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JAMB Literature in English Past Questions

Real JAMB Literature in English past questions, each with the correct answer and a worked solution. Below are 8 to work through free — no account needed.

8 JAMB Literature in English questions with answers

Question 1

Read the following lines from a play: 'Do not think, because my brow is clouded, that my heart is hardened. Grief shows itself in many forms.' Which literary device is most strongly used in the lines above?

  1. a.Metaphor
  2. b.Irony
  3. c.Hyperbole
  4. d.Alliteration

Solution

The line 'my brow is clouded' is a metaphor because it compares the character's troubled mind to a cloudy sky without using 'like' or 'as.' The most tempting wrong option is irony, but the lines are not expressing the opposite of what they mean; rather, they use figurative language to reveal internal emotion.

Question 2

In Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart', when Okonkwo is exiled to his mother’s village of Mbanta, he is advised by his uncle Uchendu to accept the situation with humility. What is the primary symbolic purpose of Okonkwo's exile to his maternal home?

  1. a.It underscores the importance of maternal kinship as a source of refuge and renewal.
  2. b.It demonstrates Okonkwo’s complete separation from his cultural roots.
  3. c.It serves to foreshadow Okonkwo's eventual reconciliation with his father’s legacy.
  4. d.It highlights the inability of clan traditions to protect individuals from misfortune.

Solution

The exile to Okonkwo’s maternal home symbolizes the protective and nurturing aspect of maternal kinship as a cultural refuge during crisis. The most tempting option, 'It highlights the inability of clan traditions to protect individuals from misfortune', is incorrect because the clan's tradition precisely provides Okonkwo with support through exile rather than abandoning him.

Question 3

In Wole Soyinka's play 'The Trials of Brother Jero', Brother Jero frequently refers to himself as a 'prophet' and manipulates his followers for personal gain. Which dramatic technique does Soyinka employ most effectively to reveal Jero’s hypocrisy to the audience?

  1. a.Dramatic irony, where the audience is aware of Jero’s schemes while his followers are not
  2. b.Soliloquy, where Jero confesses his sins directly to the crowd
  3. c.Allegory, using Jero as a symbol for honesty in leadership
  4. d.Foreshadowing, by hinting at Jero’s downfall early in the play

Solution

The correct answer is dramatic irony because the audience knows more about Jero's true intentions than the other characters do. The most tempting option, soliloquy, is incorrect because Jero rarely confesses his actions openly, and the technique serves more to share his private schemes with the audience than a public confession.

Question 4

Read the following lines: 'Upon the hill, the lonely bird sang its song, Filling the evening air with notes so long.' What literary device is mainly used in the phrase 'the lonely bird sang its song'?

  1. a.Personification
  2. b.Alliteration
  3. c.Simile
  4. d.Metaphor

Solution

Alliteration is correct because the repetition of the 's' sound in 'sang its song' creates a musical quality to the phrase. Personification is tempting, but the line does not give the bird human qualities; instead, it describes a typical action for a bird.

Question 5

Read the following excerpt: "So Long a Letter" by Mariama Bâ employs the device of epistolary narration, as Ramatoulaye writes a series of letters to her friend Aissatou. What is the main effect of using this narrative style in conveying Ramatoulaye’s experiences?

  1. a.It allows the reader to closely follow Ramatoulaye’s personal thoughts and emotional journey.
  2. b.It provides an objective overview of events by switching between multiple narrators.
  3. c.It limits the story to only dialogue between characters, reducing narrative bias.
  4. d.It focuses primarily on the actions of other characters, minimizing the protagonist’s perspective.

Solution

The epistolary style lets the reader access Ramatoulaye’s intimate reflections and struggles, making her experiences vivid and personal. The tempting option about multiple narrators is wrong because the narration stays in Ramatoulaye’s voice throughout and does not shift perspective.

Question 6

Read the following lines from Wole Soyinka's 'Telephone Conversation': "Madam, I warned, I hate a wasted journey— I am African." How does the speaker's approach to revealing his identity illustrate a key theme of the poem?

  1. a.By directly addressing prejudice, the speaker exposes the absurdity of racial discrimination.
  2. b.The speaker’s formal tone shows respect for cultural customs above all else.
  3. c.By making light of the situation, the speaker denies that prejudice truly affects him.
  4. d.The speaker’s bluntness is meant only to provoke anger in the listener.

Solution

Option 0 is correct because the speaker confronts prejudice upfront, highlighting how irrational and pervasive racial discrimination is. Option 2 is tempting, but the speaker’s irony reveals harm rather than true detachment or denial of prejudice's effects.

Question 7

In Wole Soyinka's play 'The Lion and the Jewel', Sidi initially rejects Lakunle’s marriage proposal despite his offer to waive the bride price. What does Sidi's insistence on the bride price mainly reveal about her character?

  1. a.She values tradition and the respect it commands within her community.
  2. b.She wants to prolong the courtship to gain more gifts from Lakunle.
  3. c.She is afraid of Lakunle’s modern ideas about marriage.
  4. d.She prefers Baroka solely because he is wealthy and influential.

Solution

Sidi's insistence on the bride price highlights her deep respect for tradition and her desire to maintain the societal values that define her role and worth in the community. The most tempting distractor is option 3, but Sidi's concern is less about fear of modernity and more about upholding established customs and ensuring her honour.

Question 8

In Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart', Okonkwo is exiled from his clan for seven years after accidentally killing Ezeudu’s son during a funeral. What is the main literary function of this exile in the development of the story?

  1. a.It highlights the rigidity of Igbo traditions and the consequences of disrupting social order.
  2. b.It establishes Okonkwo as a villain in the eyes of his people.
  3. c.It ends Okonkwo’s ambition to regain his father's lost titles.
  4. d.It creates a romantic subplot with characters outside Umuofia.

Solution

Okonkwo’s exile primarily underscores the strictness of Igbo customs; even unintentional acts have serious repercussions to preserve order, reflecting community values. The most tempting wrong option, 'It establishes Okonkwo as a villain', is incorrect because he is pitied rather than villainized by the clan, which respects tradition over individual intent.

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Other JAMB subjects

📖 English Language📐 Mathematics🧲 Physics⚗️ Chemistry🧬 Biology📈 Economics🏛️ Government🛒 Commerce🧮 Accounting🗺️ Geography✝️ Christian Religious Studies☪️ Islamic Religious Studies🤝 Civic Education📰 Current Affairs📜 History

Literature in English in other exams

WAEC Literature in EnglishPost-UTME Literature in English