Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
CREATIVE WRITING
IMAGINATIVE WRITING VS. TECHNICAL
WRITING
IMAGINATIVE WRITING
 is that which expresses the writer’s
thoughts and feelings in a creative, unique,
and poetic way
 examples are poetry, fiction such as short
stories and novels, creative nonfiction like
travel writing, nature writing, sports writing,
autobiography, memoir, interviews, comics,
play scripts, and hypertexts
 its main purpose is to entertain and educate
 its content is imaginative, metaphoric, and
symbolic
 its language is informal, artistic, and
figurative
 the vocabulary used is evocative and is
usually written for a general audience
 the tone (refers to the mood, attitude,
feelings, or emotion of the writer toward the
subject or the topic) is subjective
TECHNICAL WRITING
 is a form of technical communication or
documentation in science and technology or
applied science that helps people
understand a product or service
 its main purpose is to inform and to trigger
the person into action such as purchasing a
product or service; its purpose may also be
to instruct or to persuade, but never to
entertain
 its content is factual and straightforward
 it is expressed in formal, standard, or
academic language
 it uses specialized vocabulary and follows a
set of rules and conventions.
 it is organized in a sequential or systematic
pattern
 it is often detail-oriented and requires
advanced knowledge in the specific field
 its tone is objective and its audience is
specific
 it uses language to evoke either an
emotional or intellectual response from the
reader or audience
 examples are end user documentation like
user manuals that accompany cellular
phones, personal computers or laptops;
traditional technical writing such as legal
analysis, summary of experiments for
journal publications, or articles for trade
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publication; and technological marketing
communications such as sales pitch about a
new computer hardware or software to a
new client - it includes training manuals,
operations guides, and promotional
brochures
Sample Sales Pitch:
We help businesses to improve their ability to
manage inventory levels.
We help businesses to decrease their cost of
goods sold.
We help operations managers to improve work
life balance.
We help businesses to improve their ability to
manage inventory levels and that can often lead
to a decrease in cost of goods sold.
We help businesses to decrease their cost of
goods sold and do that by improving their
ability to manage inventory levels.
We help businesses to improve their ability to
manage inventory levels and do that through a
portfolio of inventory management solutions.
We help businesses to improve their ability to
manage inventory levels and that can often help
operations managers to improve their work life
balance.
Sample Legal Analysis:
Cristobal V. Gomez – G.R. No. 27014
Facts:
Epifanio sold a property with pacto de retro
to Yangco. It was stipulated that the property is
redeemable within five years. When the period
expired, Yangco extended it. In order to
redeem, Epifanio asked Banas for a loan. The
two entered into a private partnership in
participation which stipulated that the property
shall be returned to Epifanio as soon as the
capital employed has been covered. Epifanio
died. He left Paulina and their children.
Marcelino acquired exclusive rights over the
property when Telesfora conveyed her interest
to him. Marcelino sold the property to Banas,
with pacto de retro, redeemable within five
years. He redeemed it from Banas. Marcelino
submitted a notarial document wherein Epifanio
certifies that Marcelino has requested him to
draw up a notarial act showing the properties
which Marcelino was known to be the true
owner. Marcelino relies upon this instrument as
proving title in him, contending that Epifanio
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and his successors are estopped from claiming
said lot.
Issue:
Are the heirs of Epifanio estopped from
claiming the property?
Held:
No. Estoppel may not be invoked by a
person party to the conclusion, by reason that
he could not have been misled. The document
executed by Epifanio was merely laying the
basis of a scheme to defeat Yangco’s rights
under his contract of purchase of 1891, or to
defeat Epifanio’s other creditors.
TASK 1
Direction: Determine whether the
following excerpts are imaginative writing
or technical writing.
1. “The tree has entered my hands, / The sap
has ascended my arms. / The tree has
grown in my breast – / Downward, / The
branches grow out of me, like arms.” (Ezra
Pound, “A Girl”)
2. “We had become very hungry; we felt that
it was necessary for us to eat in order to
maintain both our morale and our
endurance. Or cabman took us to a
restaurant. When we entered it was rather
crowded, but we managed to find a table
and sit down. There followed that hiatus of
which every Negro in the United States
knows the meaning. At length, a man in
charge came over and told us without any
pretense of palliation that we could not be
served.” (Outcasts in Salt Lake City)
3. “The effects of a respondent’s socio-
economic background on his her attitudes
toward minority groups were analysed with
the help of a multivariate linear regression
model. Multivariate regression models
explain variations of the dependent
variables by a linear combination of
independent variables. In this case, the
models were calculated to explain the sum
indices for each dimension, country by
country.” (SORA, “Attitudes towards
Minority Groups in the European Union”)
4. “The most common mistake when planting
a tree is digging a hole, which is either too
deep or too narrow. Too deep and the roots
don’t have access to sufficient oxygen to
ensure proper growth. Too narrow and the
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Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
root structure can’t expand sufficiently to
nourish and properly anchor the tree.”
(“Planting a Tree” @ tree-planting.com)
5. “If you see the signup form, fill out your
name, email address or phone number,
password, birthday and gender. If you don’t
see the form, click Sign Up, then fill out the
form. Click Sign Up.” (www.facebook.com)
6. “The internet is, a fountain of information. /
It’s available to everyone, in every nation. /
Pages for children to read and enjoy / along
with the spam, which can really annoy. /
Poetry and forums for everyone’s pleasure /
just about anything, even selling your
treasure.” (Bernard Howe, “The Internet”)
7. “This paper presents the conceptual
linkages between food security and nutrition
and reviews data on the associations
between experience-based measures of
food insecurity and nutritional status
outcomes in countries at different stages of
the nutrition transition.” (Voices of the
Hungry, “Food Security and Nutrition in the
Context of Global Nutrition Transition”)
8. I come along the peoples like a shadow. / I
sit down by each man’s side. / None sees
me, but they look on one another, / And
know that I am there. / My silence is like
the silence of the tide / That buries the
playground of children; (Robert Laurence
Binyon, “Hunger”)
SENSORY EXPERIENCE
SENSORY DETAILS
- include sight, sound, touch, smell, and
taste. Writers employ the five senses to
engage a reader's interest.
- When sensory details are used, your
readers can personally experience
whatever you're trying to describe,
reminding them of their own
experiences, giving your writing a
universal feel. A universal quality is
conveyed when the writer is able to
personally connect with the readers.
Sensory perception: Sight
When we talk about the things we see, we talk
about the size, shape and colour of the object.
To describe the size we use words like big,
small, tiny, huge fat, thin, and so on.
To describe the shape we use words like round,
square, surly, straight, curved, and so on.
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To describe the color we use words like, red,
yellowish, pink, etc.
Sensory perception: Sound
We hear many sounds all around us all the
time. Some sounds are loud, some are soft.
Some are sounds we like and some are sounds
we don’t like.
Here are some words that we can use to
describe sounds.
loud, growl, rumble, roar, screech, squeak, soft,
soothing, melodious, thud, bang, purr
Sensory perception: Smell
We smell many things all around us. Some
smells are pleasant while others are revolting.
Here are some of the words which are related to
smell.
pleasant, flowery, revolting, pungent, sweet, sc
ent, aroma, stink, rotten, sniff, foul, perfume, w
hiff, odour
Sensory perception: Taste
We can mainly taste four different tastes.
sweet, sour, salty, bitter
But every food that we have has a mixture of
different tastes that makes it unique. Even the
thought of food that we like makes our mouth
water.
Here are some words that can be used when we
are talking about taste.
spicy, hot, tangy, sharp, bland, plain, weak, tast
eless, tart, sugary, syrupy
Sensory perception: Touch
Look at these words. They tell us about touch or
about what we feel when we touch.
smooth, silky, rough, grainy, coarse, fine, metal
lic, glassy, leathery, furry, warm, cool, cold, hot
, icy
TASK 2
Direction: Determine the prevailing
sensory image used in each line (sight,
smell, sound, taste, or touch).
Rainforest Shower
by S. Wood
Sticky humidity frizzing out my hair
Suffocating heat numbing my mind
I can taste my sweat.
A single ray of sunlight breaks through the
canopy
landing on a red-eyed tree frog
who takes a great leap.
Rumble, crash!
The clouds crack to life
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Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
Sending down a great flood
I smell the fresh, clean rain just before
it splashes onto my skin
The air is cool for one brief second
One moment, a raging torrent
Then next, water trickles off leaves
The last few rain drops have fallen
Wet, muddy, riddled with bug bites
I trudge home.
IMAGERY AND FIGURES OF SPEECH
IMAGERY
 is a figurative language used to
represent objects, actions, and ideas in
a manner that appeals to the senses
 It uses vivid descriptive language to add
depth to the work.
 Imagery creates mental pictures in the
reader as he/she reads the text
FIGURES OF SPEECH
 The common examples of figures of
speech are: simile, metaphor,
onomatopoeia, personification,
apostrophe, hyperbole, alliteration,
synecdoche, metonymy, oxymoron, and
paradox.
A. Simile – is a stated comparison (formed
with like or as) between fundamentally
dissimilar things that have certain qualities in
common.
1. Upon hearing the school bell, the kids
ran out of the class as fast as lightning.
2. She is as brave as a lion.
3. You were as brave as a lion.
4. They fought like cats and dogs.
5. Your explanation is as clear as mud.
B. Metaphor – is an implied comparison
between two unlike things that have
something in common.
1. All the world’s a stage, and all the men
and women are merely players.
2. Her voice is music to his ears.
3. War is the mother of all battles.
4. Laughter is the best medicine.
5. Words are daggers when spoken in
anger.
C. Onomatopoeia – uses words that imitate
sounds associated with objects or actions.
1. The bees buzzed around in the garden.
2. The leaves were rustling.
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3. The door was squeaking.
4. He closed the book with a thud.
5. The gushing stream flows in the forest.
D. Personification – endows human qualities
or abilities to inanimate objects or
abstractions.
1. The wind howled as the storm grew
stronger.
2. The boat danced in the puddle.
3. The car died in the middle of the road.
4. The car complained as the key was
roughly turned in its ignition.
5. My alarm clock yells at me to get out of
bed every morning.
E. Irony – Irony is the figurative term for the
disconnect between what appears to happen
or what is apparently being said and the
actual truth or reality.
Verbal Irony - where someone says the
opposite of what they really mean or intend.
 Looking at her son's messy room, Mom
says, "Wow, you could win an award for
cleanliness!"
 On the way to school, the school bus
gets a flat tire and the bus driver says,
"Excellent! This day couldn't start off
any better!"
 A man looked out of the window to see
the storm intensify. He turned to his
friend and said “wonderful weather
we’re having!”
 Exclaiming “oh great” after failing an
exam.
Situational Irony - where actions or events
have the opposite result from what is
expected or what is intended
 A fire station burns down. ...
 A marriage counselor files for divorce.
...
 The police station gets robbed. ...
 A post on Facebook complaining how
useless Facebook is. ...
 A traffic cop gets his license suspended
because of unpaid parking tickets. ...
 A pilot has a fear of heights.
Dramatic Irony - occurs when the audience
or reader of a text knows something that the
characters do not
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Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
 The audience knows that a killer is
hiding in the closet, but the girl in the
horror movie does not.
 The reader knows that a storm is
coming, but the children playing on the
playground do not.
 In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the
audience/reader knows that Juliet has
faked her death, but Romeo does not
and he thinks she is really dead.
 In Hamlet, people know that Hamlet is
not really mad and that he knows the
full truth about his father’s murder.
 In Toy Story, human characters are not
aware that the toys speak and move
while the audience is aware.
F. Apostrophe – a figure if speech that
addresses an absent person or thing that is
an abstract, inanimate, or inexistent
character.
1. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I
wonder what you are.
2. Then come, sweet death, and rid me of
this grief.
3. O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of
earth.
4. Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean
– roll!
5. Welcome, O life!
G. Hyperbole – is the use of exaggeration for
the purpose of emphasis or exaggerated
effect.
1. Those shoes cost a king’s ransom.
2. For the millionth time, clean the
kitchen.
3. His grandfather is older than the hills.
4. I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
5. I have a million things to do today.
H. Alliteration – is used when an initial
consonant sound is repeated
1. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.
2. Sally sells seashells by the sea shore.
3. How much wood could a woodchuck
chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
4. The sly, slithering snake snuck into the
shed.
5. The river rushed rapidly over the rocks.
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I. Synecdoche – a figure of speech in which a
part is used to represent a whole
1. The car is flat.
2. "Beautiful are the feet that bring the
good news."
3. "Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend
me your ears."
4. If I had some wheels I would put on a
new thread and ask for Jenny's hand in
marriage.
5. “His eye met hers as she sat there paler
and whiter than anyone in the vast
ocean of anxious faces about her.”
J. Metonymy – when one word or phrase is
substituted for another with which it’s closely
associated to or when something is described
indirectly by referring to things around it
1. Pen is mightier than a sword.
2. The kettle is boiling.
3. Education extends from the cradle to
the grave.
4. Rumors about a hired gun having been
ordered for assassination were rampant.
5. “England decides to keep check on
immigration.”
K. Allusion – An allusion is when a person or
author makes an indirect reference in
speech, text, or song to an event or figure.
Often the allusions made are to past events
or figures, but sometimes allusions are
made to current famous people or events.
1. He has the patience of Job.
2. Don't be a Scrooge!
3. Potato chips are my diet's Achilles heel.
4. Many states have laws that protect
Good Samaritan's.
5. When you feel betrayed by a friend, you
can say, "You too, Brutus?" (allusion to
Julius Caesar-Brutus betrayed Caesar)
L. Oxymoron – is a figure of speech where
incongruous or contradictory terms appear
side by side
1. This is another fine mess you have got
us into.
2. There is a real love hate relationship
developing between the two of them.
3. Suddenly the room filled with a
deafening silence.
4. The comedian was seriously funny.
5. You are clearly confused by the
situation you have found yourself in.
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Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
M. Paradox – is a statement that appears to
contradict itself
1. Nobody goes to Murphy’s Bar anymore
— it’s too crowded.
2. I must be cruel only to be kind.
3. I close my eyes so I can see.
4. Less is more.
5. You can save money by spending it.
TASK 3
Direction: FIGURES OF SPEECH: Identify
what figure of speech is used in the
following sentences
1. I would go through all this pain and take a
bullet straight to the brain.
2. I am deeply superficial person.
3. Old Mr. Johnson has been teaching here
since the Stone Age.
4. The restaurant has been acting quite rude
lately.
5. Pam was skinny enough to jump through a
keyhole.
6. We have always remained loyal to the
crown.
7. The bride and groom were not surprised to
hear the familiar sound of clinking glasses.
8. Car, please get me to work today.
9. Charlie gazed hopelessly at the endless pile
of bills stretching across the counter.
10. I am busy doing nothing.
11. The avalanche devoured everything in its
path.
12. The car sputtered and coughed before
starting.
13. You have nice kicks.
14. When the pickup hit it, the armadillo came
apart like a watermelon flung across the
asphalt.
15. The comedian was seriously funny.
16. Dear love, please don't shoot me with your
Cupid's bow.
17. He writes a fine hand.
18. No one goes to that store because it is too
crowded.
19. How many plates are there going to be at
dinner?
20. Rumors about a hired gun having been
ordered for assassination were rampant.
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PHENOMENAL WOMAN
By Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s
size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
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Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand;
The need for my care.
“Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
TASK 4:
Direction: Complete the table below by
writing the words, imagery, or details that
stood out when you listen to and read the
poem yourself.
IMAGERY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Answer the following questions about the
poem, “Phenomenal Woman”.
1. How many stanzas are there in the poem?
2. What word or phrase is similar in each
stanza?
3. Do you think this repeated word or phrase
helped make the poem creative? Why?
4. What does the repeated word or phrase
imply?
5. How does the writer feel about woman? Can
you cite the word or phrase from your list that
tells you this?
6. How does the poem make you feel? What
word in the list evoked this feeling?
7. For whom do you think was this poem
written? Is there any word or phrase in your list
that gave a clue?
8. Was the poem written to entertain or to
educate? Why? Point out the word or phrase
from the list that makes you think so.
9. Who is a woman? What makes her
phenomenal?
10. Have you ever felt phenomenal in your life?
Tell an experience.
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 Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
DICTION AND SYNTAX first time in a hundred years. (The Brief
Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz)
Diction is the choice of words used by the
writers. The words should be right and accurate, Type of Work:
appropriate to the context in which they were “They left me alone and I lay in bed and read
used, and comprehensible to the intended the papers awhile, the news from the front,
audience. and the list of dead officers with their
decorations and then reached down and
What is the significance of diction in brought up the bottle of Cinzano and held it
literature? straight up on my stomach, the cool glass
against my stomach, and took little drinks
Diction establishes the formality of the work, making rings on my stomach from holding the
the tone of the literary piece, the situation and bottle there between drinks, and watched it
the character in the story, and the type of work get dark outside over the roofs of the town.”
being read. (A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway)

Informal: Never seek to tell thy love,

You just hold your head high and keep those Love that never told can be;
fists down. No matter what anybody says to For the gentle wind doth move
you, don’t you let ’em get your goat. Try Silently, invisibly.
fighting with your head for a change. (To Kill (“Love’s Secret” by William Blake)
a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
Syntax is how the words are arranged in a
Formal: sentence or line.
It seemed to me that a careful examination of
the room and the lawn might possibly reveal What is the significance of syntax in a
some traces of this mysterious individual. You literature?
know my methods, Watson. There was not Through syntax, certain artistic effects are
one of them which I did not apply to the achieved such as producing rhythm or melody
inquiry. And it ended by my discovering in the lines, and giving emphasis on the literary
traces, but very different ones from those work.
which I had expected. “Go out I cannot, nor can I stay in,” (“Beyond
Decoration” by PJ Kavanagh)
Tone: Grief Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
It was in the clove of seasons, summer was And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
dead but autumn had not been born,…The And every fair from fair sometime declines,
last graveyard flowers were blooming, and By chance, or nature’s changing course
their smell drifted across the cotton field and untrimmed: (“Sonnet 18” by William
through every room of our house, speaking Shakespeare)
softly the names of our dead.
Syntax also contributes towards the tone or
Situation: mood and the situation in the story.
“I am much obliged to you, sir”
“Thanks a bunch, buddy!” Inversion Techniques:
• Placing a verb before its subject
Character: e.g. shouts the policeman
His adolescent nerdliness vaporizing any iota • Placing the adverb and the verb before
of a chance he had for young love. Everybody the subject
else going through the terror and joy of their e.g. Yesterday saw I a ship.
first crushes, their first dates, their first kisses • Placing the object before the subject
while Oscar sat in the back of the class, and verb
behind his DM’s screen, and watched his e.g. An excellent decision she made
adolescence stream by. Sucks to be left out of there.
adolescence, sort of like getting locked in the
closet on Venus when the sun appears for the

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READING AND WRITING POETRY
POETRY – A Literary work in which the
expression of feelings and ideas is given
intensity by the use of distinctive style and
rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of
literature.
Elements of Poetry
STANZAS: Stanzas are a series of lines
grouped together and separated by an empty
line from other stanzas. They are the equivalent
of a paragraph in an essay. One way to identify
a stanza is to count the number of lines. Thus:
couplet (2 lines)
tercet (3 lines)
quatrain (4 lines)
cinquain (5 lines)
sestet (6 lines) (sometimes it's called a sexain)
septet (7 lines)
octave (8 lines)
FORM: A poem may or may not have a specific
number of lines, rhyme scheme and/or metrical
pattern, but it can still be labeled according to
its form or style. Here are the three most
common types of poems according to form:
1. Lyric Poetry: It is any poem with one
speaker (not necessarily the poet) who
expresses strong thoughts and feelings. Most
poems, especially modern ones, are
lyric poems.
a. Ode: It is usually a lyric poem of
moderate length, with a serious subject,
an elevated style, and an elaborate
stanza pattern.
b. Elegy: It is a lyric poem that mourns
the dead. It often uses "apostrophe"
(calling out to the dead person) as a
literary technique. It can have a fairly
formal style, and sound similar to an
ode.
c. Sonnet: It is a lyric poem consisting of
14 lines and, in the English version, is
usually written in iambic pentameter.
There are two basic kinds of sonnets:
the Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet and
the Shakespearean (or
Elizabethan/English) sonnet. The
Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after
Petrarch, an Italian Renaissance poet.
The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an
octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six
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Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
lines). The Shakespearean sonnet
consists of three quatrains (four lines
each) and a concluding couplet (two
lines). The Petrarchan sonnet tends to
divide the thought into two parts
(argument and conclusion); the
Shakespearean, into four (the final
couplet is the summary).
2. Narrative Poetry: It is a poem that tells a
story; its structure resembles the plot line of a
story [i.e. the introduction of conflict and
characters, rising action, climax and the
denouement.
a. Ballad: It is a narrative poem that has
a musical rhythm and can be sung. A
ballad is usually organized into
quatrains or cinquains, has a simple
rhythm structure, and tells the tales of
ordinary people.
b. Epic: It is a long narrative poem in
elevated style recounting the deeds of a
legendary or historical hero.
3. Dramatic Poetry: a poem intended to be
performed on stage.
RHYME
Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds. In
poetry, the most common kind of rhyme is the
end rhyme, which occurs at the end of two or
more lines. It is usually identified with lower
case letters, and a new letter is used to identify
each new end sound. Take a look at the rhyme
scheme for the following poem:
I saw a fairy in the wood,
He was dressed all in green.
He drew his sword while I just stood,
And realized I'd been seen.
The rhyme scheme of the poem is abab.
Internal rhyme occurs in the middle of a line,
as in these lines from Coleridge, "In mist or
cloud, on mast or shroud" or "Whiles all the
night through fog-smoke white" ("The Ancient
Mariner"). Remember that most modern poems
do not have rhyme.
CONTENT OF POETRY
1. Context – Context as a content of poetry
refers to the author’s knowledge of the topic
of the poem. When the author knows much
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about the topic, he/she is able to write well
about it.
2. Tone – Tone in poetry refers to the author’s
attitude toward the subject. Tone may be
serious, enthusiastic, formal, objective,
dramatic, humorous, etc.
3. Symbol – A symbol, which is one
component of the content of poetry, is
something else; i.e., an idea, belief, etc.
Through symbols, the author is able to go
beyond the literal meaning of a text and
present ideas figuratively. For example, a
“blooming flower” may mean something
that is constantly growing or unveiling itself
beautifully.
*Symbols aid in both the formation and
identification of the central idea of the
literary piece. For example, the symbols
wedding rings, engagement rings, dove,
confetti, and rice would give readers the
idea that the central idea of the literary
piece is marriage.
4. Theme – The theme of the poem is its
general central idea. This maybe stated
abstractly or explicitly.
5. Motif – The motif is a recurring idea in the
poem. This is always explicit and made
obvious through repetition.
KINDS OF POETRY
Japanese Haiku – short poem with three lines
and a syllable count of 5-7-7;
contains elements such as kigo
(seasonal reference) and an
ikireji (“cutting word” placed
between juxtaposed imagery)
English haiku – similar to a Japanese haiku,
but is less restrictive with
regard to the syllable count
(due to the language); does not
necessarily have the same
features as a Japanese haiku
Filipino haiku – even less restrictive in form as
the English haiku, and written in
Filipino
Haibun – comparable to the essence of a travel
journal, the haibun combines
prose and poetry; the prose
serves to vividly describe the
location or scene, while the
poetry is meant to capture the
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atmosphere or “feeling”
associated with the scene
Tanka – Japanese short poem (generally
known as waka) with five lines
following a syllable count 5-7-5-
7-7
English/Shakespearean sonnet – fourteen
lines, conventionally follows
iambic pentameter, with a
rhyme scheme of a-b-a-b-c-d-c-
d-e-f-e-f-g-g
Sestina – six verses with six lines, each
following an alternating end-
word pattern
Villanelle – nineteen-line poem of five tercets
and a quatrain; the poem has
two refrains and two rhyme
patterns repeated throughout,
involving the alternate
repetition of the first and the
third lines of the first tercet
Tanaga – Filipino poetic form of four lines with
seven syllables each all of which
rhyme together
Awit – Another Filipino poetic form; emphasizes
narrative greatly
Education Gives Luster to Motherland
By Jose P. Rizal
Wise education, vital breath
Inspires an enchanting virtue;
She puts the Country in the lofty seat
Of endless glory, of dazzling glow,
And just as the gentle aura’s puff
Do brighten the perfumed flower’s hue:
So education with a wise, guiding hand,
A benefactress exalts the human band.
Man’s placid repose and earthly life
To education he dedicates
Because of her, art and science are born
Man; and as from the high mount above
The pure rivulet flows, undulates,
So education beyond measure
Gives the Country tranquillity secure.
Where wise education raises a throne
Sprightly youth are invigorated,
Who with firm stand error they subdue
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And with noble ideas are exalted;
It breaks immortality’s neck,
Contemptible crime before it is halted:
It humbles barbarous nations
And it makes of savages champions.
And like the spring that nourishes
The plants, the bushes of the meads,
She goes on spilling her placid wealth,
And with kind eagerness she constantly feeds,
The river banks through which she slips
And to beautiful nature all she concedes,
So whoever procures education wise
Until the height of honor may rise.
From her lips the waters crystalline
Gush forth without end, of divine virtue,
And prudent doctrines of her faith
The forces weak of evil subdue,
That break apart like the whitish waves
That lash upon the motionless shoreline:
And to climb the heavenly ways of the people
Do learn with her noble example.
In the wretched human beings’ breast
The living flame of good she lights
The hands of criminal fierce she ties,
And fill the faithful hearts with delights,
Which seeks her secrets beneficent
And in the love for the good her breast she
incites,
And it’s th’ education noble and pure
Of human life the balsam sure.
And like a rock that rises with pride
In the middle of the turbulent waves
When hurricane and fierce Notus roar
She disregards their fury and raves,
That weary of the horror great
So frightened calmly off they stave;
Such is one by wise education steered
He holds the Country’s reins unconquered.
His achievements on sapphire are engraved;
The Country pays him a thousand honors;
For the noble breasts of her sons
Virtue transplanted luxuriant flow’rs;
And in the love of good e’er disposed
Will see the lords and governors
The noble people with loyal venture
Christian education always procure.
And like the golden sun of the morn
Whose rays resplendent shedding gold,
And like fair aurora of gold and red
She overspreads her colors bold;
Such true education proudly gives
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The pleasure of virtue to young and old
And she enlightens out Motherland dear
As she offers endless glow and luster.
COMPREHENSION CHECK
Answer the following questions below:
1. What is the poem all about?
2. What is Rizal’s personal view toward the
poem’s topic?
3. What specific events in Rizal’s life might have
influenced him in writing the poem?
4. Identify the symbols that the author used
and point out what these symbols could mean in
the poem. Use the table below for your
answers.
Specific Name of the Interpretation
line symbol
where
the
symbol is
used
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5. What is the theme of the poem?
6. What is the motif of the poem? What does it
imply?
Auto Wreck
Karl Shapiro
Its quick soft silver bell beating, beating,
And down the dark one ruby flare
Pulsing out red light like an artery,
The ambulance at top speed floating down
Past beacons and illuminated clocks
Wings in a heavy curve, dips down,
And brakes speed, entering the crowd.
The doors leap open, emptying light;
Stretchers are laid out, the mangled lifted
And stowed into the little hospital.
Then the bell, breaking the hush, tolls once.
And the ambulance with its terrible cargo
Rocking, slightly rocking, moves away,
As the doors, an afterthought, are closed.
We are deranged, walking among the cops
Who sweep glass and are large and composed.
One is still making notes under the light.
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One with a bucket douches ponds of blood The setting refers to the time,
Into the street and gutter. the geographical locations, and
One hangs lanterns on the wrecks that cling, the general environment and
Empty husks of locusts, to iron poles. circumstances that prevail in a narrative.
The setting helps to establish the mood of
Our throats were tight as tourniquets, a story.
Our feet were bound with splints, but now,
Like convalescents intimate and gauche, B. CHARACTERS
We speak through sickly smiles and warn 1. Types of Characters:
With the stubborn saw of common sense, a. Protagonist (hero): the central
The grim joke and the banal resolution. figure with whom we usually sympathize
The traffic moves around with care, or identify
But we remain, touching a wound b. Antagonist (villain): the figure who
That opens to our richest horror. opposes the protagonist and creates the
Already old, the question Who shall die? conflict
Becomes unspoken Who is innocent?

For death in war is done by hands;
Suicide has cause and stillbirth, logic;
And cancer, simple as a flower, blooms.
But this invites the occult mind,
Cancels our physics with a sneer,
And spatters all we knew of denouement
Across the expedient and wicked stones.
COMPREHENSION CHECK
Answer the following questions below:
1. Upon reading the word “ambulance,” what
words or scenes did you associate it with?
2. What do you think happened in the poem?
What word or phrase that gave you clue
about what happened?
3. Was there a patient? Did the patient live or
die? What word or phrase tells us this?
4. What was the feeling of the onlookers? What
word or phrase tells you this?
5. Can you point out the line that tells you the
cause of death? What is the attitude of the
author toward death and its cause?
6. Have the figures of speech helped you
“picture” the scenario described in the poem?
Explain.
7. What is the poem about?
READING AND WRITING FICTION
SHORT STORY
Short story is a brief fictional prose narrative
that is shorter than a novel and that usually
deals with only a few characters.
ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY
A. SETTING
2. The ways characters are portrayed:
a. Flat Characters (static characters
or stereotypes)- they have no depth
and no change; we only see one side or
aspect of them. Most supporting
characters are portrayed in this way, for
example, a strict teacher, a helpful
policeman, and an evil stepmother.
b. Round Characters (dynamic
character)- they have more fully
developed personalities. We expect the
protagonists and antagonists to be
rounded individuals who express a
range of emotion and change
throughout the narrative, usually
toward greater maturity.
C. PLOT
Plot is a literary term used to describe the
events that make up a story or the main
part of a story.
PARTS OF A PLOT
1. Exposition - This is known as the
beginning of the story where characters
and setting are established.
The conflict or main problem is
introduced as well.
2. Rising Action - which occurs when a
series of events build up to the conflict.
The main characters are established by
the time the rising action of a plot occurs
and at the same time, events begin to
get complicated. It is during this part of
a story that excitement, tension or crisis
is encountered.
3. Climax - or the main point of the plot.
This is the turning point of the story and
is meant to be the moment of highest

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interest and emotion. The reader close bond between the protagonist and
wonders what is going to happen next. the reader, without being confined by the
4. Falling Action - Events and complications protagonist’s educational or language
begin to resolve and the result of actions restrictions.
of the main characters are put forward.
5. Resolution - or the conclusion. It is the TECHNIQUES AND LITERARY DEVICES
end of a story and ends with either a A. TONE
happy or a tragic ending. Tone refers to the
author’s mood and manner of expression in
D. THEME a work of literature. The tone can be
The theme is the main, underlying serious, didactic, humorous, satirical,
idea of a piece of literature. caustic/sarcastic, passionate, sensitive,
sentimental, zealous, indifferent, poignant,
E. NARRATIVE POINT OF VIEW warm, agitated, and so on.

TYPES OF NARRATOR B. SYMBOLISM

1. Internal Narrator (First-person
Narrator; the narrator uses "I" to refer
to himself/herself): the narrator is a
character in the story, often, but not
necessarily, the protagonist. This
narrative point of view allows for a
very personal touch in the story telling.
2. Omniscient Narrator (multiple points
of view; the narrator is "all-knowing"):
the narrator is not a character in the
story but knows everything about the
story. The omniscient narrator can show
the thoughts and experiences of any
character in the story. It permits the
writer the broadest scope.
3. Limited Narrator (External
Subjective Narrator; the 3rd person
point of view): the narrator is not a
character in the story but looks at things
only through the eyes of a single
character. This type of narrative
permits the narrator to quickly build a
Symbolism is the art of representing things
by using symbols or by attributing symbolic
meanings or significance to objects, events,
or relationships.
Examples: sword – justice; dove – peace;
rose – love
C. MOTIF
Motif is any recurring element (word,
phrase, action) that has symbolic
significance in the story.
Examples: colors, death, gluttony, alcohol,
drugs
D. FIGURES OF SPEECH AND IMAGERY
Imagery is a figurative language used to
represent objects, actions, and ideas in a
manner that appeals to the senses. It uses
vivid descriptive language to add depth to
the work. Imagery creates mental pictures
in the reader as he/she reads the text.

THE NECKLACE
by Guy de Maupassant

The Necklace (1884) is a famous short story and morality tale that is widely read in classrooms
throughout the world.

She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had blundered over her,
into a family of artisans. She had no marriage portion, no expectations, no means of getting known,
understood, loved, and wedded by a man of wealth and distinction; and she let herself be married off
to a little clerk in the Ministry of Education. Her tastes were simple because she had never been able
to afford any other, but she was as unhappy as though she had married beneath her; for women have
no caste or class, their beauty, grace, and charm serving them for birth or family. their natural
delicacy, their instinctive elegance, their nimbleness of wit, are their only mark of rank, and put the
slum girl on a level with the highest lady in the land.

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She suffered endlessly, feeling herself born for every delicacy and luxury. She suffered from
the poorness of her house, from its mean walls, worn chairs, and ugly curtains. All these things, of
which other women of her class would not even have been aware, tormented and insulted her. The
sight of the little Breton girl who came to do the work in her little house aroused heart-broken regrets
and hopeless dreams in her mind. She imagined silent antechambers, heavy with Oriental tapestries,
lit by torches in lofty bronze sockets, with two tall footmen in knee-breeches sleeping in large arm-
chairs, overcome by the heavy warmth of the stove. She imagined vast saloons hung with antique
silks, exquisite pieces of furniture supporting priceless ornaments, and small, charming, perfumed
rooms, created just for little parties of intimate friends, men who were famous and sought after,
whose homage roused every other woman's envious longings.

When she sat down for dinner at the round table covered with a three-days-old cloth, opposite
her husband, who took the cover off the soup-tureen, exclaiming delightedly: "Aha! Scotch broth!
What could be better?" she imagined delicate meals, gleaming silver, tapestries peopling the walls
with folk of a past age and strange birds in faery forests; she imagined delicate food served in
marvellous dishes, murmured gallantries, listened to with an inscrutable smile as one trifled with the
rosy flesh of trout or wings of asparagus chicken.

She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing. And these were the only things she loved; she felt
that she was made for them. She had longed so eagerly to charm, to be desired, to be wildly
attractive and sought after.

She had a rich friend, an old school friend whom she refused to visit, because she suffered so
keenly when she returned home. She would weep whole days, with grief, regret, despair, and misery.

One evening her husband came home with an exultant air, holding a large envelope in his
hand.
" Here's something for you," he said.

Swiftly she tore the paper and drew out a printed card on which were these words:

"The Minister of Education and Madame Ramponneau request the pleasure of the company of
Monsieur and Madame Loisel at the Ministry on the evening of Monday, January the 18th."
Instead of being delighted, as her-husband hoped, she flung the invitation petulantly across the table,
murmuring:
"What do you want me to do with this?"

"Why, darling, I thought you'd be pleased. You never go out, and this is a great occasion. I
had tremendous trouble to get it. Everyone wants one; it's very select, and very few go to the clerks.
You'll see all the really big people there."

She looked at him out of furious eyes, and said impatiently: "And what do you suppose I am
to wear at such an affair?"

He had not thought about it; he stammered:

"Why, the dress you go to the theatre in. It looks very nice, to me...."
He stopped, stupefied and utterly at a loss when he saw that his wife was beginning to cry. Two large
tears ran slowly down from the corners of her eyes towards the corners of her mouth.
"What's the matter with you? What's the matter with you?" he faltered.

But with a violent effort she overcame her grief and replied in a calm voice, wiping her wet
cheeks:

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"Nothing. Only I haven't a dress and so I can't go to this party. Give your invitation to some
friend of yours whose wife will be turned out better than I shall."
He was heart-broken.

"Look here, Mathilde," he persisted. :What would be the cost of a suitable dress, which you
could use on other occasions as well, something very simple?"
She thought for several seconds, reckoning up prices and also wondering for how large a sum she
could ask without bringing upon herself an immediate refusal and an exclamation of horror from the
careful-minded clerk.

At last she replied with some hesitation:

"I don't know exactly, but I think I could do it on four hundred francs."

He grew slightly pale, for this was exactly the amount he had been saving for a gun, intending
to get a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre with some friends who went lark-
shooting there on Sundays.

Nevertheless he said: "Very well. I'll give you four hundred francs. But try and get a really nice
dress with the money."

The day of the party drew near, and Madame Loisel seemed sad, uneasy and anxious. Her
dress was ready, however. One evening her husband said to her:

"What's the matter with you? You've been very odd for the last three days."

"I'm utterly miserable at not having any jewels, not a single stone, to wear," she replied. "I
shall look absolutely no one. I would almost rather not go to the party."

"Wear flowers," he said. "They're very smart at this time of the year. For ten francs you could
get two or three gorgeous roses."

She was not convinced.

"No . . . there's nothing so humiliating as looking poor in the middle of a lot of rich women."
"How stupid you are!" exclaimed her husband. "Go and see Madame Forestier and ask her to
lend you some jewels. You know her quite well enough for that."

She uttered a cry of delight.

"That's true. I never thought of it."

Next day she went to see her friend and told her her trouble.

Madame Forestier went to her dressing-table, took up a large box, brought it to Madame
Loisel, opened it, and said:

"Choose, my dear."

First she saw some bracelets, then a pearl necklace, then a Venetian cross in gold and gems,
of exquisite workmanship. She tried the effect of the jewels before the mirror, hesitating, unable to
make up her mind to leave them, to give them up. She kept on asking:

"Haven't you anything else?"

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"Yes. Look for yourself. I don't know what you would like best."
Suddenly she discovered, in a black satin case, a superb diamond necklace; her heart began to beat
covetousIy. Her hands trembled as she lifted it. She fastened it round her neck, upon her high dress,
and remained in ecstasy at sight of herself.

Then, with hesitation, she asked in anguish:

"Could you lend me this, just this alone?"

"Yes, of course."

She flung herself on her friend's breast, embraced her frenziedly, and went away with her
treasure. The day of the party arrived. Madame Loisel was a success. She was the prettiest woman
present, elegant, graceful, smiling, and quite above herself with happiness. All the men stared at her,
inquired her name, and asked to be introduced to her. All the Under-Secretaries of State were eager
to waltz with her. The Minister noticed her.

She danced madly, ecstatically, drunk with pleasure, with no thought for anything, in the
triumph of her beauty, in the pride of her success, in a cloud of happiness made up of this universal
homage and admiration, of the desires she had aroused, of the completeness of a victory so dear to
her feminine heart.

She left about four o'clock in the morning. Since midnight her husband had been dozing in a
deserted little room, in company with three other men whose wives were having a good time. He
threw over her shoulders the garments he had brought for them to go home in, modest everyday
clothes, whose poverty clashed with the beauty of the ball-dress. She was conscious of this and was
anxious to hurry away, so that she should not be noticed by the other women putting on their costly
furs.

Loisel restrained her.

"Wait a little. You'll catch cold in the open. I'm going to fetch a cab."
But she did not listen to him and rapidly descended-the staircase. When they were out in the street
they could not find a cab; they began to look for one, shouting at the drivers whom they saw passing
in the distance.
They walked down towards the Seine, desperate and shivering. At last they found on the quay
one of those old nightprowling carriages which are only to be seen in Paris after dark, as though they
were ashamed of their shabbiness in the daylight.

It brought them to their door in the Rue des Martyrs, and sadly they walked up to their own
apartment. It was the end, for her. As for him, he was thinking that he must be at the office at ten.
She took off the garments in which she had wrapped her shoulders, so as to see herself in all her glory
before the mirror. But suddenly she uttered a cry. The necklace was no longer round her neck!

"What's the matter with you?" asked her husband, already half undressed.

She turned towards him in the utmost distress.

"I . . . I . . . I've no longer got Madame Forestier's necklace. . . ."

He started with astonishment.

"What! . . . Impossible!"

They searched in the folds of her dress, in the folds of the coat, in the pockets, everywhere.

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They could not find it.

"Are you sure that you still had it on when you came away from the ball?" he asked.

"Yes, I touched it in the hall at the Ministry."

"But if you had lost it in the street, we should have heard it fall."

"Yes. Probably we should. Did you take the number of the cab?"

"No. You didn't notice it, did you?"

"No."

They stared at one another, dumbfounded. At last Loisel put on his clothes again.

"I'll go over all the ground we walked," he said, "and see if I can't find it."

And he went out. She remained in her evening clothes, lacking strength to get into bed,
huddled on a chair, without volition or power of thought.

Her husband returned about seven. He had found nothing.

He went to the police station, to the newspapers, to offer a reward, to the cab companies,
everywhere that a ray of hope impelled him.

She waited all day long, in the same state of bewilderment at this fearful catastrophe.

Loisel came home at night, his face lined and pale; he had discovered nothing.

"You must write to your friend," he said, "and tell her that you've broken the clasp of her
necklace and are getting it mended. That will give us time to look about us."

She wrote at his dictation.

By the end of a week they had lost all hope.

Loisel, who had aged five years, declared:

"We must see about replacing the diamonds."

Next day they took the box which had held the necklace and went to the jewellers whose name was
inside. He consulted his books.

"It was not I who sold this necklace, Madame; I must have merely supplied the clasp."
Then they went from jeweller to jeweller, searching for another necklace like the first, consulting their
memories, both ill with remorse and anguish of mind.

In a shop at the Palais-Royal they found a string of diamonds which seemed to them exactly
like the one they were looking for. It was worth forty thousand francs. They were allowed to have it
for thirty-six thousand.

They begged the jeweller not tO sell it for three days. And they arranged matters on the
understanding that it would be taken back for thirty-four thousand francs, if the first one were found
before the end of February.

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Loisel possessed eighteen thousand francs left to him by his father. He intended to borrow the
rest.

He did borrow it, getting a thousand from one man, five hundred from another, five louis here,
three louis there. He gave notes of hand, entered into ruinous agreements, did business with usurers
and the whole tribe of money-lenders. He mortgaged the whole remaining years of his existence,
risked his signature without even knowing it he could honour it, and, appalled at the agonising face of
the future, at the black misery about to fall upon him, at the prospect of every possible physical
privation and moral torture, he went to get the new necklace and put down upon the jeweller's
counter thirty-six thousand francs.

When Madame Loisel took back the necklace to Madame Forestier, the latter said to her in a
chilly voice:

"You ought to have brought it back sooner; I might have needed it."

She did not, as her friend had feared, open the case. If she had noticed the substitution, what
would she have thought? What would she have said? Would she not have taken her for a thief?

Madame Loisel came to know the ghastly life of abject poverty. From the very first she played
her part heroically. This fearful debt must be paid off. She would pay it. The servant was dismissed.
They changed their flat; they took a garret under the roof.

She came to know the heavy work of the house, the hateful duties of the kitchen. She washed
the plates, wearing out her pink nails on the coarse pottery and the bottoms of pans. She washed the
dirty linen, the shirts and dish-cloths, and hung them out to dry on a string; every morning she took
the dustbin down into the street and carried up the water, stopping on each landing to get her breath.
And, clad like a poor woman, she went to the fruiterer, to the grocer, to the butcher, a basket on her
arm, haggling, insulted, fighting for every wretched halfpenny of her money.

Every month notes had to be paid off, others renewed, time gained.

Her husband worked in the evenings at putting straight a merchant's accounts, and often at
night he did copying at twopence-halfpenny a page.

And this life lasted ten years.

At the end of ten years everything was paid off, everything, the usurer's charges and the
accumulation of superimposed interest.
Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become like all the other strong, hard, coarse women of poor
households. Her hair was badly done, her skirts were awry, her hands were red. She spoke in a shrill
voice, and the water slopped all over the floor when she scrubbed it. But sometimes, when her
husband was at the office, she sat down by the window and thought of that evening long ago, of the
ball at which she had been so beautiful and so much admired.

What would have happened if she had never lost those jewels. Who knows? Who knows? How
strange life is, how fickle! How little is needed to ruin or to save!
One Sunday, as she had gone for a walk along the Champs-Elysees to freshen herself after the
labours of the week, she caught sight suddenly of a woman who was taking a child out for a walk. It
was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still attractive.

Madame Loisel was conscious of some emotion. Should she speak to her? Yes, certainly. And
now that she had paid, she would tell her all. Why not?
She went up to her.

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"Good morning, Jeanne."

The other did not recognise her, and was surprised at being thus familiarly addressed by a
poor woman.

"But . . . Madame . . ." she stammered. "I don't know . . . you must be making a mistake."

"No . . . I am Mathilde Loisel."

Her friend uttered a cry.

"Oh! . . . my poor Mathilde, how you have changed! . . ."

"Yes, I've had some hard times since I saw you last; and many sorrows . . . and all on your
account."

"On my account! . . . How was that?"

"You remember the diamond necklace you lent me for the ball at the Ministry?"

"Yes. Well?"

"Well, I lost it."

"How could you? Why, you brought it back."

"I brought you another one just like it. And for the last ten years we have been paying for it.
You realize it wasn't easy for us; we had no money. . . . Well, it's paid for at last, and I'm glad
indeed."

Madame Forestier had halted.

"You say you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?"

"Yes. You hadn't noticed it? They were very much alike."

And she smiled in proud and innocent happiness.

Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took her two hands.

"Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred
francs! . . . "

READING AND WRITING DRAMA

Drama – originated from a Greek word “dran”
which means “to do”. It is intended to be
performed onstage.
Dramatist/Playwright – the writer of a drama
or play
Elements of Drama
A. Literary Elements
1. Script – written product of the
playwright. It contains the dialogues,
descriptions, and stage directions
2. Plot – refers to the story line or the
logical arrangement of events in the play

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a. Exposition – refers to the initial
incidents that introduce the setting
and the characters of the play. It is
also the part where the conflict starts
to take place.
b. Rising Action – the part where the
tension builds further and the conflict
gets more complicated.
c. Climax – the turning point of the story
where the greatest suspense is felt
and experienced by the readers or
audience of the play.
d. Falling Action – pertains to the result
of the actions and decisions made by
the protagonist
e. Resolution – refers to the ending or
the final scene of the play
3. Characters – refers to the persons,
animals, or other entities that are
portrayed in the play.
4. Setting – pertains to the time and the
place the story happened
5. Dialogue – pertains to the conversation
between and among the characters in
the play.
6. Dramatic Devices
a. Monologue – is usually a long speech
delivered by a single character and
addresses directly to a group of
people within the play or the actual
audience.
b. Soliloquy – is a speech that lets the
character speak to himself/herself, as
if thinking out loud.
c. Stage whisper – also called a loud
whisper that is delivered by an actor
to another and is audible to the
audience, but for dramatic effect, is
not heard by the other actors on
stage
d. Aside – “unheard” by the actors
onstage, the character speaks to the
audience, usually in brief remarks, to
express his/her unspoken thoughts
aloud.
e. Dramatic irony – the members of the
audience are fully and clearly aware of
the significance and implications of the
character’s words, actions, or
situations except the character himself
or herself
B. Technical Elements
1. Scenery – refers to the theatrical
equipment such as backdrops and
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platforms that set the mood and setting of
each scene in the play
2. Props – refers to the objects or articles
that vary from scene to scene and can be
moved from one place in the stage to
another.
3. Sound – refers to both music and effects
used in the production of the play. The
music (musical score) gives emphasis on
the emotions conveyed in a particular
scene while sound effects are used to
represent sounds in the real world.
4. Makeup – refers to the use of costumes,
body paint, wigs and other similar
accessories to transform an actor into the
character that he/she portrays
C. Performance Elements
1. Acting – refers to the manner an actor
brings a character to life through his/her
words and actions
2. Speaking – pertains to the actor’s
speaking skills such as vocal expression,
enunciation, and projection that are
necessary to effectively deliver the lines
from the script.
3. Nonverbal expressions – includes
gestures, facial expressions, and body
movements that actors employ in their
performance, usually to support the
delivery of lines
THE WORKER
by Walter Wykes
[A nondescript apartment. There is nothing to
differentiate this apartment from any other
apartment in any other building in any other
city. A young WOMAN, also nondescript, sits in
a rocking chair, cradling an infant tenderly in
her arms. Lost in thought, she is slow to notice
the scuffling of feet just outside the apartment
door. Suddenly her eyes grow wide—she lunges
out of the chair, looks about the room in a
panic, stuffs the baby into a bureau drawer, and
disappears into the hallway. A few moments
later, a young MAN enters carrying an
enormous stack of files and papers. He places
this stack carefully in the middle of the room—
then exits and returns with another stack.
Again, he exits, this time returning with a
briefcase and a computer. He repeats these
steps, stumbling in and out of the apartment,
until he has fashioned a gigantic mound in the
middle of the room which includes a fax
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machine, two printers, a garbage can, a paper
shredder, several trays of office supplies, a
filing cabinet, an entire desk—perhaps even a
whole cubicle, complete with wall-dividers,
potted plants, and a fish tank. Finally, he closes
the door behind him.]
MAN: [His usual greeting.] I'm home.
[He loosens his tie and waits for a response, but
none is forthcoming. He hesitates.]
MAN: I'm ... I'm home.
[Still no response. He scratches his head,
puzzled.]
MAN: Hello?
WOMAN: [Offstage.] In here!
MAN: I said I was—
WOMAN: In the kitchen!
MAN: Aren't you going to—
[The WOMAN scurries into the room wearing an
apron and oven mitts. She kisses her husband
dutifully on the cheek and scurries back towards
the kitchen.]
MAN: Wait. [The WOMAN stops.] What are you
doing?
WOMAN: I'm just finishing up dinner.
MAN: It's ... it's not ready? [Pause.] I don't
understand. It's always ready. When I walk in
the door, it's— [Pause.] Am I early?
[He checks his watch.]
WOMAN: No, you're right on time.
MAN: Was there some sort of natural disaster?
An earthquake? Is there something you're not
telling me? Are you injured?!
WOMAN: No, I just— [Noticing the gigantic
mound of work-related items in the center of
her living-room] What's all this?
MAN: Oh ... nothing. Just a few things from
work.
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WOMAN: A few things? Why, it's practically
you're whole— [A sudden realization.] Oh my
god! You’ve been fired!
MAN: No!
WOMAN: No?
MAN: No, nothing like that.
WOMAN: Oh, thank heavens! [Pause.] I don't
understand. You haven't been fired ... but
you're entire office is sitting in the middle of our
living room.
MAN: It's not the entire office. Just my cubicle.
And ... you know, my desk. And a few other
little things.
WOMAN: [At a loss.] Do you want me to wash
it?
MAN: No, I ... [Pause.] All right, look ... I didn’t
want to tell you, but I’ve fallen behind.
WOMAN: What do you mean?
MAN: At work. I’ve fallen behind. I can't keep
up.
WOMAN: Why not? You spend practically every
waking moment there.
MAN: Well... recently, they’ve ... ahh ... they’ve
let a few people go.
WOMAN: That's awful! How can they treat
people like that? Just lay them off! It's
heartless! Don't they have any sense of social
responsibility?
MAN: Well, they didn’t lay them off exactly ...
not in the traditional sense.
WOMAN: What then?
MAN: Let's just say they’ve been encouraged to
move on.
WOMAN: Isn’t that the same thing?
[Pause.]
MAN: I really shouldn’t talk about it.
WOMAN: All right.
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MAN: Anyway, the point is that every day there
are fewer and fewer people doing the same
amount of work. They have me running the
accounting department entirely by myself!
WOMAN: You’ve been promoted to
management?!
MAN: No, it's just me—there's no one to
manage! I do everything! The whole
department!
WOMAN: The whole department? By yourself?
MAN: That's not all! I'm also expected to take
incoming calls because there's no receptionist,
fix the computers because there's no tech
department, field customer complaints because
there's no customer service! I'm in charge of
the mail room, the cafeteria, janitorial services,
research and development! Last week, human
resources was let go, the whole department,
and I received a memo—which I’d actually
typed myself because there's no secretary—
instructing me to familiarize myself with all
applicable state and federal guidelines!
Tomorrow, I'm supposed to start mediating all
employee disputes! I have no idea what I'm
doing! I'd ask the legal department for advice,
but I’ve never studied law so I wouldn’t know
what to tell myself! And to top it all off, I have
to take the CEO's dog out to poop four times a
day! At regular intervals! He has stomach
problems and he's on a very strict schedule!
WOMAN: Well, you’ll just have to tell them it's
too much.
MAN: I can’t.
WOMAN: Why not? Maybe they’ll hire some of
those poor people back.
MAN: You don't understand. It's too late for
that.
WOMAN: Why is it too late?
[Pause.]
MAN: Look ... there’s really nothing to worry
about. I shouldn’t have said anything. I'm just
going to have to do some work from home if I
want to catch up, that's all.
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WOMAN: Work from home? [He nods.] But ...
that's our time! If you work from home, I’ll
never see you! We’ll never have time to—
MAN: I don't really have much choice.
[Pause.]
WOMAN: All right. Fine. [Pause.] I’ll just finish
dinner.
[She goes. The MAN sighs and rubs his eyes. He
looks around the room, pushes the couch out of
the way, and begins setting up his cubicle. He
takes a pile of papers and looks for a place to
put them—opens the bureau drawer. His face
turns dark as he pulls the “baby” from the
drawer.]
MAN: What is this?!
WOMAN: [Offstage.] What is what?
MAN: THIS! What is THIS?!!!
[She enters—finds him holding the “baby.”]
MAN: How many times have I told you?!
WOMAN: You didn’t say—
MAN: There will be no children in this house!
WOMAN: It's not—
MAN: No talk of children! No representations of
children! No dolls, no drawings, no finger
puppets!
WOMAN: But it's only—
MAN: I don't care! Get rid of it!
[He throws the doll at her.]
WOMAN: What?
MAN: You heard me.
WOMAN: You ... you want me to—
MAN: Destroy it! Burn it! Crush it into little
pieces! Leave it in an alley somewhere! I don’t
care! But it can’t stay here! I won't allow it! Not
in this house!
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[She glares at him, then turns and exits with
the doll. She returns a moment later with the
doll stuffed under her dress. Perhaps she has
added a pillow or blanket as well to help
disguise the doll. It gives her the appearance of
being pregnant. After a few moments, the MAN
senses her presence but does not look at her.]
MAN: Please try to understand. I don't mean to
be cruel. It's for your own good. I'm only trying
to protect you.
WOMAN: Protect me?
MAN: Yes.
WOMAN: From what?
[Pause.]
MAN: You ... you wouldn’t understand.
WOMAN: You don't think I'd make a good
mother! That's what this is all about! You don't
think I'm prepared! But how would you know?
You’ve never given me the chance!
MAN: No. It's not— [He notices her belly for the
first time.] What's this?
WOMAN: What does it look like?
MAN: What do you think you’re doing? Give it to
me.
WOMAN: No!
MAN: Have you lost your mind?
WOMAN: I'm going to keep this baby. I won't
let you hurt her. If you touch one hair on her
head, I will never forgive you!
MAN: You don't mean that.
WOMAN: Never!
MAN: Listen to me ... it's not a baby.
WOMAN: I don't care! It's mine! She's mine!
She's all I have!
MAN: It's just an object. It has no feelings.
WOMAN: She does! She does have feelings!
More than you!
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MAN: That's enough.
WOMAN: Who do you think I talk to when you
leave me all alone in this house?! Who do you
think listens to me and keeps me from going
completely insane?! Who do you think I share
my dreams with?! Not you! You’re never here!
Who do you think comforts me and holds my
finger when you call to say you’re going to miss
dinner again?! She’s more real to me than you
ever were!
MAN: I’m not going to argue with you.
WOMAN: Get away from me!
[He grabs her and sticks his hand up her dress.]
WOMAN: Help! Help! Someone— [She
struggles, but he removes the doll.] Give her
back!
MAN: No.
[He grabs his coat and moves toward the door.
She tries to hold him back.]
WOMAN: Where are you going with my baby?!
What are you going to do?!
MAN: Let go.
WOMAN: [Blocking the door.] No! I won't let
you!
MAN: Get out of my way.
WOMAN: Please! Don't do this! Don't—
[He drags her, screaming, from the door.
Realizing that she cannot stop him, she
collapses on the floor and begins to sob
uncontrollably.]
MAN: When I return, I expect dinner to be
waiting.
[In the midst of her sobbing, she begins to
laugh, softly at first, but it grows louder and
overpowers the tears.]
MAN: What's so funny?
WOMAN: Do you really expect me to cook for
you after this?
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MAN: Of course.
WOMAN: If I do, it’ll only be to poison you and
end your miserable life!
MAN: You say that now—you're angry. It’s to be
expected. But in time you’ll forgive me. You
may even realize I was right. And if not, well ...
I'm capable of feeding myself. I didn’t starve
before I met you.
WOMAN: There are other things I can withhold.
MAN: What?
WOMAN: Other things I do for you ... in the
dark ... secret things ... places I go ... services I
perform ... words that I say ... certain
indignities that I allow ... what if I were to ...
forget? Forget how to do these things? Forget
how to find these ... places?
MAN: Are you serious?
[She folds her arms, defiant.]
MAN: Fine. You can keep it.
WOMAN: Do you mean it?! Really?!
MAN: On one condition.
WOMAN: [Taking the doll from him and cradling
it gently.] Anything! Anything!
MAN: No one must ever see it. No one. Not
even me. I mustn’t know it's here. If I find it, I
will destroy it.
WOMAN: But ... [Pause.] Shouldn’t you ...
MAN: Shouldn’t I what?
WOMAN: Shouldn’t there be some ... well, some
shared responsibilities? I mean, I shouldn’t
have to raise her alone.
MAN: You want to give me responsibilities?
WOMAN: Yes.
MAN: For the—
WOMAN: The child. Our child.
MAN: Fine. If it misbehaves, I’ll punish it.
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WOMAN: No. You'd be too harsh.
MAN: What do you want from me?
WOMAN: You could put her to sleep. And if she
wakes during the night, you could hold her and
pat her back.
MAN: It'd better not wake! I have to work in the
morning!
WOMAN: You can't expect a baby to always
sleep through the night. And if you're tired, you
could take a day off every now and then. You
have sick days.
MAN: I never take sick days!
WOMAN: That was before. Work was your only
priority. Now there's a child to think of.
MAN: You see! This is how it starts!
WOMAN: How what starts?
MAN: There was a reason I wouldn’t allow you
to have this child!
WOMAN: Because you're selfish and only think
of yourself!
MAN: No, because suddenly you expect me to
take sick days and buy diapers and leave early
to see it perform in school plays! You’ll start
calling me during work hours to tell me it's
crawling or talking or taking its first poop! Word
starts spreading that I'm not committed to my
job anymore, and next thing you know, I end
up like the others!
WOMAN: What others? The ones who were
fired?
MAN: Yes! No! I told you, they weren’t fired!
WOMAN: Then what? [Pause.] What?
MAN: [Under his breath—almost a whisper.]
They were killed.
WOMAN: What?
MAN: They were murdered! Executed!
WOMAN: Murdered?
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MAN: Yes! Put to death!
WOMAN: Who murdered them?
MAN: The company! Who do you think?
WOMAN: But ... if the company wasn’t happy
with their performance, why didn’t it just let
them go? I mean, in the old fashioned sense?
MAN: I don't know. You can't expect me to
understand the company's actions. It’s a giant
corporation. It doesn’t think the way we do.
Maybe it didn’t want them to share trade
secrets with the other companies. Maybe it
didn’t want to pay unemployment. Maybe it just
wanted to avoid paperwork.
WOMAN: But ... they can't get away with that!
Those poor people! We should call the
authorities!
MAN: Shhh! Not so loud! Someone might hear!
Besides, the authorities don't want to get
involved. And, to be honest, these were not the
best employees. I mean, they really did deserve
some sort of punishment. Not death, you know,
but they weren’t pulling their own weight, and it
was all handled very nicely. They threw a party
beforehand and—
WOMAN: A party?
MAN: Yes.
WOMAN: Before they ... [She motions slitting
her throat. He nods.] It seems a little strange.
To throw a party for someone and then ...
MAN: It was the company's way of thanking
them for whatever small contribution they'd
made over the years. Each of them had a cake.
One candle for every year of service. It was
really quite touching. Some of them cried.
WOMAN: But—
MAN: I shouldn’t have told you any of this, but I
want you to understand my position. They
mustn’t question my dedication to the company.
Not for one moment. [She nods.] Good. I'm
glad you understand. If I’ve been harsh with
you, it's only because I knew what the
consequences of certain actions might be. You
can see now that it wasn’t out of arrogance or
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Creative Writing (Specialized Subject)
selfishness. I was looking out for us ... for the
two of us. For our family. Now, we won't speak
of this again. Ever. To anyone. It isn’t safe.
Agreed? [Pause.] Promise me.
WOMAN: I just think ... those poor people ...
someone should—
MAN: Promise.
[Pause.]
WOMAN: All right. I promise.
MAN: Good girl. [He kisses her.] We have to
look out for ourselves. There's nothing more we
can do. It’s not realistic. We go about our jobs—
do the best we can—and try to be happy.
[There is a knock at the door.]
MAN: Who's that?
WOMAN: I don't know.
MAN: Did you invite someone for dinner?
WOMAN: No. [The MAN looks through the
peephole.] Who is it?
MAN: I don't know. I can't tell.
WOMAN: Let me look.
[He steps out of the way. She looks through the
peephole.]
MAN: Can you see anything?
WOMAN: No. [There is another knock at the
door.] Should we answer?
MAN: I don't know.
WOMAN: Maybe they’ll go away.
MAN: What if it's something important?
WOMAN: Like what?
MAN: I don't know.
[Pause. Another knock—louder. The MAN opens
the door. A MESSENGER stands in the doorway
holding a clipboard.]
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MAN: Hello?
THE MESSENGER: I have a message for
employee nine-zero-zero-eight-five-six-one
dash B dash H dash three-three-three.
MAN: That’s me.
THE MESSENGER: [Reading from his clipboard.]
The company wishes to inform you that there
will be a party held in your honor Monday
morning.
MAN: A ... a party?
THE MESSENGER: [Still reading.] Cake will be
served promptly at 8:00 AM.
MAN: There ... there must be some mistake.
THE MESSENGER: As always, tardiness
frowned upon.
MAN: But—
THE MESSENGER: What kind of cake would you
like?
MAN: You don't understand!
THE MESSENGER: Chocolate, vanilla,
strawberry?
MAN: I'm a model employee!
THE MESSENGER: Chocolate, vanilla, or—
MAN: I’ve never even taken one sick day! Not
one!
THE MESSENGER: Chocolate—
MAN: I'm running more than a dozen
departments all by myself! I’ve just memorized
the entire human resources handbook! The
entire thing! I can quote it for you! Verbatim! I
can quote it backwards! I'm a useful employee!
Ask anyone! I’ll ... I’ll … I’ll work for free! I’ll
even forfeit my—
THE MESSENGER: CHOCOLATE, VANILLA, or
STRAWBERRY?!!! [Pause.] Look ... I'm just
trying to do my job. I have to look out for
myself, you know. It’s nothing personal.
[Pause.] Chocolate, vanilla, or—
MAN: It doesn’t matter.
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THE MESSENGER: You have to choose.
MAN: I don't care.
THE MESSENGER: Chocolate then. [The
MESSENGER makes a note on his clipboard.]
How many years of service?
MAN: What?
THE MESSENGER: How many years have you
been with the company? The candles. You get
one for every—
MAN: I ... I don't remember. It's been—
THE MESSENGER: It’s all right. I can check your
file. Just sign here.
is [The MAN signs reluctantly. The MESSENGER
exits. Silence.]
MAN: I don't understand. [Pause.] I did
everything they asked. Everything. I followed
every rule. I never spoke out of turn. I brought
donuts once a week. How could they question
my ... [Pause.] Wait ... you ... you didn’t tell
anyone—did you?
or WOMAN: Tell what?
MAN: About the child! The doll!
WOMAN: No. I ... I don't think so.
MAN: You don't think so?!
WOMAN: I ... I don't—
[A sudden realization. Horrified, she covers her
mouth.]
MAN: Who?! Who did you tell?!
WOMAN: The other day, at the grocery store, I
... I ran into that woman, you know, from the
company picnic ... the one with no bra ... with
the cigarettes and the stringy hair—
MAN: My god! She hates me! How could you—
WOMAN: I only mentioned it to make her
jealous!
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MAN: You might as well have cut my head off
yourself! That woman's had it out for me since
day one! She wants my job! She’s been
watching like a hawk—waiting for me to slip up!
She must have told them.
[Pause.]
WOMAN: What are we going to do?
MAN: Nothing.
WOMAN: But—
MAN: There's nothing we can do. It’s over.
WOMAN: Maybe ... maybe you can tell them it
was a mistake? Tell them she’s lying! She made
the whole thing up! Out of jealousy!
MAN: They'd find out the truth.
WOMAN: I’ll deny it! I never said anything! She
doesn’t have any proof!
[Pause. He considers this.]
MAN: We'd have to destroy all the evidence.
WOMAN: What do you mean? What evidence?
[He looks at the doll. She clings to it
protectively.] No. Please.
MAN: It’s the only way.
WOMAN: You don't know what you're asking.
MAN: I know what the … the child means to
you. But it’s her or me. There’s really no choice.
[Pause.] Is there? [Pause.] Surely you wouldn’t
choose that thing over me.
[Silence.]
WOMAN: Her … her name is Emma.
MAN: They’re going to kill me.
[Pause.]
WOMAN: She discovered her feet the other day.
I wish you could’ve seen it.
MAN: Do you understand what I’m telling you.
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WOMAN: She can make animal sounds too. She
can do lion, doggie, monkey, and duck.
MAN: I’m going to die. They’re going to chop off
my head.
WOMAN: She whacked the cat on the head this
morning, and I told her that wasn’t nice and she
should say she was sorry. So she petted the cat
on the head and said, “Sorry, Meow.” Then she
got the cat brush and started brushing him and
said, “There go, Meow.” It was so sweet.
MAN: She can’t do that. She’s an infant.
WOMAN: She’s very advanced.
MAN: What am I saying? She’s not even an
infant—she’s a doll!
WOMAN: She can count to ten.
MAN: She cannot!
WOMAN: She can. Sometimes she skips “seven”
because it’s harder than the others.
MAN: You’re making that up!
WOMAN: No.
MAN: All right, then make her do it! C’mon!
Right now!
WOMAN: She isn’t in the mood.
MAN: Not in the mood!
WOMAN: She’s not a trained monkey, you
know.
[Pause.]
MAN: You’re … you’re really going to let me die?
[Pause.]
WOMAN: Maybe you’ve misunderstood. Maybe
they’re really throwing you a party. Just a
party. Maybe they want to thank you for all the
extra hours you’ve put in. [Pause.] You should
probably get your work done. Just in case. We’ll
leave you alone now. I’m sure you don’t want
any distractions. [Pause.] Emma and I will keep
our fingers crossed for you. [To the doll.] Won’t
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we, Emma? [Pause.] Tell Daddy, “Bye-bye.”
[Pause.] Bye-bye, Daddy.

[The WOMAN exits. The MAN remains standing,

motionless.]

COMPREHENSION CHECK
Answer the following questions below:
1. What inspired the writer to write the play?
2. What personal experience of the writer was
reflected in the play?
3. Who are the characters? Describe them.
4. Why didn’t the writer give the characters of
the play names?
5. What are the conflicts that the couple face
in the play?
6. Which among these problems can you
relate with?
7. Establish the plot of the play?
8. What literary device/s did the writer use to
convey his message?
9. What reality does the play reveal about
people of the working class?
10. If you were the playwright, how would you
have ended the story?

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