Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region III
Schools Division Office of Bulacan
FRANCES NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

21st Century Literature from the Philippines

and the World

Creative Representation of a Literary Text:

Poetry

ACTIVITY SHEET
NAME:

GRADE AND SECTION:

DATE OF SUBMISSION:
 OBJECTIVES
A. Content Standards
The learner will be able to understand and appreciate the elements and
contexts of 21st century Philippine literature from the regions.

Performance Standards
The learner produces a piece using select literary devices and
multimedia tools.

MELCs: The learner produces a creative representation of a literary text by

applying multimedia skills.

B. Specific Objectives:
1. The learner demonstrates understanding of creative representations in
literary texts.
2. The learner uses select literary devices to write a piece based on a
particular genre.
3. The learner expresses certain emotion and/or condition by producing
the said piece and with the help of select multimedia tools*.
*Note: Not all students can be perceived to have access to multimedia tools and
if this is the case, they are to produce their works on a piece of paper. They shall
be graded according to the content and structure of their work.
CONTENT
Writing a Particular Piece
Keywords: poetry, tanaga, diona, haiku, figures of speech, literary device
multimedia tools

Pretest:
Concept Recall: Select the keyword/s that best relate to the given
sentences. Write the letter of the answer on your answer sheet.
1. Instead of just narrating his story, Juns prefers to show how it unfolds using this writing
technique.
a. using imagery b. using assonance c. using dialogue d. using rhymes
2. This writing technique works by utilizing—
a. figures of speech b. five sensory images c. imagination d. meters
3. Dani loves to write poems. Her poems, however, do not have meters or rhymes. They do
not have any restrictions from the said conventions, in other words.
a. free verse b. blank verse c. sonnet d. haiku
4. Jose’s poetic piece consists of four lines. Each line has 7 syllables. His piece is
considered a—
a. tanaga b. diona c. dalit d. haiku
5. On the other hand, Anton’s poetic piece is even shorter having only 3 lines. Each line has
7 syllables as well. Now his piece is called a—
a. tanaga b. diona c. dalit d. haiku
6. In terms of structure, James’s poetic piece is almost similar to Jose’s only it has 8
syllables per line.
a. tanaga b. diona c. dalit d. haiku
 7. James’s poem uses a particular figure of speech. See if you could figure out what that is.
Here’s his poem:
Parang malalim na balon
Ang mata mong kulay itim
Hindi matiyak ang lihim
Hindi malaman ang layon.

a. simile b. metaphor c. personification d. hyperbole

8. Anton’s poem also uses a particular figure of speech. See if you can figure it out.

Ang araw ay kumubli

Kuliglig ay humuni
Ngumiti na ang gabi

a. simile b. metaphor c. personification d. hyperbole

9. Predictably, Jose also uses a particular figure of speech. Here’s his poem.

Tumubo na ang balbas

Sa leeg, baba; panga
Sa pagtanaw sa bukas
Nang pagal; nakanganga.

a. simile b. metaphor c. personification d. hyperbole

10. The three of them typed their works using Microsoft Word and then
posted them on social media. So basically, to make their poems known in
public, the three of them used—
a. traditional media b. mediocrity c. digital media d. a medium

Review of the previous lesson:

Answer the following questions:
1. What is the difference between content and context?
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2. What are the ways to interpret a poem?
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Introducing a New Lesson

Motivation:

What sets a literary text apart from an ordinary text?

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Analysis:

1. What makes a poem different from ordinary language?

2. What are its creative representations?
3. How do we write poems based on such representations?

ABSTRACTION: Creative Representation—Poetry

A poem pertains to a piece of writing that uses figurative language. It

usually has separate or cut lines that we can call verses. Traditionally, poems
have rhythm and rhymes, but there are also poems that do not have these
features and we call them free verse poems. Like other forms of literature, poetry
is deemed to have lasting value based on its content and creative
representation—the way it is written. So keep this in mind: just because a text
is presented in verses does not mean it automatically counts as poetry. The same
can be said to a text with rhymes. I mean, I can write verses with rhymes that
do not really amount to a poetic piece. Take this for example:

Roses are red

Ninja robot bread
“You are already dead”
Kenshiro said

Well, obviously this is not a poem, but something I made up mimicking the
structure and style of poetry. For your verses to be considered on the poetic side,
you must use figurative speech. This is to express a particular message with
intensity and artistry while keeping its meaning implicit. But before we go to the
discussion of figures of speech, let’s talk about imagery which is a literary device
used in narratives and poetics. Imagery is basically “the making of pictures in
words”, according to Morner and Rausch (1993). Instead of a writer simply telling
something, he shows something. He makes the readers imagine something
through words which provide readers sensory images. Basically, writers who use
imagery make use of the five senses: the sense of sight, hearing, taste, touch,
and smell. I guess it’s best to provide an example of imagery. Let’s say that you
are writing speculative fiction and it goes like this:

Ordinary way of stating something:

One night my uncle encountered a bear. He almost died, but he fought it with
his strength and eventually knocked it unconscious.

Using imagery to express the same event:

It was dark when, out of the bushes, leapt an eight-foot-tall dark-brown bear
that started attacking my uncle with sheer hostility. My uncle dodged the attack
of the animal that growled while knocking small trees over with its powerful
chubby paws. But, with swift movement, my uncle dashed left then jumped the
animal from behind. He grabbed its head and did a rear choke. For several
minutes, he could feel the breath of the animal getting weaker and weaker until
finally the ground shook as the bear fell facedown on the ground.

If you imagined the scenes in the latter text vividly and understood how
the encounter went down, then I’d have to congratulate myself for providing you
with a solid example of what imagery is all about. And now, it’s time for us to
discuss figures of speech.
Select Figures of Speech: An Introduction

A figure of speech pertains to an expression—such as simile, metaphor,

personification, and hyperbole—that “makes comparisons or associations meant
to be taken imaginatively rather that literally” (Morner and Rausch, 1993).
Figures of speech suggest certain messages rather than directly tell them. And
in this lesson, we’ll start with four figures of speech.

Simile makes indirect comparisons to express something. It uses words such as

“like” or “as if” to compare two objects; in Tagalog, we use “parang” or “wari’y”
for such a comparison. Here are some examples:

Our lives are like the leaves of trees.

Para kang pusa kung magtatakbo.

Like a small grey

coffee-pot
sits the squirrel.
—Humbert Wolfe

Metaphor, on the other hand, makes direct comparisons. It does away with the
use of “like” or “as if” and goes straight to the business of comparing two
objects.

They are crocodiles.

Isa kang alamat.

Her voice is music to my ears.

Personification basically gives objects (tangible and intangible) human

qualities.

Death looks at us.

And I laugh in the face of danger.

Binulungan ako ng hangin.

Hyperbole gets to embellish, exaggerate, or magnify a particular thought for

better or worse.

His movement is a physical anomaly that you would think he

could run around the ceiling with ease.

During that time, he was so strong that you would think he could lift a
road roller effortlessly.

Sa gutom ko, kaya kong kumain ng isang kalderong kanin.

And with that, let’s discuss the three local poems that—yes, you’ve
guessed it—you shall try writing in the succeeding pages of this learning activity
sheet. Let’s start with tanaga.
Three Short Local Poems

Tanaga is a short Filipino poem that consists of four lines. Each line has
seven syllables. And, aside from the syllables, tanaga has rhyme schemes. There
are several rhyme schemes in a tanaga that we could try. Here they are: AAAA,
AABB, ABAB; ABBA. Of course, I’ll provide an example of tanaga because that’s
always how this discussion works. Here it is.

Naging maaliwalas A
Ang tila’y walang wakas A
Na pagtangis ng langit B
Sa mundong puro sakit. B

Traditionally, the content of a tanaga speaks of the life lessons of old folks
to the young ones, but we won’t really be focusing on that content. You are free
to choose the content for your tanaga later.

Diona is said to be a pre-hispanic poem. It is just shorter than a tanaga

having only three lines. And like the tanaga, it has seven syllables per line. Yep.
Here’s an example.

Dahon sa punong manga A

Ikaw ay malalanta A
Katulad ng pag-asa A

Dalit is another short local poem that is somewhat similar to a tanaga. It

has four lines. The difference is that it has eight syllables for each line. A dalit
may also use the rhyme schemes used in a tanaga. And here’s an example.

Ikaw, ako; isinuka A

Sa mundong walang pangalan, B
Kung saan ang kabuluhan B
Ay tao ang nagdidikta. A

Notice that these examples also make use of certain figures of speech to
suggest certain meanings. It is hard to call something poetry without the use of
these creative representations. Cutting lines and rhyming just won’t do it. In
order for you to write a poetic piece, you must convey what you mean using the
artistry that language provides us with. In sum, poetry is high art that uses
figurative language to convey its message. Anyone who attempts to do poetry
must be aware of this else he/she is just versifying.
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ACTIVITY A: Writing a Tanaga
Follow our rules in writing a tanaga. Use imagery. Use certain figures of speech
for your work. You have the liberty to choose any topic that you want for your
content. You may use Tagalog or your native language (i.e. Kapampangan).
Criteria
Content (5)

Organization (5)

Tonal Appeal (5)

ACTIVITY B: Writing a Diona
Follow our rules in writing a diona. Use imagery. Use certain figures of speech
for your work. You have the liberty to choose any topic that you want for your
content. You may use Tagalog or your native language (i.e. Kapampangan).
Criteria
Content (5)

Organization (5)

Tonal Appeal (5)

ACTIVITY C: Writing a Dalit

Follow our rules in writing a dalit. Use imagery. Use certain figures of speech for
your work. You have the liberty to choose any topic that you want for your
content. You may use Tagalog or your native language (i.e. Kapampangan).
Criteria
Content (5)

Organization (5)

Tonal Appeal (5)

APPLICATION: Using Digital Media to Share Your Piece (optional).

On our Facebook Group, you are to post any of your work here. It could
be the tanaga, the diona, or the dalit. That is up to you.
Post-test
Concept Recall: Select the keyword/s that best relate to the given
sentences. Write the letter of the answer on your answer sheet.
1. Instead of just narrating his story, Juns prefers to show how it unfolds using this writing
technique.
a. using imagery b. using assonance c. using dialogue d. using rhymes
2. This writing technique works by utilizing—
a. figures of speech b. five sensory images c. imagination d. meters
3. Dani loves to write poems. Her poems, however, do not have meters or rhymes. They do
not have any restrictions from the said conventions, in other words.
a. free verse b. blank verse c. sonnet d. haiku
4. Jose’s poetic piece consists of four lines. Each line has 7 syllables. His piece is
considered a—

a. tanaga b. diona c. dalit d. haiku

5. On the other hand, Anton’s poetic piece is even shorter having only 3 lines. Each line has
7 syllables as well. Now his piece is called a—
a. tanaga b. diona c. dalit d. haiku
6. In terms of structure, James’s poetic piece is almost similar to Jose’s only it has 8
syllables per line.
a. tanaga b. diona c. dalit d. haiku
 7. James’s poem uses a particular figure of speech. See if you could figure out what that is.
Here’s his poem:
Parang malalim na balon
Ang mata mong kulay itim
Hindi matiyak ang lihim
Hindi malaman ang layon.

a. simile b. metaphor c. personification d. hyperbole

8. Anton’s poem also uses a particular figure of speech. See if you can figure it out.

Ang araw ay kumubli

Kuliglig ay humuni
Ngumiti na ang gabi

a. simile b. metaphor c. personification d. hyperbole

9. Predictably, Jose also uses a particular figure of speech. Here’s his poem.

Tumubo na ang balbas

Sa leeg, baba; panga
Sa pagtanaw sa bukas
Nang pagal; nakanganga.

a. simile b. metaphor c. personification d. hyperbole

10. The three of them typed their works using Microsoft Word and then
posted them on social media. So basically, to make their poems known in
public, the three of them used—
a. traditional media b. mediocrity c. digital media d. a medium

_________________________________________________________________________

Enrichment Activity: Writing a Free Verse Poem

And now, without rhyme schemes and required syllable counts, write a
poem about your direct and indirect experiences about the previous flood caused
by typhoon Ulysses.
References:

Abad, G., (1998) The Likhaan Anthology of Philippine Literature in English

from 1900 to the Present, Philippines, UP Press Printery.

Beckson, K., and Ganz, A., (1977) Literary Terms: A Dictionary, A Revised and
Enlarged Edition of A Reader’s Guide to Literary Terms, New York, Farrar,
Straus and Giroux.

Corpus A., Jacinto, F., Davila R., (2020),

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Quarter 1 – Module
4: Creative Representation of a Literary Text, Philippines, Department of
Education.

Selden, R., Widdowson, P., and Brooker, P., (2005) A Reader’s Guide to
Contemporary Literary Theory: Fifth Edition, England, Pearson and Longman.