Literature in English Syllabus from JAMB

 
The aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) syllabus in Literature in English is to prepare the candidates for the Board’s examination. It is designed to test their achievement of the course objectives, which are to:
1. Stimulate and sustain their interest in Literature in English;
2. Create an awareness of the general principles and functions of language;
3. Appreciate literary works of all genres and across all cultures;
4. Apply the knowledge of Literature in English to the analysis of social, political and economic events in the society.

1. DRAMA a.Types: i.Tragedy. ii.Comedy. iii.Tragicomedy. iv. Melodrama. v. Farce. b. Dramatic Techniques i.Characterisation. ii.Dialogue. iii.Flashback. iv. Mime. v. Costume. vi. Music/Dance. vii.Dr. viii.Acts/Scenes. ix.Soliloquy/aside etc.. c. Interpretation of the PrescribedTexts i.Theme. ii.Plot. iii.Socio-political context.

Candidates should be able to: i. identify the various types of drama; ii.analyse the contents of the various types of drama; iii.compare and contrast the features of different dramatic types; iv. demonstrate adequate knowledge of dramatic techniques used in each prescribed text; v. differentiate between styles of selected playwrights; vi. determine the theme of any prescribed text; vii.identify the plot of the play; viii.apply the lessons of the play to everyday living.

2.PROSE a. Types: i. Fiction. ?Novel. ?Novella. ?Short story. ii. Non-fiction ?Biography. ?Autobiography. ?Memoir. b. Narrative Techniques/Devices: i. Point of view. ?Omni scent/ThirdPerson. ?First Person. ii. Setting. ?Temporal. ?Spatial/Geographical. iii. Characterisation. ?Round characters. ?Flat characters. iv. Language use. c. Textual Analysise i. Theme. ii. Plot. iii. Socio-political context.

Candidates should be able to: i. differentiate between types of prose; ii.identify the category that each prescribed text belongs to; iii.analyse the components of each type of prose; iv.identify the narrative techniques used in each of the prescribed texts; v.determine an author's narrative style; vi.distinguish between one type of character from another, vii.determine the thematic pre- occupation of the author of the prescribed text; viii.indicate the plot of the novel; ix.relate the prescribed text to real life situations.

3. POETRY a. Types: i.Sonnet. ii.Ode. iii.Lyrics. iv.Elegy. v.Ballad. vi.Panegyric. vii.Epic. viii.Blank Verse. b. PoeticDevices i.Sructure. ii.Imagery. iii.Rhyme/Rhythm. iv.Diction. v.Personal. c. Appreciation. i.Thematic preoccupation. ii.Socio-political relevance.

i.identify different types of poetry; ii.compare and contrast features of different poetic types: iii.determine the devices used by various poets; iv.show how poetic devices are usedfor aesthetic effect in each poem; v.deduce the poet's preoccupation from the poem; vi.appraise poetry as an art with moral values; vii.apply the lessons from the poem to real life situations.

4. GENERAL LITERARY PRINCIPLES a. Literary terms: foreshadowing, suspense, theatre, monoloque, dialoque, soliloquy, symbolism, protagonist, antagonist, figures of speech, satire, stream of consciousness etc, in addition to those listed above under the different genres. b. Relationship between literary terms and principles.

Candidates should be able to: i. identify literary terms in drama, prose and poetry; ii.differentiate between literaryterms and principles; iii.use literary terms appropriately.

5. LITERARY APPRECIATION Unseen passage/extracts from Drama, Prose and Poetry.

Candidates should be able to: i. determine literary devices used in a given passage/extract; ii. provide a meaningful inter-pretation of the given passage/extract; iii. relate the extract to true life experiences.

A LIST OF SELECTED AFRICAN AND NON-AFRICAN PLAYS, NOVELS AND POEMS

DRAMA:

African:
i. JC De Craft: Sons and Daughters, UPL Non-African:
i. William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, Newswan POETRY:
African:
i. Buchi Emecheta: The Joys of Motherhood, Heinemann.
ii.Ferdinand Oyono: The Old Man and the Medal, Heinenmann.
Non-African:
George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty Four, Newswan.

POETRY:

African:
i. Adeoti Gbemisola: 'Naked Soles'.
ii.D.Rubadiri: 'An African Thunderstorm'.
iii.Kobcna Eyi Acquah: 'In the novel of the Soul'.
iv.Mazisi Kunene: 'Heritage of Liberation'.
v.Okinba Launko: 'End of the War'.
vi.Traditional: 'Give me the Minstrel's Seat'.
Non-African:
i. Andrew Mabel: 'To His Coy Mistress' .
ii.D.H.Lawrence: 'Bat' .
iii.T. S. Elliot: 'The Journey of the Magi' .
iv. Wendy Cope: 'Sonnet'.
Literature in English

RECOMMENDED TEXTS

1.ANTHOLOGIES

Gbemisola, A. (2005) Naked Soles, Ibadan Kraft
Eruvbctine, A. E. ct al (1991) Poetry for Secondary Schools, Lagos: Longman
Hayward. J. (cd.) (1968) The Penguin Book of English Verse, London Penguin Johnson, R. et al (eds.) (1996) New Poetry from Africa, Ibadan: UP Pic
Kermode, F. et al (1964) Oxford Anthology of English Literature, Vol. II,
London: OUP
Launko, O. (1987) Minted Coins, Ibadan: Heinemann
Senanu, K. E. and Vincent* T. (eds.) (1993) A Selection of African Poetry,
Lagos: Longman
Sonyinka, W. (ed.) (1987) Poems of Black Africa, Ibadan: Heinemann
Wendy Cope (1986) Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis, London: Faber and
Faber

2.CRITICAL TEXTS

Abrams, M. H. (1981) A. Glossary of Literary Terms, (4th Edition) New York,
Holt Rinehalt and Winston
Emeaba, O. E. (1982) A Dictionary of Literature, Aba: Inteks Press
Murphy, M. J. (1972) Understanding Unseen, An Introduction to English Poetry
and English Novel forOverseas Students, George Allen and Unwin Ltd.
Nwachukwu-Agbada. J. O. J. (2005) Exam Focus: Literature in English, Ibadan:
UP Pic.