's personality
Dpersona's upbringing
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Question 28
jamb 1997

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.
The disenchantment in Kofi Awoonor's 'Songs of Sorrow' is best explained by the

Alamentation of the death of a friend
Balienation of Africans
Cdiscussion of the sad events that afflict Africa
Dloneliness of the person in the wildernes.s
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Question 29
jamb 1997

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.
The tone of 'They Too are the Earth' by Osundara is

Amilitant
Bhilarious
Charsh
Dassertive
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Question 30
jamb 1997

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.
What is the dominant poetic device used in Christopher Okigbo's 'Hurrah for Thunder?

AIrony
BSymbolism
CParallelism
DRhythm
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