21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD

-aims to engage students in appreciation and critical study of 21 st Century Literature from the Philippines
and the World, encompassing their various dimensions, genres, elements, structures, contexts, and traditions

“CONTEXT AND TEXT’S MEANING”

THE LITERARY PIECE:

LITERARY ANALYSIS:

I. Unlocking Of Difficult Terms/Words In The Poem

 Difficult Word: Meaning:
loft A room, storage area; attic
flock Gather together in a large group
perched To settle or rest in some elevated position
rustling The sound that paper or leaves make when they
move
unforeseen Not anticipated or predicted
meadow A piece of grassland, especially one used for hay
multitude A great number of people
buzzing A low, continuous humming or murmuring sound

II. Literal-Level Interpretation

Title of the poem -EARNEST WISH

Poet/writer - LYDIA S. VILLANUEVA

Number of lines - 26 lines

Structure (Free-verse or traditional) – FREE-VERSE (no rhyme pattern, no uniform number of

lines, and no syllabic pattern per line)

Stanza (sometimes Form)- NONE; free-verse (could also be a combination of Sestina or 6-line

stanza and Septet or 7-line stanza)

Rhyme pattern/ Verse (Rhymed Verse/Traditional or Free Verse)- NONE; free-verse

 Poem’s Point-of-View (1st, 2nd or 3rd Person/ Omniscient) - FIRST PERSON POV because of the

pronouns “I” and “us”

Speaker in the poem - A CONCERNED CITIZEN; a person who longs to do the things they used to

do before the pandemic started/ someone who wants to make a

contribution to the ongoing pandemic

Addressee/s of the poem- THE PEOPLE; everyone who’s going through a hard time in the

pandemic

Object/theme of the poem- OVERCOMING/ SURVIVING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC

Mood - EAGERNESS, EMPATHY; HOPEFULNESS; OPTIMISM

Sound devices used:

a. REPETITION- as the words “birds” and “grass” are repeated on some

parts of the poem

b. ONOMATOPOEIA- because it creates a word that phonetically imitates,

resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes.

Example from the poem: (2nd stanza: sound of breeze, rustling of leaves)

c. RHYME- repetition of the same ending sounds at the end of the lines

“enemy” and “humanity”

Other common sound devices:

 Alliteration- repetition of beginning sound, ex: She sells seashells on the seashore

 Assonance- repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, ex: The light of the fire is a sight.

 Consonance- repetition of consonant sounds, ex: Mike like his new bike.

Diction (Denotation or Connotation)- BOTH

 Denotation- literal or dictionary meaning of words, ex: The main ingredients are oil and water.
 Connotation- figurative meaning of words, ex: My siblings and I are like oil and water, we seldom

get along well.

(Formal, Vulgar or Colloquial)- FORMAL

 Formal- uses proper terms and correct grammar, ex: I am angry.; Please be quiet.

 Vulgar- use of words which mean violent or sexual. Ex: I am pissed.; Shut up!

 Colloquial- uses layman’s terms, slang, jargon, contractions, idioms, and profanity

III. Imageries Presentation Of The Poem

TACTILE/KINESTHETIC IMAGERIES:

Tending of the garden

Rearranging of stones in a pile

Weeding the grass in the field

Harvesting of fruits in season

IV. Figurative-Level Interpretation

1. What overall image is visualized by the poem?

2. What does the image symbolize in relation to the poem’s theme?

3. What are the figures of speech used? How were they presented in relation to the poem’s
theme?

4. What mood or feeling is evoked/displayed in the in the poem?

5. What was the message that the poem wanted to convey?

6. Discuss how the author presented the ideas of the poem up to the point where the message
was presented.
V. Knowing Author’s Context

-reflect on the importance of a biographical context in understanding a text

1. Discuss the environment that surrounds the author while writing the poem.

-Since this poem was written during the pandemic, I think her environment while writing was that

she is in a peaceful place quiet enough to focus and write. The author describes what she sees

during that moment and puts it into writing that she created a beautiful inspiring poem.

2. Discuss the occurring event in the society during the time that influences the author in writing the

poem.

- The Covid19 pandemic created a big impact on society, until now. The author not only wants to

express what she feels about the situation but also to encourage others to help to flatten the

curved of covid19 results that is thru writing and creating a poem addressed for everyone who is

affected by the current situation.

3. Discuss the message of the author in the poem.

VI. Finding the Purpose

1. What was the situation when the author wrote this poem? -The poem “Earnest Wish” was written by

the author during the pandemic faced by the whole world until today which is the Covid-19 outbreak.

2. How did the author present the events in the poem? -The author presents the events in the poem by

describing the situation she’s experiencing and by simply observing appreciating things and people in her

surroundings.

3. What do you think was the main reason why the author wrote the poem? -The author wants to bring

encouragement for everyone to unite and cooperate hand in hand until everything will get back to the

normal life that everyone used to live before the pandemic happened.
4. Why is the poem titled, Fervent Wish? Cite line/lines in the poem that support your answer. -From its

title “Earnest Wish” and its line “Fight the unforeseen enemy”, “Help the new beginning” and “Contribute

to the humanity” the author is expressing what she feels about the present situation, that she is hopeful

praying that at some point the pandemic will end very soon.

5. What is the central message of the poem? - The poem is about the realization of the author before and

during the pandemic happened. It caused her to feel bad about what is happening but also at the same

time, it made her thankful. That even during the pandemic where everyone was required to stay home,

She began to pause and reflect to appreciate little things she thinks don’t matter at all. She began to

reorganized not only her thoughts but also what she can do to maximize her time while staying at home

to being productive.