POETRY - Jamb Literature in English Past Questions and Answers

Question 201:

• JAMB 2001

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 curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his weary way;
And leaves the world to darkness and to me .
In the lines above from Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard', the imagery is

A. Of an approaching night in a rustic setting
B. About a village under a curfew one night
C. Of an approaching death in a village
D. Of a man abandoned in his homeward journey

Question 202:

• JAMB 2001

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.
In Oswald Mtshali's 'Nightfall in Soweto', night

A. Drives man's enemy
B. Fools man's enemy
C. Hides man's enemy
D. Aids man's enemy

Question 203:

• JAMB 2002

This question is based on selected Poems from Ker, D. et al (eds.): New poetry from African; Syinka, W. (ed.): poems of Black African; Senanu, K.E. and Vincent, T. (eds.): A Selection of African poetry; Umukoro, M. et al (eds.): Exam Focus: Literature- in - English; Eruvbetine, A.E. et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides and Nwoga, D.I. (ed.): West African Verse.
And my children left their peaceful nakedness
For the uniform of iron and blood'
In the lines above from David Diop's Loser of Everything' the imagery depicts a displacement of

A. Innocence by violence
B. Nature by science
C. Village life by barrack life
D. The natureal by the artificial

Question 204:

• JAMB 2002

This question is based on selected Poems from Ker, D. et al (eds.): New poetry from African; Syinka, W. (ed.): poems of Black African; Senanu, K.E. and Vincent, T. (eds.): A Selection of African poetry; Umukoro, M. et al (eds.): Exam Focus: Literature- in - English; Eruvbetine, A.E. et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides and Nwoga, D.I. (ed.): West African Verse.
And my children left their peaceful nakedness
For the uniform of iron and blood'
In the lines above from David Diop's Loser of Everything' the imagery depicts a displacement of

A. Innocence by violence
B. Nature by science
C. Village life by barrack life
D. The natureal by the artificial

Question 205:

• JAMB 2002

This question is based on selected Poems from Ker, D. et al (eds.): New poetry from African; Syinka, W. (ed.): poems of Black African; Senanu, K.E. and Vincent, T. (eds.): A Selection of African poetry; Umukoro, M. et al (eds.): Exam Focus: Literature- in - English; Eruvbetine, A.E. et al (eds.): Longman Examination Guides and Nwoga, D.I. (ed.): West African Verse.
Yusuf Kassam's ' Maji Maji is presented as a

A. Traditional poem
B. Narrative poem
C. Lyric
D. Dirge