D. Titania falling in love with Bottom

A. the celebration of the royal marriage

B. the king's decision to banish Hermia

C. Oberon's threat to punish Titania

D. Titania falling in love with Bottom

The rehearsal is in preparation for

A. Egeus' acceptance of Lysander

D. Titania waking up from a dream

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WAEC (WASSCE) 2021

2021 WAEC (WASSCE) Literature in English Past Questions and Answers

The 2021 WAEC (WASSCE) Literature in English past questions with answers: 48 objective questions from the 2021 paper in the DeeepSolve question bank, each with its answer behind "Show answer". Try each question before you check, then practise the paper as a timed WAEC-style CBT.

Practise this paper as a timed WAEC-style CBT All WAEC (WASSCE) Literature in English years

Questions

1.
Night evolves in the speakers'
1. A.huge responsibilities
2. B.contracting feelings
3. C.despairing thoughts
4. D.erotic feelings
Show answer
Answer: B. contracting feelings
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2.
Utopia is a term used to describe
1. A.strange circumstances
2. B.difficult conditions
3. C.pleasant feelings
4. D.ideal societies
Show answer
Answer: D. ideal societies
AI explanation
Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the meaning of the literary term "utopia."
Step 2: Explain the concept The word "utopia" comes from Sir Thomas More's 1516 book Utopia. He coined it from Greek words meaning "no place" (ou-topos), and it also puns on "good place" (eu-topos). It describes an imaginary place or society where everything is perfect, with ideal laws, government, and social conditions. In literature, it is often contrasted with dystopia, a society marked by suffering, oppression, or fear (as in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four).
Step 3: Evaluate the options
A. Strange circumstances: This describes something odd or unusual. It is not the meaning of utopia.
B. Difficult conditions: This is closer to the idea of dystopia or hardship, so it is the opposite of utopia.
C. Pleasant feelings: Utopia is not about feelings. It refers to a whole society or place, so this is too narrow and misses the point.
D. Ideal societies: This fits the definition of a perfect, imagined community.
Step 4: Answer The correct option is D. ideal societies.
Exam tip: Remember U-topia = "Ultimate place", a perfect world. For its opposite, think "Dys" for "Distress": dystopia is a society full of suffering. Literary terms like these often appear in the WASSCE and JAMB Literature papers.
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3.
The occasion is
1. A.the celebration of the royal marriage
2. B.the king's decision to banish Hermia
3. C.Oberon's threat to punish Titania
4. D.Titania falling in love with Bottom
Show answer
Answer: D. Titania falling in love with Bottom
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4.
A recurring idea, image, or a group of images that unifies a work of literature is
1. A.motif
2. B.allusion
3. C.legend
4. D.anecdote
Show answer
Answer: A. motif
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5.
Speaker X is
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.Hermia
2. B.Philostrate
3. C.Demetrius
4. D.Lysander
Show answer
Answer: A. Hermia
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6.
Something a character says on stage that is meant for the audience alone is
1. A.an epilogue
2. B.a mine
3. C.a soliloguy
4. D.an aside
Show answer
Answer: D. an aside
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7.This question needs a diagram, table or passage that we don't have yet, so it isn't shown.
8.
An inscription on a tombstone is an
1. A.epitaph
2. B.epistle
3. C.epigram
4. D.ode
Show answer
Answer: A. epitaph
AI explanation
Analyze the question: The question asks for the literary term for a short inscription written on a tombstone, the writing that honours a dead person.
Explain the concept: Each option is a different literary form:
Epitaph: a short piece of writing inscribed on a tomb or gravestone in memory of the dead. The word comes from the Greek epi (upon) and taphos (tomb).
Epistle: a letter, especially a formal or literary one, such as the epistles in the New Testament.
Epigram: a short, witty, often satirical saying or poem, usually in a single statement.
Ode: a lyrical poem addressing and praising a person, object, or idea, such as Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale".
Step-by-step solution:
The question is about writing on a tombstone, so we need a term connected with death and burial.
An epistle is a letter, so it is not connected with tombs. Eliminate B.
An epigram is a witty saying and has nothing to do with graves. Eliminate C.
An ode is a praise poem and is not specific to tombstones. Eliminate D.
Epitaph literally means "upon a tomb", which matches the question exactly.
Answer: The correct option is A. epitaph.
Exam tip: Link the prefix and the meaning. Epi-taph = "upon the tomb", and taphos sounds a bit like "tomb". Also remember that an epistle is a letter, and the "pist" in it can remind you of "post". Questions on literary terms often pick these look-alike words, so learn their meanings together.
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9.
The poet's tone is
1. A.Supplicatory
2. B.defiant
3. C.conciliatory
4. D.compliant
Show answer
Answer: B. defiant
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10.
The speaker is involved in putting on
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.a scene
2. B.skit
3. C.an act
4. D.a play
Show answer
Answer: D. a play
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11.
The speech is A. romanticB. satiric c. comicD. tragic
1. A.romantic
2. B.satiric
3. C.comic
4. D.tragic
Show answer
Answer: B. satiric
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12.
The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is
1. A.aabcc
2. B.ababac
3. C.aabbc
4. D.abbac
Show answer
Answer: D. abbac
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13.
Speaker Y is a member of
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.Theseus' retinue
2. B.Titania's retinue
3. C.the group of actors
4. D.the group of lovers
Show answer
Answer: A. Theseus' retinue
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14.
The speech is part of the
1. A.prologue
2. B.epilogue
3. C.exposition
4. D.lyric
Show answer
Answer: C. exposition
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15.
does it stink like rotten meat? makes use of the sense of
1. A.taste
2. B.touch
3. C.sight
4. D.smell
Show answer
Answer: D. smell
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16.
Nando's family lives within the lower income bracket illustrates
1. A.sarcasm
2. B.allusion
3. C.climax
4. D.euphemism
Show answer
Answer: D. euphemism
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17.
ldentify the odd item:
1. A.third-person narrative
2. B.literary appreciation
3. C.first-person narrative
4. D.epistolary technique
Show answer
Answer: B. literary appreciation
AI explanation
Analyze the question: You are asked to find the item that does not belong with the others. Three options probably share a category, and one does not.
Explain the concept: In prose fiction, point of view and narrative technique describe how a story is told:
Third-person narrative: the narrator is outside the story and uses "he/she/they".
First-person narrative: the narrator is a character and uses "I".
Epistolary technique: the story is told through letters or diary entries (for example, The Color Purple, or So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ).
Literary appreciation is different. It is not a way of telling a story. It is the study or critical evaluation of a literary work, where you assess its themes, style, characters and language.
Solution:
A, C and D are all narrative techniques or modes of narration.
B is an act of critical response to a text, not a narrative technique.
So B is the odd item.
Answer: B. Literary appreciation.
Tip: For "odd item" questions, first name the category the majority share (here, ways of narrating a story). Then pick the option that belongs to a different category (here, a way of studying literature).
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18.
The rehearsal is in preparation for
1. A.Egeus' acceptance of Lysander
2. B.the dance of the faries
3. C.Theseus' wedding
4. D.Titania waking up from a dream
Show answer
Answer: C. Theseus' wedding
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19.
The chorus normally features prominently in
1. A.poetry
2. B.the epic
3. C.the novel
4. D.drama
Show answer
Answer: D. drama
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20.
The dominant literary device is
1. A.the epithet
2. B.the rhetorical question
3. C.verbal irony
4. D.paradox
Show answer
Answer: A. the epithet
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21.
They intend to rehearse the play
1. A.a Midsummer Night's Dream
2. B.Pyramus and Thisby
3. C.The tradegy of lovers
4. D.The Battle of Royal
Show answer
Answer: B. Pyramus and Thisby
AI explanation
Analyze the question: This is a Literature-in-English question on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The "they" who "intend to rehearse the play" are the mechanicals (the rude craftsmen of Athens): Bottom the weaver, Quince the carpenter, Flute the bellows-mender, Snout, Snug, and Starveling.
Explain the concept: In the play, Peter Quince and his fellow workmen want to perform a play for Duke Theseus's wedding to Hippolyta. Quince hands out the parts in Act 1, Scene 2. They agree to rehearse secretly in the woods outside Athens, where they meet Puck and Titania's enchantment falls on Bottom.
Step by step:
The play they perform is "The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby."
Bottom plays Pyramus, Flute plays Thisby, Quince speaks the Prologue, Snout plays the Wall, Starveling plays Moonshine, and Snug plays the Lion.
They rehearse in the palace wood, which sets up the fairy interference.
Option A, A Midsummer Night's Dream, is the title of the whole play they appear in, not the play they rehearse.
Options C and D are invented distractors.
Answer: The play they intend to rehearse is Pyramus and Thisby, which is option B.
Exam tip: Remember that the "play within a play" in A Midsummer Night's Dream is Pyramus and Thisby. When a question asks what the mechanicals rehearse or perform, think of Quince's troupe and that tragic love story, which is ironically a comedy for the audience.
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22.
The speaker is addressing
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.artists
2. B.painters
3. C.actors
4. D.writers
Show answer
Answer: B. painters
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23.
The feelings is conveyed by the
1. A.mouldings on the door
2. B.boys; actions
3. C.tender care of his mother
4. D.little girl's taunts
Show answer
Answer: C. tender care of his mother
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24.
The speaker is
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.Flute
2. B.Quince
3. C.Bottom
4. D.Philostrate
Show answer
Answer: A. Flute
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25.
A pause within a line of poetry is
1. A.an alliteration
2. B.a caesura
3. C.a metre
4. D.an assonance
Show answer
Answer: B. a caesura
AI explanation
Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the term used for a pause within a line of poetry. The key phrase is "within a line."
Step 2: Explain the concept Let's look at each option:
Alliteration: repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words, e.g. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
Caesura: a deliberate pause or break within a line of verse, often marked by punctuation such as a comma, full stop, or dash. Example: "To err is human, || to forgive divine."
Metre: the rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line (e.g. iambic pentameter).
Assonance: repetition of the same vowel sound in nearby words, e.g. "The rain in Spain."
Step 3: Solve Only the caesura describes a pause inside a line. The word comes from the Latin caedere, "to cut," so you can think of it as a "cut" in the middle of a line. The other options concern sound repetition (alliteration, assonance) or rhythm pattern (metre), not pauses.
Step 4: Answer The correct option is B. a caesura.
Tip: Link caesura with cut or cease. Both suggest stopping. Also remember that a pause at the end of a line without punctuation is called enjambment when the sense runs on, and an end-stopped line when it pauses at the end. Caesura is always inside the line.
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26.
The lawyer addressed the bench illustrates
1. A.simile
2. B.oxymoron
3. C.alliteration
4. D.metonymy
Show answer
Answer: D. metonymy
AI explanation
Analyze the question: "The lawyer addressed the bench." We need the figure of speech. Here, "the bench" does not mean the physical seat. It stands for the judge or judges.
Explain the concept:
Simile: compares two things using "like" or "as" (e.g., "brave as a lion").
Oxymoron: joins two contradictory terms (e.g., "deafening silence").
Alliteration: repeats the same initial consonant sound in nearby words (e.g., "Peter picked pepper").
Metonymy: replaces a thing's name with something closely associated with it (e.g., "the crown" for the king, "the press" for journalists).
Solution:
There is no "like" or "as", so it is not a simile (A).
There are no contradictory terms, so it is not an oxymoron (B).
The words "lawyer addressed the bench" do not repeat an initial sound in any meaningful pattern, so it is not alliteration (C).
"The bench" is the seat where judges sit. It is used to represent the judge or the court. Substituting an associated object for the person or institution is metonymy.
Answer: D. metonymy.
Tip: Ask yourself, "Is the word naming something by a closely linked object?" Examples are "the bench" for judges, "the throne" for a king, and "the bar" for lawyers. If so, it is metonymy. If it compares using "like" or "as", it is simile.
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27.
The dominant mood is one of
1. A.sadness
2. B.fear
3. C.joy
4. D.optimism
Show answer
Answer: B. fear
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28.
Speaker X sees Speaker Y
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.as a pretender
2. B.as a past lover
3. C.for the first time
4. D.for the last time
Show answer
Answer: B. as a past lover
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29.
The main actors will be
1. A.Snug and Snout
2. B.Philostrate and Starveling
3. C.Mustardseed
4. D.Quince and Bottom
Show answer
Answer: D. Quince and Bottom
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30.
A dramatic performance without words is
1. A.mime
2. B.an aside
3. C.a monologue
4. D.a soliloguy
Show answer
Answer: A. mime
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31.This question needs a diagram, table or passage that we don't have yet, so it isn't shown.
32.
. ..and he had rushed at them, scattering them as some strieked and some laughed illustrates
1. A.onomatopoeia
2. B.climax
3. C.metaphor
4. D.metonymy
Show answer
Answer: A. onomatopoeia
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33.
A story which explains a natural phenomenon or justifies the beliefs of a society is A. myth B. legend C. motif D. fable
1. A.myth
2. B.legend
3. C.motif
4. D.fable
Show answer
Answer: A. myth
AI explanation
Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the type of story that does two things: it explains a natural phenomenon (such as why the sun rises or how rivers began) or justifies the beliefs of a society (such as religious or cultural beliefs).
Step 2: Explain each term
Myth: A traditional story, often involving gods, spirits, or supernatural beings, that explains natural events, the origin of the world, or the customs and beliefs of a people. Example: the Yoruba story of how Obatala created human beings, or the story of how Earth and Sky separated.
Legend: A story about a real or semi-historical hero or event that has been exaggerated over time. Example: Sundiata of Mali, or Moremi of Ile-Ife. It focuses on a person's deeds, not on explaining nature.
Motif: A recurring element, idea, image, or theme in a literary work (for example, the motif of journey or of betrayal). It is not a type of story.
Fable: A short story, usually with animals as characters, that teaches a moral lesson. Example: the tortoise and the hare.
Step 3: Match the definition
Explaining natural phenomena or justifying societal beliefs matches myth.
Legend concerns historical heroes, so it does not fit.
Motif is a literary device, not a story.
Fable teaches morals and does not explain nature or beliefs.
Answer: A. myth
Exam tip: Remember it this way:
Myth = Meaning of the world (why things happen)
Legend = Leader or hero
Fable = Furry animals with a moral lesson
Motif = Motif repeats in a work
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34.
a short play performed in the pause between the act of a longer play is
1. A.denouement
2. B.interlude
3. C.prologue
4. D.epilogue
Show answer
Answer: B. interlude
AI explanation
Step 1: Analyze the question We need the term for a short play performed in the pause between the acts of a longer play.
Step 2: Explain the concepts
Denouement: the final resolution of the plot, where the conflicts are untied. It is part of the story, not a separate short play.
Interlude: a short performance (a short play, song, or dance) put on between the acts of a longer play, or between parts of an event.
Prologue: an introduction that comes at the beginning of a play, usually a speech or short scene that sets the background.
Epilogue: a closing speech or short scene at the end of a play, often giving a final comment or moral.
Step 3: Match the definition The key phrase is "in the pause between the acts." Only an interlude happens in the middle of a play, between acts. A prologue comes before the play and an epilogue comes after it. A denouement is a stage in the plot, not a separate performance.
Step 4: Answer The correct option is B. interlude.
Tip: Think of "inter-" as in interval, international, or interval between acts. "Inter" means "between," so an interlude is what happens between. Also remember "pro-" means before (prologue) and "epi-" means after or upon (epilogue).
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35.
A three-line stanza, rhymed ABA, BCB, CDC is a
1. A.couplet
2. B.haiku
3. C.terza rima
4. D.heroic couplet
Show answer
Answer: C. terza rima
AI explanation
Analyze the question: The question describes a poem built from three-line stanzas (tercets) with an interlocking rhyme scheme: ABA, BCB, CDC. We need the term for this form.
Explain the concept: Let's look at each option.
Couplet: two rhyming lines (AA). It has two lines, not three, so it doesn't fit.
Haiku: a Japanese form of three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. It is defined by syllable count, not by an interlocking rhyme scheme.
Terza rima: an Italian form of three-line stanzas with interlocking rhyme. The middle line of each stanza provides the rhyme for the first and third lines of the next stanza (ABA, BCB, CDC...). Dante used it in The Divine Comedy. Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" is a well-known English example.
Heroic couplet: two rhyming lines of iambic pentameter (used by Pope and Dryden). Again, it has two lines, not three.
Solution:
The stanzas have three lines each, so couplets and heroic couplets are ruled out.
The rhyme scheme links the stanzas: the "B" rhyme in the middle of stanza 1 becomes the outer rhyme of stanza 2, and the "C" in the middle of stanza 2 becomes the outer rhyme of stanza 3.
A haiku has no such chain rhyme.
This interlocking pattern is the signature of terza rima.
Answer: C. terza rima
Tip: "Terza" means "third" in Italian, so think of three-line stanzas. To remember the rhyme chain, picture it as a rope linking the stanzas: ABA, BCB, CDC. Also remember Dante, Italian, terza rima, and Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind."
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36.
A dramatist is someone who....plays
1. A.writes
2. B.dírects
3. C.commissions
4. D.promotes
Show answer
Answer: A. writes
AI explanation
Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the correct verb to complete "A dramatist is someone who ____ plays." It tests your knowledge of literary terms and the roles connected with drama.
Step 2: Explain the concept The word dramatist comes from the Greek drama, meaning "action" or "a thing done." A dramatist is another name for a playwright, a person who composes or authors plays for the stage. Here are the roles in the options and who does each:
Writes: the dramatist or playwright (e.g., Wole Soyinka, J.P. Clark, Ola Rotimi)
Directs: the director, who guides actors and manages the staging
Commissions: a patron or producer, who requests and pays for a play to be written
Promotes: a publicist or promoter, who advertises and markets the production
Step 3: Work through the options
A. writes: matches the definition of a dramatist or playwright. ✔
B. directs: this describes a director, not a dramatist.
C. commissions: this is the work of a sponsor or producer.
D. promotes: this is the work of a publicist or promoter.
Step 4: Answer A dramatist is someone who writes plays.
Tip: Learn the "-wright" idea. A playwright is a "play-maker" (like a wheelwright makes wheels). Dramatist = playwright = the one who writes the play. In WASSCE Literature, also keep these apart: dramatist (writes), director (guides the staging), actor (performs), and producer (finances and organizes).
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37.
The speaker is A. Bottom B. PeaseblossomC.
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.Bottom
2. B.Peaseblossom
3. C.Quince
4. D.Puck
Show answer
Answer: A. Bottom
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38.
I feel a million times better than I felt yesterday is
1. A.an apostrophe
2. B.a euphemism
3. C.an irony
4. D.a hyperbole
Show answer
Answer: D. a hyperbole
AI explanation
Step 1: Analyze the question We are asked to identify the figure of speech in the sentence: "I feel a million times better than I felt yesterday."
Step 2: Explain the concepts
Apostrophe: Addressing an absent person, a dead person, or an abstract idea as if it were present and could respond (e.g., "O Death, where is thy sting?").
Euphemism: Using a mild or polite expression in place of a harsh or unpleasant one (e.g., "He passed away" instead of "He died").
Irony: Saying the opposite of what you mean, or a situation where the outcome is the opposite of what is expected (e.g., saying "What lovely weather!" during a storm).
Hyperbole: Deliberate, extravagant exaggeration used for emphasis, not meant to be taken literally.
Step 3: Apply to the sentence
No one is being addressed, so it is not an apostrophe.
Nothing harsh is being softened, so it is not a euphemism.
The speaker means what they say in spirit (they feel much better), and there is no contrast between meaning and statement, so it is not irony.
"A million times better" cannot be measured literally. Feeling is not quantifiable in this way, so this is a deliberate exaggeration to stress how much better the speaker feels. That is hyperbole.
Step 4: Answer The correct option is D. a hyperbole.
Exam tip: Look for numbers or extreme words like "million," "forever," "never-ending," or "a thousand times." These are strong signals of hyperbole. Remember: Hyperbole = Huge exaggeration.
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39.This question needs a diagram, table or passage that we don't have yet, so it isn't shown.
40.
The most intense part of a conflict is the
1. A.resolution
2. B.climax
3. C.denouement
4. D.deus ex machina
Show answer
Answer: B. climax
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41.
The main character is
1. A.playful
2. B.inquisitive
3. C.sad
4. D.humorous
Show answer
Answer: A. playful
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42.
We wear the mask that grins and lies illustrate
1. A.irony
2. B.personification
3. C.synecdoche
4. D.alliteration
Show answer
Answer: B. personification
AI explanation
Analyze the question: The line "We wear the mask that grins and lies" is the opening of Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem We Wear the Mask. You are asked which literary device it illustrates.
Explain the concept:
Irony: a contrast between what is said or appears and what is meant or true.
Personification: giving human qualities or actions to non-human things or ideas.
Synecdoche: a part standing for the whole (e.g., "all hands on deck").
Alliteration: repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words.
Step-by-step solution:
Look at the verbs: the mask "grins" and "lies." Grinning and lying are human actions, but a mask is an object.
Giving a lifeless object human actions is personification.
Check the others: • Synecdoche: the mask is not a part representing a whole. It is a metaphor for hiding true feelings. • Alliteration: "we wear" has a repeated "w" sound, but "wear the mask that grins and lies" is not built on repeated initial sounds. Alliteration is not the device the line mainly illustrates. • Irony: the poem as a whole has an ironic idea, since people smile while suffering. But this particular line works through the mask doing human things.
Answer: The mask is made to "grin" and "lie" like a person, so the device is personification, which is option B.
Tip: When an object, animal, or idea does something only a person can do (grin, lie, sing, weep), think personification right away. For poetry questions, always ask: "Who or what is doing the action, and can it really do that?"
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43.
Both speakers are in the woods
1. A.to hide from each other
2. B.to spy on each other
3. C.for different reasons
4. D.for the same reason
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Answer: B. to spy on each other
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44.
Speaker X's speech can be described as a
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.satire
2. B.conceit
3. C.paradox
4. D.parody
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Answer: D. parody
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45.This question needs a diagram, table or passage that we don't have yet, so it isn't shown.
46.
Speaker Y is
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.Titania
2. B.Pease blossom
3. C.Hippolyta
4. D.Helena
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Answer: C. Hippolyta
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47.
Speaker X has just
This question refers to an extract from the original paper, which isn't shown here.
1. A.escaped from the city
2. B.fallen into a world of dreams
3. C.woken up from an induced sleep
4. D.abandoned a loved one
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Answer: B. fallen into a world of dreams
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48.
When you are old and grey and full of sleep. The rhythmic pattern of the above line is
1. A.anapestic
2. B.dactylic
3. C.trochaic
4. D.iambic
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Answer: D. iambic
AI explanation
Analyze the question: The line is from W.B. Yeats's poem "When You Are Old". We need to identify its metre (rhythmic pattern) by scanning the stresses.
Concept: A foot is a group of syllables with a stress pattern:
Iambic: unstressed, STRESSED (da-DUM)
Trochaic: STRESSED, unstressed (DUM-da)
Anapestic: unstressed, unstressed, STRESSED (da-da-DUM)
Dactylic: STRESSED, unstressed, unstressed (DUM-da-da)
Scan the line:
"When YOU are OLD and GREY and FULL of SLEEP"
Breaking it into feet:
| When / YOU | are / OLD | and / GREY | and / FULL | of / SLEEP | |---|---|---|---|---| | u / | u / | u / | u / | u / |
That gives 10 syllables in 5 feet, each with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one.
This is iambic pentameter, which is Yeats's metre in this poem.
Answer: The rhythmic pattern is iambic, which is option D.
Tip: Count syllables. A 10-syllable line that alternates soft-LOUD (da-DUM, da-DUM...) is almost always iambic pentameter. Also remember that "iamb" sounds like a heartbeat: da-DUM. If the line starts on a stressed syllable, think trochaic. If it gallops with two light syllables per beat, think anapestic or dactylic.
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