POETRY AND CREATIVE NONFICTION

According to Laurence Perrine (1997,4), poetry may be defined as a kind of language that says
more and says it more intensely than does ordinary language. In other words, poetry uses a “heightened
language”. For poetry to achieve this, the poet uses “imagery” by employing figurative language.
Imagery is one of the most important elements of poetry.

Imagery, according to Palanca Hall of Famer and Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Dr. Leoncio P.
Deriada, is “painting with words”. A writer, a poet, uses words to paint images while a painter uses
forms and colors. The easiest way to paint with words is to use the figures of speech. For example,
instead of saying “the tree is being blown by the wind” a good writer will say “the tree is dancing with
the wind”. Personification is used.

Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo (2003, 9) defines creative nonfiction as “nonfiction prose which utilizes
the techniques and strategies of fiction.” One strategy of fiction (and therefore nonfiction) that it shares
with poetry is the inclusion of “concrete and evocative details” that can also be achieved by employing
imagery and other literary devices. The use of the imagination, as Hidalgo (2015, 61) declares in another
article, “might embellish or distort in the interest of more effective storytelling, i.e., in the interest of
art.”

Assignment Tasks:

a. Google the following and look for pertinent information.

1. Palawan
2. St. Paul Subterranean River National Park
3. El Nido
4. Lagen Island
5. Malampaya Sound
b. Read the poem entitled MOONSET AT CENTRAL PARK STATION OF ST. PAUL SUBTERRANEAN
RIVER NATIONAL PARK by John Iremil E. Teodoro and answer the following questions.
1. Who is the persona in the poem? Describe him/her.
2. One example of sensory imagery in the poem is the parrotfish. What do you think is the
significance of the image to the overall message?
3. Give other examples of sensory imagery used in the text.
4. What is the poem saying about the significant human experience?
5. What feelings do you get after reading the poem?

c. Compose a poem about a place that you’ve visited recently. Employ imagery in your writing.

Note: You may encode your work and pass printed output.