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FOR ZAMBOANGA CITY DIVISION USE ONLY

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ENGLISH
QUARTER 1
WEEK 1.1

Capsulized Self-Learning Empowerment Toolkit

Schools Division Office of Zamboanga City

Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Zamboanga City

“Unido, Junto avanza con el Cree, junto junto

EduKalidad puede!”
Written by: EMIE JOY B. LUNA
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CapSLET
Capsulized Self-Learning Empowerment Toolkit

SUBJECT &
GRADE/LEVEL English 8 QUARTER 1 WEEK 1 DAY _
dd/mm/yyyy

TOPIC African Literature

Identify the distinguishing features of notable African
LEARNING chants, poems, folktales and short stories.
Code:
COMPETENCY EN8LT-Ia-8.1 OBJECTIVES:
● Define chant and poem; and
● List down notable literary genres of African writers
IMPORTANT: Do not write anything on this material. Write your answers on the Learner’s
Activity and Assessment Sheets provided separately.

UNDERSTAND
TOPIC: African Literature

What is African Literature?

It is defined as literary woks created by authors living in countries on the African continent, mainly lying
south of the Sahara. In African literature, the traditions of numerous African peoples and the interwoven
historical development of the cultural traditions of Europe, Asia, India, and America, are intertwined.
Literature of African countries is distinguished by a variety of genres that are constantly evolving and
mutating.

(Source: “ African Literature,” Wikipedia, accessed June 10,2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_literature )

What is a literary
genre?

A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined by or even (as in the
case of fiction) length. The distinctions between genres and categories are flexible and loosely defined, often
with subgroups.

Chant and Poem are some of the examples of Literary Genres

What is a chant?
A Chant is a repeated rhythmic phrase, typically one shouted or sung in unison by a crowd. A chant
tends to be two to four lines repeated over and over. A chant is quick, short, and makes a point.

(Source:“Chant,” Dictionary, accessed June 10,2020, www.dictionary.com)

Example of African chant entitled Africa by Toto Song:

Written by: EMIE JOY B. LUNA

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Chants tend to focus on either

Africa offensive or defensive moves. The best
By Toto Song times to use a chant include:

I hear the drums  While on the side line during plays.

Echoing tonight  To encourage your team to be
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation defensive, take the ball back or make a
She's coming in 12: 30 flight basket or goal.
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards
Salvation  During short time outs and quick
I stopped an old man along the way, breaks that call for something from the
Hoping to find some long forgotten words or ancinet melodies cheerleaders but might not allow
He turned to me as if to say, Hurry boy, it's waiting there for enough time for a full-blown cheer.
You  In African, chants are also used
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you during sacred prayers and traditions.
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never
had The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless longing for some solitary
company I know that I must do what's right
As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the
Serangetti I seek to cure what's deep inside,… What is a poem?
A Poem is a collection of
spoken or written words that expresses ideas or emotions in a powerfully vivid and imaginative. A poem is
comprised of a particular rhythmic and metrical pattern. A poem’s main function is to convey an idea or
emotion in beautiful language. It paints a picture of what the poet feels about a thing, person, idea, concept, or
even an emotion.

This is an example of poem (excerpt) entitled I am an African Child by Eku McGred:

I am an African Child
by Eku McGred In a continent as ethnically and culturally
diverse as Africa, it comes as no surprise that the
I am an African child
Born with a skin the colour of chocolate literature that has emerged from it be equally
Bright, brilliant and articulate diverse and multifaceted. Dealing with a range of
Strong and bold; I’m gifted social and cultural issues, from women’s rights
Talented enough to be the best and feminism to post-war and post-colonial
I am an African child identity, here are some of Africa’s best
contemporary writers.
Often the target of pity
My future is not confined to ● Chinua Achebe- one of the world’s most widely
charity Give me the gift of a recognized and praised writers, Achebe wrote some
lifetime; of the most extraordinary works of the 20th century.
His most famous novel, Things Fall Apart (1958),
Give me a dream, a door of opportunity; is a devastating depiction of the clash between
I will thrive traditional tribal values and the effects of colonial
I am an African child rule, as well as the tension between masculinity and
femininity in highly patriarchal societies.
Do not hide my fault
show me my wrong
● Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- born in Nigeria
I am like any other;
Teach me to dream
in 1977, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is part of
And I will become New generation of African writers taking the
I am an African child. literary world by storm. Adichie’s works are
primarily character-driven, interweaving the
background of her native Nigeria and social and
political events into the narrative.

● Nadine Gordimer- Her works powerfully explore social, moral, and racial issues in a South
Africa under apartheid rule. Gordimer’s most famous and controversial works were banned from
South Africa for daring to speak out against the oppressive governmental structures of the time.
Written by: EMIE JOY B. LUNA
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(Source: “The Top 10 Contemporary African Writers You Should Know”, Culture Trip,
accessed July 08,2020,https://theculturetrip.com/africa/articles/the-top-
10-
contemporary-african-writers-you-should-know/)

SAQ-1: Directions: Read and answer each question carefully. Choose the correct answer for each
question.
1. What is mostly interwoven in African literature?
a. culture and traditions b. food and cuisine c. arts and dances d. technology

2. All are true about Chants EXCEPT?

a. It is mostly repeated b. It is often long c. It is quick and fast d. It is sung in unison.

3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a song?

a. it can be written or spoken c. it is vivid and imaginative
b. it often follows measure and rhyme d. it is always short in nature

SAQ-2: From the given definition, make a Venn diagram on the difference of a poem from a chant?

Let’s Practice! (Answer on the separate sheets provided.)

Directions: Here are examples of poems and chants from African writers. Classify each of them whether it’s a
poem or a chant.

1. Do not fear the past.

2. Away, away, little goat.
It is ugly
Away, away, little goat.
but it is ours,
Mama is not at home.
Do not hold on to lies
Grandma is not at home.
That you were fed when you were young.
Oh, my little child, keep quiet,
Learn the history of your people
Who spanked you?
Find the truth
Is it little Paul?
to free your soul from evil
Spit and let me spank him for you,
Learn the Qur-an
Oh, my child, don’t cry.
Learn the bible
Oh, my poor child, keep quiet.
Find the meaning of life and religion.
Do not fear the past.
English Translation of “Tuu! Tuu! Gbovi” by
It is painful
Ewe Children’s Song
but it is real
Blood was spilt and people died Answer:
but love and unity had survived.
Learn the tongue of your ancestors
Reconnect with the roots of your blood
Find the knowledge
That was stolen
Find the life that was robbed from us.
Do not fear the past.
Embrace it
Let it teach you the wisdom of your race
Take its lessons and live by them
Own the identity that was erased.
Do not fear the past,
Do not hate it.
Do not fear the past,
Learn about it.
Let it teach you
Let it nurture you
Let it remind you, of who you are

“Do not fear the past” — Zuhura

Seng’enge
Answer:

Written by: EMIE JOY B. LUNA

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REMEMBER
Key Points

● Remember that chants tend to be easy to remember, so encourage the audience to get involved as
well. You can do this by having one cheerleader motion them to join in, with cards or by placing a
few students in the stands to encourage other fans to chant along.

● Poets grab the attention of the audience through the use of vivid imagery, emotional shades and
other rhetorical devices. However, the supreme function of a poem is to transform imagery and words
into verse form, to touch the hearts and minds of the readers. They can easily arouse the sentiments of
their readers through versification. In addition, poets evoke imaginative awareness about things by
using a specific, diction, sound, and rhythm.

TRY
Let’s see how much have you learned
today!
(Answer on the Learner’s Activity and Assessment sheets.)
Directions: Identify each one of the following texts 2. Don’t cry, don’t cry.
whether it is a poem or a chant. Write your answer
on the space after each item. Answer:

1. To the children we call our future

Who have no shoes to put on their feet
Who have barely any food to eat
Who believe in some unreal hope
But still dare to dream
Wild and free.
Cheers!
To the folks who stand by the wayside
Who search high and low for a world unknown
Will they ever find?
A place called ‘home’
Probably, probably not
We wait
Chin-Chin!
A lesson well learned
You took everything and yet left so
much You left us hanging
Do we regret the departure?
We still take a long walk of shame
Until we finally snap
Wassail!
All who made the attempt
To restore some peace to
chaos
To restore hope to despair
You got caught in the web
Of toils and sacrifice to
defy
All odds of a better life for
everyone Now a toast!
To all who fought
To those who are still fighting
To those who merry in the
war
To those who take advantage of the frail
To the injustice done to us

To the justice we still fight for

Bottoms Up!

“Bottom’s Up”- Ama Nuamah

Written by: EMIE JOY B. LUNA
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Don’t cry and let anyone see your mouth
There is gold in your mouth Don’t
cry and let anyone see your mouth

- English translation of “Kaa Fo” Ga

Cradle Song, Ghana, West Africa

Answer:

3. Walking through Africa, what do I see? I

can see inyoka looking at me.
Walking through Africa, what do I see?
I can see ufudu looking at me.
Walking through Africa, what do I see?
I can see indlovu looking at me.
Walking through Africa, what do I see?
I can see ikhozi looking at me.

“Walking through Africa”- a Zulu chant

Answer:

4. The giraffe and the elephant went for a walk.

They stopped in some shade and started to talk;
"I wish it would rain," said the giraffe with a sigh.
"I'm tired of watching the clouds pass us by!" "Yes,"
said the elephant, "Where is the rain?
I wish I could eat fresh green leaves again.
The sun is so hot and the land is so dry; When
will the rain fall from the sky?" Later in the
day the sky turned grey,
The flying ants flew out to say,
"The rain is coming! We smell it in the air!
And in the distance, thunder we hear!"
The giraffe and the elephant looked up at the sky
And heard the black eagle give forth his cry, "The
rain has come, The rivers will flow;
The dry season is over; now the green grass will grow!"

“Where Is the Rai

Answer:

Written by: EMIE JOY B. LUNA

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Source: “Cheer Chants and Songs,” Lori Soard, accessed June 10,2020,
https://cheerleading.lovetoknow.com/Cheers_Chants_and_Songs

Source: “ Literary Device- Definition and Examples of Literary Terms,” accessed

June 10, 2020,
https://literarydevices.net/poem/#:~:text=Function%20of%20Poem,concept%2C%20
or%20even%20an%20object.

Source: “The Rose Family by Robert Frost,” Poem Hunter, accessed June 10, 2020,
REFERENCE/S https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-rose-family/

Source: “5 incredible poems from across Africa,” One.org, accessed June 10, 2020,
https://www.one.org/international/blog/5-incredible-poems-from-across-africa/

Source: “West African Song and Chants: Children’s Music from Ghana, Karen
Howard from University of Washington, accessed June 10, 2020,
https://folkways.si.edu/west-african-song-chants-childrens-ghana/music/tools-
for-teaching/smithsonian
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Written by: EMIE JOY B. LUNA