Get premium membership and access revision papers, questions with answers as well as video lessons.
Got a question or eager to learn? Discover limitless learning on WhatsApp now -
Start Now!
National Mock / Post Mock Examination English Literature Question Paper
National Mock / Post Mock Examination English Literature
Course:Secondary Level
Institution: Kcse question papers
Exam Year:2010
1. POETRY (compulsory) (20mks)
Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
THE BEARD By Proscovia Rwakyaka
In the pulpit he swayed and turned
Leaned forward, backward
His solemn voice echoed,
Lowly the congregation followed;
“Do you love your neighbour?”
Meekly they bow at his keen eye
Now examining a grey head
Hearing under her sobs.
His heart kept assured-
“Her sins weigh on her”
So with her he chats outside;
“Weep not, child you are pardoned,”
“But sir, your beard conjured up
The spirit of my dead goat!”
a) Identify and describe two speakers in this poem. Illustrate your answer with evidence from the poem. (4mks)
b) Relate the title of the poem to what exactly happens in this poem, supporting your answer with specific examples from it. (4mks)
c) Referring closely to the poem, identify and explain how the poet develops any two moods in the poem. (8mks)
d) Comment on the lines
‘His heart kept assured
“Her sins weigh on her”. (4mks)
2. ORAL LITERATURE (20 mks)
Read the following oral narrative and answer the questions that follow.
JACKAL AND HEN
This is a story that the old people tell. They say that hen flew to the top of a stack of wheat one day to find food. From where she stood on the stack she could see far out over the fields. She could see far and she saw Jackal coming from afar. She saw him coming towards her, she saw him out of the corner of her eyes, but when he came closer she did not look up at all. She went on hunting for food.
“Good morning, mother of mine,” Jackal greeted her.
“Yes, I greet you,” she replied.
“Are you still living?” He asked, according to the correct way in which one person greets another.
“Yes, I am still living. And you? Are you still living also?”
“Yes, I too am still living, mother, “he replied. And then he asked as the custom was, “Did you wake well this morning?”
And she answered, as it is proper, “Yes, I woke well.”
And all the while he was talking, talking, talking, Jackal was looking closely at hen and saw that she was young and that her flesh would taste sweet. He thought of how he would get at her. But now she was standing on top of that stack of wheat, where he could not reach her. He could not get hold of her at all, not while she was on top of the stack of wheat, and would have to think of a way to get her down.
Jackal had many plans. He was a man who was not just a little bit clever. No, he was very clever. He asked her. “Mother, have you heard of that there is peace among everybody on earth? One animal may not catch another animal any more, because of that peace.
“Peace?” She asked.
“Yes, mother, peace. The chiefs called together a big meeting, and at that meeting they decided this business of peace on all the earth.”
“Oh yes,” said hen. But she wondered about it. She wondered whether this Jackal could be telling the truth. He was a man with many clever stories, and many times those clever stories were nothing but lies.
“You say there is peace now?”
“Yes, mother. The big peace. There has never been such a big peace. You can safely come down from that stack of wheat. Then we can talk about the matter nicely. We shall take snuff together. Come down. Mother! Remember the peace!”
But hen was not quite as stupid as Jackal thought she was. She wanted to make sure first that Jackal was telling the truth and that he was not telling her lies again. She turned around and looked far out over the fields behind her. Then she went to stand on the highest point of the stack and kept staring out over the fields until Jackal asked: “What is it that you see from up there that you stare so: me?”
“What do I see? Why do you want to know what I see? It does not matter what I see, for there is no danger anymore for any animal on earth. Is it not peace among the animals? It is only a pack of dogs that are running towards us.”
“Dogs! A pack of dogs!” he cried. And his fear was very great. “Then I shall have to greet you, mother. I am a man who has a lot of work waiting.”
“Kekekeke!” hen laughed. “I thought it was peace among all animals on earth? Have you forgotten it? The dogs will do nothing to harm you. “Why do you want to run away, grandfather?” I don’t think this pack of dogs came to the meeting on peace!” and jackal ran so fast that the dust rose in great clouds from the road behind him.
“Kekekeke!” laughed hen, for then she knew the story of the peace was just a big lie. And she knew that if she had taken snuff with that fellow he would have caught her so she made up a story herself and with it she had caught him beautifully.
“Kekekeke!” she laughed. “I caught the story teller with another story.” And that is the end of this story
a) State the category of this Oral narrative and give a reason for your answer. (2mks)
b) What does the conversation between the Jackal and Hen in the first part of the narrative reveal about the social conduct of the community in which this story originated? (2mks)
c) Compare and contrast the character of Hen and Jackal. (4mks)
d) Quoting examples from the story to support your answer, identify four features that are characteristic of oral narratives. (4mks)
e) List and illustrate two techniques of narrative more interesting if it were told orally.
f) Give two problems you are likely to encounter when collecting this type of oral literature genre. How would you solve these problems? (4mks)
More Question Papers
Popular Exams
Return to Question Papers