JOSE GARCIA VILLA

“WHEN I WAS NO BIGGER THAN A HUGE”

“FIRST, A POEM MUST BE MAGICAL”

Blanco, Aliana | Lopez, Francesca | Nuada, Nelijah

 JOSE GARCIA VILLA
(AUGUST 5, 1908 – FEBRUARY 7, 1997)

❖ modernist poet in Philippine literature

❖ Doveglion (derived from “Dove”, “Eagle” and “Lion”)

❖ National Artist of the Philippines for literature (1973)

❖ “reversed consonance rhyme scheme” - when the

last sounded consonants of the last syllable are

reversed for the corresponding rhyme (ex: light and

tell; run and near)

 JOSE GARCIA VILLA
(AUGUST 5, 1908 – FEBRUARY 7, 1997)

❖extensive use of punctuation marks, “a lineal

pace of dignity and movement”  Comma

Poet

❖interested in the relationship between the

meaning of human life and the mystery of

Creation
“WHEN I WAS NO BIGGER
THAN A HUGE”
BY: JOSE GARCIA VILLA
“WHEN I WAS NO BIGGER THAN A HUGE”
BY: JOSE GARCIA VILLA

When, I, was, no, bigger, than, a, huge,

Star, in, my, self, I, began, to, write,
My,
Theology,
Of, rose, and,
Tiger: till, I, burned, with, their
Pure, and, Rage. Then, was, I, Wrath-
Full,
And, most,
Gentle: most,
 Dark, and, yet, most, Lit: in, me, an,
Eye, there, grew: springing, Vision,
Its,
Gold, and,
Its, wars. Then,
I, knew, the, Lord, was, not, my, Creator!
–Not, He, the, Unbegotten—but, I, saw,
The,
Creator,
Was, I—and,
I, began, to, Die, and, I, began, to, Grow.
 STRUCTURE

❖“Comma Poem”
 Comma – represents a pause
 Emphasizes every word, suggests its importance
❖Most, if not all, adjectives and nouns begins with a capital letter
❖Pure, Rage, Wrathful, Gentle, Dark, Vision, Die, and Grow—play a significant role
in the poem, such that they present contrasts
❖4 stanzas and a concluding line
❖2 long lines that contain the main essence of the stanza and 3 short lines that
serves as a transition
 ABOUT THE
TITLE
 The title, the first and
second line connote the life of
a star, from his shining to
dimming moment
 the life, death, and rebirth of
a star
 CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
1ST LINE: In the midst of reminiscing
When, I, was, no, bigger, than, a, huge,

2nd LINE: persona is maybe in he’s middle age

Star, in, my, self, I, began, to, write, already, for it used a star- a star
within
him
“huge” and “star” transition from 1st
and 2nd line indicates difference
from
then and now
“my self” instead of “myself”
 CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4TH LINE: Theology metaphysical question
Reality of supreme and divine being

5TH TO 10TH LINES: Rose, and, Tiger, Opposites / “vis-à-vis”(face to face)

Pure, and, Rage.
Wrath-full, and, most, Gentle

11TH LINE: Dark, and, yet, most, Lit Doubt and uncertainty
 CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
12TH TO 15TH LINES: “Vision” – idea hope and supreme
in, me, an,
vision
Eye, there, grew: springing, Vision,
Its, “Gold” – answers to his doubts
Gold, and,
Its, wars.
“Wars” – uncertainty from the answers

16th LINE:
Then,
 refers to the wars that still
darkens his
I, knew, the, Lord, was, not, my, Creator!
certainty

17th LINE:
–Not, He, the, Unbegotten Used en dash supporting former line
 CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

18TH TO 20TH LINES: Strong break in the structure of

— but, I, saw, thought
The, Continued with the idea
Creator,
Was,

21st LINE:
I — and,
after all his search for truth about
I, began, to, Die, and, I, began, to, Grow.
God’s reality he himself find God to
be real and existential
 CONCLUSION

The wars referring to his negation about God’s supremacy

despite of having the vision for certainty, were cleared
upon him seeing the Creator himself. The conclusion that
after all his search for truth about God’s reality he himself
find God [his Creator] to be real and existential. Thus,
made him to end and clear all his doubts (I began to die)
and began with certainty (to grow).
“FIRST, A POEM MUST BE
MAGICAL”
BY: JOSE GARCIA VILLA
“FIRST, A POEM MUST BE MAGICAL”
BY: JOSE GARCIA VILLA

First, a poem must be magical,

Then musical as a seagull.
It must be a brightness moving
And hold secret a bird’s flowering
It must be slender as a bell,
And it must hold fire as well.
It must have the wisdom of bows
And it must kneel like a rose.
 It must be able to hear
The luminance of dove and deer.
It must be able to hide
What it seeks, like a bride.
And over all I would like to hover
God, smiling from the poem’s cover.
 CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
 must have magic, and it must be
First, a poem must be magical musical
Then musical as a sea-gull.
"a diamond in the rough"

It must be a brightness moving should not be static and should be

And hold secret a bird's moving like a bird
flowering.

Lean and clean / it is not “fixed”

It must be slender as a bell
And it must hold fire as well. Should have spirit
 CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
It must have the wisdom of bows A good poem is like an archer’s bow
And it must kneel like a rose. A metaphor for humility

It must be able to hear

The luminance of dove and deer. Gentleness and purity

Must not explicitly state meaning

It must be able to hide
Must guess what the poem means;
What it seeks, like a bride.
seek the real meaning

And over all I would like to hover Must have a Godness to the poem; and
God, smiling from the poem's cover. should radiate Godness to others
 STRUCTURE

• Traditional rhyme scheme of two consecutive lines

• The word “must” is used 8 times indicating how strongly the
author want us to follow the guidelines.
• An informative one
• States its main point on the first line
 CONCLUSION

-Jose Villa concludes that reading poetry might be compared to

enjoying riddles, and that children enjoy solving riddles
-Children must be taught through sheer joy to sense out and feel
the meaning.
-Writers and Poets should become more concerned about
providing the readers and children with joyous language
experiences that will enable them to better understand poetry.
 QUESTIONS

1. Based from your observations, what are the themes for both of the
poems?

2. Like the author, have you ever deeply questioned about life?

3. Have you encountered a moment in your life where you are having a
hard time seeking answers to a certain problem? Did you solve it
yourself or with the help of God?
 SOURCES:
• https://www.scribd.com/doc/294942633/Analysis-of-Poem-17-by-Jose-Garcia-Villa
• http://aaww.org/four-poems-jose-garcia-villa/
• https://jooleeyuuh.wordpress.com/2013/03/30/how-techniques-affect-meaning-an-
analysis-of-jose-garcia-villas-poems/
• https://www.teachervision.com/analyze-jose-garcia-villa-poem
• https://hiteach007.wordpress.com/tag/when-i-was-no-bigger-than-a-huge/
• http://englishforthirdyear.blogspot.com/2016/02/an-excerpt-of-poem-written-by-
jose.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Garcia_Villa
• https://www.teachervision.com/poetry/interview-jose-garcia-villa