1.

IAMBIC PENTAMETER
2. Compare and contrast epic and ballad. Cite specific elements/ conventions that are
distinct between the two narrative poems.
Answer: Ballad is a shorter narrative poem which comprises of short stanzas.
According to B.F Gum ballad is “a poem meant for singing, quite impersonal in
material, probably connected in its origins with the communal dance but submitted
to a process of oral traditions among people who are free from literary influences and
fairly homogeneous in character.” Ballad is a short-story in verse which is intended
to be sung with the accompaniment of music. It is opposite to the epic, which is a
lengthy story in verse that describes the actions and travels of a heroic main
character in elevated language and style, example of this is Iliad.
3. Choose at least two literary pieces and analyze using formalist lens.

“The Necklace”
The Necklace itself, for which the short-story was named, is a deeply meaningful
symbol. It is more than just a simply necklace, but a deeply meaningful symbol. The
necklace symbolizes the main character, Mathilde. Mathilde is obsessed with her
own beauty. Like the necklace, Mathilde is beautiful. She wasn’t born in a wealthy
family, as she tries to appear and so as the necklace in the story, it isn’t expensive,
but it’s beautiful to look at. One of the theme of the story is deception, where in
Mathilde was deceived by the appearance of the necklace as the necklace looks very
fine and expensive. The other theme is pride, Mathilde is indeed undeniably beautiful
and she was known for it. Mathilde believes that her charm and beauty make her
worthy of greater things because of that she always wants to stand out and wants to
be admired by people.

“The Ambitious Guest”

This short story focuses on man’s ambition. It shows how ambition can easily and
quickly kill the contentment in our lives. The story begins with a traveler and a hosts-
the family. The family are naturally hospitable, they value the sentiments of the
traveler, as the traveler share his ambition to the family and at that moment the family
began to share their ambitions too. But, at the end they both shared the same fate-
death. The whole point of the story is that the guest brings a sense of dreamy
adventure into the family’s house and suddenly the family starts talking about doing
things that seem out of character for them.
4. Discuss the roles of a woman in the following literary pieces. Choose at least three
(3) women characters. Cite examples using concrete situations as evidence in our
society today.
“The Necklace”
Madame Loisel wanted to live her life in luxurious but unfortunately she was
born as a poor woman. She thought that a beautiful woman like her should be rich.
She tried to do anything to come to the ball. She wanted to look more beautiful so
that she asked her husband to buy a pretty gown and she borrowed a diamond
necklace from Madame Forestier.
Women in our society today has never gone far from Mathilde in the short-story. It is
nature for woman for wanting to look good and presentable at any occasions.
Madame Loisel worked to help Monsieur Loisel in earning money after losing
Madame Forestier’s diamond necklace. They helped each other to get much money
to return the necklace. In today’s society it’s not just men are engage in working but
also women. Women today are capable for working at any job they like.
”Hills like White Elephants”

“’Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me’”, this is the line that Jig uttered
in having a conversation with the American man in regarding to abortion. Jig says
she does not care about herself. Meaning, she only cares about what the American
man wants. This can be taken as a stereotype that woman are dependent on men
and she does not want the American to leave her if she has a child; or it can be seen
as she does not feel that she is worth caring for. Until today there are still women
who are this dependent to their men. Though it is not bad to dependent but not to
this far. They are afraid that men would leave them if they will not submit to men.
“A Rose for Emily”

Throughout the story, Emily is perceived by her environment as a weak and

dependent woman. When her father dies she is left alone. She does not have a man
to care for her, so the town council decides to set her tax duties. The people of the
town attempt to accommodate her needs by offering their help and showing their
sympathy. They also try to be considerate with her strangeness – dating with a
Yankee, buying a poison or keeping corpse of her father. This caretaking of Miss
Emily depicts the perception of woman during that period of time. A woman without
a man is helpless. She is not able earn her living as well as to remain mentally well
and function properly in the society. So as today, as you aged people that surrounds
you will dictate you to get a man.

5. Choose at least two (2) poems and discuss comprehensibly your

understanding of your chosen pieces.
 “The Road Not Taken”

The Road Not Taken is a poem that allows the reader to think about choices in life,
whether to go with the mainstream or go it alone. If life is a journey, this poem
highlights those times in life when a decision has to be made.

The ambiguity springs from the question of free will versus determinism, whether the
speaker in the poem consciously decides to take the road that is off the beaten track
or only does so because he doesn't fancy the road with the bend in it. External factors
therefore make up his mind for him be light-hearted, but it turned out to be anything
but. People take it very seriously.
Reference/s: retrieved from https:// www.slideshare.net

“Sonnet 116”

This sonnet attempts to define love, by telling both what it is and is not. In the first
quatrain, the speaker says that love—”the marriage of true minds”—is perfect and
unchanging; it does not “admit impediments,” and it does not change when it find
changes in the loved one. In the second quatrain, the speaker tells what love is
through a metaphor: a guiding star to lost ships (“wand’ring barks”) that is not
susceptible to storms (it “looks on tempests and is never shaken”). In the third
quatrain, the speaker again describes what love is not: it is not susceptible to time.
Though beauty fades in time as rosy lips and cheeks come within “his bending
sickle’s compass,” love does not change with hours and weeks: instead, it “bears it
out ev’n to the edge of doom.” In the couplet, the speaker attests to his certainty that
love is as he says: if his statements can be proved to be error, he declares, he must
never have written a word, and no man can ever have been in love.

Reference/s: retrieved from https:// www.slideshare.net

6. Write a reaction/ reflection on regarding the movie The Little Prince.

It is a story about a young boy who works each day to keep his asteroid a happy
and livable place, he admires each and every one of the sunsets. He is content
with his life until he finds a rose, his rose. He toils day and night to grow and
protect this toxic, selfish rose that he falls in love with. After taking so much of
these he must leave and explore many different aspects of humanity before
reaching Earth. On Earth he finds a garden full of roses, this is what makes him
realize his rose wasn’t special, but it was still his rose. This beautiful children’s
book, which was also written for adults, shares and teaches a beautiful story
about life and not taking it too seriously.
After reading this, Antoine De Saint-Exupéry allowed me to reflect upon my
life and see how I am being influenced in the world as it exists to me. I want
to be able to enjoy a life where I don’t have to answer to how much money I
make or how many people obey me…I want to live content in my own
accomplishments and joy free from ridicule and the expectations of those
around me.
I hope to continue to cultivate this idea of being okay with not knowing. Too
often I torment myself to understand and to know the why. Why are we here?
Why was I put into my situation? It is important to ask questions, but
sometimes it is just as important to let the answers be flexible and open to
more possibilities.