2014 - WAEC Literature Past Questions and Answers - page 3

UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and answer the question

The goldsmith at work is a priest at the altar . As though he was were performing the Eucharist, he is engaged in deliberate motions of reverence. The small vials of various liquids such as mercury are little vessels of communion wine. The minuscule rings of intricately crafted gold are like miniature wafers.
He dips one tiny ring into a liquid, lifts it up to the sky and presses it onto a space in the growing length of necklace. It fits- it is like dipping bread into wine and slipping it between the parted lips of a communicant.
Our lent vigils are not as solemn as the goldsmith's silent solemnity that directs his work. We look on as the wizardry of the master matter craftsman displays itself. We are held in thrall....

The subject matter of the passage is

UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and answer the question

The goldsmith at work is a priest at the altar . As though he was were performing the Eucharist, he is engaged in deliberate motions of reverence. The small vials of various liquids such as mercury are little vessels of communion wine. The minuscule rings of intricately crafted gold are like miniature wafers.
He dips one tiny ring into a liquid, lifts it up to the sky and presses it onto a space in the growing length of necklace. It fits- it is like dipping bread into wine and slipping it between the parted lips of a communicant.
Our lent vigils are not as solemn as the goldsmith's silent solemnity that directs his work. We look on as the wizardry of the master matter craftsman displays itself. We are held in thrall....

The dominant devices used are

UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and answer the question

The goldsmith at work is a priest at the altar . As though he was were performing the Eucharist, he is engaged in deliberate motions of reverence. The small vials of various liquids such as mercury are little vessels of communion wine. The minuscule rings of intricately crafted gold are like miniature wafers.
He dips one tiny ring into a liquid, lifts it up to the sky and presses it onto a space in the growing length of necklace. It fits- it is like dipping bread into wine and slipping it between the parted lips of a communicant.
Our lent vigils are not as solemn as the goldsmith's silent solemnity that directs his work. We look on as the wizardry of the master matter craftsman displays itself. We are held in thrall....

The use of the above devices creates an atmosphere of

UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and answer the question

The goldsmith at work is a priest at the altar . As though he was were performing the Eucharist, he is engaged in deliberate motions of reverence. The small vials of various liquids such as mercury are little vessels of communion wine. The minuscule rings of intricately crafted gold are like miniature wafers.
He dips one tiny ring into a liquid, lifts it up to the sky and presses it onto a space in the growing length of necklace. It fits- it is like dipping bread into wine and slipping it between the parted lips of a communicant.
Our lent vigils are not as solemn as the goldsmith's silent solemnity that directs his work. We look on as the wizardry of the master matter craftsman displays itself. We are held in thrall....

The writer's attitude is one of

UNSEEN PROSE AND POETRY

Read the passage and answer the question

The goldsmith at work is a priest at the altar . As though he was were performing the Eucharist, he is engaged in deliberate motions of reverence. The small vials of various liquids such as mercury are little vessels of communion wine. The minuscule rings of intricately crafted gold are like miniature wafers.
He dips one tiny ring into a liquid, lifts it up to the sky and presses it onto a space in the growing length of necklace. It fits- it is like dipping bread into wine and slipping it between the parted lips of a communicant.
Our lent vigils are not as solemn as the goldsmith's silent solemnity that directs his work. We look on as the wizardry of the master matter craftsman displays itself. We are held in thrall....

The narrative technique captures the _ of the scene.

Read the poem and answer the question

At dawn must I rise to till the rock
That our land has turned into
The land where on we'd gleefully harvested paddy
Planted and nurtured and tended on plots marshy
Our woes are bloody woes of accursed revenges
Of the land spirits aggrieved and by his fellow
Kindred blood has counted for less than no value
Brother's wife has been wife to other brother's brother
Communal loot has emptied our country silos
The earth has stooped breathing and sighed
Soldered tears has the moon shed
The earth was scorched at noon-day night
And our land has turned to hoeing rock.

The theme of the poem is

Read the poem and answer the question

At dawn must I rise to till the rock
That our land has turned into
The land where on we'd gleefully harvested paddy
Planted and nurtured and tended on plots marshy
Our woes are bloody woes of accursed revenges
Of the land spirits aggrieved and by his fellow
Kindred blood has counted for less than no value
Brother's wife has been wife to other brother's brother
Communal loot has emptied our country silos
The earth has stooped breathing and sighed
Soldered tears has the moon shed
The earth was scorched at noon-day night
And our land has turned to hoeing rock.

The mood of the poet is one of

Read the poem and answer the question

At dawn must I rise to till the rock
That our land has turned into
The land where on we'd gleefully harvested paddy
Planted and nurtured and tended on plots marshy
Our woes are bloody woes of accursed revenges
Of the land spirits aggrieved and by his fellow
Kindred blood has counted for less than no value
Brother's wife has been wife to other brother's brother
Communal loot has emptied our country silos
The earth has stooped breathing and sighed
Soldered tears has the moon shed
The earth was scorched at noon-day night
And our land has turned to hoeing rock.

''The earth has stopped breathing and sighed'' illustrates

Read the poem and answer the question

At dawn must I rise to till the rock
That our land has turned into
The land where on we'd gleefully harvested paddy
Planted and nurtured and tended on plots marshy
Our woes are bloody woes of accursed revenges
Of the land spirits aggrieved and by his fellow
Kindred blood has counted for less than no value
Brother's wife has been wife to other brother's brother
Communal loot has emptied our country silos
The earth has stooped breathing and sighed
Soldered tears has the moon shed
The earth was scorched at noon-day night
And our land has turned to hoeing rock.

The run-on lines convey the speaker's

Read the poem and answer the question

At dawn must I rise to till the rock
That our land has turned into
The land where on we'd gleefully harvested paddy
Planted and nurtured and tended on plots marshy
Our woes are bloody woes of accursed revenges
Of the land spirits aggrieved and by his fellow
Kindred blood has counted for less than no value
Brother's wife has been wife to other brother's brother
Communal loot has emptied our country silos
The earth has stooped breathing and sighed
Soldered tears has the moon shed
The earth was scorched at noon-day night
And our land has turned to hoeing rock.

There is a predominance of words associated with