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JAMB UTME - Literature In English - 1998

Question 1 Report

This question is based on selected poems from D. Ker, C. Maduka et al (eds.): New Poetry from Africa, Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa, K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A Selection of African Poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.

In Mtshalis 'The Washerwoman's Prayer' the condition of the woman is portrayed through

Answer Details
In Mtshali's "The Washerwoman's Prayer," the condition of the woman is portrayed through metaphor. Metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things without using the words "like" or "as." In this poem, the woman is compared to a river that is used to wash clothes. The river represents the woman's life, and just as the river is constantly flowing and working hard, the woman is constantly working hard to make a living. The metaphor helps to emphasize the difficult and exhausting life that the woman leads as a washerwoman.