21 Century Literature

st

from the Philippines and

the World
Quarter 1 – Module 3
Context and Text’s Meaning

What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you fully
understand literary contexts and the text’s meaning. The scope of this module
permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language used
recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to
follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them
can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

MELC: Discuss how different contexts enhance the text’s meaning and enrich the
reader’s understanding.

This module helps you specifically develop a skill to discuss how the different
literary social and socio-cultural contexts enhance the text’s meaning and enrich
the reader’s understanding.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. identify words, ideas, structure, and purpose of the text;

2. explore the different social and socio-cultural contexts to enhance and

enrich the understanding of the text; and

3. appreciate the importance of understanding the literary context and its

meaning to one’s own life experiences.

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Lesson

1 Context and Text’s Meaning

Reading literary pieces becomes a challenge to a student like you. But as the years
go by, changes happened even in the literary genre. Understanding the selection
you read takes time, but if you will familiarize yourself with the context of the
literary piece, appreciation comes along.

What’s In
Let us recall the previous lesson you have studied in Module 2. From the
conventional and modern genre of literature: poetry, drama, fiction, non-fiction,
21st-century literary genres were presented to you. Fill out the organizer by writing
LETTERS only under columns 2 & 3, write WORDS under column 4. Note: two
letters may be repeated as you answer the grid.
GENRE SIMILARITY/IES DIFFERENCES SAMPLE
( write the title/words)
1 2 3
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1.Manga
2.Graphic novel
3.Blog
4.Doodle fiction
5.Hyper poetry
6.Text-talk novel

a. Make use of web or internet connection.

b. A website containing short articles called posts updated regularly by the
same person or by people interested in the same topic.
c. Involved set of words, phrases, lines, etc. presented in a variable, sits on the
page much as traditional poetry does, or may contain parts of the poem that
move and mutate.
d. All make use of illustration in presenting stories.
e. An artistic storytelling style originated in Japan.
f. Encompasses non-fiction works and thematically linked short stories as well
as fictional stories across a number of genres.
g. Literary presentation where doodle writing and drawings are incorporated.
h. Stories told almost completely in dialogue simulating social network
exchanges.

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 What’s New

Below is a poem written by Danton Remoto, a Filipino author. Read and try to
discover what this poem wants to convey. Then, answer the essential questions
that follow.

Padre Faura Witness The Execution of Rizal

Author: Danton Remoto

I stand on the roof After the bitter winter

Of the Ateneo municipal, In Europe)
Shivering
And on this day
On this December morning.
With the years beginning to turn,
Months ago,
Salt things my eyes.
Pepe came to me
I see Pepe,
In the observatory.
A blur
I thought we would talk
Between the soldiers
About the stars
With their Mausers raised
That do not collide
And the early morning’s Star:
In the sky:
Still shimmering
Instead, he asked me about purgatory
Even if millons of miles away,
(His cheeks still ruddy
The star itself
From the sudden sun
Is already dead

Essential Questions:
1. Who are the characters in the poem? Write a piece of short information
about each character.
2. Who speaks in the poem? Extract a sentence from the poem to prove your
answer.
3. Discuss the form/structure of the poem.
4. What was the situation when Padre Faura stood in the balcony of Ateneo de
Manila?
5. What was the situation of our country based on the poem? Prove your
answer by extracting a line from the poem.
6. To whom the poem is addressed? Explain your answer.
7. How do you feel while reading the poem, that Padre Faura witnessed the
execution of his former student?
8. What was the feeling displayed by the author in the poem?
9. What was the message that Danton Remoto wanted to convey in this poem?

What is It
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Context originates from the notion of weaving together. It is defined as the
circumstances that form the setting of events, statements, or ideas and in the way
of which it can be fully understood and assessed. Reading a literary piece may
contribute to the production of the author and the reception of the reader as they
appreciate and explore.

• The writer's context is knowing about the writer's life, values,

assumptions, gender, race, race, sexual orientation, and the political
and economic issues related to the author.

• Reader's context is about the reader's previous reading experience,

values, assumptions, and political and economic issues.

• The text's context is about its publishing history. It is part of the

larger text such as newspaper, history, events, translated in it.

• Social context and socio-cultural of a text feature the society in which

the characters live and in which the author's text was produced.

In this lesson, you will unravel what goes with the poem.

The structure of the poem refers to words that are put together or arranged such
that they make sense.

Imagery is creating a picture in the reader's mind by using words that appeal to
the senses. There are types of Imagery that are used in this module. (Menoy 2016))

• Visual imagery produced by the use of words that appeal to the sense of sight.

• Auditory Imagery produced by the use of words that appeal to the sense of
hearing.

• Kinesthetic imagery produced by the use of words that appeal to the actions
and movement.

Literary Techniques are methods the author or writer of a literary piece used to
convey what they want to impart to the reader, such as Flashback where the
events have taken place before the present time the narration is following.

What’s More

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Activity 1. Understanding the Text

To understand a piece of literature, answering the given questions enable the

readers to appreciate literature more.

Multiple Choice. Read each question. Choose and write the letter of the best
answer on a separate sheet of paper. Refer to the poem on page 5.

1. Who was Fr. F. Faura to Jose Rizal?

a. His godfather
b. His uncle
c. His teacher
d. His friend

2. What was the nickname given to Jose Rizal mentioned in the poem?
a. Star
b. Mauser
c. Ruddy
d. Pepe

3. Why Padre Faura expected that they would talk about the stars?
a. Because Padre Faura worked in the observatory
b. Because Pepe was a star
c. Because Pepe just arrived from Europe
d. Because Pepe was fascinated in the observatory

4. Why Padre Faura was in the observatory when Pepe visited him?
a. It was the only place where they could talk.
b. He was in-charged in the observatory.
c. The observatory was near the Ateneo De Manila
d. The observatory was near Bagunbayan.

5. Why instead of stars, Pepe asked about purgatory to Padre Faura?

a. Pepe was interested in the after-life.
b. Padre Faura was sick.
c. Pepe was hopeless
d. Pepe was about to be executed

Asessment 1. Getting familiar with texts’ meaning

Direction: Read the poem and make the necessary responses to the following
instructions given below.

Earnest wish
By Lydia S. Villanueva
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I will I will
Count the multitude of stars Tend the garden
The leaves in all the branches Rearrange the stones in a pile
The flock of birds perched in the loft Weed the grass in the field
The blades of grass in the meadow Harvest the fruits in the season
The cogon flowers in the air. And do again all of these.

I will Let us
Listen to the sound of breeze Bring the front liners back home
To the rustling of leaves Fight the unforeseen enemy
To the chirping of birds Help the new beginning
To the buzzing of the bees Contribute to the humanity
To the flapping of butterfly’s wings. Flatten the curve
Stay at home!

1. A multitude gathered along with Wan Chai District in Hongkong to protest

the new policy there and to call to ban some products. Thousands of
protesters were arrested. Multitude in this sentence means_______.
a. A few in number of people
b. A great number of people
c. Some people
d. Several numbers of people

2. In the poem, Earnest Wish, identify the words that suggest the meaning of
the word, multitude.

3. The author used imagery in the poem, such as visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic imagery. Write the words that suggest: visual, auditory,
kinesthetic imagery

4. Discuss the structure of the poem, the stanza, lines, and rhyme scheme.

Activity 2. Understanding the Context

1. What was the situation when the author wrote this poem?
2. How did the author present the events in the poem?
3. How did the author present her willingness to attain her fervent wish?
4. What nearly impossible things or difficult tasks the author was willing to do?
5. What do you think was the main reason why the author wrote this piece?

Activtity 3. Knowing Author’s Context

Lydia Sapitanan-Villanueva hails from the agricultural town of Imus, Cavite. Her parents
were farmers and her residence is in the midst of the agricultural property of her in-laws in
Malagasang 1A, City of Imus. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Southeast Asian Studies
from Centro Escolar University and Master of Arts in Teaching Language and Arts from
Philippine Normal University. She is currently the Vice-President and one of the founders of
School Paper Advisers Movement, Inc., a national nonprofit organization of campus
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 journalists and advisers with members from elementary to college. She is also a CPD
resource speaker for Action Research.

Dr. Villanueva is a Master Teacher 1 since she joined Department of Education in 2016.
During the pandemic caused by Covid-19 and during community quarantine, Dr.
Villanueva wrote several poems including Earnest Wish. Her profound love for writing
started during her primary years. She always believes that experiences and surroundings
play a strong influence on the prolific mind of a writer. Write now or forget it forever drives
her to write about her environment.

Reflect on the importance of a biographical context in understanding a text.

1. Discuss the environment that surrounds the author while writing the poem.
Prove your answer.
2. Discuss the occurring event in the society during that time that influences
the author in writing the poem.
3. Discuss the message of the author in the poem.

What I Have Learned

Reading and appreciating literature can be made possible by understanding the

context and text’s meaning.

• During the reading, there was recognition and recall.

o I recall that Dr. Jose Rizal was shot in _______________. (place)

o During this time, the Philippines was under the _______ government.
o The purpose of the poem was to ______________________________.
o The author wrote the poem for the____________________________.
o The poem was based on the historical perspective. Recalling our past
as Filipinos, what was the most trying moment of Jose Rizal during
those time? _____________________________________________.
o With that challenging situation, Dr. Jose Rizal was able to write two
novels ________________________________________________________.
o As you read the poem, what experiences in life can you consider
challenging and why?
_______________________________________________.

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 • Values, assumptions, political and economic issues, and events related to
the author and reader play a significant role in understanding context and
the text’s meaning in a literary piece.

What I Can Do

Directions: Write a two-stanza poem using visual imagery. Describe your

surrounding that mostly influences your line of thought.

Rubrics for Poem

Beginning Developing Accomplished Exemplary Score

7 8 9 10
Form Uses an May use an Effectively uses an Creatively uses an
inappropriate appropriate appropriate poetic appropriate poetic
poetic form. poetic form. form. form.
Word Usage Student’s use of Vocabulary is Student’s use of Student’s use of
vocabulary is very very basic. vocabulary is vocabulary is precise,
basic. Student’s use of routine and vivid, and paints a
vocabulary is workable. strong clear and
more telling complete picture in
than showing. the reader’s mind.
Mental Uses few mental Uses some Uses mental image Effectively uses
Image image. mental image to reinforce the mental to reinforce
theme. the theme.

Assessment
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Multiple Choice. Read each statement. Choose and write the letter of the best
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. The persona in the poem “Padre Faura Witness The Execution of Rizal” was
_______.
a. Danton Remoto c. Padre Faura
b. Dr. Jose Rizal d. You
2. The mood of the poem was _______.
a. Mournful c. Joyful
b. Delightful d. Mysterious

3. The speaker was shivering while standing in the roof because _______.
a. He was dizzy. c. It was December.
b. It was cold. d. It was high.
4. In stanza 2 & 3 the persona recalled what transpired between him and Pepe.
This literary device is called _______.
a. Prophecy c. Flashbacking
b. Symbolic d. foreshadowing
5. Pepe came from Europe where winter was bitter. His face became ruddy
because _______.
a. He was exposed to humiliation
b. He was exhausted.
c. He was not accustomed to the weather
d. He was exposed to sudden sun.

6. The characteristics of the star were used to compare with Jose Rizal was
shimmering because _______.
a. he was well-known
b. he was about to die
c. he studied astronomy
d. his teacher was in the observatory

7. Months before Pepe’s execution, he visited Padre Faura. Pepe talked about
purgatory instead of colliding star maybe because _______.
a. Padre Faura was sick
b. Pepe was terminally ill
c. Pepe knew he would be executed
d. Pepe did not believe in the afterlife

8. Padre Faura witnessed the execution of Rizal from the Azotea of Ateneo because
_______.
a. there was no building in between Bagumbayan
b. the old Ateneo de Manila was in Intramuros
c. the Observatory was part of Ateneo
d. he was invited
9. The author in the poem below expressed her willingness to do some impossible
tasks stated below. What makes the tasks impossible to do?

I will
Count the multitude of stars
The leaves in all the branches
The flock of birds perched in the loft
The blades of grass in the meadow
And the cogon flowers in the air.

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 a. The tasks were impossible to do because birds are flying high.
b. The tasks were impossible to do because the birds are perched on a loft.
c. The tasks were impossible to do because quantifiers are needed.
d. The tasks were impossible to do because nouns there are uncountable.

10. In this stanza, the author used auditory imagery which appeals to the sense of
hearing. Among the sounds, which could not be heard clearly.
I will
Listen to the sound of breeze
To the rustling of leaves
To the chirping of birds
To the buzzing of the bees
To the flapping of butterfly’s wings
a. Rustling c. Flapping
b. Buzzing d. Chirping

11. Dr. Jose Rizal was being compared to a shimmering star in the poem. In the
line, the star itself is already dead means _______.
Star:
Still shimmering
Even if millions of miles away,
The star itself
Is already dead.

a. Dr. Jose Rizal was no longer c. Dr. Jose Rizal was sent to the sky.
shimmering. d. Dr. Jose Rizal was sent down.
b. Dr. Jose Rizal was not a star.

12. In the poem, Preludes by T.S. Eliot, imagery is used. Which line appear to the
sense of touch?
1. The winter evening settles down 2.
With smell of steaks in passageways.
3. Six o'clock.
4. The burnt-out ends of smoky days.
5. And now a gusty shower wraps
6. The grimy scraps
a. 4 b. 5 c. 6 d. 2

13. In the poem below, which word is used to refer to snow?

"Kissed by Snow" - Kelly Roper

1. Standing in darkness with face upturned as
2. Frosty, feathery stars drift down from the sky
3. And land like gentle kisses from cold lips
4. On my cheeks, my nose, my lips and closed eyes

a. Sky b.Eyes c. Lips d.stars

14. Using the same poem, Kissed by Snow, which line used metaphorical language?

a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4
15. In the poem, "Man Versus Pepper- Kelly Roper, what situation is expressed?
One sniff gives a clue of the heat within.
First bite feels like swallowing a lighted blow torch,
And tears stream from his eyes like a flash flood
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 As the dying ghost pepper delivers its savage revenge.

a. The persona in the poem shares his great time eating spicy food.
b. The persona in the poem expresses his experience eating spicy food.
c. The persona in the poem describes how he feels while eating spicy food.
d. The persona in the poem warns the reader not to eat spicy food.

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