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Analysis of Prescribed African Poems

27 questions

All types27Multiple choice14Matching6Fill in the blank7
Question 1Question →

In Gabriel Okara's prescribed African poem *Piano and Drums*, the speaker describes being caught at 'wandering lands' between the raw rhythms of the ancestral drums and the complex melodies of the piano. What central thematic conflict does this contrast signify?

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Answer: The tension between traditional African culture and Western civilization

Answer

The contrast signifies the cultural tension between traditional African heritage and Western civilization.
In Gabriel Okara's 'Piano and Drums', the jungle drums represent the speaker's primal, traditional African heritage, while the piano symbolizes the intricate, foreign influence of Western civilization. The speaker's predicament at the end of the poem emphasizes the dilemma of an African intellectual caught between these two contrasting worlds.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the symbols used in the poem excerpt
Drums represent African indigenous traditions and primal roots; the piano represents Western education, complexity, and foreign values.
Understanding symbolic imagery is essential for thematic analysis in African poetry.
2
Analyze the speaker's emotional state ('wandering lands')
The speaker feels lost and conflicted between two opposing cultural lifestyles.
Connecting poetic imagery to the central theme reveals the core conflict of cultural alienation.

Key Concept

Cultural duality and anti-colonial thematic analysis in African poetry
Estimated Time:45s
Question 2Question →

Complete the statement regarding the thematic focus and poetic imagery in Agostino Neto's prescribed African poem *The Grieved Lands* by supplying the appropriate terms.

Fill in the blanks below

In Agostino Neto's *The Grieved Lands*, the metaphor of 'iron and fire' symbolizes colonial , while the phrase 'imperishable human force' asserts the theme of African .
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The first blank is completed by terms such as 'oppression' or 'exploitation', describing the destructive nature of foreign rule. The second blank is completed by terms such as 'resilience' or 'endurance', describing the unstoppable spirit of the African people.
In Agostino Neto's *The Grieved Lands*, 'iron and fire' directly evokes the harsh tools of imperial conquest and colonial oppression. Concurrently, the phrase 'imperishable human force' highlights the enduring strength, survival, and resilience of Africans across generations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the symbol 'iron and fire' in the context of the poem.
Identify that 'iron and fire' represents the violent invasion, forced labor, and military oppression brought by colonial invaders.
Poetic imagery in African anti-colonial poetry frequently uses metallic and destructive elements to signify foreign subjugation.
2
Analyze the phrase 'imperishable human force' and its thematic resolution.
Recognize that despite historical suffering and tears, the human spirit in Africa cannot be destroyed, signifying resilience and hope.
Neto contrasts physical destruction with spiritual and cultural permanence to convey triumph over adversity.

Key Concept

Thematic and Imagery Analysis in Agostino Neto's The Grieved Lands
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 3Question →

Match each excerpt from the prescribed African poems to its primary literary device.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

"spreads like butter" (Lenrie Peters, The Panic of Growing Older)
"The grieved lands of Africa" (Agostinho Neto, The Grieved Lands)
"Sew the old days for us on the new" (Kofi Awoonor, The Anvil and the Hammer)
"What heart will listen to our clamour?" (Birago Diop, Vanity)

Matches

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Answer

"spreads like butter" matches Simile; "The grieved lands of Africa" matches Personification; "Sew the old days for us on the new" matches Metaphor; "What heart will listen to our clamour?" matches Rhetorical Question.
Each excerpt features a distinct literary device: 'spreads like butter' relies on an explicit comparison marker ('like') making it a simile; 'grieved lands' endows geography with human emotion making it personification; 'sew the old days for us on the new' creates an implicit comparison of cultural synthesis making it a metaphor; and 'what heart will listen to our clamour?' poses a dramatic question expecting no answer, making it a rhetorical question.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the figurative language in each excerpt from the prescribed African poems.
Identified explicit comparison word 'like' in the first line, human quality applied to non-human land in the second, direct implicit comparison of combining cultures in the third, and a dramatic unanswerable question in the fourth.
Determining the defining stylistic technique of each poetic excerpt enables precise device matching.
2
Match each poem excerpt with its corresponding literary device definition.
Paired the line containing 'like' to Simile, the emotional land reference to Personification, the direct cultural stitching comparison to Metaphor, and the expressive question to Rhetorical Question.
Aligning specific textual evidence with standard literary definitions ensures correct categorization.

Key Concept

Identification of Literary Devices in Prescribed African Poetry
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 4Question →

In Birago Diop's prescribed African poem *Vanity*, the speaker asks, "If we tell to the air our sadness, / Which of our dead will answer?" What is the primary thematic implication of this rhetorical question within the poem's overall context?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: It highlights the futility of seeking ancestral protection after willfully abandoning indigenous cultural traditions and wisdom.

Answer

The rhetorical question highlights the futility of seeking ancestral protection after willfully abandoning indigenous cultural traditions and wisdom.
The correct answer accurately reflects the main theme of Birago Diop's *Vanity*. The poem laments the foolishness and vanity of contemporary Africans who turn away from ancestral wisdom during peaceful times, only to find themselves spiritually isolated and unanswered when adversity arrives.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the poetic excerpt and its speaker's intent.
The speaker asks who among the dead will answer if complaints are made only to the air.
Rhetorical questions in poetry often underscore a central thesis rather than seeking factual information.
2
Contextualize the line within the thematic framework of Birago Diop's *Vanity*.
The poem critiques modern Africans who neglect ancestral precepts, warning that vanity and self-sufficiency lead to spiritual abandonment.
Diop's poem centers on Negritude themes of cultural pride, ancestral veneration, and the dangers of cultural amnesia.
3
Evaluate the correct thematic synthesis among options.
The correct interpretation captures the vanity of expecting aid from ancestors whose legacy has been disregarded.
The silence of the dead symbolizes the consequences of severing cultural roots.

Key Concept

Thematic critique of cultural alienation and ancestral neglect in African Negritude poetry
Question 5Question →

Read the following lines from David Diop's prescribed African poem *Africa*:

"That tree young and strong
That tree there
In splendid loneliness amidst white and faded flowers
That is Africa your Africa
That grows again patiently obstinately
And its fruit gradually acquires
The bitter taste of liberty."

What does the metaphor of the "young and strong tree" growing amidst "white and faded flowers" primarily symbolize?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The resilience of the African continent undergoing rebirth and achieving independence despite the decline of colonial rule

Answer

The resilience of the African continent undergoing rebirth and achieving independence despite the decline of colonial rule.
The correct answer accurately identifies the allegorical nature of the excerpt. In David Diop's *Africa*, the 'young and strong tree' growing obstinately represents the enduring resilience and eventual rebirth of Africa as it moves toward independence. The 'white and faded flowers' symbolize colonial rule, which is fading and losing power. Thus, the image captures both the endurance of the continent and the hard-won victory of liberation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the poetic excerpt and identify key figurative devices
The phrase 'tree young and strong' serves as an extended metaphor for Africa, while 'white and faded flowers' represents declining colonial oppression.
Understanding the allegorical representation of the tree is essential to uncovering the poem's thematic message.
2
Examine the socio-political context of David Diop's *Africa*
David Diop was a prominent Negritude poet whose work focuses on anti-colonialism, national pride, and the struggle for African emancipation.
Contextualizing the poem helps connect poetic imagery to historical liberation movements.
3
Synthesize the metaphor with the climax line 'bitter taste of liberty'
The growth of the tree despite obstacles directly symbolizes the patient, obstinate rise of African independence.
Connecting the image of the growing tree to the attainment of liberty resolves the central symbolism of the stanza.

Key Concept

Symbolism and Anti-Colonial Themes in Prescribed African Poetry
Question 6Question →

Match each excerpt from the prescribed African poems in Column I with its primary thematic or stylistic focus in Column II.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

"Its nests are in our trees and its excrement has defiled the sacred places" (Kofi Awoonor, *The Weaver Bird*)
"Rage is a thief / That skulks in the dark corners of the mind" (Lade Wosornu, *Raider of the Treasure Trove*)
"The lion stakes his claim / To the open seat / But the hyena calls him a murderer" (Niyi Osundare, *The Leader and the Led*)
"Today retires he / From wheels of thirty years... / Boozed with joy, he crashes into a tree" (Onu Chibuike, *A Government Driver on his Retirement*)

Matches

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Answer

The correct pairings match each African poem excerpt to its central literary technique or thematic concern: 'The Weaver Bird' excerpt represents colonial intrusion allegorically; 'Raider of the Treasure Trove' uses metaphor to depict rage as a destructive thief; 'The Leader and the Led' employs animal fable satire to examine political rivalry; and 'A Government Driver on his Retirement' demonstrates tragic irony through a fatal celebratory crash.
Each poem excerpt is paired accurately according to its core thematic and stylistic device: *The Weaver Bird* functions as a colonial allegory; *Raider of the Treasure Trove* relies on the metaphorical personification of anger; *The Leader and the Led* employs animal fable satire to explore political leadership; and *A Government Driver on his Retirement* centers on tragic irony.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the symbolism in Kofi Awoonor's *The Weaver Bird*.
Identify that the bird's arrival, nesting, and defilement of sacred shrines symbolize Western colonization and cultural displacement.
Understanding colonial allegory is essential for contextualizing Awoonor's poetry.
2
Examine the figurative imagery in Lade Wosornu's *Raider of the Treasure Trove*.
Recognize that 'Rage' is personified as a thief stealing peace and joy from the human mind.
Identifying personification and metaphor clarifies Wosornu's moral message.
3
Evaluate the narrative technique in Niyi Osundare's *The Leader and the Led*.
Determine that the interaction between animals (lion, hyena, etc.) serves as a political fable satirizing governance in Africa.
Animal fable conventions are central to Osundare's political critique.
4
Assess the dramatic structure in Onu Chibuike's *A Government Driver on his Retirement*.
Connect the driver's decades of survival to his sudden death by intoxication on retirement day, proving dramatic/tragic irony.
Contrast between long-term survival and immediate fatal error establishes the tragic irony.

Key Concept

Analysis of Prescribed African Poems
Question 7Question →

Complete the statement regarding the allegorical symbolism in Kofi Awoonor's prescribed African poem *The Weaver Bird*.

Fill in the blanks below

In Kofi Awoonor's *The Weaver Bird*, the weaver bird functions as an allegorical representation of Western , while the defiled old shrine represents the displacement of traditional African .
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Answer

The weaver bird symbolizes Western colonizers/imperialism, while the defiled old shrine symbolizes traditional African culture/heritage.
In Kofi Awoonor's *The Weaver Bird*, the weaver bird allegorically represents Western colonizers (or imperialism) who arrived peacefully but gradually took over native territory. The defiled 'old shrine' symbolizes the erosion and displacement of traditional African culture and heritage under colonial rule.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary allegorical figure in Kofi Awoonor's poem *The Weaver Bird*.
The weaver bird represents European colonizers or Western imperialism entering the African continent under the pretext of harmony.
The poem uses the bird's aggressive nesting habits to mirror colonial intrusion and territorial expansion.
2
Determine what the defiled 'old shrine' represents in the context of the poem.
The old shrine represents indigenous African culture, customs, and ancestral traditions.
In African literature, sacred shrines symbolize cultural identity and religious heritage, which were alienated and polluted by foreign dominance.

Key Concept

Allegorical Symbolism in African Poetry
Question 8Question →

Read the excerpt below from Oswald Mtshali's prescribed African poem *Nightfall in Soweto*:

"Nightfall comes like
a dreaded disease
seeping through the pores
of a healthy body"

Which figure of speech is used in the lines above to introduce nightfall, and what central mood does it establish?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Simile, establishing an oppressive and menacing mood of fear.

Answer

Simile, establishing an oppressive and menacing mood of fear.
The poet employs the connective word 'like' to explicitly compare the onset of nightfall to a 'dreaded disease'. This simile conveys the pervasive terror and insecurity associated with nightfall in the poem, thereby establishing a menacing mood of fear.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary poetic device used in the excerpt.
The phrase 'Nightfall comes like a dreaded disease' directly compares nightfall to a disease using the connective word 'like', which defines a simile.
Recognizing explicit comparative connectives such as 'like' or 'as' differentiates a simile from an implied comparison like a metaphor.
2
Analyze the atmospheric effect and mood created by the imagery.
Associating the arrival of night with a 'dreaded disease' attacking a body evokes a tense, menacing, and fearful mood.
Poetic diction and imagery directly shape the emotional atmosphere (mood) experienced by the reader.

Key Concept

Identification of Poetic Devices and Mood in African Poetry
Question 9Question →

Match each poem excerpt in Column A with its corresponding prescribed African poem title, author, and primary thematic focus in Column B.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

"The casualties are not only those who are dead; / They are well who have lost / The power to expand..."
"The panic / of growing older / spread / flutter by flutter / like a sheet of newspaper / caught in the wind..."
"He was buried without a coffin / without a grave / without a song / without a prayer..."
"Sirens boot-footed acceleration / Pass through the night / Flash-flashing police cars / Winging their way..."

Matches

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Answer

Excerpt 1 matches J. P. Clark's 'The Casualties'; Excerpt 2 matches Lenrie Peters' 'The Panic of Growing Older'; Excerpt 3 matches Jared Angira's 'No Coffin, No Burial'; Excerpt 4 matches Dennis Brutus' 'Sirens, Knuckles, Boots'.
Each excerpt directly comes from a prescribed African poem in the JAMB UTME syllabus and embodies its signature thematic subject: J. P. Clark on war fallout, Lenrie Peters on aging anxiety, Jared Angira on political corruption, and Dennis Brutus on state repression.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the imagery and subject matter of each poetic excerpt.
Excerpt 1 addresses non-physical war victims; Excerpt 2 describes growing old; Excerpt 3 describes an unceremonious burial; Excerpt 4 describes police cars and sirens.
Identifying specific textual markers allows accurate correlation with prescribed syllabus poems.
2
Connect each excerpt to its respective author and central theme.
Excerpt 1 aligns with Clark's civil war poem; Excerpt 2 aligns with Peters' poem on aging; Excerpt 3 aligns with Angira's anti-corruption poem; Excerpt 4 aligns with Brutus' anti-apartheid poem.
JAMB UTME literature requires precise recall of prescribed African poems and their thematic concerns.

Key Concept

Thematic analysis and textual identification of prescribed African poems
Question 10Question →

Read the following lines from Onu Chibuike's prescribed African poem *Government Driver on His Retirement*:

"Today he retires he sings
He rolls out the drums he celebrates
...
Come friends and rejoice with me"

Which of the following best describes the tragic irony underlying the protagonist's celebration in the poem?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: His jubilant celebration and heavy drinking lead directly to a fatal car crash on the very day he gains his freedom.

Answer

His jubilant celebration and heavy drinking lead directly to a fatal car crash on the very day he gains his freedom.
In Onu Chibuike's poem, situational irony occurs because the driver's ecstatic celebration of surviving thirty years of strict road rules directly leads to his death when he drives while intoxicated. His long-awaited freedom is immediately cut short by his own celebratory indulgence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the narrative progression in Onu Chibuike's *Government Driver on His Retirement*.
The driver completes thirty years of faithful service, acquires a car, and throws an exuberant drinking party to celebrate his freedom.
Understanding the plot sequence is essential for analyzing structural and situational irony.
2
Examine the poem's resolution to determine the outcome of the celebration.
Intoxicated by booze and excitement, he drives recklessly and crashes into a heavy tree, dying instantly.
Situational irony occurs when the outcome is starkly opposite to the protagonist's expectation of enjoying long life in retirement.

Key Concept

Thematic Analysis and Situational Irony in Prescribed African Poetry
Question 11Question →

Match each excerpt from the prescribed African poems in Column A with its corresponding dominant literary device or thematic function in Column B.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

"Like a fly in amber trapped in time / Rage is a thief that steals our joy" (Lade Wosornu, Raider of the Treasure Trove)
"Like a sculpted mono-face / Like a momentum of a song / Stifled in the throat of time" (Oumar Farouk Sesay, The Song of the Women of my Land)
"They tear the clothes off our backs / And sell them to buy whips to beat us" (Agostinho Neto, The Grieved Lands)
"Today frees he on wheels / Twenty-five years of obedience / Come and booze with me" (Onu Chibuike, A Government Driver on his Retirement)

Matches

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Answer

Matching pairs: Excerpt 1 matches Simile illustrating destructive emotion; Excerpt 2 matches Imagery emphasizing erosion of ancestral oral heritage; Excerpt 3 matches Paradoxical critique of colonial exploitation; Excerpt 4 matches Tragic irony of freedom leading to reckless self-destruction.
Each excerpt aligns precisely with its thematic and stylistic function: Wosornu's line uses simile to illustrate emotional entrapment, Sesay's excerpt employs imagery of stifling to depict lost cultural songs, Neto's lines express the paradox of colonial exploitation, and Chibuike's poem displays tragic irony in retirement celebration.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze excerpt 1 from 'Raider of the Treasure Trove'
Identified simile ('Like a fly in amber') representing the entrapment of human potential caused by toxic emotions like rage.
Wosornu explicitly warns against rage as a thief of joy and life achievement.
2
Analyze excerpt 2 from 'The Song of the Women of my Land'
Identified imagery of suppression depicting how modern shifts stifle traditional oral music and historical memory.
Sesay laments the silencing of ancestral songs across passage of time.
3
Analyze excerpt 3 from 'The Grieved Lands'
Identified paradoxical representation of colonial violence where victims' stripped wealth funds their own oppressors' weaponry.
Neto exposes the perversity of imperialist oppression.
4
Analyze excerpt 4 from 'A Government Driver on his Retirement'
Identified tragic irony where the celebration of 25 years of service culminates in a fatal crash caused by drunk driving.
Chibuike contrasts decades of strict obedience with sudden reckless indulgence upon retirement.

Key Concept

Analysis of Prescribed African Poems
Question 12Question →

In John Pepper Clark's prescribed African poem *Night Rain*, the line "It is wooden paddles shuddering in a bowl" is an example of which literary device?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Metaphor

Answer

Metaphor
The option identifying the figure of speech as a metaphor is correct because the poet directly equates the sound of rain dripping onto the roof or into container vessels with the rhythmic movement of wooden paddles in a bowl, omitting comparative markers such as 'like' or 'as'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the poetic line from J. P. Clark's *Night Rain*
The text reads: "It is wooden paddles shuddering in a bowl".
Analyzing the exact phrasing reveals how the sound of rain is being described.
2
Identify the comparative structure used by the poet
The sound of rain is equated directly to "wooden paddles shuddering in a bowl" without using 'like' or 'as'.
A direct equivalence between two unlike things constitutes a metaphor.

Key Concept

Metaphor in African Poetry
Question 13Question →

Complete the statement regarding the thematic focus of Lenrie Peters' prescribed African poem 'The Panic of Growing Older' by filling in the missing term. Which psychological state describes the ultimate outcome of unfulfilled expectations in aging?

Fill in the blanks below

In Lenrie Peters' prescribed African poem *The Panic of Growing Older*, as youthful hopes fade and expectations remain unmet, the speaker notes that growing older ultimately settles into a state of .
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct answer is 'disillusionment' (or 'despair' / 'resignation'), reflecting the central thematic progression of unfulfilled hopes in Lenrie Peters' poem.
The correct response highlights disillusionment or despair, which directly reflects the central theme of Lenrie Peters' 'The Panic of Growing Older', where the passage of time reveals the gap between youthful ambition and adult reality.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the thematic arc of Lenrie Peters' poem 'The Panic of Growing Older'.
The poem charts the transition from youthful optimism to the psychological burden of aging.
Understanding the emotional shift helps identify the specific outcome of aging portrayed in the text.
2
Identify the specific term that captures the emotional state caused by failed expectations.
As promises of youth fail to materialize, the speaker experiences disillusionment and quiet despair.
The poem emphasizes how unfulfilled expectations lead to a quiet acceptance of failure rather than active rebellion.

Key Concept

Thematic analysis of emotional progression and disillusionment in Lenrie Peters' 'The Panic of Growing Older'
Question 14Question →

Read the excerpt below from John Pepper Clark's prescribed African poem *The Casualties*:

'The casualties are not only those who are dead;
They are well out of it, because they do not hear the shriek of shrapnel
In the night of their burial...'

In the context of the poem's thematic exploration of the Nigerian Civil War, which of the following best expresses the primary significance of the speaker's assertion about 'the casualties'?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: It redefines casualties to encompass the living survivors who endure psychological trauma, moral degradation, and social fragmentation.

Answer

The speaker's assertion redefines casualties to encompass the living survivors who endure psychological trauma, moral degradation, and social fragmentation.
In J.P. Clark's *The Casualties*, the poet expands the definition of war casualties beyond those who suffered physical death. By noting that the dead 'do not hear the shriek of shrapnel', the speaker emphasizes that the true, enduring burden of war falls upon the living who must navigate psychological scars, broken relationships, and national destruction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the poetic excerpt and thematic context
The opening line directly states that casualties are 'not only those who are dead', establishing a contrast between physical death and ongoing survival.
Understanding the speaker's main thesis requires examining how the concept of 'casualty' is extended.
2
Evaluate the socio-historical significance in prescribed African poetry
J.P. Clark's *The Casualties* addresses the Nigerian Civil War, stressing that non-combatants, friends, and surviving citizens suffer moral, psychological, and communal ruin.
The poem highlights the lingering human costs borne by the living after combat ends.
3
Differentiate the correct thematic interpretation from distractors
The option asserting that casualties include living survivors who face psychological trauma and societal breakdown accurately captures the poem's core meaning.
Distractors either misidentify rhetorical devices or invert the poem's broader stance on civil trauma.

Key Concept

Thematic expansion of war trauma in African poetry
Question 15Question →

Read the excerpt below from Gabriel Okara's prescribed African poem *Piano and Drums*:

"Then I hear a wailing piano
solo speaking of complex ways
in tear-furrowed lands of lost rhythm..."

How does the poet's choice of diction and figurative language in this excerpt contribute to the overall tone and thematic tension of the poem?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: It employs personification and melancholic diction to highlight the perplexing and emotionally distressing complexity of Western culture.

Answer

The poet uses personification and melancholic diction to highlight the perplexing and emotionally distressing complexity of Western culture.
The correct option accurately identifies the use of personification ('wailing piano', 'speaking of complex ways') and affective diction ('tear-furrowed') to communicate the speaker's sense of alienation and emotional turmoil when facing the intricate nature of Western civilization.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the figurative language in the excerpt
The piano is described as 'wailing' and 'speaking of complex ways', which attributes human actions and feelings to an inanimate instrument (personification).
Identifying the poetic device reveals how the speaker projects emotional quality onto the Western instrument.
2
Examine the word choice (diction) and sensory associations
Descriptors such as 'wailing', 'complex', 'tear-furrowed', and 'lost rhythm' evoke sadness, complication, and disorientation.
Diction shapes the reader's understanding of the speaker's internal state when confronting Western influences.
3
Synthesize the device and diction with the poem's central theme
In Okara's poem, the 'drums' symbolize primal, intuitive African heritage, while the 'piano' represents intricate, alienating Western civilization. The excerpt's tone emphasizes the angst and confusion caused by this cultural clash.
Connecting device analysis to thematic context confirms that the piano represents the troubling intrigue and complexity of foreign culture.

Key Concept

Analysis of Poetic Diction, Imagery, and Cultural Conflict in Prescribed African Poetry
Question 16Question →

Read the excerpt below from Léopold Sédar Senghor's prescribed African poem *Black Woman*:

"Naked woman, black woman
Clothed in your colour which is life, in your form which is beauty!"

Which figure of speech is primarily exemplified in the expression "your colour which is life"?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Metaphor

Answer

Metaphor
The expression 'your colour which is life' directly equates the woman's skin color with life itself without using comparative markers like 'like' or 'as', which is the defining characteristic of a metaphor.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the poetic line for figurative language
The line 'your colour which is life' directly identifies 'colour' with 'life'.
Directly asserting that one thing is another establishes an implicit comparison.
2
Identify the specific figure of speech
Since no comparative conjunction (such as 'like' or 'as') is used, the device is a metaphor.
A metaphor makes a direct substitution or equivalence between two distinct ideas or objects.

Key Concept

Identification of Poetic Metaphor in Prescribed African Poetry
Question 17Question →

Fill in the blank with the appropriate term to complete the statement regarding Birago Diop's prescribed poem *Vanity*.

Fill in the blanks below

In Birago Diop's poem *Vanity*, the speaker criticizes the living for neglecting ancestral , warning that ignoring the spiritual counsel of the forefathers renders all worldly complaints useless.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The missing term is 'wisdom' (or 'voices', 'heritage', 'tradition').
In Birago Diop's *Vanity*, the central theme revolves around the futility of human lamentation when people cut themselves off from ancestral wisdom and cultural heritage. The poet uses rhetorical questions to show that when disaster strikes, the ancestors will not listen because their warnings and tradition were previously mocked and ignored.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the thematic focus of Birago Diop's poem *Vanity*.
The poem focuses on African Negritude ideals, highlighting how modern Africans abandon ancestral counsel and traditions.
Understanding the central message of the poem helps identify the key concept being described.
2
Identify the missing core element that the speaker claims the living have ignored.
The speaker explicitly decries the failure to listen to the dead ancestors whose wisdom and voices warned against cultural alienation.
Completing the statement requires selecting the noun that accurately reflects the ancestral guidance neglected by the living.

Key Concept

Neglect of Ancestral Wisdom in African Poetry
Question 18Question →

Read the excerpt below from Niyi Osundare's prescribed African poem *The Leader and the Led*:

"The hyena says the crown is his
But the elephants shudder at his bad breath"

Which figure of speech is primarily employed in these lines to attribute human speech and traits to animals?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Personification

Answer

Personification is the primary figure of speech used in the excerpt.
The excerpt endows animals with the human capacity for speech and political ambition ('says the crown is his'). Giving human actions, speech, or attributes to non-human creatures is the exact definition of personification.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the attributes and actions described in the poem extract.
The hyena is depicted as claiming a 'crown' and speaking, while elephants react to political flaws described metaphorically as 'bad breath'.
Identifying the nature of the actions helps determine the figurative device.
2
Match the observed device to standard literary definitions.
Giving human capabilities, social ambitions, and speech to animals is defined as personification.
The poet uses personification to create an animal allegory representing political leadership.

Key Concept

Personification in African Poetic Allegory
Question 19Question →

Match each excerpt from the prescribed African poems in Column A with its corresponding central theme or message in Column B.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

Gabriel Okara's 'Piano and Drums': "...then I hear a wailing piano / solo speaking of complex ways / in tear-furrowed phrasing..."
Agostinho Neto's 'The Grieved Lands': "The grieved lands of Africa / in the tearful woes of ancient and modern slave / in the imperishable vitality of victims..."
Onu Chibuike's 'A Government Driver on his Retirement': "Today frees me from many years / Of heeding the commands of the bell..."
Lade Wosornu's 'Raider of the Treasure Trove': "Rage is an enemy to health / It steals your joy and peace of mind..."

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

Gabriel Okara's 'Piano and Drums' matches the tension between African heritage and Western civilization. Agostinho Neto's 'The Grieved Lands' matches the enduring resilience of the African spirit. Onu Chibuike's 'A Government Driver on his Retirement' matches the celebration of freedom after long service. Lade Wosornu's 'Raider of the Treasure Trove' matches the warning against destructive rage.
Each excerpt directly illustrates its corresponding thematic focus: Okara explores cultural duality, Neto depicts African resilience, Chibuike depicts retirement relief, and Wosornu warns against destructive anger.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the core imagery and thematic focus of each poem excerpt
Identify key themes such as cultural conflict, historical endurance, retirement celebration, and emotional self-control
Excerpts from prescribed African poems directly express their central thematic concerns through diction and imagery
2
Pair each excerpt with its matching thematic statement based on textual evidence
Establish correct pairings between each poet's lines and their primary thematic message
Accurate thematic identification requires correlating specific poetic lines to their overarching subject matter

Key Concept

Thematic Analysis of Prescribed African Poems
Question 20Question →

Read the contextual statement below regarding Kofi Awoonor's poem. Which term accurately completes the statement about its central thematic focus?

Fill in the blanks below

In Kofi Awoonor's prescribed poem *The Anvil and the Hammer*, the poet explores the cultural clash and desired synthesis between indigenous African heritage and intruding influences.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

Western (or European)
In *The Anvil and the Hammer*, Kofi Awoonor depicts the tension between traditional African customs and Western (or European) culture, advocating for a synthesis where both elements are reshaped into a harmonious modern identity.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary cultural dialectic presented in Kofi Awoonor's *The Anvil and the Hammer*.
The poem contrasts native African traditions with foreign colonial culture.
The poem uses the metaphor of forging on an anvil to represent crafting a new post-colonial identity from traditional African roots and Western influences.

Key Concept

Analysis of Prescribed African Poems
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Analysis of Prescribed African Poems Practice Questions — JAMB UTME | Examkin