Literature-In-English Paper 3 Nov/Dec 2015

Question 11

    How does the poet structure his theme in “Upon an Honest Man’s Fortune”?


Observation

A good number of candidates attempted this question. Only few candidates showed they understood the question from their answers.

Candidates were expected to discuss the following points:

  • God’s omnipotence and the need for man to rely on him alone.
  • The first part is about the poet’s criticism of astrologers, fortune tellers and soothsayers who make spurious claims about their ability to read the stars and predict man’s fortunes.
  • The second part is man’s inability to see the good things stored in the treasury of Divine Providence for his use.
  • In the final section, he provides reassurance. He states that in friendship and marriage, there may be disappointments and frustrations but that all these are temporary as eternity awaits the honest man who endures affliction and saves his soul.

 

Candidates’ performance was poor.