LIT 111: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

Class assignment

Part One: General Knowledge of Literature

1. There are _________ genres of literature.

A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five

2. A story primarily cast in action and dialogue is

A. poetry.
B. prose.
C. drama.
D. non-fiction.

3. Poetry is basically written in

A. verses and stanzas.
B. acts and scenes.
C. paragraphs and chapters.
D. themes and rhemes.

4. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of drama?

A. Action
B. Dialogue
C. Rhythmic patterns
D. Characters

5. The central idea in a literary piece is known as

A. conflict.
B. theme.
C. dialogue.
D. setting.

6. A part of the plot of a story where main characters and background issues are revealed is
called
A. exposition.
B. rising action.
C. climax.
D. resolution.

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 7. A loud self-talk which conveys the private thoughts of a character is a/an
A. monologue.
B. soliloquy.
C. aside.
D. burlesque.

8. A type of narrator who is able to reveal the stream of consciousness of characters is said
to be
A. limited.
B. extended.
C. omniscient.
D. omnipotent.

9. Which of the following is NOT a type of external conflict?

A. Man vs. Man
B. Man vs. Self
C. Man vs. Nature
D. Man vs. Society

10. Which of the following is NOT an aspect of the setting of a literary piece?
A. Time and period of action
B. Geographical location
C. Character relations
D. Cultural background

11. Recurring images and objects that emphasise the themes in a literary work are
A. tropes.
B. costumes.
C. motifs.
D. subject matter.

12. One characteristic of comedy is that it has

A. sad ending.
B. tense and serious scenes.
C. the nobility as characters.
D. unambiguous language.

13. A technique in which writers provide hints about future events is

A. suspense.
B. flashback.
C. foreshadow.
D. alienation effect.

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 14. A situation in which the audience are aware of facts that characters do not know is called
A. alienation effect.
B. dues ex machine.
C. flashback.
D. dramatic irony.

15. Which of the following is a type of narrative poem?

A. Romance
B. Sonnet
C. Aubade
D. Ode

16. A stanza of six lines is known as

A. cinquain.
B. sestet.
C. septet.
D. octave.

17. The regular sequence of stressed and unstressed syllables used in poetry is referred to as
A. rheme.
B. rhythm.
C. metre.
D. sound.

18. A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction is a/an
A. apostrophe.
B. personification.
C. metaphor.
D. oxymoron.

19. The repetition of similar consonant sounds at the beginning of successive words creates
A. assonance.
B. alliteration.
C. anastrophe.
D. consonance.

20. The use of two negative words or terms to express a positive statement is
A. personification.
B. simile.
C. metaphor.
D. litotes.

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Part Two: Oral Literature
21. The term orature is sometimes used interchangeably with
a. myth.
b. prose.
c. folklore.
d. performance.

22. Which of the following is not characteristics of oral literature?

a. Extemporaneous
b. Socially Determined
c. Ephemeral
d. Complex

23. Which of the following distinguishes oral literature and written literature?
a. Authorship and audience
b. Creativity
c. Partnership
d. Artistic

24. Which of these is the most popular form of oral literature?

a. Legends
b. Folktales
c. Myth
d. Fable

25. Oral literature is made up of

a. prose.
b. poetry.
c. drama.
d. all the above.

26. One feature typical of tongue twisters is that they are

a. alliterative.
b. poetic.
c. complex.
d. simple.

27. One important role tongue twisters perform in relation to children is that they aid in
a. the rhetorical education of the child.
b. confronting issues in society.
c. social upbringing.
d. cultural nurturing.

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 28. Which of the following is NOT a short form of oral literature?
a. Riddles
b. Folktales
c. Proverbs
d. Tongue twisters

29. Traditional oral poetry comprises performances in the following forms EXCEPT
a. dance.
b. songs.
c. chants.
d. recitation.

30. Pick the odd one out.

a. Dirges
b. Lyrics
c. Orature
d. Musical poetry

31. A panegyric is an example of

a. didactic poetry.
b. praise poetry.
c. war poetry.
d. satirical poetry.

32. The following are examples of musical poetry EXCEPT

a. self praise.
b. rhapsody.
c. elegy.
d. lament.

33. Which of the following forms of poetry addresses a second person in an attitude of
veneration?
a. Musical poetry
b. Invocative poetry
c. Casual poetry
d. Narrative poetry

34. From the Fulani creation story, the world was created from a drop of
a. water.
b. honey.
c. liquid.
d. milk.
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 35. According to the Fulani creation story, what five elements were used to create man?
a. Iron, stone, fire, water and air
b. Iron, sand, fire, water and air
c. Iron, stone, fire, alcohol and air
d. Metal, stone, fire, water and air

36. A form of poetry that teaches morals is called?

a. Narrative poetry
b. Satirical poetry
c. Didactic poetry
d. Moral poetry

37. All aspects of oral literature involve some sort of

a. dance.
b. performance.
c. tradition.
d. excitement.

38. Which of the following is NOT an example of traditional African drama?

a. Masquerades
b. Rituals
c. Festivals
d. None of the above

39. An honest act which follows a particular pattern and is performed for a particular effect is
known as
a. masquerade.
b. ritual.
c. puppet show.
d. music and dance.

40. In most traditional African societies, __________ are seen as gods or heroic ancestors.
a. puppet.
b. chiefs.
c. masquerades.
d. linguists.

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Part Three: Poetry- Textual Analysis
41. Peters' poem 'Lost friends' principally hinges on the theme of
a. academic progress
b. economic mobility
c. political affluence
d. social alienation

42. What is the surrounding atmosphere of the last stanza of the poem ‘Lost friends’?

a. anguish
b. bitterness
c. disappointment
d. melancholy

43. The lines ‘They never seem to know/When not to bite their nails’ as used in Lenrie Peters’
‘Lost Friends’ depict the
a. display of affluence and wealth by the lost friends.
b. indiscretion and arrogance displayed by the lost friends.
c. new identity and the sense of opulence that characterise the lost friends.
d. sudden rise to stardom and fame as evidenced in the lost friend.

44. Which of the following statements is true about Gabriel Okara’s ‘New Year’s Eve
Midnight’?
a. The poem expresses the doubts and uneasiness of life.
b. The poem is a reflection of the failings and disappointments in life.
c. The poem is a representation of man’s journey and experiences in life.
d. The poem is an expression of the personae’s deep feelings.

45. Which two concepts are contrasted in the first and last stanzas of ‘New Year’s Eve
Midnight’?
a. Disillusionment and satisfaction
b. Non-fulfilment and expectations
c. Optimism and pessimism
d. Rejection and acceptance

46. The use of ‘Nunc Dimittis’ in line four of ‘New Year’s Eve Midnight’ is an example of …
a. allusion
b. hyperbole
c. metaphor
d. personification

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 47. In Okara’s ‘New Year’s Eve Midnight’, what kind of atmosphere is created by the
prevalence of such words as ‘ghosts’, ‘dead’, ‘dying’, ‘fading’, ‘shrouded’, ‘dimly’?
a. Anticipation
b. Gloom
c. Memorable
d. Solemn

48. Which of the following best describes the theme of Lade Worsonu’s ‘The Master Brewer’?
a. Human destiny lies in the hands of the gods.
b. Life is what you make of it.
c. Life offers numerous opportunities and challenges.
d. The master brewer is not the gods.

49. The poem ‘The Master Brewer’ draws a comparison between a distillery where an
alcoholic drink is brewed and what generates the thoughts and emotions in our brains.
Therefore, the poem can best be described as
a. emotional fallacy.
b. extended metaphor.
c. mythical allusion.
d. situational irony.

50. In Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ the poet uses the image of two diverging roads to
symbolise
a. life's choice.
b. sorrow and regret.
c. the love of nature.
d. the spirit of independence.

51. The line ‘And sorry I could not travel both’ as used in the second line of ‘The Road Not
Taken’ can best be interpreted as to mean the speaker
a. is only one person and cannot go down two roads at the same time.
b. regrets not taking the other road at the start.
c. thinks both paths are equally good.
d. would rather travel with someone, so they could each explore a path.

52. In William Shakespeare’s ‘Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day’ how does the speaker
show that the beauty of nature compares to the beauty of the person he is addressing?
a. Seasons change and natural beauty eventually fades. However, the beauty of the
poem's subject will never fade.
b. The poem's subject is as beautiful as natural objects, but her beauty will fade just
as natural beauty fades.
c. The poem's subject is nowhere near as beautiful as things found in nature.

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 d. The sun is more beautiful and bright than the poem's subject.

53. The last two lines of Sonnet 18 limit the promise to "So long as men can breathe, or eyes
can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." What does the "this" refer to?
a. The changing seasons
b. The love of the speaker
c. The summer sun
d. The words of this poem

54. "Nor shall Death brag..." as used in line 16 of ‘Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day’
is an example of
a. hyperbole
b. metaphor
c. oxymoron
d. personification

55. Which of the following lines signifies a shift/turn in ‘Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s
Day’?
a. "And every fair from fair sometimes declines"
b. "B chance of nature's changing course untrimm'd
c. "But thy eternal summer shall not fade"
d. "So long lives this, and this gives life to thee"

Read the poem below and answer questions 16-20

Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud by John Donne
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

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 56. How was death being described in the first two lines of the poem?
a. afraid and angry
b. loving and caring
c. mighty and dreadful
d. wild and bold

57. What figurative language is used by the persona to describe death?

a. anaphora
b. aphorism
c. apostrophe
d. metaphor

58. How does the poet ridicule Death in the poem?

a. Death is a desperate man.
b. He is strong and fearsome.
c. He will enjoy the pleasure of sleep.
d. He will wake in eternity.

59. Which statement illustrates Donne’s use of paradox?

a. “Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.”
b. “Death, thou shalt die.”
c. “Like gold to airy thinness beat.”
d. “So let us melt, and make no noise….”

60. In the last two lines (13–14) the speaker’s tone is

a. triumphant and victorious
b. submissive and angry
c. sad and disappointed
d. thoughtful and fearful

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Part Four: Drama- Oedipus the King
61. Oedipus the King is an example of a
A. tragedy.
B. comedy.
C. tragi-comedy.
D. prose.

62. Which of the following characters is not part of the dramatis personae of the play?
A. Polybus
B. Jocasta
C. Teiresias
D. Oedipus

63. Through what dramatic technique is the death of Lauis revealed?

A. Foreshadow
B. Flashback
C. Dues ex machine
D. Suspense

64. In the expression ‘O my destiny, how far you have sprung now,’ the figure of speech
expressed is a/an
A. Personification
B. Apostrophe
C. Alliteration
D. Hypophora

65. Which of the following is NOT true about the setting of the story?
A. The story is set in a polytheist society.
B. The action takes place at the royal palace of Thebes.
C. The story is set in ancient Greece.
D. The story is set in modern Athens.

66. The fact that Oedipus has excessive anger and pride creates what type of conflict?
A. Man vs. Man
B. Man vs. Self
C. Man vs. Society
D. Man vs. Nature

67. Which of the following unities is NOT found in the play?

A. Unity of action
B. Unity of time
C. Unity of place
D. Unity of circumstance
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 68. The writer of the play is called
A. Ola Rotimi
B. Sophocles
C. Shakespeare
D. Homer

69. Which of the following takes place at the resolution of the story?
A. Jocasta hangs herself.
B. Oedipus gorges out his eyes.
C. Teiresias accuses Oedipus of killing Laius.
D. Oedipus asks Creon to take care of his daughters.

70. The action of the play happens within

A. one week.
B. three days.
C. one day.
D. one month.

71. What is the main role of the Chorus in the story?

A. To sing and make melody.
B. To provide clarification on events.
C. To accuse characters.
D. To heighten suspense.

72. Which of the following is a static character in the play?

A. Oedipus
B. Teiresias
C. Jocasta
D. None of the above

73. Which of the following types of conflict is not in the play?

A. Man vs. Man
B. Man vs. Supernatural
C. Man vs. Society
D. None of the above

74. In the expression ‘Polybus has passed away. He is gone.’ what figure of speech is
expressed?
A. Euphemism
B. Personification
C. Oxymoron
D. Litotes

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 75. Which of the following is a major character in the story?
A. Ismene
B. Antigone
C. Second Messenger
D. Creon

76. Oedipus meets and kills King Lauis at a crossroad in Phocis where three paths meet. This
crossroad symbolizes the
A. life-altering decision he made.
B. cancellation of what the gods’ prediction.
C. death of Polybus his foster father.
D. destruction of the Thebans.

77. Which of the following is a foil character to Oedipus?

A. Creon
B. Antigone
C. Teiresias
D. Second Messenger

78. The most dominant theme in the play is

A. Sight and blindness
B. The inevitability of fate
C. Plague and health
D. The futility of life

79. Which of the following characteristics does NOT make the play a tragedy?
A. Creon, Jocasta, Lauis and Oedipus are all of the nobility.
B. Jocasta loses her life while Oedipus loses his eyes.
C. Oedipus is quick tempered and excessively proud.
D. The Theban elders sustain the play’s plot to its end.

80. Why does the chorus leader ask Oedipus to consult Teiresias about the murderer of
Laius?
A. Teiresias could read the mind of Apollo.
B. Teiresias’ blindness empowered him to see.
C. The messenger had informed Teiresias about who the murderer was.
D. No one else had a clue about the murderer except Teiresias.

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Part Five: Prose- Women are Different
81. Women are Different is written by a/an __________ author.
A. British
B. Nigerian
C. Ghanaian
D. anonymous

82. Which of the following ones is NOT a protagonist of Women are Different.

A. Chinwe
B. Dora
C. Rose
D. Agnes

83. The reference to “Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden” in Women are Different (cf.
Chapter 2) consists of a citation from the Old Testament and as such is an illustration of
__________ as a characteristic of Literature.

A. referenciality
B. intertextuality
C. fiction
D. imagery

84. As a __________ text, Women are Different falls under the prose genre.

A. lyrical
B. narrative
C. dramatic
D. poetic

85. Which of the following is NOT an attribute of the female characters created by Nwapa in
Women are Different?

A. Hard work
B. Courage
C. Ingratitude
D. Competence

86. The book Women are Different consists of __________ chapters.

A. 3
B. 5

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 C. 4
D. 9

87. Women are Different thematizes, among other ills of the society, forced/child marriage as
evidenced by the experience of __________.

A. Agnes
B. Rose
C. Dora
D. Comfort

88. Women are Different delights through a series of comic scenes in which the character by
name _____________ uses a blend of English and Pidgin.

A. Dora
B. Comfort
C. Agnes
D. Rose

89. Which of the following topics/issues is NOT thematized in Women are Different?

A. Women’s resilience
B. Adultery
C. Bribery
D. Slavery

90. The West African country which stands as ‘imaginary’ country accommodating (most
of ) the happenings narrated in Women are Different is

A. Liberia
B. Ghana
C. Nigeria
D. Anonymous

91. Women are Different falls within the _________ period.

A. Pre-colonial
B. Colonial
C. Late colonial/postcolonial
D. Modern

92. What is the dominant point of view of the narrative in Women are Different?

A. First person
B. Second person
C. Third person
D. Fourth person

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 93. In the light of Chapter 5 of the story, one can conclude that Dora ended up as a(n)

A. happy and maritally successful woman, well cared for by the husband.
B. economically successful but betrayed and unhappy wife, who, however, shows
resilience.
C. poor and ill-treated housewife who soon became a desperate widow with too
many children.
D. insane woman.

94. Which of the following facts or actors does NOT evoke the “historicity” of Women are
Different?

A. Biafran War
B. British Colonialism
C. Mohammed Murtala
D. First World War

95. The expression “Laughter […] is a great medicine” is an example of

A. simile.
B. hyperbole.
C. anaphora.
D. metaphor.

96. Women are Different is a ______________ work because all characters are imaginary
and bear no resemblance to anyone dead or alive.

A. fabulous
B. false
C. fictitious
D. famous

97. The book Women are Different is dedicated to

A. desperate African women.

B. women around the world.
C. academically successful women.
D. women … who are different.

98. Which of the following protagonists ended up as a spinster?

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 A. Dora
B. Comfort
C. Agnes
D. Rose

99. Which of the following characters ended up as an insane one?

A. Ernest
B. Comfort
C. Janet
D. Tunde

100. Which of the following attributes does NOT apply to the author of Women are
Different?

A. An African author
B. A male author
C. A feminist author
D. An anglophone author

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