Mejias, Muñez, Mercado, Paña November 23, 2020

12-Berrigan B Sir Daryl Ray Bacolcol

Adhan by Arlene J.Yandug

The Philippine Archipelago encompasses three significant islands namely Luzon,

Visayas, and Mindanao. Each island has its unique complexity that made the culture
and society of the Philippines diverse. In the southern part of the country lies the island
Mindanao which is known as the “land of promise” due to its rich biodiversity and natural
resources. Throughout history, Mindanao has dark moments of truth. Arlene J.Yandug
is a Mindanaoan author who was born in Maramag, Bukidnon but is currently residing in
Cagayan De Oro City. She graduated from Xavier University-Ateneo De Cagayan with
an AB English Course and in the University of the Philippines wherein she got her PhD
in Creative writing. Presently, she is working at Xavier University-Ateneo De Cagayan in
the English Department teaching literature and creative writing. She previously worked
as editor of Kinaadman under the tutelage of its founding editor, Fr. Miguel Bernad SJ.
In 2018, she wrote a poem entitled “Adhan” an Arabic term that means “a call to prayer”
which gives a glimpse on what is the current situation of Mindanao and it is about
finding peace through having a strong faith. A masterpiece that was written in a
metaphoric way to allow the readers to think and understand deeply the concept that
Arlene was trying to portray. The poem’s style of writing is free-verse poetry, consisting
of thirteen (13) stanzas, has a calm tone and mood.The literary piece can have various
interpretations however, it is likely to be perceived as a composition that is in relation to
peace. The group had come up with the proposition of “Being in touch with the realities
of the present.” With the foremost reason that in the written piece, the author is also
trying to convey that harmony and order can be attained when one has care or
consideration, having faith despite the circumstances needed or the objection set is
merely impossible, and effort is being put through regarding the issues that are currently
encountering. This is manifested and proved upon each stanza presented in the piece
of writing. As the world faces uncertainty various things can happen and Being in touch
with the realities of the present is a very important thing to do as life is filled with
obstacles that challenge the capacity of man to survive. It is not only beneficial to a
person but also to society.

In the first three (3) stanzas of the poem, the persona starts to picture out the situation
and the feelings that can be felt is hopelessness. As the first (1st) stanza states “ I’m
supposed to say the final word on connection, about the need to reach out.” it can be
understood that the persona is trying to reach out, and can be inferred that the persona
is exhausted due to the negativity that could be felt. This part captures the reader’s
attention as it stirs the mind of the reader to be curious. The second (2nd) stanza states
that “The Good Samaritan nursing the Jew. A boy and girl touching silence with the
syllables of hurt” this part allusion can be extracted, specifically in the line that talks
about the good Samaritan nursing the Jew wherein it is a parable from the bible. The
author used this as a metaphor for the current situation between Christians and
Muslims. The situation of the boy and the girl depicts a difficult type of relationship but
despite this, they are still loving each other. The idea of the second (2nd) paragraph is
the kindness that people show to each other despite the differences that they have.
Lastly, the third (3rd) stanza exhibits the person's pessimistic view of allusive peace.
Presenting the line, “But friendship, peace the peace talks are terms that keep sliding on
the paper’s edge, hiding between words like reconciliation, negotiation…” The writer is
uncertain whether the world will someday come up in a state of tranquility. Living in a
society that is not accompanied by anger, hatred, and is subjected to war with each
other. For instance, the case in Mindanao is known as a place for frequently
experiencing conflicts especially towards the two different religions or the Muslim and
Christian relationship. The subsequent figures of speech that can be discerned in this
section are both Simile and Repetition. Simile; the persona compares peace talks and
peace. Repetition of the words “peace and peace talks.”

To further substantiate the allegations of the thought out thesis statement, the fourth
(4th) verse affirmed the line, “I don’t know what they mean any more than I know what
the tokay gecko means when she tuckoos on the ceiling every afternoon.” The figure of
speech that can be perceived in this verse is the Auditory Imagery of the tuckooing
gecko. This can be inferred to promises or peace talks but has done nothing in the end
except, just by being loud. In the following stanza, “Is she calling her lover? Perhaps just
recalling the cool air from the river below or the pain of the tail she lost in defense.” This
fifth (5th) refrain reckons on remembering or looking back on the painful past that the
person has experienced when facing a particular problem and also, exhibits the figure of
speech of Kinesthetic Imagery wherein a woman calling her lover can be understood as
getting peace through acceptance of the things. As per the sixth (6th) verse, “What do
the fish say to the pumps degrading the sandy bottom of the Carmen river? Their newly-
hatched eggs won’t see the billboard, the Golden Mile’s blueprint: the sketch of a well-lit
boulevard and the fountain that will soon bloom with lights. Already tourists are flocking
in this city of smiles, dining at McDonalds. Besides them, always a small, dark girl,
fingering her fries, sipping her first coffee. Peaceful, so peaceful.” The figures of speech
that can be found in this part are Visual Imagery and Kinesthetic Imagery. The portion of
the statement which mentioned the fish’s newly hatched eggs foreshadows the
undesirable events in war. The children undergo suffering, live in a miserable life, lost,
as well as have no parents to take care of them while being introduced to a chaotic
world. The seventh (7th) verse of the poem has Anaphora as the perceived figure of
speech which is the repetition or it has emphasized the word “No” or the idea of nothing,
“Because she’s no pride, no question yet to ask, no past to dig.” Next is the eighth (8th)
stanza, “But in another city, a woman keeps digging for truth, boring conscience with
questions about her father’s body, the 58th body that nobody remembers”. It
distinguishes Hyperbole, it exaggerates the searching for facts; “digging the truth”.
Moreover, “In another city” Implies the ‘other’ version of the person shown in the
seventh (7th) stanza or the one which makes the comparison contrasting. Meanwhile,
the ninth (9th) strophe, “Is she grieving because she’s only his dentures for remains? In
her placeless grief, where does her anger live? In a village called Shariff Aguak?” The
figure of speech that is grasped in this section is Metaphor and can be in comparison
with dentures with the definition according to Merriam Webster, “an artificial
replacement for one or more teeth especially; a set of false teeth.” Dentures are non-
living, while the person talked about is alive; they are similar in the aspect of having a
purpose to stay. Dentures are used and remain in the mouth of an individual to have a
complete set of teeth, the person’s reason to stay is for her to find the body of her
father. The poem includes mentioning the place called Sharif Aguak, It is a city or
municipality of Maguindanao, Philippines. This place encounters soldiers and rebels in
conflict most of the time, which leads to the understanding that the father of the woman
recognized in the eighth (8th) stanza is a police officer or part from the military who was
assigned in that area, died and the body was lost during a sudden clash. Additionally,
the stanzas from sixth (6th) to the ninth (9th) part expresses a juxtaposition between
two (2) women in which the first person introduced is sitting at McDonalds while the
other is finding her father’s lost body in war. It implies that people’s situation is distinct
and the effect that is achieved in this segment causes one to have the ability to see the
difference among the two (2) individuals. It can be perceived that the girl in the
McDonalds shows no emotional display or does not have any worries and curiosities
towards someone else, which makes her peaceful in a way that the other people's
problems are not real concerns for her yet. Meanwhile, the grieving girl is simply a
complete opposite of the first person presented. The woman has issues of her own and
is exhibited as being in touch in the realities of the present.

Furthermore, in the tenth (10th) stanza, I’m about to say something earthshaking about
shaking hands, about mind touching another mind and intone “peace on earth” so
cogently I’d win in a beauty contest.” The line presents the figures of speech of
Kinesthetic Imagery and uses Alliteration that signifies an ending mood. While the
succeeding stanza shows Auditory Imagery as stated, “But it’s late in the afternoon, the
gecko on the ceiling is tuckooing.” The noises made by the gecko implies that one’s
thoughts swarm during late at night, informing that the person hears her ideas and
almost comes to an end, having a peaceful imagination. Just as the same as the
remaining second (2nd) to the last stanza, “At the end of the day, I will never have the
parables of Jesus. The songs are already unfurling from the minarets, rising hours after
hours above the tuckoo, the dugudug of pumps; above a warm giggle of a girl teased by
white men; rising above all the sounds of this breathing city, plangently tunneling into
the bottomless ear of God.” It expresses an idiomatic phrase, telling how the speaker
never consider how moral or spiritual lessons works in a place where you can barely get
justice, as if “God ”never heard the person’s prayers—the speaker presents how
hopeless she can be, how her loud prayers will never be heard by “God”, or how justice
will never be hers. The following final evidence to authenticate is the thirteenth (13th)
verse in which stated, “Think of this as a child’s need to throw something upward, to see
how far a pebble or a flower would rise up if it can touch the blue of sky.” This portion
shows the contrasting perspective of the author’s view in the third (3rd) division.
Displaying hope and is persistent in believing that at some point in the future, mankind
will achieve the peace that the people have been longing for the longest. Metaphor is
the figure of speech that is found in this strophe, in which the flower implies a little
amount of distance it reaches above if thrown, as the pebble is different and reaches
much higher as well as far. The blue of sky also signifies as “God” or peace. It
expresses that, upon comparison, no matter what a child throws, may it be a pebble or
a flower, the person is still hopeful that it could reach the blue of sky. In the context of
reality, the author is expecting that peace or order will someday be reached and
experienced by society. The persona also believes that sooner or later, it can be
achieved and the world we will then be living is free from hate as well as with problems,
even though it is not possible since issues are perpetual or never-ending.

Overall, the thesis statement emphasizes how humanity should focus more on the
current issues and attempt in coming up with adequate solutions to have a harmonic
world. This is also for the sake of the future generations, for them not to experience a
miserable life and children wouldn’t face suffering. Understanding the poem helps the
people and the community to think about the actuality in today’s time. Peoneeds,
beliefs, as well as encounters distinct challenges, and being in touch with the realities of
the present is something that holds greater value. Reality is tangible but, one must
accept the fact that every individual lives in different circumstances, situations, status,
can change and to hold this change is through being in touch with it. Reality has
struggles far beyond what we can comprehend and yet, it is where we stand today. Life
is reality as reality is life, interconnected with each other no matter what the other one
decides to be or do. Like the old saying goes, "Life has its ups and downs..." However,
they are missing "...but that is the reality of the life we choose to live. Therefore, life and
reality cannot be separated. When one starts living in a false reality, one is not living at
all. In short, the author is trying to portray the need of people to reach something even
though there are differences, because one thing that people have in common is wanting
the desire to have and feel peace. The written work is stimulating and the persona is
giving a hopeful view of what lies ahead regarding the connection to the relationship of
people despite the dissimilarities whether it is in religion, race, or gender. The
composition also conveys encouragement to the society to be aware and begin
concerning oneself towards one’s surroundings. The poem delivers a message to every
individual and serves as an eye-opener that if one wants to attain peace, keep believing
even if it is impossible to reach, put effort and not just remain by making noises, nothing
will be achieved from just blabbering or spreading awareness alone. Finally, if one
actually cares about the world, it is anticipated that other’s concerns are as well as
considered real problems and is now a part of one’s self. Humankind cannot proceed if
everyone keeps on avoiding the mistakes or problems made, it is better if it is taken
care of little by little despite knowing it being least plausible to resolve. Nothing is
impossible when one thinks it is possible.