MODULE II

⋇ Understanding the Elements of Poetry ⋇

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CHAPTER I – DENOTATIONS, CONNOTATIONS,
& IMAGERY

LESSON 1

Denotations and Connotations in Poetry

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 Change
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?
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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

Grow to mature/old
outgrow Grow to big for
for
To spread rapidly and
overran To go beyond
occupy
The time and experiences Enjoyable, youthful,
childhood hours you spent when you were memories
young
Art made by mythical Imaginary, fantasy
fairy art
beings dreams
Seize and carry off by Have Passion for
ravish
force
Suppressed, altered, or Prevention, isolate,
censored
deleted as objectionable keep secret

delirium

golden calf

jewelled ecstasy

fickle

Fatal

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 bereft

drink and bread

DURING
READING

Change
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
Read aloud the poem. Who is
3
Before you came: the dolls that overran the speaker? What is the
speaker’s gender? Give words
5
My childhood hours and taught me fairy art;
or lines to support your
6
The books I ravished by the censored score: answer.

7
Music that like delirium burned my days; __________________________
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8
The golden calf I fashioned to adore
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9
When lately I forsook the golden phrase. __________________________
_
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10
And thus I shall outgrow this love for you.
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11
Sooner or later I shall put away
Analyze Literature &
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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 denotative and
15
I would not love you now. I would be dead. connotative meanings of the
underlined words and phrases.
Analyze Literature

The word loves in the second line refers to

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 AFTER READING

Name: _________________________
Subject:____________________
Yr/Cr/Sec:_____________________
Date:_______________________

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: the dolls that filled her childhood days
connotation: memories of the dolls that encompasses her childhood days
2. the books I ravished
denotation: the book she have read
connotation: The books she treasures and is passionate about

3. music that like delirium burned my days

denotation: Music that invokes madness and disrupted days
connotation: music that resonate with inner emotions

4. this jeweled ecstasy

denotation: adored jewels of extreme happiness
connotation: euphoric delight with certain promise

5. drink and bread

denotation: food that a person needs to survive

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 connotation: a bond that reminds of a simple beginning

6. change
denotation: to undergo transformation
connotation: alter or modify what is already set
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.

The speaker expresses in the opening stanza how much she treasures her early
recollections. Every stage of life, in her eyes, was an expression of love. And as
time goes on, the main character develops an adoration for the procedure, its
happenings, and its adjustments. Then, as she gets older, it appears as though she
becomes tired of love and moves on to the next lover.
- Before you came: the dolls that overran
- My childhood hours and taught me fairy art;

2. Did you love the same things the speaker did? Do you still love those things?
Why?

Yes, although we might have different experiences in our childhood days, I loved
the things the speaker mentioned in her childhood. We may have outgrown them
for the most part, but the feelings and the memories stay.

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

She became increasingly fearful of the changes it brought, and small things began
to happen in ways that defied what she perceived to be normal; she could not
accept the change as she feared that it might affect her life in a negative way.

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

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 “drink and bread” of the speaker is change as she have mentioned in “Bereft of
change that is my drink and bread,” Change is life. Change is evolution. We need
to adapt in order to survive because it is what keeps us going forward and
provides us with our “drink and bread “. As our author just mentioned, it’s crucial.

5. Why does the speaker treasure “change” so much? What does it mean to her?

Numerous events occur and then change as a result of the ever-changing nature
of time. It means as time goes on, new things will come into being, new people
will join her, she will need to adopt new habits and behaviors, and something
new will be inside of her. But to not lose sight of the fact that it is crucial to
exploit this change for its own strength and not the reverse. Change is not bad as
long as she know how to use it and embrace it. Every time it occurs, if she don’t
make a difference, she will forgotten.

6. If the poem is a call for understanding, would you understand and forgive the
speaker when that "fatal day" happens?

Yes, the poem is the author’s way of expressing herself, and it calls for
understanding and awareness. She emphasized that when the fatal day arrives,
women should not be fickle. For them to be resilient in the face of change and to
adapt as time goes on,

THINK AND Reflect

1. Are women really fickle? What about men? Can they be fickle, too?

I believe women are not fickle, but people judge them as such because the
majority hold them to a standard that they “perceive” to be strong, but it does not
accurately reflect the entire situation, as men can be fickle too, because not
everyone is up to the standard as men and women are alike.

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

Growing up is all about learning and discovering new things. Adapting what we
have learned and taking the lessons we have experienced from success and, most
importantly, our failure to mold ourselves into a better version of what we think is
right. Every day is a better version, a grown-up version, and when we go out and
explore the world again, we have the confidence of grown up that we can handle
anything.
But as we go out and explore the world again and encounter new things, we feel
unsure and hesitant about things we don’t know how to face or how to adapt to.
Every day we feel mature enough until we face a completely new thing that makes
us unsure again. It is a cycle of learning and exploring.

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.

Making us aware of these changes in our own lives is not an easy task. Realizing
is only the start; accepting is the next. It can be very challenging at times because
we tend to deny it even if it is already happening. It may be sudden confusion,
relief, and anger about being in that situation. We might wish that things would
return to how they were before just to avoid awkwardness. It is important to keep
in mind, nevertheless, that these developments and changes are unavoidable and
mark the beginning of this new stage of life. Although you are essentially the
same person you were before, your ideas and motives have unavoidably been
affected by your increased understanding of life.

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

Adaptability, Our future would be better if we could adjust to change for the best.
Trials may be personal or affect those around us as time passes and life continues
in the world around us. We adapt by changing, although such changes aren’t
always for the better. Some people alter their behavior just for themselves, while
others alter it for others. Change is necessary for everyone, not just for ourselves
but also for other people. If every single one of us thought this way, we could
have better freedom to express ourselves, giving us peace not just around us but
also in our personal lives. Change is the way of life. And those who look only to
the past or present are certain to miss the future.

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