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World Literature

The document analyzes a poem that employs various literary devices such as metaphor, imagery, personification, symbolism, allusion, and apostrophe to convey themes of poverty, hunger, desperation, social injustice, and human dignity. Each stanza illustrates the pervasive and destructive nature of hunger, emphasizing its impact on individuals' lives and dignity. The poem ultimately calls for empathy and action towards the suffering of the oppressed, linking their pain to a divine experience.

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43 views2 pages

World Literature

The document analyzes a poem that employs various literary devices such as metaphor, imagery, personification, symbolism, allusion, and apostrophe to convey themes of poverty, hunger, desperation, social injustice, and human dignity. Each stanza illustrates the pervasive and destructive nature of hunger, emphasizing its impact on individuals' lives and dignity. The poem ultimately calls for empathy and action towards the suffering of the oppressed, linking their pain to a divine experience.

Uploaded by

joshuabaguilat07
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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BAGUILAT, JOSHUA M.

P485

1.Find out the literary devices found in the poem.

 1. Metaphor
- “HUNGER is a smooth black crow.”
Hunger is directly compared to a crow, ominous, persistent, and
dangerous.
- “Hunger is coral rocks beneath the sleeping face of the sea.”
Suggests hidden danger, what seems calm or peaceful on the surface
hides suffering beneath.
 2. Imagery
- Vivid visual images like “millions of crows like a black cloud” and
“handfuls of alum and broken glass” create strong mental pictures and
evoke discomfort, pain, and fear.
 3. Personification
- “Hunger is a devil offering dictatorship.”
Hunger is not only alive, but it tempts and manipulates, giving it
human-like, malicious intent.
 4. Symbolism
- Crows: Often symbolic of death, decay, or ill omens.
- Broken glass and alum in the stomach: Symbolic of the painful,
destructive effects of poverty and starvation.
- Food (rice, soup, coffee): Represents hope, normalcy, and survival.
 5. Allusion
- The poem indirectly references ‘divine suffering’ by saying “Your
stomach hungers, O God.”
- This may be an allusion to Christ-like suffering or the idea that God
feels the pain of the oppressed.
 6. Apostrophe
- The speaker talks directly to ‘God’, even though He’s not present in a
literal sense. This direct address adds emotion and urgency.

2. Find out the meaning of each stanza.

 Stanza 1:
Hunger is like a black crow, dark, frightening, and ever-present.
 Stanza 2:
It can push people to violence and desperation just to survive.
 Stanza 3:
Hunger forces people to give up their pride and dignity.
 Stanza 4:
It’s like a devil, tempting and controlling the poor.
 Stanza 5:
A painful image, hunger makes people eat anything, no matter how
harmful.
 Stanza 6:
The poor share God’s image, so when they suffer, God suffers too.
 Stanza 7:
Even simple food feels like a dream when you’re starving.
 Stanza 8:
Hunger clouds everything, even faith and hope in heaven.

3. Find out the themes of the poem.

 Poverty and Hunger


The central theme. The poem vividly illustrates the physical and
emotional pain of extreme hunger and how deeply it affects people’s
lives.
 Desperation and Survival
It shows how hunger drives people to desperate actions, even against
their values or dignity, just to stay alive.
 Social Injustice
Rendra criticizes the inequality in society, how the poor suffer while the
system offers little help, sometimes even using hunger as a tool of
control.
 Human Dignity
The poem highlights how hunger strips people of their pride and self-
worth, especially when they are forced to choose survival over honor.
 5. Empathy and Shared Suffering
By connecting the hungry with God, Rendra reminds us that their pain
is sacred and must not be ignored—it calls for compassion and action.

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