JAMB Area of Concentration for Literature in English Subject 2027/2028

The JAMB Area of Concentration for Literature in English Subject covers the main areas you need to study for Literature in English in the UTME. It helps you know the literary genres, techniques, principles and texts you should understand, as well as the skills you need when analysing literary works.

The subject mainly focuses on Drama, Prose, Poetry, General Literary Principles and Literary Appreciation. You are expected to understand how writers develop themes, plots, characters, settings and styles, and how literary devices are used to create meaning and artistic effect.

Literature in English is not only about remembering the stories in prescribed books. You should be able to identify, compare, interpret and analyse different literary forms. You also need to understand how literary works can reflect social, political and economic experiences in society.

Another important part of the subject is literary appreciation. This requires you to read unfamiliar passages from Drama, Prose or Poetry and identify the techniques used, explain their meaning and relate the ideas to real-life experiences.

This guide will take you through the main JAMB Literature in English topics in simple English, showing what you should study and what you should be able to do under each area.

Read also: JAMB Literature Syllabus 2026/2027 Download PDF

What You Should Learn in JAMB Literature in English

JAMB Literature in English tests how well you understand literary works and the language used by writers. You should be able to read a text carefully, identify important literary features and explain how they contribute to meaning.

One major goal is to develop your understanding of the general principles of Literature. This includes knowing the important terms used in Drama, Prose and Poetry, and understanding how literary works are structured.

You should also learn how to appreciate literary works from different genres and cultures. This means you should be able to study African and non-African texts and explain their themes, characters, settings, styles and techniques.

Another important area is the function of language in Literature. Writers use language in different ways to create emotion, humour, suspense, conflict, imagery and other effects. You should be able to recognise these techniques and explain what they add to a literary work.

As you study, you should be ready to:

• identify different types of Drama, Prose and Poetry;
• compare the features of different literary forms;
• analyse themes, plots, characters and settings;
• recognise literary and poetic devices;
• interpret passages and extracts;
• explain the style used by a writer;
• relate literary works to real-life experiences;
• apply lessons from literary works to social, political and economic situations.

You should also understand that Literature is not studied by memorising summaries alone. You need to know how and why a writer presents ideas in a particular way.

For example, when studying a play, you should pay attention to dialogue, characterisation, setting and dramatic techniques. In Prose, you should look at point of view, character types, narrative style and plot. In Poetry, you should focus on structure, imagery, sound, diction, persona and other poetic devices.

These skills will also help you handle unseen passages, where you may be asked to interpret a Drama, Prose or Poetry extract that you have not studied before.

Drama

Drama is a literary work written mainly for performance before an audience. It usually presents a story through characters, dialogue, action and stage directions.

For JAMB Literature in English, you should understand the major types of drama, the techniques playwrights use and how to analyse a prescribed play.

Types of Drama

You should be able to identify the main dramatic forms and explain how they differ.

Tragedy

A tragedy is a serious play that often presents suffering, conflict, loss or the downfall of an important character.

The central character may struggle against personal weaknesses, other people or difficult circumstances. Tragedy usually creates strong emotions and may end unhappily.

Comedy

A comedy is a play designed mainly to entertain and amuse the audience.

It may use humorous characters, misunderstandings, funny situations or witty dialogue. Many comedies end with the resolution of major conflicts.

Tragicomedy

A tragicomedy combines features of tragedy and comedy.

The play may contain serious events and difficult conflicts while also including humorous scenes or a less tragic ending.

Melodrama

A melodrama presents strong emotions and dramatic situations.

Characters may be clearly divided into good and bad groups, and the action may involve danger, suffering, conflict or unexpected events.

Farce

A farce depends heavily on exaggerated situations, physical humour, misunderstandings and unlikely events.

Its main purpose is usually to create laughter.

Opera

An opera is a dramatic work in which music and singing play a major role in telling the story.

When studying the types of drama, do not stop at their definitions. You should be able to compare their features and recognise the type of drama represented by a particular play or extract.

Dramatic Techniques

Playwrights use different techniques to develop characters, present events and make a play effective on stage.

Characterisation

Characterisation is the way a playwright presents and develops characters.

You may understand a character through what the person says, does, thinks or how other characters react to the person.

When studying a play, consider the character’s behaviour, motives, relationships and role in the plot.

Dialogue

Dialogue is the conversation between characters.

It can reveal character, develop conflict, provide information and move the plot forward.

Flashback

A flashback takes the audience back to an event that happened before the present action of the play.

It may be used to explain a character’s past or provide information needed to understand the present situation.

Mime

Mime involves communicating through body movement, gesture or facial expression without depending mainly on spoken words.

Costume

Costume refers to the clothing worn by actors.

It may show a character’s social position, occupation, age, culture or the historical period of the play.

Music and Dance

Music and dance may help create mood, entertain the audience, support cultural expression or strengthen the meaning of a scene.

Décor and Scenery

Décor or scenery refers to the visual arrangement of the stage.

It helps show where the action is taking place and may also contribute to mood.

Acts and Scenes

A play may be divided into acts and scenes.

Acts are major divisions, while scenes are smaller sections within an act. These divisions help organise the action.

Soliloquy

A soliloquy is a speech in which a character speaks thoughts aloud, usually while alone on stage.

It allows the audience to understand the character’s private thoughts and feelings.

Aside

An aside is a short statement made by a character that is intended for the audience or a particular character but is not heard by some other characters on stage.

Lighting

Lighting can help show time, location, mood or changes in atmosphere. It may also direct the audience’s attention to an important part of the stage.

You should understand not only the meaning of these techniques but also how they are used in a prescribed play.

How to Analyse a Drama Text

When studying a play, several areas require close attention.

Theme

A theme is a major idea explored in a literary work.

A play may deal with ideas such as corruption, jealousy, love, betrayal, justice, ambition, conflict or responsibility.

You should be able to identify the important themes and explain how characters and events develop them.

Plot

The plot is the arrangement of events in the play.

You should understand the major events, how the conflict develops and how the different parts of the story are connected.

Do not rely on a summary alone. Know how events influence one another.

Setting

Setting covers the place and time in which the events occur.

Spatial setting refers to the place, while temporal setting refers to the time or period.

You should be able to identify both and explain how they affect the action where necessary.

Socio-Political Context

A play may reflect important issues in society or government.

You should be able to connect events in the play with the social or political conditions presented by the playwright.

This can include issues connected with leadership, corruption, inequality, power, family life or social expectations.

Style

Different playwrights may present their works in different ways.

When studying style, pay attention to language, dialogue, dramatic techniques, structure and the way characters and events are presented.

You should also be able to distinguish between the styles of different playwrights where comparison is required.

Applying the Lessons of a Play

Literary works often present situations that can be connected with everyday life.

You should be able to identify lessons from a play and explain how they relate to real human behaviour or social experiences.

When revising Drama, focus on the connection between type, technique and interpretation. Know what kind of play you are reading, identify the techniques used and explain how those techniques help develop the plot, characters, themes and overall meaning.

Prose

Prose is written language arranged in sentences and paragraphs rather than lines of verse. In Literature in English, prose includes fictional and non-fictional works, and you should understand the major types, narrative techniques and methods of analysing a prose text.

Types of Prose

Prose can be grouped into fiction, non-fiction and faction.

Fiction

Fiction is prose writing based mainly on imagined characters and events.

Common forms include:

• Novel, a long fictional prose work.
• Novella or novelette, a prose work shorter than a novel but longer than a typical short story.
• Short story, a brief fictional work that usually focuses on a limited number of characters and events.

You should be able to distinguish these forms and identify the category of a prescribed prose text.

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction deals mainly with real people, events or experiences.

Important forms include:

• Biography, the story of a person’s life written by another person.
• Autobiography, the story of a person’s life written by that person.
• Memoir, a written account that focuses on selected experiences or periods in a person’s life.

You should understand the differences among these forms.

Faction

Faction combines fact and fiction.

A writer may use real people, events or situations while adding imagined details or characters. You should be able to recognise when a work combines factual and fictional elements.

Narrative Techniques and Devices

Narrative techniques are the methods a writer uses to tell a story.

Point of View

Point of view refers to the position from which a story is narrated.

Two important types are:

• First-person point of view
• Omniscient or third-person point of view

In first-person narration, the narrator usually takes part in the story and tells events using words such as “I” or “we”.

In omniscient or third-person narration, the narrator tells the story from outside the action and may know the thoughts, feelings and experiences of different characters.

You should be able to identify the point of view used in a prose text and understand how it affects the way the story is presented.

Characterisation

Characterisation is the way a writer creates and develops characters.

Important character types include:

• Round character
• Flat character
• Foil
• Hero
• Antihero

A round character is usually developed in detail and may show different sides of personality.

A flat character is presented with fewer qualities and may remain largely unchanged.

A foil is a character whose qualities help to highlight the qualities of another character through contrast.

A hero usually plays a central role and may possess qualities that attract admiration.

An antihero is a central character who may lack some of the qualities normally associated with a traditional hero.

You should be able to distinguish one character type from another and support your answer with the behaviour or role of the character in the text.

Language and Narrative Style

Writers use language differently depending on the story they want to tell.

When studying a prose work, pay attention to:

• choice of words;
• sentence structure;
• dialogue;
• description;
• tone;
• point of view;
• character presentation.

These features help you understand an author’s narrative style.

Two writers may discuss similar issues but present them in different ways. You should be able to recognise those differences when analysing prescribed texts.

How to Analyse a Prose Text

A good study of Prose should cover more than the storyline.

Theme

The theme is the main idea or concern developed in a prose work.

A text may explore family life, injustice, poverty, power, social conflict, identity, oppression or other human experiences.

You should identify the major themes and explain how the characters and events develop them.

Plot

The plot is the arrangement and development of events in the story.

You should understand:

• important events;
• conflicts;
• turning points;
• how events are connected;
• how the story develops towards its ending.

Do not depend only on memorising a summary. You should know why important events happen and how they affect characters and later events.

Setting

The setting of a prose work includes both place and time.

Spatial setting refers to where events occur.

Temporal setting refers to when the events take place.

You should be able to identify both and understand how the setting may influence characters, conflicts and events.

Socio-Political Context

Some prose works reflect the social and political conditions of the society in which the story takes place.

You may need to consider issues such as:

• poverty;
• social inequality;
• discrimination;
• leadership;
• power;
• family expectations;
• cultural practices;
• economic hardship.

Your task is to explain how such issues are presented through the characters and events of the text.

Relating Prose to Real Life

You should also be able to connect a prescribed prose work with real-life situations.

This may involve identifying problems presented in the story, examining how characters respond to them and explaining lessons that can be drawn from their experiences.

When revising Prose, focus on the relationship between narrator, character, plot, setting and theme. Understanding how these elements work together will help you analyse both prescribed texts and unfamiliar prose passages.

Poetry

Poetry is a form of Literature that often uses carefully chosen words, rhythm, imagery and other devices to express ideas, feelings and experiences.

For JAMB Literature in English, you should understand the major types of poetry, identify poetic devices and explain how those devices contribute to meaning and beauty.

Types of Poetry

You should be able to identify different poetic forms and compare their features.

Sonnet

A sonnet is a poem with a fixed structure and a limited number of lines. It often develops a single major idea, feeling or argument.

When studying a sonnet, pay attention to its structure, rhyme pattern and how the main idea develops.

Ode

An ode is a poem that usually addresses or celebrates a person, object, idea or experience.

It may express admiration, praise or deep reflection.

Lyric

A lyric poem expresses personal thoughts, emotions or feelings.

It is usually focused on the speaker’s inner experience rather than telling a long story.

Elegy

An elegy is a poem connected with mourning, loss or reflection on death.

Its mood is often serious and thoughtful.

Ballad

A ballad is a poem that tells a story.

It may deal with important events, relationships, conflict or traditional experiences.

Panegyric

A panegyric is a poem of praise.

It may celebrate a person, community, achievement or important quality.

Epic

An epic is a long narrative poem that usually deals with heroic actions, important events or major struggles.

Blank Verse

Blank verse is poetry written without a regular rhyme pattern, though it may still have a regular rhythm.

When revising these poetic types, focus on their main features and how they differ from one another.

Poetic Devices

Poets use different techniques to create meaning and artistic effect.

Structure

Structure refers to the way a poem is organised.

This may involve the arrangement of lines, stanzas and different parts of the poem.

You should consider how the structure contributes to the development of the poem’s ideas.

Imagery

Imagery is the use of language that helps the reader form mental pictures or experience ideas through the senses.

A poet may use imagery connected with sight, sound, touch or other experiences.

You should be able to identify important images and explain how they strengthen the meaning of the poem.

Sound Devices

Sound is an important part of Poetry.

Some major sound devices include:

• Rhyme
• Rhythm
• Repetition
• Pun
• Onomatopoeia

Rhyme involves similarity in sounds, especially at the ends of lines.

Rhythm is the pattern or movement created by stressed and unstressed sounds.

Repetition involves using a word, phrase or sound more than once for emphasis or effect.

A pun is a play on words, often involving different meanings or similar sounds.

Onomatopoeia occurs when a word imitates or suggests a sound.

You should identify these devices and explain what they add to the poem.

Diction

Diction means the poet’s choice of words.

The words used may be simple, formal, emotional, descriptive or connected with a particular subject.

You should pay attention to how word choice helps create tone, mood and meaning.

Persona

The persona is the voice or speaker in a poem.

Do not automatically assume that the persona is the poet. The speaker may be a created voice used to express the poem’s ideas.

You should be able to identify the persona where possible and explain the attitude or feelings expressed.

How to Appreciate a Poem

Poetry appreciation involves understanding both what a poem says and how the poet presents the message.

Thematic Preoccupation

The thematic preoccupation is the major idea or concern explored in the poem.

When reading a poem, ask what issue or experience receives the most attention.

The poem may deal with themes such as life, death, society, ageing, conflict, culture, education or human behaviour.

You should support your understanding of the theme with details from the poem.

Socio-Political Relevance

Some poems respond to conditions in society.

A poet may comment on social problems, political situations, cultural change or other experiences affecting people.

You should be able to explain how the ideas presented in a poem relate to society.

Style

A poet’s style includes the way language and poetic techniques are used.

When studying style, consider:

• imagery;
• diction;
• sound;
• structure;
• persona;
• figures of speech;
• other poetic devices.

Do not simply list devices. Explain how they contribute to the poem’s meaning or artistic effect.

Aesthetic Effect

Poetic devices are often used to make a poem more expressive and memorable.

For example, imagery may make an idea easier to picture, while repetition may give emphasis to an important word or message.

Your task is to identify the device and explain what it achieves in the poem.

Moral Values and Real-Life Lessons

Poetry can also present ideas about human behaviour and society.

You should be able to identify lessons from a poem and relate them to real-life situations where appropriate.

When revising Poetry, concentrate on three things: identify the poetic form, recognise the important devices, and explain how the devices help communicate the poem’s main ideas.

This approach will also help you when answering questions on unfamiliar poems.

General Literary Principles

General Literary Principles cover the common terms, ideas and methods used when discussing Drama, Prose and Poetry. You should understand the meaning of important literary terms and know how they are used when analysing a text.

Important Literary Terms

A literary term is a word used to describe a particular technique, role, structure or effect in Literature.

Some important terms include:

• Foreshadowing
• Suspense
• Theatre
• Monologue
• Dialogue
• Soliloquy
• Symbolism
• Protagonist
• Antagonist
• Figures of speech
• Satire
• Stream of consciousness
• Synecdoche
• Metonymy

You should be able to identify these terms in Drama, Prose and Poetry and explain how they are used.

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a technique in which a writer gives a hint about something that may happen later in the work.

The hint may come through a statement, action, event or description.

When you identify foreshadowing, pay attention to how an earlier detail prepares the reader or audience for a later event.

Suspense

Suspense is the feeling of uncertainty or expectation created when the reader wants to know what will happen next.

A writer may create suspense by delaying information, introducing danger or ending a scene at an important moment.

Theatre

Theatre refers to the performance aspect of drama and the environment in which dramatic works are presented before an audience.

It is closely connected with acting, stage presentation and other dramatic elements.

Monologue

A monologue is a long speech delivered by one character.

Other characters may be present and may hear the speech.

This is different from a soliloquy, where a character usually reveals private thoughts while speaking alone.

Dialogue

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters.

It can reveal personality, develop conflict, provide information and move the action forward.

Soliloquy

A soliloquy allows a character to express private thoughts aloud.

It is especially important in Drama because it gives the audience direct access to what a character is thinking or feeling.

Symbolism

Symbolism occurs when an object, action, person or situation represents an idea beyond its ordinary meaning.

A symbol may help a writer communicate a deeper message without stating it directly.

Protagonist and Antagonist

The protagonist is usually the central character in a literary work.

The antagonist is the character, force or situation that works against the protagonist.

You should be able to distinguish between them by examining their roles in the conflict of the work.

Figures of Speech

Figures of speech are expressions used in a special or imaginative way.

They help writers create emphasis, comparison, imagery, humour or other effects.

When answering questions on figures of speech, identifying the device is only one part of the task. You should also understand how it contributes to the meaning of the passage or poem.

Satire

Satire is the use of humour, criticism, ridicule or exaggeration to expose weaknesses in people, institutions or society.

A writer may use satire to draw attention to social, political or moral problems.

Stream of Consciousness

Stream of consciousness is a narrative method used to present the continuous flow of a character’s thoughts, feelings and impressions.

It allows the reader to follow the character’s inner experiences closely.

Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent a whole, or a whole is used to represent a part.

You should be able to recognise this relationship when it appears in a passage.

Metonymy

Metonymy involves referring to something by using the name of another thing closely associated with it.

The connection is based on association rather than direct comparison.

General Principles of Literature

Apart from literary terms, you should understand some broad principles that apply to literary works.

One is direct imitation in drama. Drama presents human actions through characters who perform before an audience. Instead of simply describing every event, the action can be shown directly on stage.

Another principle is versification in drama and poetry. Versification deals with the arrangement of language into verse. It is especially important in Poetry, but verse may also appear in dramatic works.

Literature also involves the narration of people’s experiences. Writers use stories, characters, situations and language to represent human life and different experiences.

Another important principle is the achievement of aesthetic value. Literature is not concerned with information alone. Writers also arrange language and literary techniques in ways that create artistic beauty and emotional effect.

Literary Terms and Literary Principles

You should be able to distinguish between a literary term and a literary principle.

A literary term names a particular feature or technique, such as symbolism, suspense or soliloquy.

A literary principle is a broader idea about how Literature works, such as imitation in Drama, narration of human experiences or the use of verse.

The two are connected because literary terms help writers apply broader literary principles in actual works.

When analysing a text, use literary terms correctly. Do not identify a technique simply because you remember its name. Check how the language, character, structure or action actually works before deciding which term applies.

Literary Appreciation

Literary Appreciation tests how well you can read an unfamiliar passage or extract and understand the techniques, ideas and meanings presented in it.

The passage may come from Drama, Prose or Poetry. You are expected to identify important literary devices, interpret the extract correctly and connect the ideas in it with real-life experiences where necessary.

This section requires careful reading. You should not depend only on memorised definitions because the passage may be completely new to you.

Unseen Drama Extracts

In an unseen Drama extract, pay attention to:

• the characters involved;
• the conflict or situation;
• dialogue;
• dramatic techniques;
• setting;
• theme;
• tone;
• important literary devices.

You should be able to identify techniques such as dialogue, soliloquy, aside, flashback, suspense or symbolism when they appear.

Also consider what the characters say and how they behave. Their words and actions may reveal their personalities, relationships and motives.

If the extract presents a conflict, try to understand what caused it and how it affects the characters.

You may also need to identify the main idea or lesson in the passage and explain how it relates to real-life situations.

Unseen Prose Passages

For an unseen Prose passage, first identify the type of narration being used.

Ask yourself whether the narrator is speaking in the first person or using a third-person point of view.

You should also pay attention to:

• characterisation;
• setting;
• plot development;
• language;
• tone;
• theme;
• narrative style.

The way a writer describes a character may help you decide whether the character is central, minor, round, flat, heroic or otherwise important to the passage.

Look for clues that reveal where and when the events take place. These details can help you understand the setting.

You should also identify literary devices such as:

• symbolism;
• foreshadowing;
• suspense;
• satire;
• figures of speech;
• stream of consciousness.

Do not only name a device. Explain how it affects the meaning of the passage.

Unseen Poetry

Unseen Poetry requires close attention to both meaning and technique.

Start by identifying the persona, or the voice speaking in the poem.

Then consider:

• the main theme;
• structure;
• imagery;
• diction;
• rhyme;
• rhythm;
• repetition;
• sound devices;
• figures of speech;
• tone;
• socio-political relevance.

You should ask what the poem is mainly concerned with and how the poet communicates that idea.

For example, imagery may help create a clear picture, while repetition may emphasise an important thought or feeling.

You should also consider the attitude of the persona. The speaker may sound joyful, angry, worried, disappointed, hopeful or reflective.

How to Interpret an Unseen Passage

A meaningful interpretation should come from what is actually present in the passage.

Read the extract carefully and look for evidence before choosing an answer.

Pay special attention to:

• repeated words or ideas;
• strong images;
• changes in tone;
• important actions;
• relationships between characters;
• unusual expressions;
• the ending of the passage or poem.

These details often point to the main idea.

If a question asks about a literary device, first identify the device and then consider what it achieves.

If a question asks about theme, focus on the major idea developed through the passage rather than one small detail.

If you are asked about real-life relevance, explain how the situation, behaviour or lesson in the extract can be connected with actual human experience.

Regular practice with unseen Drama, Prose and Poetry extracts will help you become more confident in recognising literary devices and interpreting unfamiliar texts.

Prescribed Drama Texts

The prescribed Drama texts include one African play and one non-African play. When studying them, do not focus only on remembering the storyline. Pay attention to theme, plot, characters, dramatic techniques, setting and socio-political context.

African Drama

The prescribed African Drama text is:

• Frank Ogodo Ogbeche, Harvest of Corruption

For this play, study:

• the major themes;
• the arrangement of events in the plot;
• the important characters and their roles;
• relationships and conflicts among characters;
• dramatic techniques used in the play;
• dialogue and characterisation;
• spatial and temporal setting;
• social and political issues presented;
• lessons that can be connected with everyday life.

You should also be able to identify the type of drama and explain how the playwright uses dramatic techniques to present characters and events.

Non-African Drama

The prescribed non-African Drama text is:

• William Shakespeare, Othello

Study the same major areas:

• themes;
• plot;
• characters;
• setting;
• dramatic techniques;
• style;
• socio-political context;
• lessons from the events in the play.

Pay attention to techniques such as dialogue, soliloquy, aside, characterisation and other dramatic devices where they appear in the text.

For both prescribed plays, you should be able to explain how important characters contribute to the plot and themes. You should also understand the sequence of major events and the circumstances surrounding important conflicts.

Avoid studying only short summaries. Read with attention to what happens, why it happens, how characters respond and what techniques the playwright uses to communicate the major ideas.

Prescribed Prose Texts

The prescribed Prose texts include African and non-African works.

African Prose

The prescribed African texts are:

• Amma Darko, Faceless
• Bayo Adebowale, Lonely Days

Non-African Prose

The prescribed non-African text is:

• Richard Wright, Native Son

What to Study in the Prescribed Prose Texts

For each prose text, concentrate on the major elements used in prose analysis.

Plot

Understand the main sequence of events and how one event leads to another.

You should be able to identify important turning points and explain how they affect the characters and development of the story.

Themes

Identify the important ideas explored by the writer.

Do not simply name a theme. You should understand how characters, actions and events help develop it.

Characters

Study the important characters and the roles they play.

You should also be able to recognise different character types, including:

• round characters;
• flat characters;
• foil characters;
• heroes;
• antiheroes.

Pay attention to how the writer reveals personality through actions, speech, relationships and other details.

Narrative Techniques

Identify the techniques used to tell the story.

These may include the narrator’s point of view and the methods used to develop characters and events.

You should be able to determine whether a text uses first-person or third-person narration and explain how the narration affects the presentation of the story.

Language and Style

Look closely at the writer’s choice of words and general method of narration.

Style may be seen through:

• diction;
• description;
• dialogue;
• sentence structure;
• characterisation;
• narrative point of view.

You should be able to identify features that make one writer’s narrative style different from another.

Setting

Know both the temporal and spatial setting.

Temporal setting deals with the time or period of the story, while spatial setting deals with the place.

You should understand how setting helps shape events and characters.

Socio-Political Context

Consider the social and political conditions reflected in each text.

Where a text presents problems affecting individuals or communities, you should be able to explain how those issues are connected with the characters and events.

Real-Life Connections

You should also be able to relate situations in the prescribed prose texts to real-life experiences.

The aim is not simply to retell the story. You should understand what the events reveal about people, society and human behaviour.

Prescribed Poetry

The prescribed poems include African and non-African works. For each poem, you should study the type of poem, theme, structure, imagery, sound devices, diction, persona, style and socio-political relevance.

Do not depend only on memorising the general meaning of a poem. You should understand how the poet uses language and poetic devices to develop the main ideas.

African Poems

The prescribed African poems are:

• Birago Diop, Vanity
• Gbemisola Adeoti, Ambush
• Gabriel Okara, Piano and Drums
• Gbanabam Hallowell, The Dining Table
• Lenrie Peter, The Panic of Growing Older
• Kofi Awoonor, The Anvil and the Hammer

For each poem, identify its main concern and study how the poet develops that concern through language, imagery and structure.

You should also pay attention to the cultural, social or political issues presented where they are relevant.

Non-African Poems

The prescribed non-African poems are:

• Alfred Tennyson, Crossing the Bar
• George Herbert, The Pulley
• William Blake, The School Boy
• William Morris, The Proud King

These poems should also be studied through their themes, poetic devices, structure and style.

What to Study in Each Prescribed Poem

Type of Poem

Identify the form of the poem where possible.

You may need to recognise whether a poem has features associated with forms such as:

• sonnet;
• ode;
• lyric;
• elegy;
• ballad;
• panegyric;
• epic;
• blank verse.

Do not classify a poem only by its subject. Look at its structure and other features.

Theme

The theme is the main idea or concern in the poem.

When identifying a theme, look at the ideas that appear repeatedly and the attitude of the persona towards them.

You should be able to explain how the theme develops from the beginning of the poem to the end.

Structure

Study how the poem is arranged.

Pay attention to:

• lines;
• stanzas;
• movement of ideas;
• repetition;
• changes in tone or subject.

The structure may help show how one idea develops into another.

Imagery

Identify important images used by the poet.

You should explain what the images suggest and how they help communicate the poem’s meaning.

Do not stop after naming an image. Consider why the poet uses it.

Sound Devices

Pay attention to sound techniques such as:

• rhyme;
• rhythm;
• repetition;
• onomatopoeia;
• pun.

You should understand the effect created by these devices.

For example, repetition may give emphasis to an important idea, while rhythm may influence the movement or mood of the poem.

Diction

Study the poet’s choice of words.

Ask whether the language is simple, formal, emotional, descriptive or connected with a particular cultural or social experience.

Diction can help reveal the tone and attitude of the persona.

Persona

Identify the persona, or the voice speaking in the poem.

Pay attention to the persona’s feelings, opinions and attitude towards the subject.

The persona should not automatically be treated as the poet.

Style

Style includes the different ways the poet uses language and poetic techniques.

When discussing style, you may consider:

• imagery;
• diction;
• repetition;
• sound;
• structure;
• figures of speech;
• persona.

You should explain how these elements contribute to the poem rather than simply listing them.

Socio-Political Relevance

Some poems deal with issues that can be connected with society, politics, culture or human relationships.

You should be able to identify such connections and explain how the poem presents them.

Moral Values and Real-Life Connections

A poem may also contain lessons about life, behaviour, society or human relationships.

You should be able to explain these lessons and relate them to real-life experiences where appropriate.

When revising the prescribed poems, focus on the relationship between meaning and technique. Know what the poem is saying, identify the methods used to communicate the message and explain the effect of those methods.

How to Use the JAMB Literature in English Topics for Revision

Literature in English requires both knowledge and interpretation. Your revision should help you recognise literary features and explain how they work in a text.

Start by studying the three major genres separately:

• Drama
• Prose
• Poetry

Make sure you understand the special features of each one before comparing them.

For Drama, revise dramatic types, dramatic techniques, plot, character, setting and theme.

For Prose, focus on narrative point of view, characterisation, plot, setting, theme and narrative style.

For Poetry, give attention to poetic forms, imagery, sound devices, diction, persona, structure and theme.

You should also learn important literary terms together with their meanings. Terms such as foreshadowing, suspense, symbolism, protagonist, antagonist, satire, soliloquy, monologue, synecdoche and metonymy are easier to remember when you understand how they appear in literary works.

Comparison is another useful part of revision. Make sure you can distinguish between related ideas such as:

• tragedy and comedy;
• monologue and soliloquy;
• protagonist and antagonist;
• biography and autobiography;
• novel and novella;
• round and flat characters;
• first-person and third-person narration;
• literary terms and literary principles.

For prescribed texts, do not depend only on summaries. Study the themes, characters, plot, setting, techniques and style of each work.

For Poetry, know the main ideas in each poem and the devices used to communicate them.

You should also practise unseen Drama, Prose and Poetry passages. When reading an unfamiliar extract, first identify the genre, then look for the main idea, literary devices, tone, characters, setting or persona.

If you identify a literary device, go beyond naming it. Explain what it does in the passage.

For example, if you recognise repetition, consider what idea it emphasises. If you identify imagery, explain the picture or feeling it creates.

Regular practice will help you become better at interpreting unfamiliar passages instead of depending only on memorised answers.

Recommended Texts for JAMB Literature in English

The following anthologies and critical texts can support your study of Literature in English.

Anthologies

• Gbemisola A., Naked Soles.
• J. Hayward, The Penguin Book of English Verse.
• R. Johnson et al., New Poetry from Africa.

These anthologies can help you become familiar with different poetic styles, themes and forms.

Critical Texts

• M.H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms.
• O.E. Emeaba, A Dictionary of Literature.

The critical texts are useful for understanding literary terms, techniques and methods of interpreting unfamiliar passages.

Read also: Full List of JAMB Recommended Textbooks for Literature in English 2027/2028

You do not need to treat the books as replacements for the prescribed literary works. Use them to strengthen your understanding of Literature, especially literary terminology, Poetry and unseen passages.

Key Points to Remember

• JAMB Literature in English covers Drama, Prose, Poetry, General Literary Principles and Literary Appreciation.
• In Drama, understand tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, melodrama, farce and opera.
• Know important dramatic techniques such as characterisation, dialogue, flashback, soliloquy, aside, costume, scenery and lighting.
• When analysing a play, study the theme, plot, setting, characters, style and socio-political context.
• In Prose, understand fiction, non-fiction and faction.
• Know the differences among novel, novella, short story, biography, autobiography and memoir.
• Pay attention to narrative techniques such as first-person narration, third-person narration and characterisation.
• Understand important character types, including round, flat, foil, hero and antihero.
• In Poetry, study forms such as sonnet, ode, lyric, elegy, ballad, panegyric, epic and blank verse.
• Know important poetic devices such as imagery, rhyme, rhythm, repetition, pun, onomatopoeia, diction and persona.
• Do not only identify a literary or poetic device. Be able to explain how it contributes to meaning or artistic effect.
• Learn important literary terms such as foreshadowing, suspense, monologue, soliloquy, symbolism, protagonist, antagonist, satire, stream of consciousness, synecdoche and metonymy.
• Understand the difference between literary terms and literary principles.
• Practise unseen passages from Drama, Prose and Poetry regularly.
• When answering questions on unseen passages, pay attention to theme, tone, setting, character, persona, language and literary devices.
• Study prescribed texts through their plots, themes, characters, settings, styles and techniques, not summaries alone.
• Be able to relate literary works to real-life social, political and economic experiences.
• Revise both African and non-African texts and poems.
• Be ready to identify, compare, interpret, analyse and apply literary ideas correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The JAMB Area of Concentration for Literature in English Subject covers the main areas you need to understand in Drama, Prose, Poetry, General Literary Principles and Literary Appreciation.

As you revise, pay attention to more than the storyline of a text. Study themes, plots, characters, settings, styles, literary devices and the social or political ideas presented in the work. You should also understand how writers use language to create meaning and artistic effect.

For Poetry, practise identifying devices and explaining what they achieve. For Drama and Prose, focus on characterisation, plot development, setting, narration and style. Unseen passages also deserve regular practice because they test your ability to interpret unfamiliar literary works.

Use the prescribed texts together with your knowledge of literary terms and principles, and make sure you can identify, compare, interpret and analyse what you read.

If you have any questions about the JAMB Literature in English topics, you can leave a comment. You can also share this guide with other students who may find it useful.