MODULE II

⋇ Understanding the Elements of Poetry ⋇

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CHAPTER I – DENOTATIONS, CONNOTATIONS,
& IMAGERY

LESSON 1

D en o tatio n s an d C o n n o tatio n s in P o etry

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Differentiate denotation from connotation.
Give the denotative and connotative meanings of some
poetic lines.
Discuss larger issues presented in the literary text.

BEFORE READING

A Poem by Angela Manalang-Gloria

ABOUT THE POEM

The poem, apparently, is about change. It talks about the things we love
and forget as we grow up.

MAKE CONNECTIONS

What do you do when you outgrow the things that you used to do and like?

I accept and move forward every time I outgrow the things that I used to do and like.
As we get older, we realized that change is constant and nothing is permanent. As we grow,
we tend to explore new things and learned different principle and perspective in life. The
way we look at things will change as we are heading to achieve our goals in life.

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ANALYZE LITERATURE: Denotation and Connotation

Denotation is the dictionary, literal or direct meaning of the word or

phrase while connotation is the secondary, suggested or implied meanings
associated with the word beyond its dictionary definition. For example, the word
summer; its dictionary meaning is season or the warmer half of the year while its
connotative or implied meaning may be joy, youth, and growth. Another example,
the words home and house have similar denotations: a home is a shelter that is
the usual residence of a person, family, or household, and a house is a building in
which people live. However, for many, these terms carry different associations or
connotations. Many people would agree that home connotes a sense of belonging
and comfort, whereas house conveys little more than a structure.

It is important to note that words may have positive or negative

connotations that depend upon the social, cultural, and personal experiences of
individuals. For example, the words childish, childlike and youthful have the same
denotative, but different connotative, meanings. Childish and childlike have a
negative connotation, as they refer to immature behavior of a person. Whereas,
youthful implies that a person is lively and energetic.

Common Connotation Examples

Below are a few connotation examples. Their suggested meanings are

shaped by cultural and emotional associations:

 “He’s such a dog.” – In this sense, the word dog connotes shamelessness,
or ugliness.

 “That woman is a dove at heart.” – Here, the dove implies peace or

gentility.

 “There’s no place like home.” – While

home may refer to the actual building
someone lives in, connotatively, it
most often refers to family, comfort,
and security.

 “My mom and dad worked hard to put me through college.” – The words
Mom and Dad, when used in place of mother and father, connote loving
parents, rather than simply biological parents.

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USE READING SKILLS: Differentiating Denotation and Connotation

Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings, in addition

to their literal meanings or denotations. As you read the poem below, identify the
denotative and connotative meanings of the following words or phrases by filling
in the Denotation-Connotation Chart.

Denotation-Connotation Chart

Word Denotation Connotation

outgrow got bigger become mature

overran occupy to go beyond

time of being a child joyful memories, youthful

childhood hours

art like paintings featuring feminine energy; beauty

fairy art
fairy tale settings

seize, carry off having a feeling of intense

ravish
or extreme emotion

altered or removed hidden

censored

a serious disturbance in hysteria

delirium
mental abilities

an image of gold in the item or object of

golden calf
shape of a calf possession

a state of very great a person that you love

jewelled ecstasy
happiness and treasure

changeable traitor or disloyal

fickle

ruin or misfortune remorse

Fatal

deprived of the possession unlucky

bereft

food and beverages for life

drink and bread
human consumption

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DURING READING

A Poem by Angela Manalang-Gloria

1
I have outgrown them all, and one by one, Note the Facts
2
These loves I took so mightily to heart
3
Before you came: the dolls that overran Read aloud the poem. Who
is the speaker? What is the
5
My childhood hours and taught me fairy art; speaker’s gender? Give
6
The books I ravished by the censored score: words or lines to support
your answer.
7
Music that like delirium burned my days;
Angela Manalang-Gloria is
8
The golden calf I fashioned to adore the speaker. The speaker is
a female. The third and
9
When lately I forsook the golden phrase.
fourth lines give hints about
the author’s gender.

10
And thus I shall outgrow this love for you.
11
Sooner or later I shall put away
Analyze Literature &
12
This jewelled ecstasy for something new.
Use Reading Skills
13
Brand me not fickle on that fatal day:
Denotation and Connotation
14
Bereft of change that is my drink and bread, Use the Denotation-
Connotation Chart to write the
15
I would not love you now. I would be dead. denotative and connotative
meanings of the underlined
Analyze Literature words and phrases.

The word loves in the second line refers to

objects and memories the author gives
importance to.

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 AFTER READING

Name: Roveeh Rose M. Laurito Subject: LIT 111

Yr/Cr/Sec: 3 BSN B Date: March 5, 2022

READING CHECK

A. Read again the poem. Then give the denotative and connotative meanings of
the following lines.

1. the dolls that overran my childhood days

denotation: In her childhood, she often played with dolls.
connotation: Her youthful days are often spent admiring beauty and
appreciating life as it is.

2. the books I ravished

denotation: The books she loved.
connotation: The novels she utterly adored and loved.

3. music that like delirium burned my days

denotation: She listened to music for the entirely of the day, which helped
her forget about reality.
connotation: The person who lives a fulfilling life and forgets about reality.

4. this jeweled ecstasy

denotation: It’s about the jewellery that makes her happy.
connotation: It’s about someone she cherished and loved with all of her heart.

5. drink and bread

denotation: It refers to beverages and foods that can be consumed.
connotation: It refers to a person’s body and blood, making it the person’s
whole being.

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6. change
denotation: To vary from one state to another.
connotation: To lose love for people or things as well as to slip away.

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

1. In the first stanza, what are the things that the speaker used to do and love?
Why do you think she left them? Give words or lines to support your answer.
In the first stanza, from the third line “Before you came: the dolls that
overran” it shows that the poem’s subject loves to play dolls. The word “fairy art”
suggests that she believes in fairy tales while “Books I ravished” and “Music that
like delirium burned my days” are her past times while growing up. She also like
to dress well base on the line “ the golden calf I fashioned to adore”. She left these
things because she became much older and matured as she stated in the first line
“I have outgrown the all, one by one.”

2. Did you love the same things the speaker did? Do you still love those things?
Why?
Yes, and I still love those things. But like the author, the things we like
especially those childhood hours are very memorable to us. On the other hand,
time flew so fast that later we outgrew them.

3. In the second stanza, what is the apprehension or fear of the speaker?

The speaker fears that in the long run she will outgrow this love of her.
She accepts the fact that soon, this feeling, which once became her addiction will
fade away and get replaced by another one as if it was already a cycle for her.

4. What is the speaker’s “drink and bread”?

“Change” is the speakers drink and bread. Change is inevitable for the
speaker. It felt like she knows what will happen in her life but she doesn’t have
any control of the things that will come and go.

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5. Why does the speaker treasure “change” so much? What does it mean to her?
Change is the meaning of her life for her. If there are no changes
happening in her life it is like she is dead or not living in the moment. For her
change is the reason and her way of living.

6. If the poem is a call for understanding, would you understand and forgive the
speaker when that "fatal day" happens?
Yes, I would definitely understand and forgive the speaker. It shows that
even if the battle did not start yet she already declared defeat and it portrays her
vulnerability as a person. I will forgive her and at the same time help her become
stronger by telling her that change is inevitable but the tide of faith will turn
around because everyone falls down sometimes but you just need to know it will
all be fine.

THINK AND REFLECT

1. Are women really fickle? What about men? Can they be fickle, too?
Most of the time women are fickle because they are more emotional and
sensitive but on the other hand men can be fickle too especially if that person
encountered an unwanted experience and got hurt emotionally whether it is a
heartbreak, death or failure everybody has their own reason why they are fickle.

2. When do you feel most ‘grown up’ and able to handle anything? When do you
feel ‘young’ and unsure of yourself?

I feel grown up when I faced with activities that test my leadership skills. I
tend to step up in terms of decision making not just for my self but also for the
people around me. Sometimes I also feel young and unsure when hanging out
with my friends. In moments where there is too much enjoyment and all I really
do is living in the moment without thinking of the consequences.

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3. How does change impact your emotion? Is it easy or difficult to accept? Does it
hurt? Does it make you happy, angry, or confused? Explain your answer.

Change is sometimes difficult to accept but through time you can do it.
Changes in my life serves as a motivation for me to become a better person
because change is happening everyday and what we really matter is not to get
easily affected by these changes by setting your life’s purpose and focusing on
your goals.

4. What’s one change you would make that would give you more freedom and
inner peace?

I think the one thing that I would change that would give me more
freedom and inner peace is my time management. Because, during this pandemic
I personally have so much time but I tend to waste it on stuffs that make me
unproductive, that is why I believe that I should learn to manage my time.

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