21ST CENTURY LITERATURE
FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND
THE WORLD
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QUARTER 2
Objective:
◦Identify the figures of speech and other literary
techniques and devices in the text.
◦Code: EN12Lit-IIe-27
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Review:
What do you mean by this line taken from the poem
“Taj Mahal”:
For you, my love, the Taj
may well be the quintessence
of ardour;
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MOTIVATION:
 DIRECTIONS: Study the
lines carefully and match
items in A with the
figures in B. Unlock the
title of the poem using the
first letters of the answers
in B.
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Activity:
 DIRECTIONS: Read the poem below. Choose the letter corresponding to the
use of the italicized lines.
A. Personification B. Exaggeration C. Comparison D. Repetition
Taj Mahal
translated by Mustansir Dalvi
For you, my love, the Taj
may well be the quintessence of ardour; while full well
may you regard
this exquisite vale. Even so,
dear one, let us meet
some place else.
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What worth, these lowly ones,
loitering in the halls of the lords,
where on every path lie etched
remains of pomp and glory?
What worth then, the passing
of lovelorn souls?
My love, behind the veils
of love’s proud proclamations,
did you see the signs
of imperious grandeur?
You, who revel
in mausoleums of dead kings,
did you not heed the dark hovels
that fostered us?
Beyond count are those, in this world
who have lived and loved.
Could anyone deny the truth
of their passions?
But they, like us, stay destitute,
without the means
to erect monuments to their love.
These edifices, these tombs,
these battlements, these forts,haughty relics of the conceit of
emperors,
are left behind like resilient creepers
on the face of the world,
seeped in the blood
of our forefathers.
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My love, those artful hands
who created this beauty
would have lived
and loved too; but their lovers
are long gone, nameless,
without a trace.
To this day, no one has lit
a candle in their memory.
The lush gardens and palaces,
the Yamuna’s edge;
the exquisitely carved portals,
the arches and niches,
the handiwork of the one
emperor who, buttress’d
by infinite wealth
has mocked our very love,
our impoverish'd, destitute love.
Even so, my love,
let us meet
some place else.
Analysis:
1. In the first stanza, the speaker in the poem compares his love with which structure
2. What object is personified in the following lines?
My love, behind the veils
of love’s proud proclamations,
did you see the signs
of imperious grandeur?
3. What other comparison and exaggeration are presented in the poem?
4. Notice the repetition of the line, “Even so, my love, let us meet some-place else,”
what is the purpose of the author in doing so? What effect does it provide the poem?
5. What do you think is the message of the speaker for his love? for the people?
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Abstraction:
Do you know that unlocking meanings of poems in-volves process of examining
words, phrases and lines through a familiar set of literary devices? Keep these in mind.
Literary devices are techniques that writers use to create a special and
meaningful effect in their writing, deliver information and assist the reader in
understanding the literary text on a deeper level. These lead to the level of clarity and
weight of emphasis a learner must gain to build a significant interpretation of the piece.
The following benefits can be attained from studying these devices.:
identify author’s purpose or intent.
locate key ideas or passages.
make the text more interesting.
unlock the work’s core content and meaning.
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A Figure of Speech is a literary device that gives a separate meaning from its literal
definition. Relying on figurative language presents a more colorful play of words for a
more dramatic effect. Here are some of the most common figures of speech.
Simile
A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words “like" or "as."
Examples: as slippery as an eel, like peas in a pod, as blind as a bat
Metaphor
A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike things or ideas.
Examples: heart of stone, time is money, the world is a stage
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Personification
Personification gives human qualities to non-living things or ideas.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
Examples:
He’s been crying a river of tears.
That must have cost a billion dollars.
I could do this forever.
Repetition
Repetition occurs when words or lines are repeated in the text to create an effect.
Example:
The bird said, “I don’t sing because I am happy, I am happy because I sing.”
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Application:
 DIRECTIONS: Choose the
letter of the figure of speech
used in each item.
A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Repetition
D. Hyperbole
E. Personification
The Evening was Lonely
by Rabindranath Tagore
1. The evening was lonely for me,
and I was reading a book
2. till my heart became dry,
and it seemed to me
3. that beauty was a thing fash-ioned by the traders in words.
Tired I shut the book and snuffed the candle.
4. In a moment the room was flooded with moonlight.
Spirit of Beauty, how could you,
whose radiance over brims the sky,
stand hidden behind a candle's tiny flame?
5. How could a few vain words from a book rise like a mist,
and veil her whose voice
has hushed the heart of earth into indescribable calm?
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Assessment:
1. Give a multiple-choice test with questions related to identifying figures of
speech and literary techniques.
2. Provide a passage and ask students to underline and label the figures of speech
and literary techniques used.
3. True or False: Figures of speech and literary techniques are used solely for
decorative purposes in writing.
4. Fill in the blanks: A ________ is a figure of speech that compares two unlike
things using "like" or "as."
5. Essay question: Choose a literary text and analyze how the figures of speech and
literary techniques used contribute to its overall meaning and style.
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