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?

Eating street foods instead of buying expensive foods is like satisfying

your cravings in budget-friendly manner. In the Philippines, there are a lot of
street foods where Pinoy enjoyed eating. It may include: kikiam, fish ball, siomai,
isaw, fries kwek kwek and many more. Personally, I enjoyed eating street foods
specially when I am with my friends and love ones. It is one of my bonding with
them. When we have free time and extra money, we spent our quality time
through eating street foods and sharing how our days went to also.

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.
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”

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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.
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

meal item or seafood

2. hawker’s prawn visual

Pleasant scent or aroma

3. fragrant broth Olfactory

The quality of being

4. succulence Gustatory pleasantly juicy

5. joyfulness with the a certain sauce or soup kind

Gustatory
garlic sauce.

Bacteria living in tiny cities

6. city’s slime visual

7. waterborne diseases Organic any illness that was brought

on by contaminated water

8. reason grapples Auditory

rants, protests, or disputes

concerns, potential
consequences, and adverse
9. sordid possibilities Organic
impacts

10. stomach’s heart Organic intestinal tract, appetites,

and contentment

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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.
Visit (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.

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 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.
 Siomai is one of my favorite street foods. There are two types of cooking
siomai. One is steamed siomai and the other is fried siomai. It is said that
it originated in China, and Inner Mongolia. In tea shops, siomai is offered
as a "side dish" or supplemental item.

AFTER READING

Name: Jovie Magno Vista Subject: Literature of the Philippines

Yr/Cr/Sec: I BSE-A1 Date: Oct. 10, 2022

READING CHECK

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

1. Who is the speaker in the poem?

 I may say that the speaker of the poem "Dinner in Penang" is itself as I
read it. A person who enjoys eating street food, especially in Penang,
where delicious street cuisine is sold.
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?
 Based on the positive connotations and images evoked by the
aforementioned adjectives in the poem, I can infer that the speaker thought
the dish was satisfying and delicious based on how he expressed his joy at
eating it.
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?

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  Fatted on the city's filth, waterbrone infections, and sordid
possibilities were the lines reinforcing the negative imagery, if I were
to characterize the dish using the phrases and lines from the poem. I
can thus claim that the dish was prepared or stored in an unsanitary
manner. These items were cooked incorrectly, which led to illness
outbreaks and water contamination. In other words, the virus had
gotten into the water.
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”?
 I believe that the speaker's initial response upon learning that the food
was tainted was shock. He loves the foods he eats in the first place,
and in addition, he was moved by the food's smell, how it was
presented, and how it tasted, so his natural and typical reaction was
not hindered to stop eating.

5. What was he thinking when he said “…my reason grapples with the sordid
possibilities”?
 For me, the speaker considered what would happen to him if he kept
purchasing food from that specific store. Even though he had his
misgivings, he still wanted to eat the food more than he would have
cared if it had the potential to be harmful to him.
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.
 Despite what he knew later, the poem's lines "my stomach's heart has
no regrets," "having loved, without the need of asking," and "having
departed more complete in trusting" show that the speaker has no
regrets. The dish was still his favorite, and he was satisfied despite
accepting the facts that had been given. That is important to him.
7. As we look into its deeper meaning, what social issue or reality is shown in
the poem?
 Some societal difficulties were demonstrated and depicted in the poem
when we properly understood its meaning. Even though some of the foods
sold on the street are dirty and prepared or cooked improperly, we
Filipinos still embrace those things and truth. To protect ourselves,
nevertheless, we should be aware of our limitations and prepare the street
food we want to consume on our own to ensure its cleanliness and to
reduce the risk to our health.
8. What values are emphasized/deemphasized in the poem?

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  Based on my understanding, the values that were emphasized in the
poem were the appreciation of the importance of food that we have.
Additionally, we appreciate the vendor's hard work and trust in their
products and services. Based on my understanding, the values that
were emphasized in the poem were the appreciation of the
importance of food that we have. Additionally, we appreciate the
vendor's hard work and trust in their products and services.

THINK AND REFLECT

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

answer.

 It is more important to be happy than to be right when we are at the

lowest point in our lives and need to comfort ourselves. However,
happiness is not genuine when you are happy but you make others
cry. You are happy, but you make others suffer. Happiness is sweet
when you are at peace and living peacefully while respecting everyone
around you. Happiness is also having gratitude for the little things in
life. When you are at peace and don't feel the need to convince
everyone that you are right and they are wrong, that is another
situation that demonstrates why it is better to be happy than to be
right. It is best to keep silent as long as you are content with the
activities you enjoy and require mental serenity because you do not
always need to defend your position. Simply enjoy the little things in
life.

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

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 by Eraserheads
Huwag kang matakot
'Di mo ba alam nandito
lang ako sa iyong tabi kinesthetic Essence of heroism,
'Di kita pababayaan kailan provide assistance for
man at Kung ikaw ay others
mahulog sa bangin ay
sasaluhin kita
Wag kang matakot na
matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman ako Organic and kinesthetic Having courage by facing
'Wag kang matakot na your fears by yourself
umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot
Huwag kang matakot
Dahil ang buhay mo'y
walang katapusan Organic and tactile Power of love that
Makapangyarihan ang everyone must possess
pag-ibig na
Hawak mo sa 'yong
kamay
Ikaw ang diyos at hari ng
iyong mundo
Matakot sila sa'yo
'Wag kang matakot na Organic and kinesthetic Braveness in overcoming
matulog mag-isa the possible consequences
Kasama mo naman ako of love
'Wag kang matakot na
umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman ako

'Wag kang matakot na Organic and visual Having the enough strength
magmukhang tanga to be who you are
Kasama mo naman ako
'Wag kang matakot sa
hindi mo pa makita
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot
Huwag kang matakot tactile At the end of the day, there
'Di mo ba alam nandito is someone who always got
lang ako sa iyong tabi your back and ready to
'Di kita pababayaan comfort you
kailan man

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