DC Method

2EXPNA: English Literature
Denotation and Connotation
in Poetry

By Mrs Alyssa Gan

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

●explore a range of possible denotations and connotations made
available by the poet’s choice of words in a poem (LO2.1, CPDD, p.19).

How the lesson is positioned in the unit

Unit Focus: Appreciating Writer’s Craft in Poetry

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Exploring a range of
poems at the Secondary level.

“What does poetry look
like at the Upper
Secondary level?”

Exploring a range of
denotative and
connotative words in a
poem.

“How does the poet use
denotative and
connotative meaning in
his/her choice of
words?”

Analyse how the poet’s
use of styles contributes
meaning (eg. theme,
character) to the poem.
“How does the poet’s
use of style convey
meaning about the
character or theme
present in the poem ?”

Analyse and reflect on a
variety of styles used in
poems that has an
effect on the reader.

“How does the poet’s
use of style have an
effect on the reader?”

The lesson begins: The DC
Method in Poetry

Lead-in (Pre-activity)

●Get into pairs.

●Describe your partner’s hands. What are
some words you used to describe them?

●Have you seen the hands of an older person?
How is it different from yours?

Open Ended

Describe your partner’s hands. What are some words you used to describe them?

Open Ended

Have you seen the hands of an older person? How is it different from yours?

Main Lesson

●Reading of My Father’s Hands by Rodrigo Dela
Pena Jr.

Drag and Drop

The poet uses metaphors to directly compare his father's hands to other things. What did the poet compare his father's hands with? ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Bark

Thorns

Flames

Ash

Flowers

Blankets

Silk

Fire

Flames

Leaves

My Father’s Hands are …

The DC (Denotative-Connotative) Method

●Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word.

●Connotation is the associated emotion or feeling meaning behind a
word.

Sec 3 Normal
(Academic)

Essential Question

●How does the poet’s choice of words in describing his father’s hands
convey a denotative and connotative meaning to it?

Using the DC Method in the poem

My Father’s
Hands are Bark.

Denotative : The outer surface of a tree is
called a bark.

Connotative: His father’s hands are rough
or leathery, like the bark of a tree.

DC Method Activity Instructions

1.Everyone is numbered as 1, 2 or 3.

2.Move into your groups according to your
respective numbers.

3.Conduct the DC Method on the 3 other
words in the poem.

4.You may individually draw or write your
ideas about the word on your worksheet
and then discuss them after.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

My Father’s
hands are
thorns.

My Father’s
hands are
flames.

My Father’s
hands are
ash.

Discussion Time!

● What is the denotative meaning of the word?
● What is the connotative meaning of the word?
● Did you draw any images to help you and can

you explain them to the class?

Closing

●Are there other words in the
poem that have a DC meaning
as well? What are they?

Thank you!