JAMB 2018 Literature in English · Question 11

Group of lines are called _____

Options

  1. A.Sentences
  2. B.Stanzas
  3. C.Danzas
  4. D.Line Grouping

Answer: B. Stanzas

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: The question asks for the correct term for a group of lines in a poem.

Explain the concept: In poetry, lines are arranged into units, much like paragraphs in prose. Each unit is called a stanza. Stanzas are usually separated by a blank space. They often share a rhyme scheme or a similar rhythm. Common types include:

  • Couplet (2 lines)
  • Tercet (3 lines)
  • Quatrain (4 lines)
  • Sestet (6 lines)
  • Octave (8 lines)

Step-by-step solution:

  1. A. Sentences: These are grammatical units of words. A sentence can run across several lines of a poem or sit inside a single line, so it is not the term for a group of lines.
  2. B. Stanzas: This is the correct technical term for a group of lines forming a unit in a poem.
  3. C. Danzas: This is not a literary term. It looks like a distractor built to resemble "stanzas".
  4. D. Line Grouping: This is not a recognised literary term.

Answer: The correct option is B. Stanzas.

Exam tip: Remember that a stanza is to a poem what a paragraph is to an essay. Also, don't confuse a stanza with a verse, which can mean a single line or the poem as a whole. In JAMB Literature, if you see "group of lines", think "stanza" straight away.

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