Week 1 and 2 – SS2 First Term English Literature Notes

ENGLISH LITERATURE
S.S.S.2 1^ST TERM SCHEME OF WORK ON LITERATURE-IN –ENGLISH
(1).     Revision of last term work.
(2).     Introduction to African poetry. ‘Vanity’ Birago Diop .
Themes and content analysis, poetic devices of the poem Vanity.
(3).     Gbemisola Adeoti ‘Ambush’. Themes and content analysis, poetic
devices of the poem Ambush
(4)      Gabriel Okara ‘Piano and Drums’. Themes and content analysis, poetic
devices of the poem
(5)      Gbanbam Hallowell ‘The Dining Table.’ Themes, content analysis and
poetic devices of the poem
(6)      ‘The Panic of Growing Older’ Lenrie Peter. Themes and content analysis
of the poem, Poetic Devices of the poem.
(7)     ‘The Anvil and the Hammer’ Kofi Awoonor.
The themes and content analysis of the poem, Poetic Devices of the poem.
(8)      INTRODUCTION OF NON AFRICAN POETRY.
‘Crossing the Bar’ Alfred Tennyson. Themes and content analysis of the
Poem, poetic devices of the poem.
(9)      ‘The Pully’ George Herbert. Themes and content analysis of the poem,
poetic devices of the poem.
(10)      ‘The Proud King’ Williams Morris’ Themes and content analysis of the
poem, Poetic devices of the poem.
(11)      ‘The School Boy’ William Blake. The themes and content analysis of the
poem, poetic devices of the poem
(12) Revision
(13)      Examination.

WEEK ONE. Revision on Literary Terms.

 Content; Literary terms are words used in literature mostly in the genres of literature to make the work of art meaningful and beautiful. Some of these terms are; Dialogue, Setting, Character, Themes, Conflict, Tragic flaw, Aside, Allusion, Burlesque, Denouement, Fable, etc.
Reference to Exam Focus on Literature in English by Nwachukwu Agbada.
Class Work; Give the meaning of the selected literary terms stated above.
Assignment. Write out ten literary term with meaning.

WEEK TWO African Poetry ; ‘Vanity’ Birago Diop

CONTENT ANALYSIS.
Birago Diop is a poet who is conscious of the continuing presence of the ancestors of the symbolic and meaningful expression of their experience which they have left in the elements around us. In this poem, there is a warning that if we fail to heed to the voice of the ancestors we have lost our hope of protection, psychological defence against the changing fortune of life. The poem has something similar to that of the Bible ‘Vanities’saith the Preacher, all is Vanity (ECCL 1:2)
THEMES
The following are themes that could be identify in the poem.

1. Theme of poverty.
2. Theme of helplessness.
3. Theme of death
4. Theme of heroic deeds.

POETIC DEVICES
The poem consist of five stanzas full of imagery and rhetorical question.The poet who was in a worry mood when writing the poem adopts a tone of concern.

1. Repetition – Line 1
2. Paradox _Line 4-5
3. Synodoche _Line 8,10,11,12 etc
4. Simile – Line 13.
5. Rhetorical question –Line 3,5,11,14,etc
6. Personification – stanza 4,line 1 and 2.

CLASS WORK ; Explain the content of the poem.
ASSIGNMENT ; Discuss five themes in the poem Vanity.