Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education National Capital Region

Division of City Schools Quezon City

Quezon City Science High School

(Regional Science High School for NCR)

Golden Acres Rd. cor. Misamis Street, Bago Bantay, Quezon City 1105

DEVELOPMENTAL READING
Literary Analysis Task Prompt
GENERAL DIRECTIONS
The following are two (2) poems and one (1) short story that you will analyze based on the
questions that go after them. You are supposed to work in pairs or triads, and will have to produce a
unified and cohesive output only. This is due on 2 November 2015, Monday (unless the government
declares a holiday on the said date).
You will adhere to the following conventions in fulfilling the task.
1) Output length: Maximum of five (5) pages, which will contain the following:
a) Cover Page (your names and section)
b) Page 2: Analysis of first poem
a. Sampaguita Song: for a suki at Quirino Highway by Marjorie Evasco-Pernia
c) Page 3: Analysis of second poem
a. To God by Faisal Kamandobat (translated by Joan Suyenaga)
d) Page 4: Analysis of a short story
a. The Man Who Combs through Heartache (translated by Joan Suyenaga)
e) References (sources for the analysis, if applicable you may look at the internet for
the authors background, if it helps you analyze the poem.)
2) Font and Font Size:
a. GARAMOND (this font)
b. Size 12
3) Margins: 1 inch margin on all sides (default in MS Word 2010 and later)
4) Spacing: 1.5 line spacing (right click select font from the drop-down menu and adjust
Spacing to 1.5 lines).
5) It is recommended that you answer in a cohesive essay only. It shows how youve
mastered your lessons in English (cohesion, subject-verb agreement, transition devices)

GOOD LUCK!
Jayson Donor Zabala
Subject Facilitator

POEM 1:
SAMPAGUITA SONG
(for a suki at Quirino Highway)
by Marjorie Evasco-Pernia
We see you every night intercept
The narrow chance at highway
Living, the jammed traffic of your days
Run-down by those who do not see
Your flag of white
Small flowers.
Your shanks gleam thin at the intersection,
Beating the stop light to the edge
Of danger.
Sampaguita, Sir!
Sampaguita, Maam!
Sariwa, mabango,
Piso po ang tatlo.
You thrust brown hands at me
Flower-laden, smelling like old
Memories, tender at the recall
Of gardens in a province
Weve left
And miss.
Back home the sampaguitas
Dry in an earthen dish
Leaving the scent of warm
Brown palms that offered
An extra garland for
Buena Mano.

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS:
[SUBJECT] Who is the subject of the
poem? How is he/she significant to the
author? What lines will prove your claim?
[CONTEXT, PURPOSE] What social
issue is tackled by the author in this poem?
[ATTITUDE] How does the author feel
about the poem? What lines made you think
such?
[IMAGES] How does the author shed light
to the dangers of this social issue (refer to
context)? What lines evoke emotions in the
senses?
[DICTION] Aside from examining a social
issue, what does the author look back into?
What lines indicate this?

POEM 2:
TO GOD
by Faisal Kamandobat
translated by Joan Suyenaga
i cannot yet believe in you
although you are able
to move the sun
to ignite rocks
to create animals from stone
and you mustnt accept me
although i can
create suffering through words
transform earth into pots
and play with the world
in my imagination
your existence and your absence, god
is equally remote
in the darkness of my fate
i live in a world of symbols
seizing wild daydreams
confirming uncertainties
in raucous silence
if you enter my world
your magnificence will remain but a trace
your power will be lacerated by my savagery
like one bird
dissolving into a thousand birds
your existence and absence, god
is equally remote
in the darkness of my fate

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS:
[ATTITUDE] What does the author feel
towards the subject?
[CONTEXT] What could have been the
authors religious background? How has it
affected the poems message in general?
[DICTION] The author claims to create
suffering through words; transform earth
into pots and play with the world in my
imagination. How can you make sense of
this? How does this further prove the
authors belief (or disbelief)?
[PURPOSE] What is the author trying to
emphasize in this poem? What lines support
your claim?

SHORT STORY
THE MAN WHO COMBS THROUGH
HEARTACHE
translated by Joan Suyenaga
The old woman wearing a kebaya cried
silently. She gazed out at the open sea, at the
little waves chasing each other through the
water. In the past, she and her three children
often spent time here. Just the four of them;
because her husband, who had brought them
to Aceh, had passed away when Din, her
youngest child, was just learning how to walk.
Just four of them. Running between
the tips of the waves as they tumbled in.
Playing in the sand, racing to chase the
fishermens boats that had come ashore.
From the edge of the sea, they would enjoy
looking at the beautiful houses located not far
from their home. Houses of rich people, they
would say, while imagining what it would feel
like to live there. Your feet would have to be
clean, said Yanti, the oldest child, who was
known for being neat. Youd always be
eating good food! added Azhar, the sturdilybodied second child.
Meanwhile, Din, the youngest,
remained silent. His eyes were glued to the
houses. Perhaps he was comparing those
solid structures with their own semipermanent home. A single room, most of
which was built with woven bamboo panels.
Their mother had given them everything she
could. Taking any job to put her children
through school, even though it was not
enough to pay for higher education. Only the
youngest, who now worked in Banda, was
able to graduate from a university. The others
only made it through high school.
Time passed so quickly. The two
sunken eyes still watched the sunset behind
the row of coconut trees. It felt not so long
ago that she and her children had played
there, watching people climbing the palms
and picking the coconuts that were bunched
up at the top. The old woman in the kebaya

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS:
[CONTEXT] What significant (real-life)
event happened in the story?
[SUBJECT] Who are the characters in the
story? How are they described? Cite lines or
paragraphs from the short story to prove
your point.
[ATTITUDE] How does each character
interact with each other? What is the
dominant feeling of the main characters
toward each other?
[IMAGES, ATTITUDE] What are the
dominant emotions in the poem? What are
the lines that indicate this? What senses are
stimulated in this story? As a reader, how
did your senses react to reading the short
story?
[PURPOSE] What is the author trying to
expose in this short story? What
culture/situation is the author trying to
strengthen or modify, if there is any?

wiped away her tears. She didnt know why

the sadness became heavier each year.
Perhaps it was her age, she thought. Or
perhaps it was loneliness. The loneliness had
started since the children graduated from
high school. It was as if they were racing each
other to leave her, though their reasons were
understandable. Work. The time had passed
quickly. All of a sudden they were in another
stage of their lives: marriage and children.
She should be understanding and not
feel sorry for herself. Maybe they were busy.
The woman continued to sob soundlessly.
Her wrinkled cheeks were wet.
The
celebrations held at the end of the fasting
month had passed twice, but their family had
not gathered together.
The children did not remember her
anymore. Today she had woken up very early
and cleaned her house, then cooked her best
meal. Today was her birthday. In the past, she
and her children always celebrated their
birthdays. Not because they wanted a
Western lifestyle, but because they rarely ate
good food, and enjoying delicious food
meant more when they did it to celebrate the
birthday of someone in the family. The
woman in the kebaya had saved
conscientiously, little by little, so that her
children could eat something special several
times each year. And today was her birthday.
The old woman in the kebaya closed the
wooden window shutters. She stopped
hoping. One, two tears dropped. The
children didnt remember her anymore!
The man pressed heavily on the gas pedal so
that it felt as if the car was flying. He was late.
He should have been there yesterday. He kept
looking at his watch. He couldnt wait to get
there. He wanted to see Ma, to beg for her
forgiveness for being late. His longing to see
her was mixed with a heavy dose of guilt,
imaging the woman who gave birth to him
waiting fruitlessly. I cant go, Din. My
husband, Abang, is still busy with his work.

He cant leave, Yanti had said yesterday over

the phone. Give my love to Ma.
Din just nodded, while in his heart he
counted: its been two years since Yanti has
been home from Medan. Meanwhile, his
older brother Azhar had a lengthy yet unclear
reason not to come, but the essence was the
same.
I cant go, Din. Just you, okay? In
fact, it was Yanti and Azhar who had asked
him to postpone his visit.
Just one day, Din. Im still trying to
find the time to speak with Abang. If I cant
go today, well go early tomorrow. Din
breathed a resentful sigh. If he had known it
would be like this, he would have gone by
himself yesterday, especially since everything
was ready. It was true, he wasnt clever with
words like his sister and brother were, but he
had harbored this dream for a long time. Ever
since he had realized that Ma stored this wish
away in the deepest corner of her heart,
although she had never voiced it aloud.
This was also the reason Din didnt
want to get married yet. He could see how his
two siblings had been stolen away by the
routines of family life and paid less and less
attention to Ma.
My kid is sick. If I force him to go,
how can he recuperate at Mas house? Its
right at the end of the month and money is
tight, Din.
Whether it was the end of the month
or not, their mother had almost never asked
for anything. It was enough for her three
precious treasures to visit. Her old eyes would
quickly light up.
My wife isnt feeling well, she has a
persistant headache. Tell Ma that Im sorry.
My husband wont let me go, Din.
Theres an event at the governors mansion.
He couldnt go without me, could he?
Poor Ma. Surely she missed them.
Din, thirty-three years old, pressed
harder on the gas pedal. He was determined.
He had to see Mas face at sunrise.

The sound of praying from the

mosque had just ended when his old car
pulled to a stop. The man glanced towards
the calm-looking sea. This ocean stored the
memories of their childhood. It was the
ocean that could prove how determined Ma
had been in raising her three children. Din
knocked on the door as he mumbled his
greetings. There was the sound of sandals
being dragged across the floor from the back
of the house. Presently, the door opened and
the figure of an old woman wrapped in a
shabby kebaya blinked at him. She hugged
him silently.
Where are you taking me?
Din just smiled. He carefully guided
Ma to the car.
Its not far. Just be calm, Ma.
The woman in the kebaya didnt ask
any more questions. She looked straight
ahead. No one knew how her heart leapt with
pride. Her son, Din, had become a success.
He could take his Ma for a ride in a car.
Not too fast, Din.
Din smiled, turning his face towards
Ma. He gently kissed her forehead, so lined
with age.
Be calm, Ma.
Din, her youngest child, was indeed
different from the others. Perhaps it was
because he wasnt yet married. Compared
with the others, he was more attentive. Only
Din had loyally visited her in the past two
years. Where were you yesterday, Din? I
waited for you until sunset. Din turned the
steering wheel. The car moved slowly. Along
one side of the road, the ocean waves rolled
in gently. He was here with her now, but the
feeling of guilt because yesterday he had
made her wait still weighed heavily on his
heart. He felt as if he had become Amad
Rhang Manyang, the disloyal son resembling
Malin Kundang in that Acehnese myth he so
often objected to. In the story, the mother
had cruelly cursed her ungrateful son. It was
difficult to imagine mothers in Aceh as
heartless as that. Impossible.

Yesterday Kak Yanti and Bang

Azhar Din started to explain. Ma nodded
as she listened. Dins eyes glanced away from
the road in front of him. His Ma hadnt
changed. This Javanese woman who had
lived in this foreign place for so long still
wore a kebaya. When he asked her why she
still wore the wrapped batik skirt and kebaya,
even though the clothes hampered her
movements, the old woman answered briefly.
This is how your father first saw me,
Din.
Din admired Ma. Her hard work and
determination in raising her three children
was extraordinary. For him, Mas decision not
to marry again was proof of her total
dedication to her chosen path. Everything for
her children. It was truly ironic that when her
children were capable of repaying her
devotion, they did not give of themselves so
totally.
Din sighed deeply. He should spend
more time with Ma. He should. But his work
was demanding and the out-of-town
assignments left him with little time. And, he
was often exhausted and light-headed. But
Ma was getting older.
Soon the car stopped. Ma got out
with a puzzled look.
Hm, where are you taking me, Din?
A white house stood amongst other
larger houses. They had often looked at the
houses in this elite district, while their feet
were soaking in seawater.
Youre taking me to propose to a
girl, arent you?
Din shook his head. He guided Ma to
the front door of a house.
This is your house, Ma, he
whispered in her ear.
Ma looked at him with disbelief. Her
heart was pounding.
No. She should not cry. He had
bought this house to make her happy. Ma
would no longer live alone in a one-room hut
made of woven bamboo panels. She had
spent so many years there. She needed a

healthier place, a place that was more

comfortable, where she could wait peacefully
for them to visit.
Din
The man nodded. He showed her
around the house. The white house had three
bedrooms.
So that Yanti can bring her children
to stay here, Ma.
Ya ya Ma nodded. She was
speechless. She had never thought that Din,
who never spoke much, would buy her a
house.
Now, that other room is for Azhar
and his wife when they come.
Ma nodded again. Worry brushed
passed her face.
Do you really have the money to buy
this, Din? Ma asked after they had silently
admired the new home.
Din rubbed his mothers back.
Dont use someone elses money,
she said.
You dont have to worry.
With that reassurance, Din returned to his
car.
The sun began to push up into the sky
as Din started the engine.
Ma watched him from the front of
the house, waving. Din waved back with a
bright smile and a feeling of longing that had
not yet been satisfied. He wanted to finish
everything that day, so that Ma could move
into her new house.
He didnt plan to leave her for long.
Just a few hours to go to the city to buy new
furniture for her.
The inhabitants of this fishing village,
if there are any left, may know this thirty year
old man with the troubled face. His eyes are
glazed. Two days after the disaster, he
emerged from the direction that the evacuees
were fleeing towards. He would not leave,
even though five days had passed and
aftershocks were still shaking the earth.
He walked barefoot throughout the fishing
area that was completely razed to the ground.

There were no houses or boats to be seen;

even the row of fancy houses that had been
built several kilometers from the beach were
gone. Everything was destroyed. Now, only
the trunks of bald coconut palms remained
standing amongst the pieces of human bodies
that floated serenely in the calm ocean, some
scattered along the beach. His eyes searched
for something. When they found what he was
looking for, the man began to work. When he
was done he kneeled and, with his head
bowed reverently, he prayed over the grave
he had just dug.
Every day, the man worked
speechlessly. Unlike the other volunteers,
who carried everything out in vehicles and
buried the bodies in mass graves, he buried
every corpse he found with his own hands.
He searched only for female corpses. He
didnt care if the faces all looked the same
because they were swollen by the seawater
and had begun to decay. He didnt stop,
though his eyes never recognized the few
scraps of batik kain on the bodies.
He only knew that he couldnt stop.
Because one of them might be the woman in
the kebaya who saw him off at the door. He
really hadnt planned to leave Ma for long.
Just a few hours to go to the city to buy new
furniture. But something had prevented him
from returning sooner. Suddenly, an
enormous wave had swept ashore.