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ENGLISH
Quarter 4 – Module 1:
Holding on to a Dream in a Changing
World

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 What I Need to Know
This module will help you to be more critical and creative thinkers as
you read and understand the message of the poetries Dreams Deferred and
Crossroads. You are expected to unlock meaning of unfamiliar or difficult
words found in the poem, figures of speech used and the idea that the author
implies.
This learning material will also help you relate situations and
experiences that you encounter in your life to the thought that the author
wanted to relay.

MELC: Judge the relevance and worth of ideas, soundness of author’s

reasoning, and the effectiveness of the presentation.

Learning Objective:
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. unlock the meanings of unfamiliar words using context clues;
2. determine lines that use figures of speech; and
3. relate situations you encounter in your daily life’s experiences to the
idea that the poem implies.

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 What I Know

A. Identify the meaning of the underlined word. Write the letter of the correct
answer on a separate piece of paper.
A. To try very hard to do something or to make something happen,
especially for a long time or against difficulties
B. Shining with a light that is sometimes bright and sometimes weak;
unsteady light
C. A light gentle wind
D. To drop down to a lower level in the middle
E. To become painful and infected
F. Suffering from decay
G. Extremely unpleasant smell
H. Suffering pain from a part of one's body
I. To put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone
J. A thick texture and sweet taste liquid made of sugar and water

_______ 1. You must throw that rotten meat now!

_______ 2. He forgot to remove the tomatoes in the fridge for 3 weeks
now. The whole fridge stinks! It smells really bad.
_______ 3. She rubbed a sore spot in her lower back. It was very
painful.
_______ 4. The doctor has deferred the surgery until my father's
health improves.
_______ 5. The syrupy sauce of that vanilla pudding makes my
stomach feel hungry.
_______ 6. Success is not instant. You have to strive and do your best
to achieve it.
_______ 7. The overhead light kept flickering on and off.
_______ 8. The sudden breeze made the lamp blow out.
_______ 9. The table sags because too much food.
_______ 10. His throat infection will fester and become painful when
not treated early.

B. Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate piece of paper.

1. What figure of speech is used in the line “Does it stink like rotten
meat?”, from the poem Dreams Deferred?
A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Personification

2. What refers to the voice that the poet creates to communicate his or
her message?
A. Tone B. Speaker C. Mood

3. What is the subject or topic the poem Dreams Deferred imply?

A. Failure
B. Worth
C. Unfulfilled dreams

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 4. What image was used in the lines below?
Shall it be neon lights
That spell success,
Or flickering lamplight
For happiness?
A. Sight
B. Smell
C. Taste

5. What refers to the hints found within a sentence, paragraph, or passage

that a reader can use to understand the meanings of new or unfamiliar
words?
A. Context Clues
B. Clear Clues
C. Clues & Context

What’s In
You have learned from the previous lesson how to judge the validity of
the evidence listened to. You were able to identify facts and supporting details
of the given text.

In this module, you will be dealing with poetries about reaching

dreams. You will be analyzing the message of the poems Dreams Deferred and
Crossroads.

What’s New

SING THE SONG!

Follow Your Dream

Sheryn Regis

People laugh us they Follow your dream

Stare at you and say The courage found within
She's got nowhere to go Your soul is keeping you so strong
But if they only know you're thinkin' That you could rise each time you fall
And stand up on your own
Where did I go wrong This time you won't go wrong
How should I move on Just give your best to hold your will
In spite of what I see Persistently, become the one
They're losing faith in me You've always aimed to be
You tell yourself you believe Got to find your place
That in every feat Where you'll proudly face
It takes a heart to endure The woes that come your way
All the pains and grief Sometimes it's hard to say
Having the hope to see the best that If you can stick to your desire
you can be Never lose the fire

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That burns up light inside for you to All you're fears inside
win the fight That one day you might be filled
With worries
You tell yourself to achieve You'll find out in time
You must not retreat Every misery meant to make
Persist the stops and be tough You feel you're stronger to run free
If you must compete
Learning the path of fate Follow your dream
By every road you take The courage found within
Your soul is keeping you so strong
Follow your dream That you could rise each time you fall
The courage found within And stand up on your own
Your soul is keeping you so strong This time you won't go wrong
That you could rise each time you fall Just give your best to hold your will
And stand up on your own Persistently, become the one
This time you won't go wrong You've always aimed to be
Just give your best to hold your will
Persistently, become the one
You've always aimed to be
Reaching that peak so high
But you can't describe
What is the message of the song?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

What is It
One of the purposes of literature is to make the reader learn from the
idea it implies. A reader appreciates the literary piece if the reader can relate
and apply its message in real life. Thus, it is valuable if its relevant to the
reader’s life. In order to decode and get the message of the poem, there are
ways that might help.

How to analyze a poem in 6 steps?

1. Read the poem.
Read the poem at least twice or as much as needed. Take note with
immediate impression of the poem, both positive and negative. Take close
look also to the poem’s structure, rhythm and lines. Also, analyze the
difficult words. Sometimes, they could mean differently. You may look for
clues and how these words are used in context.
Context clues are hints found within a sentence, paragraph, or passage
that a reader can use to understand the meanings of new or unfamiliar
words.

2. Analyze the title.

Think about the title and its relationship to the poem. Sometimes, titles
provide important clues that will lead to the heart of the piece. You may
also ask yourself the following questions.
 Does the title immediately change how I think about it?

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 Does the poem’s title paint picture that gives a specific time frame, setting,
or action?
 Does it imply multiple possibilities?
3. Identify the speaker
The speaker in poetry is the voice that the poet creates to communicate his
or her message. Sometimes the speaker is identified, sometimes is
nameless, and sometimes the speaker is the poet himself. He is the person
behind the language. You may also ask yourself the following questions.
 Who tells the poem?
 Does the poem give any clues about the speaker’s personality, the point-of-
view, age, or gender?
 Who is the speaker addressing?
4. Analyze mood and tone
After talking about the speaker, it’s important to address attitude or mood
the poem is attempting to convey. Tone refers to the writer’s attitude toward
the subject he or she is writing about. Some words that can describe the
tone of a poem might be: serious, humorous, amused, angry, playful,
cheerful, sad, gloomy, etc. Mood that the reader gets when reading. Some
words that can describe the mood of a poem might be: romantic, realistic,
optimistic, pessimistic, gloomy, mournful, sorrowful, etc.
5. Use imagery.
Imagery is use to figurative language to represents objects, actions, and
ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses (sight, smell,
taste, hearing, touch). Imagery needs that aid of figures of speech like
simile, metaphor, personification, and onomatopoeia in order to appeal to
the bodily senses.
6. Analyze the theme
The theme is the universal truth, issue, or conflict. You may also ask yourself
the following questions.
 What is the subject?
 What is the situation are they in?
 How you do feel about the subject?

Analyze the poem Dreams Deferred and Crossroads.

Dreams Deferred
By LANGSTON HUGHES

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
Like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

Like a heavy load,

Or does it explode?

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 Crossroads

Shall I follow the stream

Or cross the sea,
Strive for a dream
Or let life be?

Shall it be neon lights

That spell success,
Or flickering lamplight
For happiness?

Follow the thunder?

Follow the storm?
Follow the whisper
That leaves and breeze form?

Follow my heartbeat?
Follow my head?
What shall each bring me?
Where shall each lead?

What’s More
ACTIVITY 1
I. Directions: Identify the word that does not belong on the list. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. a. ambition b. dream c. failure d. goals

2. a. apple b. mango c. meat d. raisin
3. a. fresh b. rotten c. spoiled d. stink
4. a. burden b. grace c. load d. pain
5. a. hopeless b. sag c. strong d. weak
6. a. red b. salty c. sour d. sweet
7. a. deferred b. realized c. stopped d. unachieved
8. a. blow up b. burst c. calm d. exploded

List down context clues in the sentence to get the meaning of the underlined
word. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. I threw away rotten foods from the refrigerator. It smells very bad.
Clue: _____________________________________________________
2. You haven’t taken a bath for a week. You smell bad. What is that
stink odor I smell?
Clue/s: __________________________________________________
3. No matter how many times I tried to convince him, he was so hurt
and badly affected. His death turned him to sore; it was unbearable for him.
Clue/s: __________________________________________________
4. Our deferred dreams must not be taken for granted. Never stop working
on it; nor leaving it behind. Remember that everything has its own time.
Clue/s: ______________________________________________

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 ACTIVITY 2

Directions: Answer the following questions. Write your answer on a separate

sheet of paper.
1. Which lines from the poem are examples of simile in the poem Dreams
Deferred?
1.
2.
Simile 3.
4.
5.

2. Which line from the poem is a sample of personification in the poem

Dreams Deferred?
Personification
3. What is the attitude of the author in the poem Dreams Deferred?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

4. What is the attitude of the author in the poem Crossroads?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

5. What will you do if you failed to achieve your dream?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 3

Directions: Write down the message of each author in the poem below. Then,
compare and contrast the theme of the two poems. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

Dreams Deferred Crossroads Comparison/Contrast

Message: Message: Comparison:

Contrast:

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 What I Have Learned
Analyzing a poem is really a difficult task. But once you finally decoded
the meaning or message, you will be able to learn from it. A reader may apply
what he learned in real life situations. Always remember the 6 practical steps
on how to analyze a poem.

1. Read the poem.

2. Analyze the title.
3. Identify the speaker.
4. Analyze mood and tone.
5. Use imagery.
6. Analyze the theme.

What I Can Do
If you were the speaker in the poem Dreams Deferred, would you pursue your
dreams despite of difficulties? Why? Why not? Write your answer on a separate
sheet of paper

Assessment
A. Identify the meaning of the underlined word. Write the letter of the correct
answer on a separate piece of paper.

A. Extremely unpleasant smell

B. A light gentle wind
C. To drop down to a lower level in the middle
D. Suffering pain from a part of one's body
E. To put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone
F. A thick texture and sweet taste liquid made of sugar and water
G. To try very hard to do something or to make something happen,
especially for a long time or against difficulties
H. Shining with a light that is sometimes bright and sometimes weak;
unsteady light
I. To become painful and infected
J. Suffering from decay

_______ 1. She rubbed a sore spot in her lower back. It was very
painful.
_______ 2. The doctor has deferred the surgery until my father's
health improves.
_______ 3. You must throw that rotten meat now!
_______ 4. He forgot to remove the tomatoes in the fridge for 3 weeks
now. The whole fridge stinks! It smells really bad.
_______ 5. The sudden breeze made the lamp blow out.
_______ 6. The table sags because too much food.

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 _______ 7. His throat infection will fester and become painful when
not treated early.
_______ 8. The syrupy sauce of that vanilla pudding makes my
stomach feel hungry.
_______ 9. Success is not instant. You have to strive and do your best
to achieve it.
_______ 10. The overhead light kept flickering on and off.

B. Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate piece of paper.

1. What refers to the hints found within a sentence, paragraph, or passage

that a reader can use to understand the meanings of new or unfamiliar
words?
A. Context Clues
B. Clear Clues
C. Clues & Context
2. What is the subject or topic the poem Dreams Deferred imply?
A. Failure
B. Worth
C. Unfulfilled dreams

3. What figure of speech is used in the line “Does it stink like rotten
meat?”, from the poem Dreams Deferred?
A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Personification

4. What refers to the voice that the poet creates to communicate his or
her message?
A. Tone B. Speaker C. Mood

5. What image was used in the lines below?

Shall it be neon lights
That spell success,
Or flickering lamplight
For happiness?
A. Sight
B. Smell
C. Taste

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 Answer Key

What’s more…

Activity 1
1. C. FAILURE
2. C. MEAT
Pre-Test: 3. A. FRESH Assessment
A. 4. B. GRACE A.
1. F 5. C. STRONG 1. D
2. G 6. A. RED 2. E
3. H 7. B. REALIZED 3. J
4. I 8. C. CALM 4. A
5. J 9. smells very bad 5. B
6. A 10. smell bad 6. C
7. B 11. hurt, badly affected, unbearable 7. I
8. C 12. never stop, never leave them 8. F
9. D behind 9. G
10. E 10. H
B. Activity 2 B.
11. A 1. Like a raisin in the sun 11. A
12. B 2. Like a sore 12. C
13. C 3. Like rotten meat 13. A
14. A 14. B
4. Like a heavy load
15. A 15. A
5. Like a syrupy sweet
6. and then run
7. Hopeless. He sees things
impossible to happen.
8. Answers may vary

Rubric for the parts, what’s more, activity 3 & What I

have learned.
References

Book:

Almonte, Liza R. et.al. (2014). A Journey through Anglo-American Literature – Grade

9 English – Learner’s Material (First Edition). Vibal Group, Inc.

Unpublished Work:
Mostoles, Marina T. et.al. (2020). ACTIVITY SHEETS IN ENGLISH GRADE 9 QUARTER
IV

Online Sources:

PoemHunter.com.(2008, September 20).Dreams Deferred. Retrieved from

https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/crossroads-29/

Reading on the move. Retrieve from

https://www.osymigrant.org/ROMPoetryFormSyllablesMoodandTone.pdf

The TFA Editorial Team.(2016. April 25). TeachForAmerica.How to Analyze a Poem

in 6 Steps. Retrieved from https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/how-to-
analyze-a-poem-in-6-steps

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/fester

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/rotten

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/stinks

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/sore

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/deferred

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/syrupy

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/strive

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/flickering

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/breeze

Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/sags

Online Images

Poetry clipart station reading.( PNG image).WebstockReview.

https://webstockreview.net/explore/poetry-clipart-station-reading/