Mother of Mercy Academy, Inc.

Barobo, Surigao del Sur

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CREATIVE WRITING (HUMSS 11)

WEEK 1-2
(A Self-Learning Module)

Subject Description:
The course aims to develop practical and creative skills in reading and writing; introduce students to the
fundamental techniques of writing fiction, poetry, and drama; and discuss the use of such techniques by well-known
authors in a variety of genres. Each class will be devoted to the examination of techniques and to the workshop of
students’ drafts toward the enrichment of their manuscripts. Students learn how to combine inspiration and revision,
and to develop a sense of form.

Most Essential Learning Competency (MELC):

1. Use imagery, diction, figures of speech, and specific experiences to evoke meaningful responses from readers
(HUMSS_CW/MP11/12-Iab-4)

Topic Title : FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: Imagery, Figures of speech, Diction and

Sensory Experiences

Objectives:
At the end of the module the students can:
1. define the usage of imagery in literature;
2. discuss the elements of diction;
3. identify the various types of figures of speech ;
4. appreciate the use of literary devices in making a paragraph

Pre-assessment:
Read each statement carefully. Encircle the letter of your response.

1. What type of figure of speech that shows repetition of an initial consonant sound?
A. Assonance C. Anaphora
B. Alliteration D. Apostrophe

2. What figure of speech that shows repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or
verses?
A. Assonance C. Anaphora
B. Alliteration D. Apostrophe

3. What figure of speech is an attribution of personal nature, intelligence or character to inanimate objects or abstract
notions?
A. Simile C. Personification
B. Metaphor D. Metonymy

4. What figure of speech that replaces words with related or associated words?
A. Simile C. Personification
B. Metaphor D. Metonymy

5. What figure of speech is a statement made emphatic by overstatement?

A. Synecdoche C. Irony
B. Hyperbole D. Euphemism

6. The word "bittersweet" and the phrase "be cruel to be kind" are examples of what figure of speech?
A. Oxymoron C. Pun
B. Onomatopoeia D. Antithesis

7. “After hurtling over the handlebars of his mountain bike, the racer tumbled down a rocky hillside, only to land in a
bed of cactus. He then rolled over and said, "Boy, am I having a good time!" This illustrates what figure of speech?
A. Hyperbole C. Allusion
B. Irony D. Euphemism
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8. Tongue twisters usually are examples of what figure of speech?

 Mother of Mercy Academy, Inc.
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 Purok 6 Poblacion Barobo, Surigao del Sur  +63 907 699 0817  [email protected]  www.momanian.net  FB: @motherofmercyacademyofficialpage
A. irony C. alliteration
B. metaphors D. onomatopoeia

9. Which line illustrates apostrophe as a figure of speech?

A. So Doc, what's up? C. Unhand her, you brutish knave!
B. And thou, Dejection, be gone! D. A thousand smiles greeted her.

10. Identify the literary device used below.

It is certainly not an insignificant issue!
A. litotes C. apostrophe
B. hyperbole D. antonomasia

Discussion:
Definition of Imagery
Imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our
physical senses. Usually it is thought that imagery makes use of particular words that create visual representation of ideas in
our minds. The word “imagery” is associated with mental pictures. However, this idea is but partially correct. Imagery, to be
realistic, turns out to be more complex than just a picture. Read the following examples of imagery carefully:

 It was dark and dim in the forest.

The words “dark” and “dim” are visual images.
 The children were screaming and shouting in the fields.
“Screaming” and “shouting” appeal to our sense of hearing, or auditory sense.
 He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee.
“Whiff” and “aroma” evoke our sense of smell, or olfactory sense.
 The girl ran her hands on a soft satin fabric.
The idea of “soft” in this example appeals to our sense of touch, or tactile sense.
 The fresh and juicy orange is very cold and sweet.
“Juicy” and “sweet” – when associated with oranges – have an effect on our sense of taste, or gustatory sense.
Imagery needs the aid of figures of speech like simile, metaphor, personification, and onomatopoeia, in order to appeal to the
bodily senses. Let us analyze how famous poets and writers use imagery in literature.
Short Examples of Imagery
1. The old man took the handful of dust, and sifted it through his fingers.
2. The starry night sky looked so beautiful that it begged him to linger, but he reluctantly left for home.
3. The fragrance of spring flowers made her joyful.
Imagery Examples in Literature
Example #1: Romeo and Juliet (By William Shakespeare)
Imagery of light and darkness is repeated many times in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Consider an example from Act I,
Scene V:
“O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear …”

Romeo praises Juliet by saying that she appears more radiant than the brightly lit torches in the hall. He says that at night
her face glows like a bright jewel shining against the dark skin of an African. Through the contrasting images of light and
dark, Romeo portrays Juliet’s beauty.
Function of Imagery
The function of imagery in literature is to generate a vibrant and graphic presentation of a scene that appeals to as many of
the reader’s senses as possible. It aids the reader’s imagination to envision the characters and scenes in the literary piece
clearly. Apart from the above-mentioned function, images drawn by using figures of speech like metaphor, simile,
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personification, and onomatopoeia, serve the function of beautifying a piece of literature.

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Definition of Diction
Diction can be defined as style of speaking or writing, determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer. Diction, or
choice of words, often separates good writing from bad writing. It depends on a number of factors. Firstly, the word has to be
right and accurate. Secondly, words should be appropriate to the context in which they are used. Lastly, the choice of words
should be such that the listener or reader understands easily.
Proper diction, or proper choice of words, is important to get the message across. On the other hand, the wrong choice of
words can easily divert listeners or readers, which results in misinterpretation of the message intended to be conveyed.
Types of Diction
Individuals vary their diction depending on different contexts and settings. Therefore, we come across various types of
diction.

 Formal diction – formal words are used in formal situations, such as press conferences and presentations.
 Informal diction – uses informal words and conversation, such as writing or talking to friends.
 Colloquial diction – uses words common in everyday speech, which may be different in different regions or
communities.
 Slang diction – is the use of words that are newly coined, or even impolite.
Example of Diction in Literature
Example #1: Ode on a Grecian Urn (By John Keats)
John Keats, in his Ode on a Grecian Urn, uses formal diction to achieve a certain effect. He says:

“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard

Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on …”

Notice the use of the formal “ye,” instead of the informal “you.” The formality here is due to the respect the urn inspires in
Keats. In the same poem he says:

“Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed

Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu.”

It is more formal to use “adieu” than to say “goodbye.”

Definition of Figure of Speech

A figure of speech is a phrase or word having different meanings than its literal meanings. It conveys meaning by
identifying or comparing one thing to another, which has connotation or meaning familiar to the audience. That is why it is
helpful in creating vivid rhetorical effect.

TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH

The figures of speech list is over a hundred but some commonly used types are given along with examples.
1. SIMILE - In simile two unlike things are explicitly compared. For example, “She is like a fairy”. A simile is introduced
by words such as like, so, as etc.

2. METAPHOR - It is an informal or implied simile in which words like, as, so are omitted. For example, “He is like a lion
(Simile) “and “He is a lion (metaphor)”. In the following examples, metaphors are underlined.
 She is a star of our family.
 The childhood of the world; the anger of the tempest; the deceitfulness of the riches: wine is a mocker.

3. PERSONIFICATION - Personification is an attribution of personal nature, intelligence or character to inanimate

objects or abstract notions. For example, in some phrases we use, the furious storm, the thirsty ground, and the
pitiless cold. Some other examples are:
 Little sorrows sit and weep. (Boccaccio)
 The dish ran away with the spoon. (Blake)

4. METONYMY - Metonymy is meant for a change of name. It is a substitute of the thing names for the thing meant.
Following examples will clarify the concept.
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 Joe’s new ride was expensive. = Ride is metonymy for car

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 From the cradle to the grave. = from childhood to death.

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 I have never read Milton. = the works of Milton.

5. APOSTROPHE - It is a direct address to some inanimate thing or some abstract idea as if it were living person or
some absent person as if it were present. Examples are:
 "Boy's mother loved him very much."
 "Oh, you stupid car, you never work when I need you to," Bert sighed.

6. ASSONANCE - It states identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
Examples:
How now, brown cow?
Therefore, all seasons shall be sweet to thee.

7. ALLITERATION - The repetition of an initial consonant sound.

Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

8. ANAPHORA - The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
Example: Unfortunately, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time on the wrong day. 

9. ANTITHESIS - The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.

Example: As Abraham Lincoln said, "Folks who have no vices have very few virtues."

10. EUPHEMISM - The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit. By using the
euphemism, we speak in agreeable and favorable terms of some person, object or event which is ordinarily
considered unpleasant and disagreeable. For example,
• He is telling us a fairy tale. (a lie)
• He has fallen asleep. (he is dead)

11. HYPERBOLE - An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of emphasis or heightened
effect.
Example: I have a ton of things to do when I get home.

12. IRONY - The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. Also, a statement or situation where the
meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.
Example: "Oh, I love spending big bucks," said my dad, a notorious penny pincher.

13. LITOTES - A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its
opposite.
Example: A million dollars is no small chunk of change.

14. ONOMATOPOEIA - The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
Example: The clap of thunder went bang and scared my poor dog.

15. OXYMORON - A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side.
Example: "He popped the jumbo shrimp in his mouth."

16. PARADOX - A statement that appears to contradict itself.

Example: "This is the beginning of the end," said Eeyore, always the pessimist.

17. PUN - A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or
sound of different words.
Example: Jessie looked up from her breakfast and said, "A boiled egg every morning is hard to beat."

18. SYNECDOCHE - Synecdoche is the understanding of one thing by means of another. Here, a part is used to
designate the whole or the whole to designate a part. For example, “I have the Viceroy, love the man.”, and “All
hands (crew) at work.”
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Note: Please do not return this Module. Keep it with you for your references.
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Barobo, Surigao del Sur
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ACTIVITY SHEET

Name: _____________________________ Date Accomplished: ______________

Year/Strand: ________________________ Score: ______________

ACTIVITY 1:
Direction: Read the following passage. Identify the sensory words used as imagery in poem. Then, answer the question
below. Write your answer on the space provided.

Harlem: A Dream Deferred

by Longstone Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raising in the sun
Or fester like a sore –
And then run?
Does it stink rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over –
Like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

Like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Instruction: Identify the words or phrase used by Hughes as imagery for all five senses in the poem.

 Sight _______________________
 Taste _______________________
 Touch ______________________
 Smell _______________________
 Sound ______________________

What is the unspoken message the speaker is telling the reader about going after their own dreams? Write your answer on
the space provided.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________ .

Activity 2:
Direction: Identify the figure of speech used in each sentence below. Write your answer on the space
provided.
Example: I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse. Hyperbole
1. He has a gold heart. __________________
2. Dale’s smile was a bright as the sun shine. _______________________
3. Life is a journey; travel it well. _______________________
4. A wicked whisper came and changed my life. ____________________
5. Men’s words are bullets that enemies take up and make use of against them. _____________
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6. He roared with the force of a thousand lions. _________________________

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7. The theatre is his home. _____________________

8. I am so busy. I have a million things to do. ______________________
 Mother of Mercy Academy, Inc.
Barobo, Surigao del Sur
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9. My love for you is as deep as the ocean. ________________________
10. My laptop throws a fit every time I try to use it. _______________________

ASSESSMENT:
Directions: Read the statements carefully. Identify if the statement is TRUE or FALSE. Write your
answer before the number.

1. Imaging refers to the “pictures” which we perceive with our mind’s eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin,
and through which we experience the “duplicate world” created by poetic language.

2. Diction is the poet’s choice of words. The poet chooses each word carefully so that both its
meaning and sound contribute to the tone and feeling of the poem.

3. Informal diction is the use of sophisticated language, without slang or colloquialisms. It sticks to
grammatical rules and uses complicated syntax—the structure of sentences.

4. Sensory imagery is a literary device which writers employ to engage a reader’s mind on multiple
levels. Sensory imagery explores the five human senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

5. Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic,
academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft,
character development, and the use of literary tropes or with various traditions of poetry and
poetics.

6. Litotes is figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by

negating its opposite.

7. Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole. Example: Tina is
learning her ABC's in preschool.

8. Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions
they refer to.

9. Assonance is the identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.

10.Persona is a figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human
qualities or abilities.

Prepared by:

DENNIS JADE G. NUMERON

Subject Teacher
0950 641 5289
[email protected]
Dennis Jade Gascon Numeron
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 Mother of Mercy Academy, Inc.
Barobo, Surigao del Sur
 Purok 6 Poblacion Barobo, Surigao del Sur  +63 907 699 0817  [email protected]  www.momanian.net  FB: @motherofmercyacademyofficialpage

Post-Assessment:

Essay writing using literary devices

Direction: Compose an essay about your experiences during the time of pandemic. Make use of literary devices, such as
imagery, diction, and figures of speech, in writing a paragraph. Underline the figurative languages you have used. A
minimum of ten (10) figurative languages must be present in your output.
Mechanics:
1. Prepare a 1 whole sheet of paper and a pen.
2. Write a narrative essay about your personal experiences during the COVID-pandemic.
3. Essays should follow the (5) paragraph structure – introduction, body, and conclusion.
4. Observe proper margin (1 in. x 1 in.) and indention. Avoid any erasures.
5. Use literary devices in writing the essay, such as imagery, diction, and figures of speech, to evoke meaningful
responses from readers.
Guide questions:
1. What are your memorable experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic?
2. What are the lessons you have learned from the pandemic?
3. How COVID-19 pandemic changed my perspective in life?

Rubric:

References:
Imagery - Examples and Definition of Imagery. (2013, July 7). Literary Devices. https://literarydevices.net/imagery/
Diction - Examples and Definition of Diction. (2013, August 12). Literary Devices. https://literarydevices.net/diction/
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Barobo, Surigao del Sur
 Purok 6 Poblacion Barobo, Surigao del Sur  +63 907 699 0817  [email protected]  www.momanian.net  FB: @motherofmercyacademyofficialpage

Answer Key

PRE-TEST ACTIVITY 3

1. D 1. Metaphor

2. B 2. Simile

3. A 3. Metaphor

4. D 4. Personification

5. C 5. Metaphor

6. B 6. Hyperbole

7. A 7. Metaphor

8. A 8. Hyperbole

9. A 9. Metaphor

10. A 10. Personification

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