Oftentimes, new experiences can be the source of discomfort and anxiety. People try to find their comfort zones in times of duress in order to be familiar with their situation, and to be able to control things the way they want to. In the poem, Upon Hearing Tagalog, Fatima Lim-Wilson tackles a scenario of feeling lost, and momentarily being found. Yet, with these emotions comes an inner turmoil, one that may be born from expected disappointments. Her use of the figurative language and ability to paint vivid images creates a vision that can be related to a divide in society due to the diversity of languages.
The poem tackles the feeling of being lost in an alien place. The first line, ‘Isn’t it sweet to hear one’s language lift from the ordered …show more content…
The idea of being found is further extended in the following lines, where the persona mentions, ‘…Sniffing the air and tracking down the much-missed flock.’ The analogy of the persona to a ‘flock of birds’ reinstates his desire to belong in a group who have similar qualities. It reflects in the earlier sentiment, wherein the persona was merely a single ‘sparrow’, but after finding his kin, they together become a flock. Also, ‘singsong signals’ also demonstrates the idea of communication through means that only their own kind know. The image used here enhances the deeply rooted yearning to be with his ‘flock’, supported by the words ‘much-missed’. The use of metaphoric speech and the comparison to the birds elevates the feeling of wanting to find or be found, especially considering the words ‘tracking’ and ‘sniffing’, animal instincts and actions, thus extending the writer’s image of the …show more content…
With the way the poem is written, the persona indicates his excitement in the beginning, the enthusiasm reflected in the prediction of what will happen once they hear their language. On the contrary, it was as if the persona was expecting to be disappointed, as though he or she has experienced this before, in the line, ‘No, you know only too well the scorching glare when instant recognition segues swiftly into oblivion.’ The words the persona gives the impression that they are not new to this, knowing how to approach the situation by, ’Look down, look past, look through,’ and even going so far as to use the warning, ‘do not dare’.
The image of birds continues on in the next line, ‘Panicked birds retreating,’ showing that there is a scattering of a group. It is no longer a flock, but ‘birds’ in discord, flying away. What he has once considered his group devolves into ‘strangers’, mentioning that there were certain parameters that were drawn, and must not be crossed. The chaos continues here, but it is not the kind that the persona is accustomed to – the one stated in the first few lines – it is one that brings discomfort, a sense of misplacement, and most of all,
The poem tackles the feeling of being lost in an alien place. The first line, ‘Isn’t it sweet to hear one’s language lift from the ordered …show more content…
The idea of being found is further extended in the following lines, where the persona mentions, ‘…Sniffing the air and tracking down the much-missed flock.’ The analogy of the persona to a ‘flock of birds’ reinstates his desire to belong in a group who have similar qualities. It reflects in the earlier sentiment, wherein the persona was merely a single ‘sparrow’, but after finding his kin, they together become a flock. Also, ‘singsong signals’ also demonstrates the idea of communication through means that only their own kind know. The image used here enhances the deeply rooted yearning to be with his ‘flock’, supported by the words ‘much-missed’. The use of metaphoric speech and the comparison to the birds elevates the feeling of wanting to find or be found, especially considering the words ‘tracking’ and ‘sniffing’, animal instincts and actions, thus extending the writer’s image of the …show more content…
With the way the poem is written, the persona indicates his excitement in the beginning, the enthusiasm reflected in the prediction of what will happen once they hear their language. On the contrary, it was as if the persona was expecting to be disappointed, as though he or she has experienced this before, in the line, ‘No, you know only too well the scorching glare when instant recognition segues swiftly into oblivion.’ The words the persona gives the impression that they are not new to this, knowing how to approach the situation by, ’Look down, look past, look through,’ and even going so far as to use the warning, ‘do not dare’.
The image of birds continues on in the next line, ‘Panicked birds retreating,’ showing that there is a scattering of a group. It is no longer a flock, but ‘birds’ in discord, flying away. What he has once considered his group devolves into ‘strangers’, mentioning that there were certain parameters that were drawn, and must not be crossed. The chaos continues here, but it is not the kind that the persona is accustomed to – the one stated in the first few lines – it is one that brings discomfort, a sense of misplacement, and most of all,