I Higaonon
By Telesfore Sungki Jr.
I you called pagan,
you say pagan is bad people.
You say you is Christian
and Christian is good people.You laugh I kneel on big rock
or I pray before big tree.
You angry I call Migbaya,
you say my God is devil.I not laugh you kneel on dead tree
or you pray to hanging God there.
I not angry you call your God,
and I not call Him devil.I angry you get my lands,
I angry you get my golds,
I angry you burn my wood books,
but you say I should love enemy.You say love enemy
but you killed grandpa baylan,
you killed grandma bae,
you killed uncle bagani,
you killed even dog talamuod.II.
I you called savage
you say savage is bad people.
You say you is civilized
and civilized is good people.You laugh I speak wrong your tongue
or I not knowing you say.
You angry I speak my tongue,
you say I silent I not speak your tongue.I not laugh you speak in your noses
or you kalamura speak my tongue.
I not angry you speak your tongue,
I not say you silent you not speak my tongue.I angry you kill my datus,
I angry you burn my house,
I angry you get my honey,
I angry you get my sakop,
but you say I should know democracy.You say know democracy
but you commanding all
you telling I not speak
you forcing I live near plantations
You making all us sakop
you killing my brothers not liking you.III.
I you called brother
you say brother skin also brown.
You say you is my brother
and brother is good people.You laugh I kneel on big rock
or I pray before big tree.
You laugh I speak wrong your tongue
or I not knowing you say.
You angry I call Migbaya,
you say my God is devil.
You angry I speak my tongue,
you say I silent I not speak your tongue.I not laugh you kneel on dead tree
or you pray to hanging God there.
I not angry you call your God,
and I not call Him devil.I not laugh you speak in your teeth
or you kalamura speak my tongue.
I not angry you speak your tongue,
I not say you silent you not speak my tongue.I angry you get my lands,
I angry you get my golds,
I angry you dishonor my sisters,
but you say I should love brother, skin also brown.You say love brother, skin also brown
but you help kill grandpa baylan,
you help kill grandma bae,
you help kill uncle bagani,
you help kill dog talamuod,
you help kill even my balangkawitan rooster.I angry you help kill my datus,
I angry you help burn my house,
I angry you help steal my honey,
I angry you paying cheap my abaka, coffee, coconut, banana, etc.
but you say I should know government.You say know government
but you commanding all
you telling I not speak
you forcing I live near plantations
you making us all sakop
you killing us not liking you.IV.
I pagan?
I savage?
I brother?V.
I knowing gooder, I knowing bad.
I knowing badder, I knowing good.
I knowing brother, I knowing stranger.I knowing things yesterday, today, tomorrow.
I ancient.
I Higaonon.
Summary of I Higaonon
- Popularity of “I Higaonon”: I Higaonon was written by Telesfore Sungki Jr., a Higaonon tribal poet of Filipino origin. It is an interesting read that entices the readers into reading it because of its pidgin English. The poem first appeared in the journal, Dagmay, in or around 2013. It also appeared in Peace Anthology, published in the same year. The beauty of this poetic output lies in its pidgin English and the resistant nature of the poet.
- “I Higaonon?” As a Representative of Prejudice and Hypocrisy: The poet who is from a Higaonon tribe speaks about the English hypocrisy, prejudice, and bias against the indigenous people. Being Higaonon, he tells a story about talking with an English colonizer. He says he doesn’t hate the colonizer’s skin color, religion, or way of worship. But the colonizer hates everything about him, including his life. The colonizer, he asks him, has killed his relatives, and destroyed his lifestyle, yet he says that he is a good man and that his lifestyle is a sign of good civilization. He uses pidgin English and incorrect grammar and wrong wording on purpose. The poet says that he knows what is good or bad and that he is ancient and savage and that he is also the brother of the colonizer, but what he has done makes little sense. He knows it today and will know it tomorrow that despite his words, things are not turning out well for him. That is why he asserts in the end that he is still a Higaonon, that means he is good in an ironic sense.
- Major Themes in “I Higaonon?” Colonization, hypocrisy, and othering are three major themes of this poem. Telesfore Sungki Jr. Artfully employs pidgin English to express the theme of colonization and the contrast between nations, people, and races. He goes on to discuss it saying that the master differs with him on everything, be it God, religion, blood relations, or culture. Yet, he calls himself good and him bad. He demonstrates the othering of imperial culture by using pidgin English, but ends the poem positively by accepting his Higaonon identity and knowledge of the past, present, and future.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In I Higaonon
literary devices are those tools that poets used to make their language poetic, meaningful and impactful. Telesfore Sungki Jr. also used some literary devices in this poem, whose analysis is as follows.
- Allusion: It is a literary device that shows the use of a reference for something, person, or event such as Higaonon, Kalamura, and Migbaya.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ in “I Higaonon? Let me count the ways” the sound of /i/ in “and Christian is good people” and the sound of /aw/ and /i/ in “I not angry you call your God, and I not call Him devil”.
- Anaphora: It is a device that shows the use of the first part of clause or verse in the successive verses, such as “I angry you…” and “you killed…” in the third and fourth stanzas.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /g/ in “I angry you get my lands”, the sound of /b/ and /s/in “You say brother skin also brown” and the sound of /l/ and /n/ in “I not laugh you kneel on dead tree.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
I you called brother
you say brother skin also brown.
You say you is my brother
and brother is good people.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “You laugh I kneel on big rock”, “I angry you burn my wood books”, and “I knowing things yesterday, today, tomorrow.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different in nature. The poet has several implicit metaphors such as lands, golds, and tongue to denote wealth and language.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that differ from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of time, land, gold, God, and religion to show the remnants of imperialism.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in I Higaonon
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Free Verse: The poem does not follow any rhyme scheme. Therefore, it is a free verse poem.
- Pidgin English: The poem shows the use of pidgin English that is not standardized English.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are 20 stanzas of different verses in total five parts and three one-line verses.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “I Higaonon” are appropriate to quote when showing understanding of time.
I knowing gooder, I knowing bad.
I knowing badder, I knowing good.
I knowing brother, I knowing stranger.
I knowing things yesterday, today, tomorrow.