UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS

September/October/November 2021

ENG1501
Foundations in English Literary Studies

100 Marks
Duration: 3 Hours

First examiners: Dr A. Pretorius and Ms P. Bembe

Second Examiners: Ms L. Nortjé and Dr R. Fourie

This paper consists of 6 pages.

Instructions:

The examination paper consists of TWO questions. You must answer BOTH questions.

Carefully follow the instructions given for each question.

You may use your primary texts – the poem and the novel – to assist you, but you must cite
these correctly.

We recommend that you spend 2-3 hours answering this question paper.

Note: You have 3 hours to download this paper and complete the questions. You then have
one hour to upload your answers on the myExams platform. Check your timetable for the
official cut-off time.

IMPORTANT:
You should NOT use any other sources in answering these questions. If you do, you must
cite these sources correctly. If you use additional sources and do not cite them both in-text
and in a bibliography, you will be guilty of plagiarism, which constitutes cheating during an
examination.

If you copy from another source, you will fail the module, face disciplinary action, and
risk suspension from the university. We will be using software to compare your answers to
all the information available on the web and to the work of other students, so it will not be
possible to hide plagiarism.

If you are unsure how to submit your answers on myExams, follow the step-by-step guide
available on the university’s website (click here).

Please take note of The Invigilator app information and Examination Rules on the next
two pages.
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The Invigilator App

Instructions

• Please log into The Invigilator App. You need to be connected to the internet in order to
log in and scan the QR code.
• Scan the QR code above once the examination formally commences. If you encounter
difficulty with scanning of the QR code, you can also enter the QR access code at the
bottom of the QR code in order to start the assessment.
• Once the QR code is scanned, you can place your smartphone next to you. The Invigilator
App will notify you when an action is required. Ensure your media volume Is turned up.
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• Please remember to keep your smartphone on charge for the duration of the assessment.
• Keep The Invigilator app open on your cell phone during the assessment. You are not
allowed to leave or minimise the application.
• When an action is required, a notification beep will be heard. Action the request.
• Please ensure you are connected to the internet in order to commence the examination,
as well as at the end of the examination. No internet connection is needed during the
assessment.
• It is important to first upload your script to myExams. Uploading of app data is not time
sensitive and you can do it after you have uploaded your script to the myExams.
• It is important to note that you have to adhere to the time limit in your myExams
assessment as the invigilation time in the app could exceed the time allocated to complete
your assessment.
• You can click the ‘Finish Assessment’ button in the app if you finish early.
• Should you encounter any technical difficulty, please WhatsApp The Invigilator Helpdesk
on 073 505 8273 (text via WhatsApp only; you cannot call this number).

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Examination Rules

1. Students must upload their answer scripts in a single PDF file (answer scripts must not be
password protected or uploaded as “read only” files).
2. NO emailed scripts will be accepted.
3. Students are advised to preview submissions (answer scripts) to ensure legibility and that
the correct answer script file has been uploaded.
4. Students are permitted to resubmit their answer scripts should their initial submission be
unsatisfactory (i.e. maximum two resubmissions, and not after the cut-off time).
5. Incorrect file format and uncollated answer scripts will not be considered.
6. Incorrect answer scripts and/or submissions made on unofficial examinations platforms
(including the Invigilator cell phone application) will not be marked and no opportunity will
be granted for resubmission.
7. The mark awarded for incomplete submission will be the student’s final mark. No
opportunity for resubmission will be granted.
8. The mark awarded for an illegibly scanned submission will be the student’s final mark. No
opportunity for resubmission will be granted.
9. Submissions will only be accepted from registered student accounts.
10. Students who have not utilised invigilation or proctoring tools will be subjected to
disciplinary processes.
11. Students suspected of dishonest conduct during the examinations will be subjected to
disciplinary processes. UNISA has zero tolerance for plagiarism and/or any other forms of
academic dishonesty.
12. Students are provided one hour to submit their answer scripts after the official examination
time. Submissions made after the official examination time and the said one hour for
submissions will be rejected by the examination regulations and will not be marked.
13. Students experiencing network or load shedding challenges are advised to apply together
with supporting evidence for an aegrotat within 3 days of the examination session.
14. Students experiencing technical challenges should contact the SCSC 080 000 1870, or
email Examenquiries@unisa.ac.za, or refer to Get-Help for the list of additional contact
numbers. Only communication received from your myLife account will be considered.

Please turn over.

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QUESTION 1: Poetry: ‘One Art’ – Elizabeth Bishop

Read the poem ‘One Art’ by Elizabeth Bishop (from Seasons Come to Pass, available as an
e-reserve on the library website) before answering the questions that follow.

You must answer in full sentences, and you should support your answers by quoting from
the poem.

Note: You will notice that each question includes a mark allocation. This is to indicate how
much you should write to support your answer. One mark represents one main point or reason.
If a question counts four marks, that means that you will need to supply four points or reasons.

One Art (Elizabeth Bishop)

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. 5
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or 10

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster. 15

—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

Remember that you can use an example from a poem only once; you cannot use the same
example for each of your answers.

1. Refer to stanzas one and two.

1.1. To what does the ‘art’ in the poem’s title and first stanza refer? (1)
1.2. Quote an example of irony from the first line and then explain why it is ironic. (3)
1.3. The narrative perspective changes in lines four to five. Identify the change and then
comment on how it contributes to the poem’s meaning. Remember to quote from the
poem to support your answer. (3)

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2. Refer to stanzas three and four.

2.1. The rhythm of the poem increases in these stanzas. Identify one device that
contributes to this change, quote an example of it from the poem and comment on its
effect. (3)

3. Refer to stanzas two to five.

3.1. Make a list of what the speaker loses in each of these stanzas. What do you notice
about the nature of what she loses? Is there a progression in what she loses? Write
two sentences in response in which you quote from the poem to support your answer.
(4)

4. Refer to stanza five.

4.1. In this stanza, the speaker exaggerates something. Name the poetic device in this
stanza that the speaker uses to show off how good she is at losing things. Describe
how it functions. Remember to quote from the poem to substantiate your answer. (3)

5. Refer to stanza six.

5.1. Stanza six is the climax towards which the poem has been building. How does the
poet signal this in line 16? (1)
5.2. What does this stanza suggest the speaker is most upset about losing? Quote one
word to support your answer. (2)
5.3. This poem consists of phrases that are repeated throughout. Why would the speaker
consistently tell herself that ‘losing’ things is not a disaster? Write one sentence in
which you give a possible reason. (1)
5.4. Do you think the speaker is convinced that ‘losing’ things is not a disaster? Give a
reason for your response. Your reason should quote from the last stanza to support
your argument. (3)
5.5. Based on your answer to 5.4, what do you think the theme of the poem is? (1)

Sub-total for content: 25 marks

Use of language, organisation, and overall structure: 25 marks

Total: 50 marks

QUESTION 2: Novel: Small Things by Nthikeng Mohlele

This question requires you to write an essay of no more than 600 words. In answering the
question, ensure that your essay includes the following:

• An introductory paragraph that introduces the topic and explains how the rest of your
essay will be structured.
• A body of 3-5 paragraphs, in which you develop your argument.
• A concluding paragraph, in which you sum up your argument.

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One of the themes in Nthikeng Mohlele’s Small Things is that of hope versus hopelessness.
Write an essay in which you critically discuss this theme as experienced by the narrator. Your
answer should include relevant examples from the novel to support your arguments as well
as reflect on the significance of the title of the novel in relation to those examples.

Sub-total for content: 25 marks

Use of language, organisation, and overall structure: 25 marks

Total: 50 marks

TOTAL: 100 MARKS

UNISA

2021