Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION XII - SOCCSKSARGEN
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF THE CITY OF KORONADAL
KORONADAL NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
CITY OF KORONADAL
Creative Writing Study Sheets
Introductory Concepts
Poetry
Creative Writing/ Technical/Academic/
Imaginative Writing Other Forms of Writing
Subject & Purpose Subject & Purpose
 fiction  nonfiction
 nonfiction  educate or instruct
 combination of both  Never meant for entertaining but
 can serve any purpose entertaining at times
 encompassing education and entertainment

Subject & Examples Subject & Examples

 fiction  nonfiction
 nonfiction  technical procedures
 combination of both  methods
e.g. biographies, fantastical stories, detective stories  processes
e.g. user manual, back-end documentation
Audience
Unlimited Audience
 age Limited
 hobby  Technical
 taste  semitechnical or nontechnical
 interest

Voice
 appropriately serve the subject matter and Voice
audience for which it is being written  clarity, brevity and accuracy must be
 not integral established
 integral and restricted

ACADEMIC WRITING
Formal – it is formal by avoiding casual or conversational language (contractions and informal language).
Objective – it is objective and impersonal by avoiding direct reference to people or feelings, and instead
emphasizing objects, facts and ideas.
Technical – it is technical by using vocabulary specific to the discipline.

Types of Academic Writing

1. Descriptive (facts and information)
2. Analytical (DW + reorganize facts & info)
3. Persuasive (AW + own point of view)
4. Critical (PW + others’ point of view)

WHAT IS POETRY?

A writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of language of experience in language

chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through it’s meaning, sound, and rhythm.
It can be distinguished from prose in terms of form by it’s compression, frequent (though not prescribed)
employment of the conventions of meter and rhyme, by its reliance upon the line as formal unit, heightened
vocabulary, and freedom of syntax.
Complied by: JC Dagum
 Each poem is unique, therefore it is important to distinguish what the poet wants to communicate to the
reader, including the linguistic and stylistic techniques used to do this.

FUNCTIONS OF POETRY

 Entertain
 Arouse Emotions
 Provoke Thought
 Describe
 Evaluate
 Inform

MODES IN POETRY
 Narrative
 Dramatic
 Lyric
 Aphoristic
 Satiric
 Descriptive
 Didactic/Instructive
 Erotic
 Personal

BASIC ELEMENTS OF POEM

 Form
 Sound Devices
 Imagery
 Figurative Languages
 Speaker

POETICAL FORMS IN BOTH LANGUAGES

FORM
FORM refers to the physical structure of the poem; basically what the poem looks like and how it sounds.
Elements like the poem’s type, stanza structure, line lengths, rhyme scheme, and rhythm express its form.
FORM, in poetry, can be understood as the physical structure of the poem including it’s shape: length of the
lines, their rhythms, their system of rhymes and repetition
FORMS normally reserved for the type of poem where these features have been shaped into a pattern
especially a familiar pattern.

COMMON POETICAL FORMS

Narrative Poetry Lyric Poetry Kenning Epigram
Epic Ode Caesura Spoken Poetry
Metrical Romance Elegy Quatrain Free/Blank Verse
Ballad Song Couplet Diona
Metrical Tale Sonnet Haiku Tanaga
Tanka Dalit
Cinquain Shaped Poems
Limerick Acrostic Poems

NARRATIVE POETRIES
EPIC
Epic is a long narrative poem in an elevated style that celebrates heroic achievement. It treats themes of
historical, national, religious, or legendary significance.
Examples:
Bantugan
Bidasari
Tudbulul
Gilgamesh
Complied by: JC Dagum
Beowulf

METRICAL ROMANCE
Metrical Romance is long, rambling love story in verse. It dominantly depicts ideals of chivalry, romantic
love, and religious elements.
Examples:
Florante at Laura
Paradise Lost
Lady of Shallot
Sonnets from the Portuguese

BALLAD
Ballad is a narrative poem intended to be sung. Types of ballad can be either folk or literary as in the epic.
Examples:
Ballad of a Mother’s Heart
Barbara Allen
La Belle Dame Sans Merci

METRICAL TALE
Metrical Tale deals with any emotion or phrase of life and its story in a simple, straightforward, and realistic
manner. It is comparable to short stories but short story is in prose while metrical tale is in verses.
Examples:
Bayani sa Bukid
Evangeline
The Road to Heaven
As For Me I Believe

LYRIC POETRIES
ODE
Ode is a rather extended poem usually complicated in meter and stanza forms, and always deals with a serious
theme such as immortality. It is considered the most majestic lyric type that expresses enthusiasm, lofty praise
of some person or thing
Examples:
Ode to a Nightingale
Ode: Intimations of Immortality
An Horatian Ode
To a Skylark

ELEGY
Elegy is a poem of subjective and meditative nature. It can be distinguished by its subject, that is, death.
Examples:
Break, Break, Break
Oh Captain, My Captain
Elegy Written in Country Churchyard
In Memory of WB Yeats

SONG
Song is short lyric poem intended to be sung. It has that particularly melodious quality required by a singing
voice.
Examples:
Secular (nonreligious) – Jesus Takes the Wheel
Sacred (religious) – Our Father Heaven

SONNET
Sonnet is a lyric poem distinguished by its exact form of iambic pentameter lines. The lines are arranged in two
waves of thought; the rising in the octave and the falling in the sestet.
Types of Sonnets
Shakespearean Sonnet
William Shakespeare. Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. 3 Quatrains, 1 couplet
Spenserian Sonnet
Edmund Spenser. Rhyme Scheme: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE. 3 Interlocked Quatrains, 1 couplet
Complied by: JC Dagum
Petrarchan Sonnet
Francesco Petrarca. Rhyme Scheme. ABBAABBA CDECDE/CDCDCD/CDDCDD/CDDECE
KENNING
Two-word poetic renaming of people, places, and things.
 whale’s home – sea
 bone chamber – body
 world’s kingdom – earth
 powerful monster – Grendel
CAESURA
Caesuras are the rhythmic breaks in the middle of lines where the reciter could pause for breath
Example
Oft to the wanderer, weary of exile
Cometh God’s pity, compassionate love,
Though woefully toiling on wintry seas
With churning oar in the icy wave
QUATRAIN
Quatrains are poems with stanzas consisting of four lines
Example
The Lizard by John Green
The lizard is a timid thing
That cannot dance or sing or fly
He hunts for bugs beneath the floor
And longs to be a dinasaur

COUPLET
Couplets are two lines of verse which rhyme and form a unit alone as part of a poem; pairs of rhyming lines.

Example
Captive Reader
Once I dive into these pages
I may not come out for ages

Books have powers over me.

Inside a book I am not free

I am a prisoner in a land
of print on paper in my hand

But do not worry. Do not fear,

I am happy captive reader

HAIKU
Haiku is an epigrammatic Japanese verse of three short lines. It has a syllable pattern of 5-7-5.

Example:
Beauty and color
Butterflies dance in the sky
Flying high and free

TANKA
A Tanka is a form of Japanese poetry; the 1st and 3rd lines have five syllables and the 2nd, 4th, and 5th have
seven syllables.

Example:
Snow-covered pine trees
Line the frozen pathway home
But we turn away
The world is a lake of ice
And we have one warm hand each

CINQUAIN
Complied by: JC Dagum
 o Referred to any stanza of five lines written in any type of verse.
o Particular types of five-line poems that have precisely defined features, such as their meter or the
number of syllables they contain in each line
o a five-line stanza
o follow straightforward rhyme schemes
o numbers of cinquains in a given poem can vary
o an entire poem can be a single cinquain, or a poem might have many cinquain stanzas

Example:
Listen . . .
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the trees
And fall

LIMERICK
o Limerick is a five-line poem with strict rhyme scheme (AABBA, lines 1,2, & 5 rhyme together, while
lines 3 & 4 rhyme together for comedy and usually pretty rude (i.e. bodily functions).
o It could be considered as “toilet humor”
o Popular limericks are rude, and often racist or sexist

Example:
There once was a son of a duke
Whose upbringing was really a fluke;
He was raised by some gibbons
With apes for his siblin’s
So all he can say now is “ook”

DIONA
Ang diona ay isang katutubong anyo ng tula na binubuo ng pitong pantig kada taludtod, tatlong taludtod kada
saknong at may isahang tugma.

Halimbawa:
Nakita kita ulit
Ngumiti ako saglit
Hindi na din masakit
Jeff Vinoya, 2021

TANAGA
Ang tanaga ay isang katutubong anyo ng tula na binubuo ng pitong pantig kada taludtod, apat na taludtod kada
saknong na may isahang tugma

Halimbawa:
Palay siya’y matino
Ng humangi’y yumuko
Ngunit muling tumayo
Nagkabunga ng ginto
Ildefonso Santos, 1943

DALIT
Ang dalit ay isang katutubong anyo ng tula na binubuo ng walong pantig kada taludtod, apat na taludtod kada
saknong at may isahang tugmaan.

Ano mang dagok paroon

Tatayo ako’t babangon
Ang tagumpa’y ko’y naroon
Aabutin ko na ngayon
Sherwin Aporbo, 2021

EPIGRAM
Epigrams are short poems in which the poet strives for brevity, clarity, and permanence.\
Complied by: JC Dagum
  short lines with bouncy rhythms
 paradoxical twists
 parallel phrases and clause

Example:
Still To Be Neat

Still to be neat, still to be dressed,

As you were going to a feast;
Still to be powdered, still perfumed;
Lady, it is to be presumed,
Though art’s hid causes are not found
All is not sweet, all is not sound.

Give me a look, give me a face

That makes simplicity a grace;
Robes loosely flowing, hair as free;
Such sweet neglect more taketh me
Than all th’adulteries of art
They strike mine eyes, but not my heart.

SPOKEN POETRIES
Spoken word poetry is poetry that is written on a page but performed for an audience. It is an aggressive and “in
your face” than the traditional poetry.
Because it is performed, this poetry tends to demonstrate to heavy use of rhythm, improvisation, free
association, rhymes, rich poetic phrases, word play and slang.
Tips in Writing SP
• Concrete Language
• Repetition
• Rhyme
• Attitude
• Persona
• Performance

BLANK VERSE/FREE VERSE

• A poem with no regular pattern, meter, or rhyme.
• Do not follow a rhyme scheme nor set of rules.
• This type of poem is based on normal pauses and natural rhythmical phrases as compared to the artificial
constraints of form poetry.
• It can vary freely in length of lines, stanzas, and subject.
• Still uses poetic devices such as assonance, consonance, repetition, etc.
BLANK VERSE >> SHAPED POETRIES
These are special poems with shapes and figures. Most often than not, the subject or theme is the shape
of the poem itself.
Example:

Complied by: JC Dagum

BLANK VERSE >> ACROSTIC POEMS
An acrostic is a poem or other word composition in which the first letter of each line spells out a word,
message, or the alphabet.

Example:
My head is full of rhythm.
Until I can barely sit still.
See me move to the beat?
It does the same for others
Can you feel the magic of music?

CONTINUATION >> BASIC ELEMENTS OF POEM

SOUND DEVICES
 Sound Devices are tools used by poets to convey and reinforce the meaning or experience of poetry

through skillful use of sound.

 Certain words can be selected and grouped together to achieve specific effects when we hear them. The
sounds that are created might sound pleasing or soothing, clever or rhythmic, or harsh and
uncomfortable to hear.
 The following poetic devices can affect the way a poem sounds when read aloud. It's important to
remember that these deliberate arrangements of words can convey a particular sense of mood,
atmosphere or emotion.
ALLITERATION
Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words placed near each other or next to each other.
Example:
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
• Slim-pinioned swallows sweep and pass.
• The barbarians broke through the barricade.
ASSONANCE
Repeated vowel sounds in words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines.
Example:
• I feel stressed and restless.
• The dapper lad chatted to the other happy chap.
• Johnny went here and there and everywhere.
• Go slow over the road to nowhere.
• Quite right
• Free as a breeze
Complied by: JC Dagum
 • High as a kite
ONOMATOPOEIA
Words that imitate the natural sound of the thing they describe.
Example:
• The clang of the pots and pans and woke the baby.
• The wolves howled at the moon.
• Zoom! Went the race car as it sped past the finish line.
• The bacon sizzled in the pan.
REPETITION
The purposeful re-use of words and phrases to create emphasis or convey a particular effect.
Example:
• I will not brush my hair, I will not wear a dress and I will not clean my room
• We have so much stuff but still buy more stuff then need storage units to store all the stuff.

RHYTHM
Rhythm is when words are arranged according to stressed and unstressed syllables so that they make a
pattern or beat. Verses might contain a certain number of syllables to create this pattern. Rhythm helps
to distinguish poetry from prose.
Some common rhythms include iamb (x /), trochee (/ x) or spondee (/ /).
You can usually hear rhythm if you hum the words instead of saying them.

RHYME AND RHYME SCHEME

Rhyme refers to words that have different beginning sounds but whose endings sound alike, including
the final vowel sound and everything following it.
Rhyme scheme refers to the pattern established by the arrangement of rhymes in a stanza or poem,
generally described by using letters of the alphabet to denote the recurrence of rhyming lines.
Capital letters in the alphabetic rhyme scheme are used for the repeating rhyming words at the end of
each verse. The letters X and Y indicate unrhymed lines. In quatrains, the popular rhyme scheme of
ABAB is called alternate rhyme or cross rhyme and the ABBA scheme is called envelope rhyme.

PHONOAESTHETICS
The study of beauty and pleasantness associated with the sounds of certain words or parts of words.

Two Examples of Phonoaesthetics:

Euphony and Cacophony

Euphony is the effect of sounds being perceived as pleasant, rhythmical, lyrical, or harmonious.
Euphony may be used to convey comfort, peace, or serenity.

Cacophony is the effect of sounds being perceived as harsh, unpleasant, chaotic, and often discordant;
these sounds are perhaps meaningless and jumbled together.
Cacophony may be used to convey discomfort, pain, or disorder. This often furthered by the combined
effect of the meaning beyond just the sounds themselves.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGES and MEANING IN WORDS

SIMILE
Creates a comparison between two things by using the words 'like' or 'as'.
Examples:
• The desert was as dry as a bone.
• Her tempers were like an uncontrollable storm.
• He's as cool as a cucumber.
• Rain plastered the land until it was shining like hammered lead.
METAPHOR
Creates a comparison by stating that one thing is another or does the actions of another.
Examples:
• The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees.
• Her fingers danced across the keyboard.
• His stomach was a twisted storm of butterflies.
HYPERBOLE

Complied by: JC Dagum

 An intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect. It is common in love poetry in which it is used
to convey the lover’s intense admiration for the beloved.
Examples:
• She cried a river of tears.
• I will bring the stars for you.
• Your love cuts me into millions of pieces.
PERSONIFICATION
Attributing human characteristics to an inanimate object, animal, or abstract idea.
Examples:
• As I climbed the stairs, the staircase groaned as if awoken from a long sleep.
• The days crept by slowly, sorrowfully.
• Seaweed snatched at his legs as he tried to swim away.
PARADOX
A statement which seems contradictory but may reveal an unexpected truth.
Examples:
• You’ve got to be cruel to be kind
• I can resist anything but temptation
• The only constant is change
OXYMORON
A combination of two words that appear to contradict each other.
Example:
• Bittersweet
• Clearly confused
• Seriously funny
• Deafening silence
METONYMY
A figure of speech in which a person, place or thing is referred to by something closely associated with
it.
Example:
• The pen is mightier than the sword.
• Wall Street braces for further rate rises.
ALLUSION
Example:
• I thought the software would be useful, but it was a Trojan Horse.
• Chocolate cake is my kryptonite.
EUPHEMISM
An understatement, used to lessen the effect of a statement that might sound harsh, offensive or hurtful.
Example:
• She is at rest
• I need to use the ladies room
• I'm currently between jobs
• She's a late bloomer
IDIOM
A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual
words.
Example:
• I was over the moon.
• Put in some elbow grease.
• She was sitting on the fence.
• I have my finger on the pulse.

SYMBOLISM
When a simple or ordinary object, event, animal, or person represents deeper meaning or significance.
Examples:
• The dove is a symbol of peace.
• A red rose stands for love or romance.
• A skull can represent danger or death.
• A fork in the road may symbolize a choice or a decision.
WORD CHOICE AND CONNOTATION
Connotations are the ideas or feelings evoked by a word. These are the implications or associations we
might form which are different to a word's literal meaning.
Complied by: JC Dagum
 Examples:
E.g. The words ‘animal’ and ‘beast’ refer to the same type of creature but the second term has
connotations of wildness and savagery.
E.g. The words ‘house’ and ‘home’ have the same denotation but the word ‘home’ has connotations of
warmth, family, safety, belonging etc.

SPEAKER / The Arrangement of Words

The poet decides on how the words are arranged into a certain order or sequence to achieve a particular
effect. The structure of the poem can also contribute to its overall meaning. Some words used to identify
the structure and arrangement of a poem are as follows.

POINT OF VIEW
The vantage point of the speaker. In poetry, this is also sometimes referred to as the persona.
• First person – the speaker is a character in the story or poem and tells it from his/her perspective
(uses “I”).
• Second person - an unusual form of storytelling that addresses the reader directly (uses “you”)
• Third person limited – the speaker is not part of the story, but tells about the other characters
through the limited perceptions of one other person (uses “he”, “she” or “they”)
• Third person omniscient – the speaker is not part of the story, but is able to “know” and describe
what all characters are thinking (uses “he”, “she” or “they”)
VERSES AND STANZAS
A verse is one single line of a poem arranged in a metrical pattern.
A stanza is a group of verses where the lines are arranged into a unit and often repeated in the same
pattern throughout the poem (similar to a paragraph).
Poems are made up of multiple verses and stanzas and poets can make particular choices in the length
and number of verses and stanzas for various purposes.

ENJAMBMENT
When lines or verses have incomplete syntax and the meaning runs over from one poetic line to the next
without punctuation.
It might be used for the following reasons:
• fosters fluidity to allow a more narrative-like style within a poem as thoughts aren't confined to a
single verse
• increases the pace or momentum by eliminating pauses at each line break so the reader continues
onto the next verse more quickly
• moves the reader forward to reach the resolution of the poet's thought sooner
IMAGERY
Although poems explore deep human emotions or thoughts, an audience won't generally respond very
strongly unless the poem creates imagery. These are the vivid mental pictures or sensations created
through descriptive words.
The poet must include these details that calls upon the five senses in order to show the reader rather than
to merely tell them about the subject. The six main types of imagery are as follows.

KINDS OF IMAGERY
Visual Imagery. Imagery that calls upon our sense of sight.
e.g. The shimmering sun bounced waves of light off the surface of the ocean.
Auditory Imagery. Imagery that calls upon our sense of sound.
e.g. She could hear the gentle whisper of the breeze and the chirping of the birds.
Tactile Imagery. Imagery that calls upon our sense of touch.
e.g. The grass prickled his skin as he lay on the sports ground.
Olfactory Imagery. Imagery that calls upon our sense of smell.
e.g. The sticky sweet scent of cinnamon donuts wafted in the air.
Gustatory Imagery. Imagery that calls upon our sense of taste.
e.g. She could still taste the salty sea water on her lips.

Complied by: JC Dagum