Name:John Ivan P.

Magtibay
Section:11 – Walingwaling
Assignment

In your own words, what is your understanding about the article? This article discusses how
literature has influenced Philippine politics and demonstrates the potency of poetry by
comparing it to how our national hero used literature to alter Filipino perceptions.

Base on the article, what makes English standout in the Philippines even if we do have many
dialects available? Acceptance into the ranks of American literature became the ultimate goal
for Filipino writers after America's colonialism of the Philippines and used the English language
as the primary teaching medium in all of their educational institutions. As a result, they view
English as the language of the elites.

Why do you think some writers, Poets, and even the critics said that English destroyed our
identity and that it caused our own language to die a painful death? Due to American
influence, we perceived our language as a common tongue unworthy of literary
accomplishments.

In the Philippines, is there a connection between politics and literature? Why would some call
our poetry “A Poetry of Suffering”?
Yes, there is a correlation since poets and writers constantly seek to discern the virtues and
defects of the state. The majority of poets are considered enemies of the current regime since
they suffered after producing poems that mostly focus on salvation and freedom.