Reading Guide: Language and Identity

“Dreamweavers” by Marjorie Evasco

1. How does the structure of the poem contribute to its overall meaning? 
2. According to Evasco, what is our relationship with language? 
3. What is your interpretation of the poem? 

“A Filipino Writer of English Poems to a Filipino Writer of Spanish Poems” by Justine U. Camacho

1. What is your interpretation of the poem’s title? Why do you think Filipino is mentioned twice in the title? 
2. What are the languages at play in the poem? How does language explain the Philippines’ colonial history? How can we use language to connect with our histories?
3. How does language shape one’s identity?
4. Who is the audience? What is the background of the speaker? 
5. Analyze the following quote: “Why do I end up speaking of white things? I feel blond bleached and painted over. But this is how I speak: misted over with a foreign flavor but in essence a native blend of brown and yellow.” 

“Notebook” by Fran Ng

1. What is the author’s relationship with language? 
2. How does Ng utilize personification to express herself? How can language serve as an extension of our humanity, according to Ng?

Thematic Questions: 1) What is the relationship between language and aesthetic? How can we use this discussion to better understand literature as art and a political tool?  2) How can we show agency in language?