Module for English Grade-9

A. Definition of Dramatic Poetry

Dramatic poetry is any poetry that uses the discourse of the characters involved to tell a story
or portray a situation.
Dramatic poetry is any drama that is written in verse that is meant to be recited. It usually tells a story or
refers to a situation. This would include closet drama, dramatic monologues, and rhyme verse.
The dramatic poem consists of the thoughts or spoken statements (or both) of one or more characters other
than the poet himself in a particular life situation. It is dramatic rather than narrative since the character is not
"written about" by the poet; rather, the poem consists of the character's own thoughts or spoken statements. He may
be thinking (or talking) to himself; a poem recording his thoughts or speech to himself is called a soliloquy. Or a
character may be speaking to one or more other characters in a given situation; a poem recording his speech is called
a dramatic monologue.
B. Characteristics of Dramatic Poetry
Dramatic poetry has three main characteristics. First, they are patently not in the voice of the poet. That is,
the poet is giving words to someone else distant in time, space, and genetics. Second, the poem is only the words of
that speaker; we see or hear from no one else in the poem. Third, the poem gives us some idea of the speaker's
emotional or psychological condition.
These poems are interesting from the audience's perspective, too, since they put the reader in direct
communion with the speaker. It is like the speaker of the poem is talking directly to us, which puts us into the
strange world of the poem.

Now Try This!

Read the two poems Auld Lang Syne and I Think Continually of those who are Truly Great
and based on the given information above determine if the two poems are examples of
dramatic poetry. Write your explanation on a short bond paper.

B. Background of Auld Lang Syne

Auld Lang Syne is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788and set to the tune of a
traditional folk song (Roud # 6294). It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-
speaking world, its traditional use being to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight. By
extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations and as a farewell or ending to other occasions.
The song's Scots title may be translated into standard English as "old long since", or more idiomatically,
"long long ago", "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of
the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times".
Auld Lang Syne is one of Scotland's gifts to the world, recalling the love and kindness of days gone by, but
in the communion of taking our neighbours' hands, it also gives us a sense of belonging and fellowship to take into
the future.
It is one of the many folk songs from the great Lowland Scots tradition collected and fashioned by the pen of
one of the world's greatest songwriters. Burns devoted the last years of his life to the song tradition, and often a mere
fragment from some old ballad was transformed by his alchemy into a memorable love song or Scots poem. With
Auld Lang Syne, though, the brilliance was already there; this is the Bard's first mention of it in a letter to Mrs
Dunlop in 1788:
Three simple words—meaning "old," "long," and "since"—combine to form a phrase that translates loosely
as "time gone by," "old time's sake," or, in some contexts, "once upon a time." But the old Scots phrase so gracefully
evokes a sense of nostalgia that it has been embraced throughout the English-speaking world. Every December 31,
millions of us raise our voices in song to greet the new year, standing with friends and looking back on days past.
The song we share has its roots in an old Scottish ballad about a disappointed lover and a popular dance tune that
evoked a country wedding.
C. Background and Analysis of I think continually of those who were truly great
“I think continually of those who were truly great” is written in free verse with three stanzas containing eight,
seven, and eight lines, respectively. The meter of the poem is highly varied, containing fine examples of most meters
used in English poetry. While this poem settles into no regular meter, line length, or rhyme scheme, it is,
nonetheless, highly musical with its syncopated rhythms and sharp images.
The opening line of the poem, which is typically used in place of its omitted title, sets a tone of reminiscing
about the great; the verb “were” signals that those the poet admires are already dead. The second line declares that
these noteworthy souls were born to greatness, having existed before birth and having had a history of the greatness
they would realize in life on earth.
At the time when Spender wrote “The Truly Great”, World War I was still fresh in the minds of people
throughout the world, and tensions still existed between the major European powers. Spender emphasizes the human
capacity to be great in the poem, an ironic topic in a time of mass-warfare. However, the poem may have been
inspired by the fearless soldiers and charismatic commanders who had fought in World War I, ignoring the
incredible brutality of the conflict.
In the poem, Spender is recording his thoughts, which are not directed towards a specific audience. He writes
about the characteristics that -in his opinion- the “truly great” possess, and their impact on the world. The tone is
slightly nostalgic, as Spender speaks about the truly great people of the past, rather than the present. In addition, the
manner in which he praises the great suggests that he is envious, wishing that he could become as significant as the
“truly great”. The poem’s diction is formal, as Spender uses charged words to concisely express large ideas.
However, the words are not extremely abstruse; rather, Spender writes complex and dense sentences that convey
concepts using figurative language and symbols.
In the first stanza, the speaker describes the soul's history emerging from the light and song of the sun. Here,
the sun is also described in terms of time (which could indicate the measurement of days by the sunrise). The sun as
a source of life is also indicated as that which gives rise to the blossom of the branches and the blossom of desire.
Here, a physical urge to grow (blossom of branches)is compared to a spiritual or humanistic urge (desire to tell the
soul's history: something profound). And the sun is the light and song (source) of this desire/urge to blossom/tell:
In the second stanza, the speaker continues with natural imagery to describe the history of the soul, or the
history of human culture. There is a history of great thinkers/thoughts from which inspiration and ideas can be
drawn - as water is drawn from "ageless springs." The idea is that there will always be water coming up from the
ground and, in human culture and history, there will always be a history of (sometimes embedded) great ideas
waiting to be observed or dug out.
In the last stanza, the impact of the great thinkers is not described in terms of books, words, or even personal
histories. It is described abstractly, with the imagery of nature and a hint of spirituality using the light and energy of
the sun as a conduit. The "vivid air is signed with their honor." The great ideas of history are a part of the world in
culture and books but also as part of a humanity's soul/history; so the speaker describes these ideas as imprints on
the air, which implies a physical (talking about these ideas, passing them on) imprint and a vague spiritual one (ideas
imprinting the air).

Now Try This! ( Write your answer on a short bond paper)

1. Accomplish “Questions to answer” on page 121 of your LM
2. Accomplish “Questions to answer” on page 122 of your LM
3. Answer Task 3 (A-C) on page 123 of your LM

( For Thusday- September 10, 2015)

Speech # 1:
Speech of Martin Luther King Jr. (excerpt from the Drum Major Instinct Speech)
If you want to be important, wonderful. If you want to be recognized, wonderful. If you want
to be great, wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be a servant That's the
new definition of greatness. This morning the thing that I like about it , by giving that definition of
greatness that means . Everybody can be great because everybody can serve
You don't have to have a college degree to serve
You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve
You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle
You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve
You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve
You only need a heart full of grace
A soul generated by love
You can be that servant

Speech # 2
Oprah Winfrey delivered the following remarks at the “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 2013, at the Lincoln
Memorial.
Hello everybody. I am absolutely thrilled to be here. I remember when I was 9 years old and the march was
occurring and I asked my mama, can I go to the march? It took me 50 years, but I’m here.
On this date, in this place, at this time, 50 years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King shared his dream for America
with America. Took me 50 years, but I’m here.
On this date, in this place, at this time, 50 years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King shared his dream for America
with America. Dr. King was the passionate voice that awakened the conscience of a nation and inspired people all
over the world. The power of his words resonated because they were spoken out of an unwavering belief in freedom
and justice, equality and opportunity for all. “Let Freedom Ring” was Dr. King’s closing call for a better and more
just America.
So today, people from all walks of life will gather at 3 p.m. for bell-ringing events across our great country and
around the world as we reaffirm our commitment to Dr. King’s ideals. Dr. King believed that our destinies are all
intertwined, and he knew that our hopes and our dreams are really all the same. He challenged us to see how we all
are more alike than we are different.
So as the bells of freedom ring today, we’re hoping that it’s a time for all of us to reflect on not only the progress
that has been made — and we’ve made a lot — but on what we have accomplished and also on the work that still
remains before us. It’s an opportunity today to recall where we once were in this nation and to think about that
young man, who, at 34 years old, stood up here and was able to force an entire country to wake up, to look at itself
and to eventually change.
And as we, the people, continue to honor the dream of a man and a movement, a man who in his short life saw
suffering and injustice and refused to look the other way, we can be inspired and we, too, can be courageous by
continuing to walk in the footsteps in the path that he forged. He is the one who reminded us that we will never walk
alone. He was, after all, a drum major for justice.
So as the bells toll today, let us reflect on the bravery, let us reflect on the sacrifice of those who stood up for
freedom, who stood up for us, whose shoulders we now stand on. And as the bells toll today at 3:00, let us ask
ourselves: How will the dream live in me, in you, in all of us? As the bells toll, let us remind ourselves: “Injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” As the bells toll, we commit to a life of service because Dr. King, one of
my favorite quotes from him is, “Not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great because greatness is
determined by service.”
So we ask ourselves, what are we doing for others to lift others up? And as the bells toll, we must recommit to let the
love that abides and connects each of us to shine through and let freedom ring.

Now Try This! ( Write your answer on a short bond paper)

1.. Accomplish the table on page 124 of your LM.
2.. Accomplish “ Questons to Answer” on page 125 of your LM.

( For Friday- September 11, 2015)

Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data
or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly. They can improve cognition by
utilizing graphics to enhance the human visual system's ability to see patterns and trends. (refer to
page 125 for samples and you may visit this site for more examples: https://www.google.com.ph/?
gfe_rd=cr&ei=WiLuVbahBNLC8AfO05mwAw&gws_rd=ssl#q=infographics
"Graphical displays should
a. show the data
b. induce the viewer to think about the substance rather than about methodology, graphic
design, the technology of graphic production, or something else
c. avoid distorting what the data have to say
d. present many numbers in a small space
e. make large data sets coherent
f. encourage the eye to compare different pieces of data
g. reveal the data at several levels of detail, from a broad overview to the fine structure
h. serve a reasonably clear purpose: description, exploration, tabulation, or decoration
i. be closely integrated with the statistical and verbal descriptions of a data set.

Now Try This!

1. Answer Task 6 Uncovering Greatness on page 125 of your LM
2. Make your own infographics be guided by Task 11on page 131 of your LM.
Choose one person as the subject of your infographics ( e.g heroes, your mother/father, your teacher etc.) The
infographics should display the greatness of the person that you chose. Use a short bond paper for your infographics
( print out or use cut out pictures). To be submitted on September 14, 2015 ( Monday).