Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow.

"The cracked earth stretched like a tired old man, his sighs rising as thin wisps of dust. Each sunrise painted the horizon with a promise that never kept its word, yet the farmer's hands, calloused and steady, kept turning the soil, coaxing life from a stubborn ground that seemed to resent every seed."

(a) State the central theme of the passage.
(b) Identify two literary devices used in the excerpt and explain how each contributes to the development of the theme.

Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow.

"The cracked earth stretched like a tired old man, his sighs rising as thin wisps of dust. Each sunrise painted the horizon with a promise that never kept its word, yet the farmer's hands, calloused and steady, kept turning the soil, coaxing life from a stubborn ground that seemed to resent every seed."

(a) State the central theme of the passage.
(b) Identify two literary devices used in the excerpt and explain how each contributes to the development of the theme.

Accepted Answer

Theme: human resilience in the face of adversity. Devices: metaphor (cracked earth as a tired old man) and personification (sunrise making unkept promises); both highlight the harsh environment and the farmer's perseverance.

Neco 2017 Literature In English Question 13

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