Name: LENETH G.
CAYONGCONG
Course and Year: BSED 3-A
Subject: LITERARY CRITICISM
Date_________________
Score____________
Professor: DR. HERMINIA FALSARIO
Signature_____________
School: ISAT-U MIAGAO CAMPUS
Direction: Do an explication of the given
poem. (20 pts.)
Life’s Kaleidoscope
Dr. Herminia N. Falsario
Life’s a pilgrimage of uncertainty:
Daily, the pilgrim packs and picks –
Amidst twists and turns--
Happily or in forlorn—a great confusion…
Oftentimes, the journey’s “achy breaky”—
But suddenly—steadily, everything sets
in,
Birthing hope bracing the pilgrim
To stand steadfastly.
Life’s Kaleidoscope
A. Explain each stanza.
(1) first line opens with the word life which is compared to a
religious journey of not knowing what lies beyond. It has colon
which pertains to another clause on the next receding lines
(2) The word “Daily” is paused by a comma which means that
every day, the pilgrim which is referred to as the one who travels,
has this 24-hour each day in his/her life to pick and pack. This
means that everyone is given the chance to learn and relearn
things with the same amount of time given. It has a an em-dash
(-), which in my own understanding, is used to indicate a break or
an emphasis for the next line. Here, we can also see that the
author used alliteration. The repetition of the initial consonant
sound “p” in the words “pilgrim”, “packs”, and “picks”.
(3) The third line tells us what the second line wanted to
emphasize. Here, it talks about the unexpected twists and turns
that may happen in the pilgrim’s life. Twists and turns maybe
referred to as problems, challenges, and troubles. It may also
mean unexpected good news, answered prayers, second chances
etc. Here, the author used consonance. The repetition of the
consonant sound “s” in the words “amidst”, “twists”, and “turns”.
(4) The last line talks about what the pilgrim feels on these twists
and turns. It may result to happiness or the feeling of forlorn.
Forlorn means being abandoned, left-behind, or unlikely to
succeed. Forlorn here for me, posits a greater meaning than just
the word itself. Being abandoned or left behind in a journey, for a
particular destination in life, really results to a great confusion
which is the thought of the next 2 words only separated by a ( —)
hyphen. The hyphen for me serves as a link to these 2
consequential things. It also has ellipses at the end of the fourth
line, which for me, speaks that there are other negative feelings
too other than just “great confusion” when the feeling of forlorn
befalls to the pilgrim, only that those were omitted.
(5) Journey here is characterized as “achy breaky”-and also
emphasized with the use of quotation marks-which means that
journey, most often is not flawless. It is challenging, disturbing,
and distressing. It also has an em-dash (—) which for me, is a cut
or break of the thought which will be explained on the next line.
(6) The sixth line opens up with the word “but” which alerts an
exclusion, a hope, an anticipation of a positive thinking which
opposes the idea of the first line. It is followed by the word
“suddenly” or in other words quickly, which for me, adds an effect
to the break of the thoughts. It is followed by an em-dash ( —) to
indicate an emphasis with the word steadily, which is synonymous
to, little by little and paused by a comma, then to “everything sets
in” where everything falls into place gradually, giving the pilgrim
the answers why it had to happen to him/her or why he/she had
to experience pain and abandonment in his/her journey. Here, we
can see assonance. The repetition of the vowel “e” in the words
“suddenly”, “steadily”, “everything”, “sets”.

Through ups and downs, highs and lows—
Triumphantly, the pilgrim goes and grows,
Walking on and on …to more tomorrows,
Planting good seeds in life’s furrows.
Standing still-- standing straight and strong..
Moving fast, moving slow…
Coming here, going there, striking everywhere…
Uniquely, each pilgrim moves with life’s rhythms.
(7) The seventh line tells us that after gradually hearing
answers beyond the dark clouds of life, there is a silver
lining which gives hope to the pilgrim. Here, assonance,
the repetition of vowel sound “i” was employed by the
author. It can be seen in the words “birthing”, “bracing”,
“pilgrim”
(8) The eigth line means to unwaveringly stand and
continue the journey. The third line of this stanza has an
enjambment to the fourth line. “To stand steadfastly” is
carried over to the next line without a pause.
(9) Here, the author continues to describe the journey of
the pilgrim. May it be on the happiness and sadness,
victories and loses. Consonance is also displayed here. The
repetition of consonant sound “s” which can be seen in
the words “ups”, “downs”, “highs”, and “lows”. It has an
em-dash (—) at the end of the line which emphasizes a
break which will lead to the next line
(10) the tenth line starts with the positive word
“triumphantly” which is paused by a comma, and for me,
is used there to give effect to the word. Then the author
maximizes the view in our minds as she diverts it to the
pilgrim who goes, and along with time grows. For me, an
enjambment exists on the third and fourth line as it looks
like a sentence only carried over to the next.
(11and 12) As a continuation, with all those experiences of
ups and downs, still the author emphasizes that the
pilgrim accomplishes each tiny moment because he/she
didn’t give in to the challenges. He/she kept on walking
with the pilgrimage of life thus, he grows into a stronger
and productive individual. He/she embraces the
uncertainties of what tomorrow brings and isn’t afraid of
it. And as he/she does that, seeds of good breeds are
being planted even to the darkest channels he/she happen
to pass by. For me, the pilgrim unknowingly becomes a
role model, a hope, to those doubtful to themselves and
eventually may change their perceptions and lives. Here, in
these 4 (13)
lines,With a positive
we can note,rhyme
see a perfect the author
of A describes
the pilgrim as a sturdy one. Still standing
A after all
those experiences. It has ellipses which A indicates
that the phrase has to jump to another A line
without interfering the meaning.
(14) Here, the author describe that the pilgrim’s
journey may be in different phases. Some days
may be very fast, some days will be taken with
precautions. The two ideas presented were
paused by a comma in between to give emphasis
to them. It also has ellipses at the end of it to
signal that the phrase has to jump to another line
without interfering the meaning.
(15) In here, the author continues to describe the
journey of the pilgrim. He/she has the world and
its free where to go, where to strike. No dead
ends, no corners.
Then at the end of the long journey,
The pilgrim asks grimly:
“Have I done it my own way?
Or-- have I followed the Master’s Way?