Waec Literature in English Past Questions and Answers

Question 71:

• WAEC 1998

Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions that follow:
O stealing time, the subject of delay,
Delay the rack of unrefrained desire,
What strange design has thou my hopes to stay?
My hopes which do but to mine own aspire?
Old age is wise, and full of constant truth,
Old age well stayed from ranging humours lives,
Old age hath known, whatever was in youth,
Old age overcome the greater honour gives.
The literary device used in lines 3 and 4 of stanza 1 is

A. Paradox
B. Antithesis
C. Apostrophe
D. Rhetorical question

Question 72:

• WAEC 1998

Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions that follow:
O stealing time, the subject of delay,
Delay the rack of unrefrained desire,
What strange design has thou my hopes to stay?
My hopes which do but to mine own aspire?
Old age is wise, and full of constant truth,
Old age well stayed from ranging humours lives,
Old age hath known, whatever was in youth,
Old age overcome the greater honour gives.
The predominant figure of speech in stanza ll is

A. Consonance
B. Alliteration
C. Personification
D. Epigram

Question 73:

• WAEC 1998

Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions that follow:
O stealing time, the subject of delay,
Delay the rack of unrefrained desire,
What strange design has thou my hopes to stay?
My hopes which do but to mine own aspire?
Old age is wise, and full of constant truth,
Old age well stayed from ranging humours lives,
Old age hath known, whatever was in youth,
Old age overcome the greater honour gives.
The mood of the poet is that of

A. Carelessness
B. Happiness
C. Gaiety
D. Helplessness

Question 74:

• WAEC 1998

Read the extract below and answer the question:
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Twelfth Night
A : What country, friends, is this?
B : This is lllyria, Lady,
A : And what should I do in lllyria?
My brother he is in Elysium.
Perchance he is not drowned - What think you, sailors?
B : It is perchance that you yourself where saved
A : O my poor brother. and so perchance may he be
(Act 1 Scene II)
Speaker A is

A. Maria
B. Olivia
C. Valentine
D. Viola

Question 75:

• WAEC 1998

Read the extract below and answer the question:
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Twelfth Night
A : What country, friends, is this?
B : This is lllyria, Lady,
A : And what should I do in lllyria?
My brother he is in Elysium.
Perchance he is not drowned - What think you, sailors?
B : It is perchance that you yourself where saved
A : O my poor brother. and so perchance may he be
(Act 1 Scene II)
Speaker B is

A. Sir Toby
B. Sir Andrew
C. Captain
D. Olivia