Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION 1V-A CALABARZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BATANGAS PROVINCE
MALVAR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
POBLACION, MALVAR, BATANGAS

Name: Medallion, John Andryl N. _ Date: Feb. 9, 2021 _

Year and Section: 11 – STEM 112 _

WEEK 1 Quarter 2 ( Module 6)

Activity 4: Critical Analysis of the Poem
DIRECTION: Read the poem with understanding. Write a critical essay about a poem by completing
the guide in the grid.

I. Background Information

A. Information about the Work

1. Title Equality

2. Author Maya Angelou

3. Purpose of the Poem. Provide evidence;
extract lines from the poem
The purpose is to be free from racism and wants
everyone to be equal.
“Equality, and I will be free.”
“Equality, and I will be free.”
The meaning behind those words is simple
enough to decipher – the speaker equates
equality with freedom.

4. Theme of the Poem Equality, Racism, and Discrimination

II. Summary- Write the issues being
raised in the poem
“You do own to hear me faintly.”
Grammatically, this makes little sense.
Ownership over another person, and “owning”
the ability to listen to them, albeit faintly, is an
indication that the topic of the poem is likely
centered around slavery and taking away the
freedoms of another individual.
Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.
With the implied theme of slavery prominent in
the first verse, these lines take on additional
contextual meaning, though it is hardly
necessary to think too deeply on it — to be equal
in a society is to be free within it.

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III. Interpretation and Evaluation
A. Discuss the style of the author in
presenting the issues
B. Discuss if the author was successful in
persuading the audience regarding the
issues.
IV. Reflection : How the issues presented
affect you?
What I Can Do
C. Direction: Analyze the verse and explore the content, theme, setting, and message of
the poem by creating a visual poem. Include a short background of the author in the
movisual. Search for images that support the required elements of the poem. You may
select any multi- media tools that suits your skills and availability of gadget.
(Rubrics p.14)
The next verse returns the role of the accuser to
the speaker, who speaks in an almost
commanding way to their society here,
demanding that they “confess” their willful
blindness to the injustices they create.
With the word “hear,” indicating that they are
once again telling someone else to “remove the
padding” around their ears and listen. Remind
the reader and the other alike that despite the
tears and vulnerability expressed here, they are
as strong as ever, and will not give up on what it
is they truly need.
Angelou use metaphor, imagery, repetition, and
notable word choice that creates a significant
and noticeable atmosphere that stays with the
reader long after the poem has been read and
re-read.
B-I think the author was successful because her
poem give us a lesson that we have to treat
others like our siblings or family we have
learned to do equality to our fellow humans.
The effective use of metaphors and repetition in
this poem creates a sense of drive for equality
making a stronger message for equal rights
between everyone.
The issue of the poem affects me because all she
wants is equality and not racism or
discrimination. Racism is the modern problem
of society today because everybody is affected
by it, including me, by discriminating against
other people through race, ethnicity, skin color,
physical features, and many more. So we need
to get rid of it to be free and fair to everyone.
Malik speaks on a topic about how he doesn't want to be the father that lays his children
to rest. He wants them to know their roots and embrace them. Malik is a mourning father
who is upset about his children not being able to live their lives fully. He wanted to watch
them play outside of his home with happiness and is distressed because that can no longer
happen. However, I would say that the theme is make sure to live in the simple and
important moments because you may not be able to make more.
Assessment 1-15 (pp. 15-17) (answers only)

1. A
2. A
3. D
4. C
5. A
6. C
7. D
8. C
9. B
10. A
11. A
12. C
13. A
14. D
15. A

Reflection
A Critical Interpretation is a process of identifying, questioning, and assessing our
deeply-held assumptions – about our knowledge, the way we perceive events and issues,
our beliefs, feelings, and actions. When you reflect critically, you use course material to
examine our biases, compare theories with current actions, search for causes and triggers,
and identify problems at their core.

When you interpret literature, you are trying to find the meaning and significance
of the story. You are asking yourself both what the text means and why it is important.
One of the best ways to interpret a writing is to use the text as a guide.

Equality is not always about treating everyone the same – it is about treating
people in such a way that the outcome for each person can be the same. This means
putting things in place to support people to achieve similar outcomes.