Notes on Narrative Poetry, Figures of Speech, and Adverbs

Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story with at least one character, and it has a clear beginning, middle, and end. It often involves long forms or epics and may include distinctive poetic techniques such as meter. In narrative poetry, there is typically a single speaker or narrator.
Major types and examples mentioned:
- Epics from across the Philippines, including
- Biag ni Lam-ang (Lam-ang is the hero of the epic Biag ni Lam-ang)
- Alim (of the Cordilleras)
- Ibalon (from the Panay islands)
- Indarapatra at Sulayman (from Mindanao region; sometimes referred to with figures like Juraputra)
- Other related narrative forms include ballads and folktales, which are classified within Philippine narrative traditions.
Folktales are stories handed down through generations via oral tradition.
Fable: a short narrative where the characters are animals, and a moral or moral lesson is typically stated at the end.
Structural note: Narrative poetry shares structural features with short stories but preserves poetic form; it involves the same essential components (plot, characters, setting) and a narrative arc, even though it is presented in verse.

Epics: long narrative poems focusing on heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation.
Ballads: narrative poems that tell stories, often with a musical rhythm or meter.
Folktales: stories passed down through oral tradition; emphasize communal culture and shared beliefs.
Fables: short didactic tales where characters are typically animals; conclude with a moral.

Protagonist: the chief actor in a narrative; the term is derived from a Greek root meaning "the first actor" or "the principal actor" (the one who plays the main role).
In Biag ni Lam-ang, the protagonist is Lam-ang.
In Indarapatra at Sulayman, the protagonists are Indarapatra and Sulayman (with figures such as Juraputra referenced in the narrative).
Important idea: even in narrative poetry, there is a protagonist who drives the action and whose perspective shapes the story, though the form remains verse.

Figurative Language refers to expressions whose meanings cannot be taken literally; it uses figurative expressions to explain something more vividly or poetically.
It relies on non-literal meanings and often conveys imagery, emotion, or heightened understanding beyond the literal wording.

Simile: a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using connectives such as "like" or "as". Example concept: comparing two unlike things with a linking word (e.g., "as … as" or "like").
Metaphor: a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things without using explicit connectives (no "like" or "as").
Personification: a figure of speech that attributes human qualities or actions to inanimate objects or abstract concepts.
Apostrophe: a figure of speech in which a person who is absent or dead is addressed as if present, or inanimate objects are addressed as if they were alive.
Hyperbole: a figure of speech that uses deliberate and obvious exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect.
Irony: a figure of speech that conveys the opposite of the literal meaning, or an outcome that is contrary to what is expected.

Adverbs are to verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs what adjectives are to nouns; many adverbs are derived from adjectives by morphological changes, often adding suffixes.
Common pattern: adjectives can form adverbs by adding -ly (e.g., "loving" → "lovingly"), with other adjectival bases following regular or accepted forms (e.g., "witty" → "wittily", "attentive" → "attentively").
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs; they express manner, time, place, frequency, intensity, or negation among other nuances.

Adverb of Manner: describes how an action is performed; examples include merrily, happily, quickly, slowly, gracefully.
Adverb of Time: indicates when an action occurs (e.g., today, tomorrow, later).
Adverb of Place: indicates where an action occurs (e.g., inside, outside, around).
Adverb of Frequency: indicates how often an action occurs (e.g., always, seldom, frequently).
Adverb of Intensity: indicates the degree or extent of an action or adjective (e.g., very, almost, hardly).
Adverb of Negation: expresses negation (e.g., not).

The poet enjoys reading his own verses. (example of adverbial modification in context)
Kissing those who falsely offer him [something] has [unclear ending in the transcript].
And he sighs deeply over the sad lines. (illustrates adverbial emphasis modifying the verb "sighs" with "deeply")
Putting all his soul into every sigh. (illustrates intensity and adverbial phrasing emphasizing the action)