LESSON 2

Imagery in Poetry

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Familiarize the different kinds of images or
imagery in literature.
Identify the images used in poetry to
communicate experience.
Discuss the connotative meanings of the imagery
used or created in the poem.

BEFORE READING

Dinner in Penang
A Poem by Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr.

ABOUT THE POEM

The speaker in the poem

recounts how he used to patronize a
food stall for its tasteful and satisfying
dishes. Though he later found out t hat
the dishes being served were dirty and
unhygienic, he still justified the food’s
dirt by its taste.

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MAKE CONNECTIONS

Do you enjoy eating street foods? What do you think are the most popular
street foods in the Philippines? Are there any of those that bring back ‘special’
memories for you? What are they?

Yes, because it is delicious and wallet-friendly compared to other snacks in town.

The burning yet enticing sensation from the recooked food also makes you want
to carve for more. Foods such as the “kwek-kwek”, fish balls, “isaw”, chicken skin,
“batikulon”, hotdog, shake, bananaque, cheese sticks, balut, halo-halo, turon, and
siomai is what I think are the most popular street foods loved by many. Some
such as squid balls, posit, and kikiam I suppose are also relished but is not
allowed for me. Hitherto, I don’t have any memories with street foods that makes
me feel nostalgic because my mom does not permit us to eat such foods so often;
sometimes because of sanitation but chiefly of the health issues it has. Street
foods have a high quantities of carbohydrates, fats, and msg too.

ANALYZE LITERATURE: Imagery

Imagery is language that makes a picture in

your mind. In poetry, it is a vivid and vibrant form of
description that appeals to readers’ imagination and
senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell). These
are otherwise known as sense of the mind. These
sensory details in imagery bring works to life.

The following are the different types of

imagery in poetry.

Visual imagery: In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the reader’s
sense of sight by describing something the speaker or narrator of the poem sees.
It may include colors, brightness, shapes, sizes, and patterns.
E.g. “Mama, the gown I wore that night is fading
In the closet, unwashed black velvet exuding
Beauty irretrievably gone. It’s a backless
Sleeveless tube with big slits on the side,
Silver sequins on the padded bosoms, and white
Gloves for the spectacular beauty that I am.”—Ronald Baytan, “Queen”

Olfactory imagery: In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the
reader’s sense of smell by describing something the speaker of the poem inhales.
It may include pleasant fragrances or off-putting odors.
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 E.g. “Because behind the scent of women
That put leis ’round your neck,
The stinking smell of estuaries
Suffocate the people of Tondo.”—Romulo P. Baquiran, Jr.,
“My Country Is No Paradise, Mr. Jacobson”

Auditory imagery: This form of poetic imagery appeals to the reader’s sense of
hearing or sound. It may include music and other pleasant sounds, harsh noises,
or silence. In addition to describing a sound, the poet might also use a sound
device like onomatopoeia, or words that imitate sounds, so reading the poem
aloud recreates the auditory experience.
E.g. “Her coos and cry
Are now all echoes
Being reviewed in my skull…”—Mae Monteclaro Roca, “Amira”

Gustatory imagery: In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the
reader’s sense of taste by describing something the speaker or narrator of the
poem tastes. It may include sweetness, sourness, saltiness, savoriness, or
spiciness.
E.g. “Kay tamis ng oras sa sariling bayan,
Kaibigan lahat ang abot ng araw…”—Jose Rizal,
“Ang Awit ni Maria Clara”

Tactile imagery: In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the reader’s
sense of touch by describing something the speaker of the poem feels on their
body. It may include the feel of temperatures, textures, and other physical
sensations.
E.g. “Candles melt
the hard darkness
inside the church.”—Danton Remoto, “Candles”

Kinesthetic imagery: In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the
reader’s sense of motion. It may include the sensation of speeding along in a
vehicle, a slow sauntering, or a sudden jolt when stopping, and it may apply to
the movement of the poem’s speaker/narrator or objects around them.
E.g. “Palay siyang matino (He’s a behaved palay)
Nang humangi’y yumuko, (Who bowed when the wind blew)
Ngunit muling tumayo, (But stood up again)
Nagkabunga ng ginto.” (And bore gold)—Ildefonso Santos, “Palay”

Organic imagery: In this form of poetic imagery, the poet communicates

internal sensations such as fatigue, hunger, and thirst as well as internal
emotions such as fear, love, and despair.

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E.g. “Perhaps she was just bored.
Bored with the man
Of the missing rib
Who was beginning to repeat
Himself, having run out of names
For the rest of the world.”—Fatima Lim, “The Forbidden Tree”

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USE READING SKILLS: Analyze text’s lexical features

As you read the poem, determine the type of imagery created by the
words or ideas that are listed in the chart below. Then tell the possible meanings
of these imagery/images. A sample has been done for you.

Imagery-Connotation Chart

Word Type of Imagery Possible

Meaning/Connotation

1. two-ringgit dish visual cheap, affordable food

Street food vendors prawn

2. hawker’s prawn visual

3. fragrant broth olfactory Boiling food full of aroma

Tenderness or juiciness
4. succulence tactile

To move in combination or
5. joyfulness with the
kinesthetic fusion with the garlic sauce
garlic sauce.

City’s waste or rubbish

6. city’s slime visual

7. waterborne diseases organic Disease-causing microbes,

substances or chemicals

To stammer hesitantly
8. reason grapples auditory while reasoning

Unfortunate possibilities
9. sordid possibilities Organic

Tummy’s state or condition

10. stomach’s heart

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DURING READING

Dinner in Penang

A Poem by Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr.

1
For the second time in as many days Analyze Literature

2
I come to her, and have the same Supply the missing word:
The imagery in the lines “For
3
Two-ringgit dish of hawker’s prawn the second time in as many
days/I come to her and have
4
Steamed in fragrant broth, and its succulence the same…dish” implies that
5 the speaker in the poem
Completes in joyfulness with the garlic sauce.
patronize (verb) a
particular food stall.

6
The next morning, Elangovan says to me:
Use Reading Skills
7
“Those prawns were fatted on the city’s slime—
8 Analyze text’s lexical
Look here, it’s in the papers,
features
9
Waterborne diseases on the rise!” Use the Imagery-
Connotation chart to
10
And while my reason grapples identify the imagery created
by the underlined words
11
With the sordid possibilities, and to give their possible
12 meanings.
My stomach’s heart has no regrets,
13
Having loved, without the need of asking,
14
Having departed more complete, in trusting. Culture Note

Street food culture is thriving in the Philippines, and Filipinos, like other
Southeast Asians, are creative and experimental in their methods of preparing
and serving their street food. Describe your favorite street food in terms of
preparation and presentation.
Clean and place the chicken’s intestine in the boiling pan with water to be boiled
for 30 minutes. Prepare the frying pan and two set of spices such as minced onion
and garlic, one for the ketchup and the other for the intestine; both to be sautéed
separately for about 15 minutes.
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 Set aside the sautéed ketchup and ready the barbeque sticks. Take the boiling pan
out of the fire and strain the intestine out and sauté it with the spices for 10 min.
let it cool. After it has cooled off, create a wave-like pattern of chicken intestine on
the sticks and leave a1-inch space on both edges for holding. Prepare the
barbeque stand or grill with the charcoal and once heated put the intestine sticks
until it is golden brown, wipe it with the ketchup sauce and cook for another five
minutes to let the sauce seep into the intestine. Then, take it off the heat and
brush it again with the sauce and there you go. Order is served, enjoy!

AFTER READING

Name: Loren Rose B. Beltran Subject: Arts appreciation

Yr/Cr/Sec: 3 BSN A Date: 4/18/2021

READING CHECK

Grasp the poem’s full implications and suggestions to answer the following
questions.

1. Who is the speaker in the poem?

The speaker is the one who wrote the poem, none other than Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr.

2. How did the speaker find the “dish” based on the positive images/imagery
created by the words “fragrant”, “succulence”, and “joyfulness” in the first
stanza?

He find it cheap but tasteful, satisfying, and has a delightful captivating smell.

3. How would you describe the “dish” based on the negative imagery created by
the words/lines fatted on the city’s slime, waterborne diseases, and sordid
possibilities?

Not only is the dish dirty and unhygienic but may also contain disease-causing
microorganisms from the wastes that sustain its diet.

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4. What do you think was the initial reaction of the speaker when he found out
in the news that the “prawns” served to him were “fatted on the city’s slime”?

He was shocked and hesitant for his reasons but eventually became calm because
after all his stomach was still fine.

5. What was he thinking when he said “…my reason grapples with the sordid
possibilities”?

The speaker think that the fact are true and considers it thus he became utterly
hesitant.

6. Did the speaker have regrets despite knowing the truth? How did he accept
the news/truth? Cite words or lines to support your answer.

No, he didn’t. The speaker was skeptical for his reason against the ruinous fact.

7. As we look into its deeper meaning, what social issue or reality is shown in
the poem?

People are having hasty generalization upon some certain facts regarding
cleanliness of street-vendors’ products whereby their discrimination subjects
them to refuse a simple gesture that could help a family in need instead of
making rich people richer.

8. What values are emphasized/deemphasized in the poem?

It is good to become health conscious but not too much that one will despise all
things or products related to it. Avoid discrimination; uphold and patronize
street foods. Not all street vendors’ foods cause illness if taken in moderate
amounts.

THINK AND REFLECT

When is it more important to be happy than it is to be right? Explain your

answer.

When you don’t have too much money that you have to choose foods that is
wallet-friendly, than to spend on expensive ones and later on worry. Eating
cheap yet tasteful and satisfying foods are better than costly foods because it
makes you worry less and be happy with stomach satisfied and full. It may not be

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right because it can’t be good for the health but being moderate and having a
balance diet won’t be a problem. Almost all foods even those expensive can also
be a risk factors for illness, that’s a fact, thus one should be moderate in all things
and choose healthy foods more. There are also some cases that when a person is
on his or her end of life stage and wants to enjoy foods that are not allowed he or
she is in the state of choosing to be happy than to be right. This could also help
one achieve a satisfying end.

USE READING SKILLS: Analyze lexical features

Identify, Label, and Explain. Underline the words/ lines that create sensory
imagery in the song lyrics. Determine the types of imagery that are created by
these words. Then tell their possible meanings.

Huwag Kang Matakot Types of Imagery Possible Meanings

by Eraserheads
Huwag kang matakot -Organic - To worry less and
'Di mo ba alam nandito have faith
lang ako sa iyong tabi -Kinesthetic
'Di kita pababayaan - If one falls in love the
kailan man at Kung ikaw other will catch and
ay mahulog sa bangin ay will love back.
sasaluhin kita
Wag kang matakot na -Organic - To worry less and
matulog mag-isa have faith
Kasama mo naman ako -Kinesthetic
'Wag kang matakot na - Don’t be afraid to
umibig at lumuha love and be hurt
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot
Huwag kang matakot -Organic - To worry less and
Dahil ang buhay mo'y have faith
walang katapusan -Visual
Makapangyarihan ang - A powerful love that
pag-ibig na will never end.
Hawak mo sa 'yong
kamay
Ikaw ang diyos at hari ng
iyong mundo
Matakot sila sa'yo
'Wag kang matakot na -Organic - To worry less and
matulog mag-isa have faith
Kasama mo naman ako -Kinesthetic
'Wag kang matakot na - Don’t be afraid to
umibig at lumuha love and be hurt
Kasama mo naman ako

'Wag kang matakot na -Organic - It’s alright to be dumb

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magmukhang tanga for love.
Kasama mo naman ako
'Wag kang matakot sa -Don’t trust things and
hindi mo pa makita words unless proven
Kasama mo naman ako true but still I will be
Huwag kang matakot here.

Huwag kang matakot -Organic -Worry less and have

'Di mo ba alam nandito faith
lang ako sa iyong tabi
'Di kita pababayaan -I will always be here
kailan man

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