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In J.P Clarks 'Abiku' the word 'threshold' means


Literature In EnglishJAMB UTME 1985

Question

In J.P Clarks 'Abiku' the word 'threshold' means

Options

A)
a line separating the living from the dead
B)
a relic of Abiku's previous life
C)
a mark of a healthy stock
D)
the home of the living
E)
the home of the dead

The correct answer is D.

Explanation:

In J.P Clark's poem 'Abiku', the term 'threshold' is used to convey a boundary or a dividing line. However, it's not just any boundary. In the context of the poem, 'threshold' is used to describe the boundary between two different states of existence or realms. These realms are the world of the living and the world of the Abiku (a child who is believed to die and be reborn repeatedly).

When the term 'threshold' is mentioned in the poem, it refers to the home of the living (Option D), which is the correct answer. It's the boundary that Abiku crosses when he leaves the spirit world to be born into the human world. The 'threshold' does not refer to the line separating the living from the dead (Option A), a relic of Abiku's previous life (Option B), a mark of a healthy stock (Option C), or the home of the dead (Option E).

The term 'threshold' in literature often symbolizes a point of transition or change, which is exactly how it's used in this poem. Here, J.P Clark uses 'threshold' to show the cyclical nature of Abiku's existence, constantly crossing between the world of the living and the spirit world.

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