WAEC 2016 Literature in English · Question 2

A Poem that celebrates an object, person or event is

Options

  1. A.a sonnet
  2. B.a dirge
  3. C.an ode
  4. D.a balled

Answer: C. an ode

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the type of poem that celebrates (praises or honours) an object, person or event.

Step 2: Review each option

  • A. Sonnet: a 14-line poem, often about love or a reflective theme. It is defined by its form, not by celebration.
  • B. Dirge: a mournful poem or song for the dead. It laments rather than celebrates.
  • C. Ode: a lyric poem that praises or glorifies a person, object, or event. Examples are Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn".
  • D. Ballad (spelled "balled" in the question, which is likely a typo): a narrative poem that tells a story, often in short stanzas and meant to be sung. Its focus is storytelling, not celebration.

Step 3: Identify the answer The poem that celebrates an object, person or event is an ode.

Step 4: Exam tip Match each poem type to its purpose:

  • Ode = Ovation (praise)
  • Dirge = Death (mourning)
  • Ballad = Big story (narrative)
  • Sonnet = Sixteen? No, 14 lines
  • Elegy = lament for the dead (similar to a dirge)

If you see "praise," "celebrate," or "glorify" in a poetry question, think ode.

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