21 Century Literature From The Philippines and The World: Identifying Theme
21 Century Literature From The Philippines and The World: Identifying Theme
Identifying Theme
21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Quarter 1 Module 3: Lesson 5
MELC 3: Discuss how different contexts enhance the text’s meaning and enrich the
reader’s understanding
Specific Objective:
1. Determine the steps in identifying literary theme.
2. Identify the theme of a literary piece; and
3. Reflect on a current issue.
Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of the
Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or office
wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such
agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.
Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective copyright holders.
Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from
their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim
ownership over them.
Development Team
Sorsogon City Division
Author: Katherine G. Frivaldo
Teacher II, Rizal Integrated National School
Editors: Emily D. Dolot and Anne E. Mancia
MT II, SNHS Asst. Principal, SNHS Senior High School
Reviewers: Cleofe D. Ariola, EPS - Enlgish and Albay Division (headed by Mai
Anne Rondola)
I. Introduction
Literary works are used to entertain, to teach a moral lesson, to convey
meaning, or more importantly, to make the reader aware of some aspects of the
human conditions. Through literature, you may creatively share your ideas and
express themes that are timeless and universal.
21st century learners like you use literature to express lofty sentiments and
deep feelings but in this module, you will also use it to communicate reactions to
current issues.
This module provides various activities and discussions for you to:
1.) determine the steps in identifying literary theme;
2.) identify the theme of a literary piece; and
3.) reflect on a current issue.
II. Pre-Test
Before you start your learning adventure, please try to answer first the task
below. This task will give you an overview of what you will learn as you go along the
way to this module. Make sure to finish this task. Good Luck!
Awesome!! You are now done with the Pre-Test! Are you now ready for an
exciting learning venture? Let us now discover our lesson.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
____ 1. This point of view still uses the “he/she/it”
narration but now the narrator knows EVERYTHING. A. First Person Point of
____ 2. It means that the POV is limited to only one View
character which means that the narrator only knows B. Second Person
what that character knows. Point of View
____ 3. It is when the narrator is not a character in
the story. It uses the “he/she/it” narrator and it is the C. Third Person Point
most commonly used POV in writing. of View
____ 4. It is generally only used in instructional
writing. It is told from the perspective of “you”. D. Third Person
_____ 5. It is used when the main character is telling Limited
the story. This is the kind that uses the “I” narrator.
As a reader, you can only experience the story E. Third Person
through this person’s eyes. So you won’t know Multiple
anything about the people or events that this F. Third Person
character hasn’t personally experienced. Omniscient
Source: http://www.thebeginningwriter.com/2012/03/look-at-different-types-of-point-
of.view.html
Did you answer the task correctly? Why do you need to be familiar with these
different points of view in literature?
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Point of view is an important literary device for exploring a literary work.
Understanding the point of view of a literary work will help you with your next
learning quests.
Hi! Welcome to the world of vocabulary. Your next task is to read a literary
piece. But before that, Make sure to answer these witty questions. Write your answer
in a separate sheet of paper.
Were you able to give the correct words? Those words are found in the poem
you are about to read. Knowing their meanings will help you better understand the
poem.
Now, I think you are ready to read and understand the poem. You can also
check your dictionary if you encounter some words, which are still unfamiliar to you..
Study These
As a student in your 11th grade, have you encountered difficulties in life? What
were those difficulties? How did you surpass them? The poem you are about to read
will give you an inspiration to hold on amidst life’s challenges.
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DROWNED
by Marigrace D. Carretero
(translated by Frances Grace Jetomo)
She was awarded the Most Outstanding Teacher of Sorsogon in 2016 during the
search for Outstanding Teachers by the Escudero Foundation. She published
research works and articles on sociolinguistics, poems and stories. She is currently
writing her Ph D. dissertations in language Education at the University of the Philippines,
Diliman.
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Sources:
• Carretero, Marigarce. Kuskos Lapis: Mga Tula ni Marigrace Despi
Carretero..
• Jetomo, Frances Grace. Literary Merits Reflected in Sorsoganon
Poetry: Basis for Lesson Exemplars Development in Teaching 21 st
Century Literature. Unpublished thesis.
Are you done? Good. If you still need to read the poem again, feel free to do
so. If you are confident now that you have understood the poem, please proceed to
the next task.
Please answer the questions below to test how much you understood the
poem. You can go back to the important details or information you have highlighted
while reading it./ Write yopur answer in a separate sheet of paper.
Score:
6 - 9- Well done! You have read it very well!
5 – below - It’s fine. You may need some time to read the poem once
more.
Which question is difficult for you to answer? Why? If you found it hard to
identify the theme of the poem, you need to know the steps in identifying the theme
of literature. Below are some discussions which will help you familiarize the steps in
identifying themes.
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The Literary Element of Theme
Theme is:
• the central, underlying, and controlling idea or insight of a work of literature.
• the idea the writer wishes to convey about the subject—the writer’s view of
the world or a revelation about human nature.
Theme is NOT:
• expressed in a single word
• the purpose of a work
• the moral
• the conflict
To identify the theme, be sure that you’ve first identified the story’s plot, the
way the story uses characterization, and the primary conflict in the story.
1. Summarize the plot by writing a one-sentence description for the exposition, the
conflict, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution.
2. Identify the subject of the work.
3. Identify the insight or truth that was learned about the subject.
• How did the protagonist change?
• What lesson did the protagonist learn from the resolution of the conflict?
4. State how the plot presents the primary insight or truth about the subject.
5. Write one or more generalized, declarative sentences that state what was learned
and how it was learned.
Sources:
• https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-identify-book-theme-739101
• https://www.softschools.com/examples/literary_terms/identifying_theme_examples/
425/
Were you able to follow the steps in identifying the theme of a literature?
Can you now identify the theme of the poem “Drowned”? If not, here are additional
information on identifying themes.
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express the theme of overcoming disappointment and hurt – yet, each in a unique
way.
Could you connect with either of these characters? Why? Get into the habit
of asking how and why questions as you move through the details of a literary
selection.
With a specific purpose in mind, the author carefully crafts themes using
literary tools. By employing literary tools, the author embeds the theme or meaning
into separate elements that make up the totality of the literary piece.
Some of the most common tools of the author’s craft are: character
development, setting, mood, plot, point of view, figurative language, allegory,
symbolism, and irony.
A poet might additionally use: alliteration, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia,
personification, rhyme, and repetition.
The careful examination of these tools is a part of literary analysis. You have
to observe how the tools are being used individually, and by critically thinking about
how they relate to one another to construct the expression of theme, you have to
push beneath the surface details to discover the literature’s deeper meaning.
To uncover themes and meanings, you have to begin the analysis by making
verifiable observations, like a scientist, through careful reading. Observations that
are verifiable are those that can be pointed out and agreed upon by others. These
observations are the raw data of literary analysis; they are objective facts. Objective
facts are the third person accounts that indicate who is doing what in the story or
poem. They establish the when; they confirm the where. They recognize interesting
key words and repetitions. They record character dialogue, and they note specific
devices used by the poet. Keep in mind that the author made a decision about each
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of these objective elements. Your role as a reader/analyst is to determine why these
creative decisions were specifically made.
At the same time, it is very important that you pay attention to the personal
thoughts and emotional reactions that surface when you are reading the details of
the poem/story. This type of information is subjective. Subjective information arises
while experiencing the literature. Subjective information is the thoughtful first person
“I think, I feel, I know” responses that come from your background of knowledge and
personal experience as the reader. These subjective responses are valuable for
making initial critical connections to the details within the author’s work.
Themes are the central focus of literary works. Themes express the intended
lesson, conclusion, message, or point of view of the author. Themes connect all the
parts of the story such as characters, plot, problem (conflict), setting and events. A
theme keeps the writer on point
Sources:
• https://www.bucks.edu/media/bcccmedialibrary/tutoring/documents/writingareahando
utrevision/literature/Identifying-themes.pdf
• https://www.quora.com/Why-are-themes-important-in-a-
story#:~:text=Themes%20are%20the%20
central%20focus,%2C%20and%20event(s).&text=A%20theme%20keeps%20the%2
0writer%20on%20point.
Done! You are almost towards the end of this module. Try some more
activities to understand the lesson fully/
Enrichment Activities
Wow! You are now in the middle part of your learning journey. You have
learned how to identify the theme of a literary piece. Now, I think you are ready for a
series of tasks which will surely develop your new skills in identifying the theme and
relating it to the current issue.
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Activity 6. Take the Steps
Though you already determined the theme of the poem “Drowned”, let us
see if you were able to use the steps in identifying the theme. Please apply the
following steps to the poem:
1. Summarize the plot by writing a one-sentence description for the exposition, the
conflict, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution.
2. Identify the subject of the work.
3. Identify the insight or truth that was learned about the subject.
4. State how the plot presents the primary insight or truth about the subject.
5. Write one or more generalized, declarative sentences that state what was learned.
BETWEEN ODDS
by Roy D. Frayna
(Translated by Justin Belleza)
1 Life indeed, as what they say
2 has gloomy and merry days
3 tiresome it is with all the blues
4 dreary it is with all the bliss
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Source: Jetomo, Frances Grace. Literary Merits Reflected in Sorsoganon Poetry: Basis
for Lesson Exemplars Development in Teaching 21st Century Literature. Unpublished
thesis.
2.
THE MOON TREE LEAF
By Rosalie D. De Guzman
(Inspired by the K-drama “Hotel De Luna”)
Theme:
3.
WOMAN
by Eduardo E. Uy Jr.
1 Only when the wind began blowing a little stronger that she was
able
2 to go out to fetch water. She wore a loose dress. As she walked
towards 3 the well, she let the wind flutter her hemline. She hoped no
one would
4 notice her body.
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5 She carried a jar that she would not fill up to the brim. She was
worried 6 that on the way back it might spill on her. And what if the wet
cloth would
7 stick on the skin of her belly? And what if somebody would see?
8 Her neighbors were sitting around the well. They were whispering
to
9 each other. When she was drawing near, they all hurriedly went away
10 like a herd of sheep that has sensed a crouching wolf nearby.
11 She felt that she could still hear her neighbors’ voices trapped
inside 12 the well. Echoing. Bastard. The water rippled from her
trembling hand.
13 On the way back, she suddenly became afraid of the stones half-buried
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on the sand. She wanted to run but she remembered
15 what she was carrying.
Theme:
Source: Jetomo, Frances Grace. Literary Merits Reflected in Sorsoganon Poetry: Basis for
Lesson
Exemplars Development in Teaching 21st Century Literature. Unpublished thesis.
Score:
2 - 3- Well done! You have really learned how to determine the theme!
1 - It’s fine. You may need some time to read the poems once more.
As a 21st century learner, you are inclined in expressing your thoughts not
only through words but also through arts. Your next task will highlight your skill in
poster making! You are to draw/illustrate through a poster the theme of the poem
“Drowned” connecting its message to the current situation we are experiencing. I
know you will enjoy it! Make sure you follow the following rubric:
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Source:
https://wwwa.google.com/search?q=paper+and+pen+drawing+cartoon+image&tbm=isch&ve
d=2ahUKEwiy95fZp7vqAhVtEqYKHbofBH0Q2cCegQIABAA&oq=paper+and+pen+drawing+
cartoon+image&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDFAAWABg_qIBaABwAHgAgAGAd4gBgHeSAQM5LT
GYAQCqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZw&sclient=img&ei=HYEEX_L0JO2kmAW6v5DoBw#imgrc=hsr
odR1QMapDRM
Your next task is to write a blog entry about the poem. In the blog entry,
include the following: why you liked the poem; how it made you feel; and relate its
theme to the current situation we are in amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. You may
post your blog in your facebook account.
The following rubric for the blog entry should be the following:
50% Content
20% Language
20% Organization
10% Mechanics
100% Total
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Source:
https://www.google.com/search?q=blog%20image&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg%3ACUicBs0QK8v3
YXjLbBDy0NXT&hl=enGB&ved=0CBsQuIIBahcKEwjAmOLorLvqAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQD
Q&biw=1349&bih=657#imgrc=NbvONOqjYxNzPM
_
Generalization
You are almost done with this learning mission, and I think you enjoyed your
tasks. Answer the questions below for us to know if you could still remember what
you have learned in the first part of this learning adventure.
1. What is a theme?
_____________________________________________________________
2. What is the importance of identifying the theme of a literary text?
_____________________________________________________________
Application
Congratulations! You have come this far in your learning adventure. I think
you are now ready for the real world! To prove this, please do the next task.
Activity 11. Share Your Thoughts
Under the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) or General Community
Quarantine (GCQ), ages 20 below are prohibited to go out. I know you are under
that age bracket. I am sure that you have gained a lot of realizations while in
ECQ/GCQ.
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Your next task is to write a reflection paper on how you feel about the
pandemic that strikes the world and the things that you can do in your simplest ways
in order to help your family, your fellow youth and others who are greatly affected by
this pandemic.
The rubric for the paper should be as follows:
50% Content
20% Language
20% Organization
10% Mechanics
100% Total
IV. Assessment
Based on the reflection paper that you’ve written, accomplish the simplest
things you can do to help others amidst this pandemic. Choose any of the following
ways to document your accomplishments and be guided by the rubric:
a. Have a journal of your reflections every time you are able to do it.
b. Take pictures and make a photo collage of your accomplishment.
c. Make a vlog featuring your accomplishment.
ANSWER KEY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books:
Uychocho, Marikit Tara A. 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World.
2016.
Tayao, Ma. Lourdes G, et. al. 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the
World. 2017
Unpublished Works:
Jetomo, Frances Grace. Literary Merits Reflected in Sorsoganon Poetry: Basis for
Lesson Exemplars Development in Teaching 21st Century Literature.
Unpublished thesis. 2019
Online Sources:
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