literature essays

“Poets use various ways to express the main ideas across to the readers.”
Choose two poems and with reference to the statement given above,
(i) Summarize one main idea discussed in each poem; (4 marks)
(ii) Discuss two different ways used to convey the ideas in (i) above. (6 marks)

“Poets use various ways to express the main ideas across to the readers.”With reference to two poems from possibilities that is “Reality” by Konai Helu Thaman and “He Always” by anonymous I will be summarizing one main idea discussed in each poem and furthermore, discuss two different ways used to convey the ideas above.

The main idea discussed in the poem “Reality” is that educated people may be out of touch with life and that much important learning happens outside school. For example in the poem the boy realizes “I am poor still” the school has not filled his world with light, it has cast “dark shadows “on his life. He realizes that he still has a lot a learn yet. Similarly the main idea discussed in ‘He Always” is that how school and education can sometimes crush people’s feelings and make them feel square and brown inside. For example the school forces the boy to be like everyone else and crushed all the happiness and special qualities out of him.

Two different ways to convey the main idea in ‘Reality” are: firstly, the use of short lines which makes the poem move quickly and jerkily as the boy pours out his angry thoughts that even after his education he is out of touch with life. Secondly, the use of metaphor to create pictures and feelings. There are dark shadows….sterile rock….green coconuts of “Reality” which suggest the boys grim feelings and his teachers useless knowledge that brings out the idea that much important learning happens outside school. Likewise the two different ways used to convey the main idea in “He Always” are: firstly, the longer lines which makes the poem move slowly and suggest the confused, wandering thoughts of the boy. Secondly, the boys picture is a metaphor of his special feelings while the “tie” and the ‘square brown room” shows how he feels dull and locked inside revealing how school and education has crushed his feelings and makes him feel square and brown inside. That is the school forces the boy to be like everyone else and crushed all the happiness and special qualities out of him.

Therefore it can be concluded that poets use various ways to express the main ideas across to the readers.

“In a short story, the view chosen by the author reveals a lot about the characters.”
Select any two short stories from Other Worlds and for each,
i. Discuss two viewpoints expressed by the author; (4 marks) ii. Discuss how the viewpoints make the theme of the story clear. (6 marks)

“In a short story, the view chosen by the author reveals a lot about the characters.”
With reference to two short stories from Other Worlds that is ‘The Gift of Magi” by O Henry and “The Agaia and the Witch Doctor” I will be discussing two viewpoints expressed by the author and furthermore discuss how the viewpoints make the theme of the story clear.
Two viewpoints expressed by the author in “The Gift of Magi” is that firstly, how young and poor couple sacrifice their most valuable possessions (Della’s hair and Jim’s golden watch). Secondly, material gifts is not everything in life. The gifts they bought for each other was useless for them. However their sacrifice highlighted their love for each other. Similarly the viewpoints expressed by the author in “The Agaia and the Witch Doctor” is that we should not lie and cheat others. As Agaia trusted the witchdoctor and the witchdoctor cheated him and at the end he loses all his money. Secondly all problems in life cannot be solved through witchcraft. Like Agaia thought that the witchdoctor will free him from his poverty but he gets poorer.

The viewpoints discussed in “The Gift of Magi” makes the theme of the story clearer in a way that it shows love and sacrifice. That we should be able to sacrifice things for our loved ones. And that material things are not everything in life. Sometimes they can be useless and may not bring any happiness at all. The viewpoints discussed in “The Agaia and the Witch Doctor” makes the theme of the story clearer is that it shows we should be careful of people whom we trust and should not lie and cheat others. Furthermore trust, hard work, think before you act and not to be superstitious and witchcraft may be the answer to all the problems in life.
Therefore the view chosen by the author reveals a lot about the characters.

For any two poem studied, discuss two styles used by the poet to make the poem effective.

Two different ways used by the poet to make the poem effective in ‘Reality” are: firstly, the use of short lines which makes the poem move quickly and jerkily as the boy pours out his angry thoughts that even after his education he is out of touch with life. Secondly, the use of metaphor to create pictures and feelings. There are dark shadows….sterile rock….green coconuts of “Reality” which suggest the boys grim feelings and his teachers useless knowledge that brings out the idea that much important learning happens outside school.

The main idea discussed in the poem “Reality” is that educated people may be out of touch with life and that much important learning happens outside school. For example in the poem the boy realizes “I am poor still” the school has not filled his world with light, it has cast “dark shadows “on his life. He realizes that he still has a lot a learn yet. Similarly the main idea discussed in ‘He Always” is that how school and education can sometimes crush people’s feelings and make them feel square and brown inside. For example the school forces the boy to be like everyone else and crushed all the happiness and special qualities out of him.

“Poets use various ways to express the main ideas across to the readers.”
Choose two poems and with reference to the statement given above,
(iii) Summarize one main idea discussed in each poem; (4 marks)
(iv) Discuss two different ways used to convey the ideas in (i) above. (6 marks)

“Poets use various ways to express the main ideas across to the readers.”With reference to two poems from possibilities that is “Reality” by Konai Helu Thaman and “He Always” by anonymous I will be summarizing one main idea discussed in each poem and furthermore, discuss two different ways used to convey the ideas above.

The main idea discussed in the poem “Reality” is that educated people may be out of touch with life and that much important learning happens outside school. For example in the poem the boy realizes “I am poor still” the school has not filled his world with light, it has cast “dark shadows “on his life. He realizes that he still has a lot a learn yet. Similarly the main idea discussed in ‘He Always” is that how school and education can sometimes crush people’s feelings and make them feel square and brown inside. For example the school forces the boy to be like everyone else and crushed all the happiness and special qualities out of him.

Two different ways to convey the main idea in ‘Reality” are: firstly, the use of short lines which makes the poem move quickly and jerkily as the boy pours out his angry thoughts that even after his education he is out of touch with life. Secondly, the use of metaphor to create pictures and feelings. There are dark shadows….sterile rock….green coconuts of “Reality” which suggest the boys grim feelings and his teachers useless knowledge that brings out the idea that much important learning happens outside school. Likewise the two different ways used to convey the main idea in “He Always” are: firstly, the longer lines which makes the poem move slowly and suggest the confused, wandering thoughts of the boy. Secondly, the boys picture is a metaphor of his special feelings while the “tie” and the ‘square brown room” shows how he feels dull and locked inside revealing how school and education has crushed his feelings and makes him feel square and brown inside. That is the school forces the boy to be like everyone else and crushed all the happiness and special qualities out of him.

Therefore it can be concluded that poets use various ways to express the main ideas across to the readers.

“In a short story, the view chosen by the author reveals a lot about the characters.”
Select any two short stories from Other Worlds and for each, iii. Discuss two viewpoints expressed by the author; (4 marks) iv. Discuss how the viewpoints make the theme of the story clear. (6 marks)

“In a short story, the view chosen by the author reveals a lot about the characters.”
With reference to two short stories from Other Worlds that is ‘The Gift of Magi” by O Henry and “The Agaia and the Witch Doctor” I will be discussing two viewpoints expressed by the author and furthermore discuss how the viewpoints make the theme of the story clear.
Two viewpoints expressed by the author in “The Gift of Magi” is that firstly, how young and poor couple sacrifice their most valuable possessions (Della’s hair and Jim’s golden watch). Secondly, material gifts is not everything in life. The gifts they bought for each other was useless for them. However their sacrifice highlighted their love for each other. Similarly the viewpoints expressed by the author in “The Agaia and the Witch Doctor” is that we should not lie and cheat others. As Agaia trusted the witchdoctor and the witchdoctor cheated him and at the end he loses all his money. Secondly all problems in life cannot be solved through witchcraft. Like Agaia thought that the witchdoctor will free him from his poverty but he gets poorer.

The viewpoints discussed in “The Gift of Magi” makes the theme of the story clearer in a way that it shows love and sacrifice. That we should be able to sacrifice things for our loved ones. And that material things are not everything in life. Sometimes they can be useless and may not bring any happiness at all. The viewpoints discussed in “The Agaia and the Witch Doctor” makes the theme of the story clearer is that it shows we should be careful of people whom we trust and should not lie and cheat others. Furthermore trust, hard work, think before you act and not to be superstitious and witchcraft may be the answer to all the problems in life.
Therefore the view chosen by the author reveals a lot about the characters.

For any two poem studied, discuss two styles used by the poet to make the poem effective.

Two different ways used by the poet to make the poem effective in ‘Reality” are: firstly, the use of short lines which makes the poem move quickly and jerkily as the boy pours out his angry thoughts that even after his education he is out of touch with life. Secondly, the use of metaphor to create pictures and feelings. There are dark shadows….sterile rock….green coconuts of “Reality” which suggest the boys grim feelings and his teachers useless knowledge that brings out the idea that much important learning happens outside school.

The main idea discussed in the poem “Reality” is that educated people may be out of touch with life and that much important learning happens outside school. For example in the poem the boy realizes “I am poor still” the school has not filled his world with light, it has cast “dark shadows “on his life. He realizes that he still has a lot a learn yet. Similarly the main idea discussed in ‘He Always” is that how school and education can sometimes crush people’s feelings and make them feel square and brown inside. For example the school forces the boy to be like everyone else and crushed all the happiness and special qualities out of him.

Likewise the two different ways used by the poet to make the poem effective in “He Always” are: firstly, the longer lines which makes the poem move slowly and suggest the confused, wandering thoughts of the boy. Secondly, the boys picture is a metaphor of his special feelings while the “tie” and the ‘square brown room” shows how he feels dull and locked inside revealing how school and education has crushed his feelings and makes him feel square and brown inside. That is the school forces the boy to be like everyone else and crushed all the happiness and special qualities out of

One of the main themes of “Things Fall Apart” is that culture changes.
a. discussing how the theme given above is illustrated in the novel
b. describe how the main character reacts to the changes in the society.

One of the main themes of “Things Fall Apart” is that culture changes. With reference to the novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe I will be discussing how the theme given above is illustrated in the novel and furthermore, describe how the main character reacts to the changes in the society.
Chinua Achebe uses a very powerful character to illustrate the main theme of culture changes in the novel. In the novel culture changes as a result of the coming of the Whiteman’s education, government and culture. The changes that the Whiteman brought to the Ibo society was very confusing and made the society fall apart. It shows that culture change in inevitable and people respond to it in different ways. Ways in which culture changes is illustrated in the novel is: Firstly, when Nowye began to question the old practices of his father’s clan. For example he disowned his own father, left his own clansman and joined the Whiteman’s culture and religion. Secondly, building of the new church made the clan brothers turn against their own traditional customs and beliefs. Thirdly, the unmasking of the egwugwu was against their culture and religion. But due to the arrival of the Whiteman Enoch had the courage to unmask the Egwugwu. Lastly, the introduction of rules, regulations and setting of the government are some of the reasons of culture change in the Ibo society.
Furthermore, the main character Okonkwo reacts to the changes in the society in a very violent manner. He resists changes and refuses to accept the new values because he is a person who has very strong feelings towards his culture and tradition. Because of the changes in the society the clan which he mourned for is now falling apart, his own brothers turned against him. This made Okonkwo more arrogant and anger developed in him therefore, the church was burnt and he killed the court messenger. The changes that Whiteman brought were very enforcing and Okonkwo could not stand this. He could not see his own clan falling apart and when he feels really helpless he commits suicide which was an abomination towards the earth goddess. Therefore he was not touched by his clansman and was buried like a dog.
To conclude one of the main themes in Things Fall Apart is culture changes

Likewise the two different ways used by the poet to make the poem effective in “He Always” are: firstly, the longer lines which makes the poem move slowly and suggest the confused, wandering thoughts of the boy. Secondly, the boys picture is a metaphor of his special feelings while the “tie” and the ‘square brown room” shows how he feels dull and locked inside revealing how school and education has crushed his feelings and makes him feel square and brown inside. That is the school forces the boy to be like everyone else and crushed all the happiness and special qualities out of

“The problem characters face in a short story are similar to what we experience in real life.”
Choose two short stories from Other Worlds and for each,
a. Describe a problem a character faced. [5 marks]
b. Comment on whether what you have described in [a] above relates to your own experiences. [5 marks]

“Things Fall Apart” is about the process and impact of change and how individuals respond to the changes that occur in their life time.
Discuss the statement with references to two characters from Things Fall Apart.

Choose two short stories from Other Worlds and explain one way in which the two stories are similar and one way in which they differ. (10 marks)
a. Explain how you feel about Okonkwo. (5 marks)
b. How relevant is Okonkwo’s experience to your own society. (5 marks)

“The strength in the personality of a major character can be overshadowed by one weakness.”
With reference to Any Novel or Non-Fiction Prose
a. discuss two strength of a major character (5 marks)
b. comment on one weakness in the personality of the character. (5 marks)