SCHOOLYEAR: 2021- 2022 SECOND QUARTER: MODULE 1

SUBJECT: ENGLISH 9 “THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE”

I. INTRODUCTION
This unit focuses on the literature of England from the 18th century to the present. In the 18th century, prose was the
principal medium for literary expression. In the first half of the century, poetry became an expression of the intellect rather than
means for expressing the emotions. But in the middle of the century, the expression if individual emotion began to develop until
it culminated in the Romantic movement of the 19th century.
Today, the English novel remains an instrument of expression of the most diverse temperaments while poetry reveals
two main tendencies. One is a search for beauty and the other an attempt to soothe the pressures brought about by new
discoveries and inventions.
Your skills in reading literature of this period will be further developed as you discuss the different literary trends. Your
vocabulary will be enriched further as you hone your listening, speaking and writing skills. With your improved communication
skills, you can be better understood as you relate with other people.

II. STANDARDS
CONTENT STANDARD
The learner demonstrates understanding of how Anglo-American literature and other text types serve as means of valuing other
people; also how to use processing information strategies, different forms of adverbs and conditionals for him/her to play an
active part in a Chamber Theatre presentation.
LEARNING COMPETENCIES
Identify the distinguish features of notable Anglo-American sonnets, dramatic poetry, vignettes, and short stories;
Analyze literature as means of valuing other people and their various circumstances in life;
Distinguish the features of present in poetry and prose; and
Explain how the elements specific to a selection build its theme.
Compose forms of literary writing.
III. TRANSFER
At the end of this module, students will be able to compose a sonnet that talks about love for oneself, uplifting one‘s spirit
through love and sharing with one another.
IV. LESSON PROPER and ACTIVITIES

LESSON 1: SONNET – SONNET XXIX

WHAT IS A SONNET?
A sonnet is a one-stanza, 14-line poem, written in iambic pentameter. The sonnet, which derived from the
Italian word sonetto, meaning ―a little sound or song," is "a popular classical form that has compelled poets for
centuries,". The most common—and simplest—type is known as the English or Shakespearean sonnet, but there are
several other types.

 Fourteen lines: All sonnets have 14 lines, which can be broken down into four sections called quatrains.
 A strict rhyme scheme: The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet, for example, is ABAB / CDCD / EFEF / GG
(note the four distinct sections in the rhyme scheme).
 Written in iambic pentameter: Sonnets are written in iambic pentameter, a poetic meter with 10 beats per line made
up of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables.

A sonnet can be broken into four sections called quatrains. The first three quatrains contain four lines each and
use an alternating rhyme scheme. The final quatrain consists of just two lines, which both rhyme. Each quatrain should
progress the poem as follows:

1. First quatrain: This should establish the subject of the sonnet. Number of lines: four; rhyme scheme: ABAB
2. Second quatrain: This should develop the sonnet‘s theme. Number of lines: four; rhyme scheme: CDCD
3. Third quatrain: This should round off the sonnet‘s theme. Number of lines: four; rhyme scheme: EFEF
4. Fourth quatrain: This should act as a conclusion to the sonnet. Number of lines: two; rhyme scheme: GGTHE

SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET
The most well-known and important sonnets in the English language were written by Shakespeare. These sonnets
cover such themes as love, jealousy, beauty, infidelity, the passage of time, and death. The first 126 sonnets are addressed
to a young man while the last 28 are addressed to a woman.
The sonnets are constructed with three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and one couplet (two lines) in the meter of
iambic pentameter (like his plays). By the third couplet, the sonnets usually take a turn, and the poet comes to some kind
of epiphany or teaches the reader a lesson of some sort. Of the 154 sonnets Shakespeare wrote, a few stand out.

COMPOSING A SONNET
The original form of the sonnet was the Italian or Petrarchan sonnet, in which 14 lines are arranged in an octet
(eight lines) rhyming ABBA ABBA and a sestet (six lines) rhyming either CDECDE or CDCDCD.
The English or Shakespearean sonnet came later, and, as noted, is made of three quatrains rhyming ABAB CDCD
EFEF and a closing rhymed heroic couplet, GG. The Spenserian sonnet is a variation developed by Edmund Spenser in
which the quatrains are linked by their rhyme scheme: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.

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 Since its introduction into English in the 16th century, the 14-line sonnet form has remained relatively stable,
proving itself a flexible container for all kinds of poetry, long enough that its images and symbols can carry detail rather
than becoming cryptic or abstract, and short enough to require a distillation of poetic thought.
For more extended poetic treatment of a single theme, some poets have written sonnet cycles, a series of sonnets
on related issues often addressed to a single person. Another form is the sonnet crown, a sonnet series linked by repeating
the last line of one sonnet in the first line of the next until the circle is closed by using the first line of the first sonnet as
the last line of the last sonnet.

ACTIVITY 1: Read with comprehension the Sonnet XXIX by William Shakespeare and answer the following questions
below. Write your answer in a clean paper.
SONNET XXIX
by William Shakespeare

When, in disgrace with fortune and men‘s eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to on more rich in hope
Featured like him, like him with friends posess‘d,
Desiring this man‘s art and that man‘s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven‘s gate;
For thy sweet love remember‘d such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

1. When is a person in disgrace with fortune and men‘s eyes?

2. What is the meaning of the line and trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries?
3. What problem is spoken of in the first eight lines of the poem? Do you sometimes have this problem?
4. What solution to the problem is spoken of in the last six lines of the poem?
5. What message is expressed in the poem?
6. Do all friendship create lasting memories that can make up for a person‘s adversities or setbacks in life? Explain your
answer.

POEM ANALYSIS

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
He was an English playwright, poet and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the
English language and the world‘s greatest dramatist. He is often called England‘s national poet and
the ―Bard of Avon‖.

Popularity of “Sonnet 29”: Sonnet 29 is one of the best sonnets written by William Shakespeare. It
is famous for its themes of love and hopelessness. It was first published in 1609. The poem speaks
about an unfortunate man, frustrated with the present state of his life. It also illustrates the power and impact of true love.

“Sonnet 29”, As a Representative of Love: This poem is about a speaker, initially downcast about fate, but becomes
excited when he recalls his beloved. The poem begins with the description of the speaker‘s discontent and his lamentation
over the miserable plight of life. He curses his poor fate for his catastrophic condition. He feels abandoned and useless. He
feels that even God is not answering his calls. Also, he is envious from the successful and talented people around him. He
wishes to be rich, satisfied, and fortunate like them but meets only failures and disappointments. After cursing his present
sad state, he suddenly talks about a special person, and his mood changes in a dramatic way. This thought of love provides
him immense pleasure and removes his negative feelings. What, however, stays in the minds of the readers is the magical
effect of love that eradicates his sorrow and makes him feel special.

Major Themes in “Sonnet 29”: Anxiety, love, and jealousy are the major themes of this sonnet. The poet discusses his
miserable plight and the impact of love. The poem also explains how love brings optimism and hope for people who feel
lonely and oppressed. In short, sonnet 29 is also about self-motivation.

LESSON 2: ELEMENTS OF POETRY

WHAT IS POETRY?
Poetry has always been one of the best means of expressing thoughts and feelings. The sweetness, melody and
smoothness that we feel while going through poetry, cannot be found in any other form of literature. It exhibits a special
kind of empathy that directly touches the heart and soul of people, mainly those who can understand the deep thought
veiled behind simple lines. A good poem always comprises of certain basic elements, which help it in achieving higher

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degrees of perfection in expression. In case you are interested in reading or writing poetry, familiarity with these basic
elements will help you develop a better understanding of this melodious form of literature.

BASIC ELEMENTS OF POETRY

1. Imagery – painting of a vivid picture in the mind. It is when a writer attempts to describe something so that it appeals
to our senses (smell, sight, taste, touch, hear)
Example: I could hear the popping and crackling as mom dropped the bacon into the frying pan, and soon the salty, greasy
smell wafted toward me.

2. Symbolism – presentation of a tangible object. It is a literary device where symbols work to represent ideas.
Example:
My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold by William Wordsworth
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
In William Wordsworth‘s poem, we see sparks of hope.
So was it when my life began;
When he sees a rainbow in the sky, it's not merely a
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
beautiful sight to behold. It also symbolizes his childish
Or let me die! wonder. Wordsworth maintains a large part of his childish
The Child is father of the Man; wonder by remaining in awe of the beauty of nature (and
And I could wish my days to be encourages his audience to do the same).
Bound each to each by natural piety.

3. Rhythm and Meter – is the pattern in a sequence the stressed and unstressed syllables in every line of a poem. It can
be thought as the beat or the flow if a poem.
Example: Lines written in Dejection by William Butler Yeats The lines are the example of slant rhyme, since ‗moon‘ and
When have I last looked on ‗on‘ don‘t rhyme perfectly but end in the same consonant,
The round green eyes and the long wavering bodies while ‗bodies‘ and ‗ladies‘ don‘t use the same sound in their
Of the dark leopards of the moon? stressed syllables but end with identical unstressed syllables.
All the wild witches, those most noble ladies The poet has also used alliteration in the phrase ‗wild
witches‘.
4. Stanza - is a group of lines within a poem that are arranged together as unit in a recurring pattern of metrical lengths and a
sequence of rhymes.
Quatrain – consists of 4 lines
Couplet – stanza that has only 2 lines
Tercet – composed of 3 lines
Cinquain – has 5 lines
Setset – comprises of 6 lines
Sonnet – an entire poem with exactly 14 lines

5. Rhyme and Rhyme Scheme – the correspondence of two or more words with similar sounding final syllables placed so as to
echo one another.
Example:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are

LESSON 3: THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE

Activity 2
Directions: Read the poem with comprehension the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE
By: Christopher Marlowe
Come live with me and be my love, A gown made of the finest wool
And we will all the pleasures prove, Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields, Fair lined slippers for the cold,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields. With buckles of the purest gold;

And we will sit upon the Rocks, A belt of straw and Ivy buds,
Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks, With Coral clasps and Amber studs:
By shallow Rivers to whose falls And if these pleasures may thee move,
Melodious birds sing Madrigals. Come live with me, and be my love.

And I will make thee beds of Roses The Shepherds‘ Swains shall dance and sing
And a thousand fragrant posies, For thy delight each May-morning:
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle If these delights thy mind may move,
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle; Then live with me, and be my love.

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1. Who is the speaker in Marlowe‘s poem?
2. According to the shepherd, if his love agrees, what pleasures will await them? Give examples.
3. What context clues in line 8 help you determine what ―madrigals‖ means?
4. Where will all the pleasures come from?
5. What relationship is Marlowe developing between love and nature? Provide examples to support your answer.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE POEM

CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE
Also known as Kit Marlowe, was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era.
Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights.

UNFAMILIAR WORDS IN THE POEM

Prove - to learn or find out by experience
Yields - gives up or surrenders
Melodious - having a pleasing melody (like a song)
Madrigals - lyrical poems or unaccompanied vocal pieces; a form of chamber music
Kirtle - a woman's dress or outer petticoat
Swains - country peasants or male admirers
Myrtle - an evergreen shrub with fragrant flowers and berries.

LITERARY ANALYSIS
This poem is a celebration of love, innocence, youth, and poetry. Since the traditional image of shepherds is that
they are innocent and accustomed to living in an idyllic setting, the purpose of such a pastoral poem is to idealize the
harmony, peace, and simplicity of the shepherd‘s life.
The main idea of this poem is romantic love mingled with themes such as man, the natural world, and time. In this
poem, a shepherd is presented as speaking to his beloved, evoking ―all the pleasures‖ of the springtime. The speaker is a
loving shepherd, who tries to persuade his beloved to stay with him in the countryside. As it is a pastoral poem, its
physical setting is the countryside, and its temporal setting is the spring season.
The title ―The Passionate Shepherd to His Love‖ refers to the love of a shepherd for his beloved, based on his
romantic ideals of presenting her the beauty of the idyllic world in which he is living. The poem opens with the popular
romantic line, ―Come live with me, and be my love.” Obviously, he is addressing his beloved. He wants her to come and
experience pleasures as he says, “we will all the pleasures prove.”
The shepherd describes the setting in detail: “That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, / Woods, or steepy mountain
yields.” He then makes a promise to her in the next stanza, saying “we will sit upon the rocks, / seeing the shepherds feed
their flocks.” The lure of the natural setting—of singing birds, nearby waterfalls, and mountains—is sure to be highly
attractive to a beloved.
The poem continues with the shepherd‘s future gifts that he will present to his lover: “I will make thee beds of
roses.‖ The poet has used a word pun in the next phrase ―a thousand fragrant posies‖ where “posies” has a double
meaning: it both refers to poetry as well as a bunch of flowers in Renaissance terms. In addition, he has used
floral imagery to suggest fertility of the countryside. Amid this romantic setting, the shepherd says that he would make ―a
cap of flowers, and a kirtle” to demonstrate his love, adding further that he would also make a gown for her “of the finest
wool.”
The use of a poetic device known as blazon is highly suggestive here. A blazon is the method through which the
speaker praises his beloved, singling out parts of her body with the help of metaphors. His arguments appeal to the senses
and give feelings of pleasure and love, stating “A belt of straw, and ivy buds, / with coral clasps and amber
studs.” Following this, the shepherd adds sexual overtones to the stanza by repeating the word “pleasures” in “And if
these pleasures may thee move,” whereas “move” here implies emotions.
His last promise is that “The shepherds’ swains shall dance and sing, / For thy delight each May morning.” This
is the final push to coax his beloved to “live with me and be my love” which is his ultimate objective.

V. NEW IDEAS
After going through this module, what Anthonian attitude did you develop? As an Anthonian, I develop
_____________________________________________.

VI. EVALUATION
Directions: Now that you‘ve learned about the sonnet and basic elements of poetry, it is now time to put what you‘ve
learned into writing. Create a sonnet that talks about love for oneself, uplifting one‘s spirit through love and sharing love
with one another. Follow the guides below in writing your sonnet.
The sonnet must follow the rhyme scheme for a Shakespearean sonnet.
It must consist of fourteen lines.
One must use imagery in sonnet.

Teacher: Abigail F. Gumabay / 09752436791 | Page 4