Poetry and Figurative Language Overview

Poetry

• Poetry can be recognized by its presentation in lines.
• Poetry uses language in a heightened manner, often employing figurative language and schemes like metaphors, similes, and alliteration.
• Poetry often conveys deeper meaning and emotion, going beyond surface-level comprehension.
• Poetry is a form of word-music, using rhythmic patterns to create a specific effect.
• Poetry encompasses all senses, often conveying a sense of immersion through vivid imagery.
• Poetry fulfills a need for rhythm and a captivating musicality, often achieved through varied syllable counts and poetic schemes.

Figurative Language

• Figurative language is a key aspect of poetry, enhancing meaning and creating impactful imagery.
• Tropes are figures of speech that use comparison, association, and wordplay to create a stylistic effect.
• Metaphors directly compare two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another, for example, "He was a block of ice when I met him."
• Similes make a direct comparison between two unrelated things using words like "like" or "as," for example, "Scott was a man then who looked like a boy."
• Oxymorons juxtapose contradictory terms to create a paradox like "sweet sorrow."
• Hyperbole uses exaggeration to emphasize a point or create a comic effect, for example, "He could have sworn he could eat a whole horse from hunger."
• Metonymy replaces a word or phrase with a closely associated one, for example, "That stuffed suit with the briefcase is a poor excuse for a salesman."
• Paradox presents a seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth.
• Schemes are figures of speech focused on the structure and sounds of words and sentences.
• Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words, for example, "Don't delay dawn's disarming display."
• Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, for example, "How now, brown cow?"
• Chiasmus uses a balanced structure where the second half of the expression reverses the parts of the first, for example, "The famous chef said people should live to eat, not eat to live."
• Parallelism repeats sentence structure to emphasize and balance the text, for example, "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Poetry in the Philippines

• Pre-colonial Filipino poetry included folk epics, folk songs, epigrams, riddles, and chants.
• Folk epics such as "Bidasari," "Biag ni Lam Ang," and "Maragtas" preserved narratives and cultural knowledge.
• Folk songs like "Kundiman" (love song), "Kumintang" (war song), and "Ang Oyayi" (lullaby) reflected various aspects of life.
• Epigrams, known as "salawikain," served as proverbs and rules for good behavior, for example, "Aaanhin pa ang damo, kung patay na ang kabayo."
• Riddles, known as "bugtong," challenged wit and tested knowledge.
• Chants, often used for magic or enchantment, included "Bulong" and "Pasintabi."
• Sayings, often called "Sawikain," emphasized moral lessons, for example, "Pag may itinanim, may aanihin."
• Maxims are sometimes rhyming couplets with verses of 5, 6, or 8 syllables, emphasizing lessons through rhyming lines.
• Idioms are expressions with figurative meaning, for example, "Kumukulo ang dugo" (means "to be furious").
• Spanish era poetry included folk songs, like "Leron, Leron Sinta" and "Dandansoy," carrying on a musical tradition.
• Poetry during the Philippine Enlightenment period reflected patriotic sentiments and nationalism as seen in Jose Rizal's works, such as "A la Juventud Filipina" and "Mi Ultimo Adios."