JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

ENGLISH 10
Quarter 3 – LAS 5:

Critiquing a literary selection

based on
Moralist/Philosophical
Approach

FOR TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE

HIGH SCHOOL USE ONLY
 DepEd Learning Activity Sheets (LAS)

Name of Learner : ___________________________________________________

Grade Level : ___________________________________________________
Section / Strand : ___________________________________________________
Date : ___________________________________________________

English 10
Composing an Independent Critique Paper
Learning Area
Topic

Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC): Critique a literary selection

based on Formalist Approach

Objectives:
After the completion of this learning activity sheet, students are
expected to:

 define what is formalist criticism;

 identify the things to consider in writing a formalist approach
criticism;and
 compose a literary criticism on the poem “ Song of Autumn “.

Formalist Criticism

What is Formalist criticism?

Formalist criticism is defined as a literary criticism approach which

provides readers with a way to understand and enjoy a work for its own
inherent value as a piece of literary art. Formalist critics spend a great deal
of time analyzing irony, paradox, imagery, and metaphor. They are also
interested in a work’s setting, characters, symbols, and point of view.

What isn’t formalist criticism?

 It does not treat the text as an expression of social, religious, or
political ideas; neither does it reduce the text to being a promotional
effort for some cause or belief.

(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)

  Those who practice formalism claim they do not view works through
the lens of feminism, psychology, Marxism, or any other philosophical
standpoint.
 They are also uninterested in the work’s effect on the reader.

Important considerations
1. Form.
A. Look for motifs – rhyme scheme, recurrences, repetitions,
relationships, patterns, images, parallelism
B. Examine the Point of View – (prosody) the narrator: personality,
understanding, presentation, attitude
C. Scrutinize the structure – plot (chronological), conflict (surface-
subsurface)
D. Development of form – similarities and differences
2. Diction.
A. Look for denotation/connotation – allusions, etymology,
synonyms
B. Examine the symbols – objects, artifacts, events, actions, images
C. Follow the work’s unity – how do elements conspire?
3. Unity.
A. Follow the work’s unity – how do elements conspire?
B. Watch out for tensions – the conflict of these elements
C. Analyze the figures of speech – ambiguity, irony, paradox, etc.

Writing a Formalist criticism

Prewriting
1. Revisit your reading log or marginal notation.
2. See how the keywords are woven together.
3. Revisit the text and look for:
A. patterns,
B. recurrences,
C. visual motifs,
D. repeated words and phrases for meaning;
E. unity – meaningful coherence of the elements
F. tension – identify the effects produced by paradox and irony.
4. Start free writing about what you have read and begin with:
A. a symbol
B. a strong image
C. a particular element
D. a reaction or
E. an observation
Drafting and revising
1. Introduction. Present a summary statement about how various
elements work together to make a whole. Continue with the draft of
your introduction. Alternately, begin by directly referencing the text
itself by:
A. Recount a meaningful incident from a story or
B. Quote a few lines from the poem

(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)

 C. Then explain why such incident or lines are important to
understanding the text as a whole.
2. Body. The body of your work hows how your paper will be devoted to
showing how the various elements of the text work together to create
meaning. You must:
A. Cite examples on how the form, diction, and unity operate
together to develop a theme
B. Observe unity, emphasis and coherence in detailing your
examples
C. Focus on the literary elements rather than the plot or sequence
of the story or the stanza of the poem.
3. Conclusion. State or reiterate the connection between form and
content. Generalize about the over-all relationship of form and
content. End your composition with a lasting impression by:
A. Giving a generalization or conclusion
B. Rhetorical question
C. Strong conviction

Further discussions on the topic as well as other examples in making

formalist critique can be found in this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIKZV99amhE

Activity 1.
Directions: Using the table below, list down the thoughts through sentences
or phrases that would define a formalist criticism.

Definitions of Formalist Criticisms

1.

2.

3.

Activity 2.
Directions: Using the graphic organizer below, write down the things to
consider in writing a critique paper.under formalist approach

(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)

Activity 3.
Directions: Compose a formalist criticism on the poem entitled “ Song of
Autumn”. Please refer to this link for the entire transcript:

https://www.poetryverse.com/charles-baudelaire-poems/song-of-autumn

*use the rubric below to be guided.

4pts 3pts 2pts 1pt

ORGANIZATION There is There is a There are There is a
a functional inconsistence minimal
sophistic arrangement s in the control as
ated of ideas arrangement to the
arrange which of ideas with arrangemen
ment of sustains some t of the
ideas logical order attempts of ideas
with and some transitions
supporti evidences
ng reflect on
evidence
s and
smooth
transitio
ns
CONTENT Contents Contents are Contents are Contents
are sufficiently limited with are minimal
substant developed inadequate
ial and with explanations
specific adequate
which explanations
demonst
rates
strong
developm
ent and
sufficient
ideas
STYLE There are There are There are There are

(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)

 precise generic and limited word minimal
and variety of choice and word choice
variety of words used control over in the
words in the creating the sentence
used in sentence sentence structures
the structure structures
sentence which may
structure or may not
s to provide
provide consistencie
consiste s on the
ncies on writer’s
the voice and
writer’s tone
voice and towards the
tone readers
towards
the
readers

REFLECTIONS
Let us check how far you have learned from this lesson by filling in the
boxes below.

This week, I learned that…

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2. __________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________

I will continue learning about…

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To learn this, I will ask help from…

5
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References

Autumn, S., 2021. Song Of Autumn - poem by Charles Baudelaire |

PoetryVerse. [online] Poetryverse.com. Available at:
<https://www.poetryverse.com/charles-baudelaire-poems/song-of-autumn>
[Accessed 15 April 2021].

The Mindsmith. 2021. Formalist criticism is the first of the series of literary
critic. [online] Available at: <https://salirickandres.altervista.org/formalist-
criticism/> [Accessed 15 April 2021].

Answers key

Act 1

 It focuses more on form than content

 It analyzes the imagery, metaphor, and other literary
devices
 It provides the readers a way to further understand
the selection

Act 2

1. Form
2. Diction
3. Unity 6
4. Literary device
5. Plot (For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)
7

(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)