Literature in English Syllabus from JAMB

The aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) 2023 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:

 

stimulate and sustain their interest in Literature in English;

create an awareness of the general principles of Literature and functions of language;

appreciate literary works of all genres and across all cultures;

apply the knowledge of Literature in English to the analysis of social, political and economic events in the society.

 

1. DRAMA

 

 

Topics:

 

a. Types:

i. Tragedy

ii. Comedy

iii. Tragicomedy

iv. Melodrama

v. Farce

vi. Opera etc.

 

b. Dramatic Techniques

 

i. Characterization

 

ii. Dialogue

 

iii. Flashback

 

iv. Mime

 

v. Costume

 

vi. Music/Dance

 

vii. Décor/scenery

 

viii. Acts/Scenes

 

ix. Soliloquy/aside

 

x. Figures of Speech etc

 

c. Interpretation of the Prescribed Texts

i. Theme

ii. Plot

iii. Socio-political context

iv. Setting

 

 

Objectives:

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

ix. identify the spatial and temporal setting of the play.

 

 

 

2. PROSE

 

Topics:

a. Types:

i. Fiction

– Novel

– Novella/Novelette

– Short story

ii. Non-fiction

– Biography

– Autobiography

– Memoir

iii. Faction: a combination of fact and fiction

 

b. Narrative Techniques/Devices:

i. Point of view

– Omniscent/Third Person

– First Person

ii. Characterisation

– Round, flat, foil, hero, antihero, etc

iii. Language

 

c. Textual Analysis

i. Theme

ii. Plot

iii. Setting (Temporal/Spatial)

iv. Socio-political context

 

 

 

Objectives:

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; identify the temporal and spatial setting of the novel.

ix. identify the temporal and spatial setting of the novel

x. relate the prescribed text to real-life situations.

 

 

3. POETRY

 

Topics:

a. Types:

i. Sonnet

ii. Ode

iii. Lyrics

iv. Elegy

v. Ballad

vi. Panegyric

vii. Epic

viii. Blank Verse, etc.

 

b. Poetic devices

i. Structure

ii. Imagery

iii. Sound(Rhyme/Rhythm, repetition, pun, onomatopoeia, etc.)

iv. Diction

v. Persona

 

c. Appreciation

i. Thematic preoccupation

ii. Socio-political relevance

iii. Style.

 

Objectives:

Candidates should be able to:

i. identify different types of poetry;

ii. compare and contrast the features of different poetic types:

iii. determine the devices used by various poets;

iv. show how poetic devices are used for 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

 

Topics:

a. Literary terms:

foreshadowing, suspense, theatre, monologue, dialogue, soliloquy, symbolism, protagonist, antagonist, figures of speech, satire, stream of consciousness, etc., in addition to those listed above under the different genres.

 

b. Literary principles

i. Direct imitation in play;

ii. Versification in drama and poetry;

iii. Narration of people’s experiences;

iv. Achievement of aesthetic value, etc.

 

c. Relationship between literary terms and principles.

 

 

Objectives:

Candidates should be able to:

i. identify literary terms in drama, prose, and poetry;

ii. identify the general principles of Literature;

iii. differentiate between literary terms and principles;

iv. use literary terms appropriately.

 

 

5. LITERARY APPRECIATION

 

Topics:

Unseen passages/extracts from Drama, Prose, and Poetry.

 

Objectives:

Candidates should be able to:

i. determine literary devices used in a given passage/extract;

ii. provide a meaningful interpretation 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. Wole Soyinka: Lion and the Jewel

 

Non-African:

i. John Osborne: Look Back in Anger

 

Prose:

 

African:

i. Buchi Emecheta: Second Class Citizen

ii. Alex Agyei Agyiri: Unexpected Joy at Dawn

 

Non-African:

i. Emile Bronte: Wuthering Heights

 

Poetry:

 

African:

i. Leopold Sedar Senghor: Black Woman

ii.Niyi Osundare: The Leader and the Led

iii.Agostinho Neto: The Grieved Lands

iv. Oumar Farouk Sesay: The Song of the Women of the lands

v. Lade Wosornu: Raider of the Treasure Trove

vi. Onu Chibuike: A Government Driver on his Retirement

 

Non-African:

i. John Donne: The Good Morrow

ii. Maya Angelou: Caged Birds

iii. T. S. Elliot: The Journey of the Magi

iv. D. H. Lawrence: Bats

 

 

RECOMMENDED TEXTS

1. ANTHOLOGIES

Gbemisola, A. (2005) Naked Soles, Ibadan: Kraft

Hayward, J. (ed.) (1968) The Penguin Book of English Verse, London Penguin

Johnson, R. et al (eds.) (1996) New Poetry from Africa, Ibadan: UP Plc

Kermode, F. et al (1964) Oxford Anthology of English Literature, Vol. II, London: OUP

Nwoga D. (ed.) (1967) West African Verse, London: Longman

Senanu, K. E. and Vincent, T. (eds.) (1993) A Selection of African Poetry, Lagos: Longman

Soyinka, W. (ed.) (1987) Poems of Black Africa, Ibadan: Heinemann

 

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 for Overseas Students, George Allen and Unwin Ltd.

 

 

 

 

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