UP TALKS | Teaching Philippine Literature in English

Summary

This video script explores the concept of literature as a form of expression, emphasizing the writer's quest for new forms to convey human experience. It discusses the fluidity of literature, language, and the role of imagination in shaping our perception of reality. The speaker advocates for the study of Filipino literature in English to understand how language shapes thoughts and emotions, and highlights the workshop approach in creative writing as a means to enhance students' linguistic and poetic sensibilities.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script discusses the role of the writer as a literary artist, using the term 'POI' to represent the writer and 'poetry' as a generic term for all literary works.
• 🌐 The distinction is made between communication and expression, with communication being the conveyance of thoughts and feelings, and expression being the shaping of language to reflect one's perception or intuition about reality.
• 🎭 Literature is described as a field of expression, with its subject being humanity and our experiences, which are always changing and evolving.
• 🔍 The writer is portrayed as constantly seeking new forms of expression, as the imagination has infinite possibilities, and these forms are influenced by historical and linguistic contexts.
• 🌟 Literary works are seen as symbolic or imaginative enactments, which are reinventions of the imagination, creating meanings that help us live and understand our world.
• 🏞 The importance of language is emphasized, as it is the medium through which we translate and carry our experiences and perceptions of the world.
• 🌱 The script suggests that language itself is a form of fiction, as it shapes our perception of reality and is continually being reworked into new forms of expression.
• 📝 The value of Filipino literature is highlighted, as it provides models of good writing that reflect the culture and experiences of Filipinos, using English as a medium of expression.
• 🛠 The workshop approach in creative writing is presented as an effective way to teach English, encouraging students to express themselves imaginatively and explore the linguistic possibilities of the language.
• 🔬 Close analytical reading of literary texts is advocated, as it allows readers to actively engage with the human experience depicted in the works and appreciate the writer's use of language.
• 🎨 The script concludes with an analysis of two poems, 'Lament for the Littlest Fellow' and 'Bonsai', illustrating how language and imagery are used to convey deep and complex human emotions and experiences.

Q & A

What does the speaker mean by using the term 'POI' to represent the writer as a literary artist?

The term 'POI' stands for 'point of interest' and is used metaphorically to highlight the writer's role as a creator of literary works that capture and reflect on the human experience.

What is the distinction made between 'communication' and 'expression' in the context of literature?

Communication is the act of conveying thoughts and feelings in the moment of speech, while expression involves shaping language to reflect one's perception or intuition about reality, whether it's based on lived experiences or imagination.

How does the speaker describe the role of literature in relation to our humanity and experience?

Literature is seen as a field of expression that explores our humanity and experiences. It is in a constant state of flux, reflecting the changes in history, culture, and language, and it shapes our thoughts and feelings through the forms of expression it adopts.

What is the significance of the writer's quest for new forms of expression according to the speaker?

The writer's quest for new forms of expression is significant because it represents the boundless possibilities of imagination. This quest allows the writer to reinvent and reinterpret the human experience in unique ways, keeping literature fresh and relevant.

How does the speaker view the relationship between language and the human experience?

Language is viewed as a crucial tool for translating the world and human experiences into a form that can be shared and understood. It is a means of perceiving and expressing reality, and as such, it is inherently tied to our humanity.

What is the role of imagination in creating literary works, as per the speaker?

Imagination plays a central role in creating literary works by providing the means to abstract from our experiences and create new meanings. It allows writers to reinvent the world and human experiences, making the abstract concrete in the reader's mind.

Why does the speaker suggest that language is our first fiction?

Language is considered our first fiction because it is the initial abstraction and interpretation of reality. It shapes our perception and understanding of the world, and it is through language that we create and share our experiences and ideas.

What is the significance of the workshop approach in teaching English through Filipino literature?

The workshop approach encourages students to engage with literature actively, exploring their own experiences and the linguistic possibilities of English. It aims to enhance students' sense for language and their understanding of how language shapes thoughts and feelings.

How does the speaker interpret the role of language in shaping our view of reality?

Language is seen as a historical and cultural artifact that already embodies a particular way of looking at reality. It influences how we perceive and interpret the world, and as our outlook changes, so does our language.

What is the importance of close analytical reading in the workshop approach to teaching literature?

Close analytical reading is important because it allows students to actively engage with the text, exploring the linguistic and rhetorical resources used by the author. This process helps students to appreciate the writer's craft and develop a deeper understanding of the text.

How does the speaker describe the process of creating meaning through writing?

The speaker describes the process of creating meaning through writing as an active one, where the writer shapes language to express their insights and emotions. This process recreates language and allows the writer to express their unique perspective on the human experience.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Literary Expression and Human Experience

The first paragraph discusses the distinction between communication and expression in literature, emphasizing the role of the writer as a literary artist. It highlights that literature is a field of expression, focusing on humanity and our experiences. The paragraph also touches on the fluid nature of literature, history, culture, and language, and how these forms are shaped by historical and linguistic contexts. The writer's quest for new forms of expression is underscored, as is the idea that literary works are reinventions of the imagination, creating meanings that help us navigate life. The human condition, including our awareness of mortality and the desire for a meaningful existence, is portrayed as a driving force behind the creation and translation of language in literature.

05:00

🌐 Language as a Medium for Cultural Expression

This paragraph delves into the concept of language as a means of perceiving and translating thoughts and feelings within a given culture and historical period. It posits that writing is essentially a form of translation, conveying ideas and emotions that may not have been previously expressed. The paragraph discusses the role of English as a medium of expression for Filipino literature, arguing that it can be used to shape and reflect the Filipino experience and identity. It also addresses the misconception that the Filipino experience can only be authentically expressed in Filipino languages, asserting that language is a cultural artifact that shapes and is shaped by our perceptions of reality. The importance of creative writing workshops as a means to enhance students' linguistic and rhetorical skills is highlighted, with a focus on close analytical reading and the active production of meaning.

10:02

🎨 The Art of Literary Analysis and Interpretation

The third paragraph focuses on the process of literary analysis, particularly within a workshop setting. It describes how a teacher might guide students to understand the intentions and themes of a literary work, and how language is used to achieve specific effects on the reader. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of close reading and active engagement with the text to appreciate the writer's craft. It also discusses the role of the reader in interpreting and giving meaning to the work, suggesting that this process can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the writer's use of language to convey complex ideas and emotions.

15:05

🐒 Metaphors of Human Condition in Poetry

This paragraph provides an in-depth analysis of two poems, 'Lament for the Littlest Fellow' and 'Bonsai,' using them as examples to illustrate the use of metaphor and imagery in poetry. It discusses how the marmoset in a cage serves as a metaphor for the human condition, reflecting on themes of captivity, intimacy, and the struggle to grasp the enormity of life's experiences. The paragraph explores the poet's use of language to evoke emotional responses and to convey profound insights into the nature of love and existence. It also touches on the idea of mementos and souvenirs as symbols of cherished moments and the enduring power of love and life.

20:07

💖 The Poet's Feat of Capturing Life and Love

The final paragraph celebrates the poet's ability to capture the essence of life and love through language. It discusses the use of mementos and the act of remembering as a means to cherish and nurture life's experiences. The paragraph references Eduardo Galeano's work to emphasize the importance of memory and the heart's role in passing through experiences. It highlights the poet's skill in conveying profound truths simply and directly, without relying on irony or ambiguity, and the use of vivid imagery such as seashells to evoke a sense of brightness and clarity. The paragraph concludes by reflecting on the significance of these literary devices in making life and love appear more magnificent and real.

Keywords

💡POI

In the script, 'POI' stands for 'Point of Interest', symbolizing the writer as a literary artist. It's a central concept that frames the discussion about the role of the writer in shaping and conveying human experience. The term is used to highlight the writer's quest for unique forms of expression, which is a key theme in the video.

💡Communication vs. Expression

The video distinguishes between 'communication' and 'expression'. Communication is defined as the act of conveying one's thoughts and feelings in the moment of speech, while expression is the act of shaping language to reflect one's perception or intuition about reality. This distinction is crucial to the video's theme, as it emphasizes the creative process behind literary works.

💡Imaginative Writing

Imaginative writing is the field of expression, focusing on our humanity and experience as humans. It is a key concept in the video, as it represents the writer's exploration of reality, whether lived or imagined, and the creation of literary works that reflect the human condition.

💡Language

Language is portrayed as a crucial tool in the video, not only for communication but also as a medium for expressing and shaping human perceptions of reality. It is described as being in flux, always changing with history, culture, and the individual writer's imagination.

💡Literary Forms

The term 'literary forms' refers to the various genres such as fiction, poem, play, or creative nonfiction. The video discusses how these forms are not static but evolve with the historical and linguistic context, reflecting the writer's quest for new modes of expression.

💡Imagination

Imagination is highlighted as having infinite possibilities and is central to the creation of literary works. It is the driving force behind the writer's ability to create new forms of expression and to reinvent the world through language.

💡Humanity

The concept of 'humanity' is a recurring theme in the video, referring to our shared human experience and the exploration of what it means to be human. Literary works are seen as a way to delve into and express the complexities of our humanity.

💡Translation

In the context of the video, 'translation' is used metaphorically to describe the process of carrying thoughts and feelings across languages and cultures. It illustrates the idea that all language is a form of translation, reflecting the writer's task of expressing their vision within the constraints of a given language.

💡Fiction

Fiction, as a literary form, is discussed in the video as a creation of the imagination that makes the abstract real to the mind. It is a second-level translation of human experience, where the writer shapes language to convey their vision of reality.

💡Filipino Literature

The video specifically mentions 'Filipino literature' as an example of how a culture's history and experience can be expressed through the medium of English. It emphasizes the importance of using local literature as a model for teaching English, as it reflects the students' own cultural context.

💡Workshop Approach

The 'workshop approach' in creative writing is presented as an effective method for teaching English through literature. It encourages students to express themselves imaginatively by exploring their experiences and experimenting with the linguistic possibilities of English.

Highlights

POI represents the writer as a literary artist, while 'poem' or 'poetry' are used as generic terms for all literary works.

Communication and expression are distinguished, with communication conveying thoughts and feelings, and expression shaping language to reflect one's perception of reality.

Literature is a field of expression, focusing on the theme of our humanity and experience as humans.

Literature is always evolving, with forms of expression shaped by historical and linguistic contexts.

The writer as a literary artist is constantly seeking new forms of expression, driven by the infinite possibilities of imagination.

Literary works are symbolic or imaginative enactments that reinvent meanings and help us live.

Language is a crucial tool for translating the world and making it meaningful through words.

Language itself is a form of translation, carrying meaning across words and cultures.

Language is a way of perceiving reality, shaped by culture and historical context.

The act of writing is a form of translation, expressing thoughts and feelings in a new form.

The workshop approach in creative writing encourages students to express themselves imaginatively through the exploration of their experiences and the use of language.

The workshop approach assumes that writing recreates language, enhancing students' sense for language and its possibilities.

Close analytical reading of literary texts is essential for understanding the human experience they depict and the way language is used to convey it.

The poem 'Lament for the Littlest Fellow' uses the marmoset as a metaphor to explore the human condition and the struggle with truth and reality.

The poem 'Bonsai' reflects on the idea of mementos and the cherishing of life and love through simple yet profound expressions.

The use of imagery and metaphor in 'Bonsai' highlights the beauty and significance of life's moments, suggesting a divinity in the affection that sustains life.

The poem demonstrates the power of language to convey deep insights and emotions through careful word choice and imagery.

Transcripts

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in this talk I used the word POI as a

figure for the writer as literary artist

and the word poem or poetry as the

generic term for all literary works I

also distinguish between communication

and expression in communication one

conveys what one thinks and feels at the

moment of speech with other speakers in

expression one shapes the language to

one's own perception or intuition about

some aspect or feature of reality

whether that reality has actually been

lived or has only been imagined

literature or imaginative writing is the

field of expression its subject or theme

is our humanity our experience as human

literature itself like history culture

and language is always in flux what we

usually call fiction poem play or

creative nonfiction or essay our only

possible forms of expression shape or

rot from a given historical language if

so those forms already secret the rules

and criteria of their past

ability the writer as literary artist is

always in quest of other forms of

expression the imagination has infinite

possibilities

whatever kind or type a literary work is

it enacts what we are as human beings

what in our individual and in our common

history we have become and maybe

becoming a symbolic or imaginative

enactment literary works are

reinventions of the imagination we

ourselves create the meanings that help

us live we have them on the one hand

what we call our world our reality

nature people and their affairs and on

the other hand language the human being

alone it seems is conscious of death and

so here's the great earning for this

world this life he longs for the world

and the living to be the meaningful word

incarnate this impelled him to translate

to carry the world over the language to

vary across the words of the language

the wonder of nature the miracle of

living it is no accident we speak of

language as a tongue the figure suggests

that we would save her with words and

words the joy of living

The Fool any language in fact is by

itself already translation from Latin

trance ferry to carry across any

language is a way of perceiving in a

given culture give during a given

historical period writing also is

essentially translation with very across

our words whether they are indigenous or

adopted those thoughts and feelings we

have not till then found our expression

or with need again to be expressed in a

new form that they perhaps may still

live after our living what is expressed

through words and the images or myths

that they are made to evoke is an

insight into our humanity that insight

is the luminance of thought with no

concept or idea conveys a regions of

feeling with no thought catches if this

is so then language is our first fiction

and it's working it's being wrought into

poem or story a second but which our

humanity is as it were again created

fiction I said but no less real because

it is the imagination which makes real

to the mind what it abstracts from our

experience as teachers of English we

want to privilege Filipino literature

wrote from English as models of good

writing

precisely because one the culture and

experience from which these points arise

are our own history

as a people and to this poem show how

English as a medium of expression

operates to shape our own thoughts and

feelings as Filipinos by way of the

imagination our poets have cleared a

clearing of our own within that adopted

language called English even us in our

literary history our writers have done

so with Spanish it may be remind that

the Filipino experience can be expressed

only in Filipino that is to say in

Tagalog saponin iloko Hiligaynon but

that is to misconceive language language

shapes the things that it expresses

language is as a given historical medium

or cultural artifact language itself is

already a fixed way of looking at

reality therefore creating a version of

that reality of course as the speakers

and the readers outlook changes language

also changes bit English there Tagalog

language is always already a partial

representation of reality and

interpretation of the world and human

affairs shared by the community of the

languages speakers but the point like

most everyone sees things through his

own sensibility and imagination however

his own self might also have been shaped

by changes in his own time and culture

he may see things differently from the

way of looking that in years in the

language he

noise in that case he must work the

language to make it express his own

singing and feeling the workshop

approach in creative writing maybe one

effective way of teaching English

through models of excellent writing by

Filipino writers here the students are

encouraged to express themselves

imaginatively by probing their own

experiences and exploring the resources

and experimenting with the possibilities

of English as the linguistic medium this

workshop approach assumes that the very

act of writing itself recreates the

language the teacher therefore my show

how this takes place he takes as a

working hypothesis an interpretation an

end or goal that the writer has set out

to accomplish so he asks what is the

point about that is to say it sparks a

subject or theme what is the point point

or inside its size I meaning

significance next he asks about the

poems final end or Gold read the points

succeed in enforcing the theme in

expressing that inside the story or poem

itself shows how the language has been

employed and deployed to achieve its

effect on the sensitive reader that

effect we call the thing the plumbers

arrive but intellectual or emotional

force or energy of the poem by which the

poems end is achieved the teachers

purpose here

is to make the student aware of

linguistic and rhetorical resources and

their unlimited possibilities and

therefore enhance the students sense for

language this sense for language is the

basic poetic sense which is nourished

but the love of reading and it's the

foundation of proficiency in any

language the workshop approach requires

close analytical reading of the literary

text to open it for as you read you are

not a passive consumer of a product

you're an active producer of meaning you

enter imaginatively the human experience

that the poem depicts in the points

world you are engaged with a way of

thinking and feeling you see and feel

the way the poems speaker or the

characters in the story see and feel so

that at the end when you make an

assessment a judgement about the

literary or points imagined experience

your first lived as it were another life

you have first considered the other

imaginary person's viewpoint before you

favored as it may happen your own

interpretation by cultivating this

sensitivity as one reads one can begin

to appreciate what the writer has

accomplished all that he has done with

the sole means of language let us take

two points by Edith El Tiempo

lament for the littlest fellow and the

poem

bonzai lament for the littlest fell

the littlest fellow was a marmoset he

held the bars and blink his old man's

eyes

you said he knew us and took my arm and

said my fingers round the bars with

coaxing mimicry subs quick and Twitter

now he thinks you are

another marmoset in a cage approach the

Nile set you - laughing shutting but a

question far into my mind something

enormous and final the question was an

ask but there is an answer sometimes in

your sleeping face upon the pillow I

would catch our own little truant

unaware he had fled from our pain and a

dark room of our rage but I would snatch

him back from yesterday and tomorrow you

wake and I bruise my hands on the living

cage that's worse in 1950 from sands and

coral now the next point Banzai all that

I love

I fold over once and once again and keep

in a box or a slit in a hollow post or

in my shoe all that Ilah why yes but for

the moment and for all time both

something that folds and keeps easy sans

note or done or dad's one gaudy tie a

roto picture of a young Queen a blowing

Jan Schall even a money build its utter

sublimation a feat this hearts

controlled moment the moment to scale

all locked down to a cup hands

the officials are broken pieces from

God's own bright teeth and life and love

are real things you can run and

breathless hand over to the merest child

that was in 1972 InFocus magazine now in

the first poem what the question is and

what exactly the answer to it both

something enormous and final we would

have to infer both from the imagery and

the metaphor that suddenly limb or

delineate the human situation the soul

metaphor is the marmoset in a cage a

monkey a monkey whose name

etymologically suggests a grotesque

mumbling figure when the husband mocks

his wife the point speaker as resembling

a marmoset which she proudly denies the

resemblance had already been subtle in

fakes by her own perception of the

murmurs that are the littlest fellow

with his old man's eyes with smart the

animal as human the husband taunts his

wife in forcing the resemblance by

setting her fingers round bars as to

simulate a prison cell for her and

mimicking all the while a marmoset

squeak and Twitter all male banter or

monkey business for a moment merriment

but it provokes in the wife a

realization

instantly suppressed because it is dark

something enormous and

final four nights afterwards whenever

the wife would catch the image mama said

in her husband's sleeping face she would

only call it our own little true one as

though to make light of it since in that

past moment of truancy and banter in the

zoo

she had repressed a dark intuition the

image had fled from our pain in the dark

room of our range in the points human

situation bedroom a sight of intimacy

has become a variation upon caged and

yet she would snatch him back the

marmoset from yesterday and tomorrow

because the image held the truth you

wake and I bruise my hands on the living

cage at the points and we might also ask

why in the title of the poem why the

main four is it because the truth is

constantly denied so that its enormity

the living cage might be lightened but

light and indeed it is in a later point

a later moment of enlightenment where

the image of the poems inside appears

only in the points title bonsai where of

course assuming that the speaker in

lament and the speaker in bonsai is the

same way the poem bonsai is as it were a

free-form because that moment where all

love is gathered is all kind in fact it

isn't so much image of bonsai as idea

and feeling which the poems words in

force

box or slit in a hollow post or shoe it

is in the image such as the marmoset in

this cage which motivates or propels the

pole but rather the idea of souvenir or

memento by which one cherishes and

nurtures life and love as real as real

as any material thing like a blue engine

shore this calls to mind Eduardo galeano

wonders epigraph to his book of embraces

in 1989 record dark he says to remember

from Latin ray Cortese to pass through

the heart so be it sans note or dad's

one gaudy tie or even the most ordinary

thing like a money Bill the revelation

or insight about those my mentors is the

point and it will be the highest art to

state it quite simply without any

rhetoric of irony and ambiguity so

cherries in the new critical mode it's

utter sublimation a feat this hearts

control moment to moment to scale all

not down to a cup and size yet the irony

and the paradox are there in the very

happiness of the world's scale and

cupped hand so carefully chosen so that

life and love as real things appear all

the more magnificent till officials are

broken pieces says the poet from God's

own bright piece this for me is the most

remarkable feat

in the poem is making it is the poet had

said for the moment and for all time

both this keeping of mementos this

folding over and scaling down to keep

easy and cherish so then till specials

encompasses all time and by invoking God

suggests a divinity in that simple yet

mysterious affection which sustains life

and love as real the image of seashells

glinting on a sunny beach evokes

brightness and chair and so fulfills

what the poet speaks of us hearts

controlled but there is more seashells

are broken pieces like souvenirs that is

to say they are broken off as it were

from those happy moments were life and

love are real then indeed for souvenirs

are deeply cherries there are things

they are things that are very light so

that you can run and breathless hannover

to the merest child that truly is the

very sign that it is real for a child

needs no further proof of love than love

yeah okay thank you

[Music]

you