Waec Literature in English 2021 Past Questions and Answers

Question 26:

• WAEC 2021

Read the poem below and answer questions 26 to 30.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile
And mouths with myriad subtleties,

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile but O great god, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet and long the mile,
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!


The poem is about ____________

A. Debtors
B. Dreams
C. Costumes
D. Appearances

Question 27:

• WAEC 2021

Read the poem below and answer questions 26 to 30.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile
And mouths with myriad subtleties,

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile but O great god, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet and long the mile,
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!


The poet's tone is ____________

A. Supplicatory
B. Defiant
C. Conciliatory
D. Compliant

Question 28:

• WAEC 2021

Read the poem below and answer questions 26 to 30.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile
And mouths with myriad subtleties,

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile but O great god, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet and long the mile,
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!


The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is ____________

A. Aabcc
B. Ababac
C. Aabbc
D. Abbac

Question 29:

• WAEC 2021

Read the poem below and answer questions 26 to 30.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile
And mouths with myriad subtleties,

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile but O great god, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet and long the mile,
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!


The dominant mood is one of ____________

A. Sadness
B. Fear
C. Joy
D. Optimism

Question 30:

• WAEC 2021

Read the poem below and answer questions 26 to 30.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile
And mouths with myriad subtleties,

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile but O great god, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet and long the mile,
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!


We wear the mask that grins and lies illustrate

A. Irony
B. Personification
C. Synecdoche
D. Alliteration