MAN OF EARTH

Amador T. Daguio

- Greek term ‘POIESIS’ meaning making a piece of writing that partakes of the nature of both speech
and song that is nearly always rhythmical , usually metaphonical and offer exhibits such formal
elements as meter, rhyme and stanzic structure . - uses forms and conventions to suggest differential
interpretation to words or to evoke emotive responses .

He was born January 8, 1912 in Laoag , Ilocos Norte but grew up in Lubuagan , Mountain Province,
where his father, an officer in Philippine Constabulary, was assigned He was a class valedictorian in
1924 at the Lubuagan Elementary School. Then he stayed with his uncle at Fort William McKinley to
study in Rizal High School in Pasig. He graduated in University of the Philippines with honors in1932

In 1938, he taught at Zamboanga Normal School where he met his wife, Estella . They transferred to
Normal Leyte School in 1941 before the World War II During the Japanese Occupation, he joined the
resistance and wrote poems in secret, later collected as Bataan harvest.

Man of Earth :
Man of Earth

Pliant is the Bamboo If the wind passes by,

I am man of Earth Must I stop and try
They say that from the Bamboo To measure fully
We had our first birth My flexibility?

Am I of the body I might have been the bamboo,

Or of the green leaf? But I will be a man
Do I have to whisper Bend me then, O lord,
My every sin and grief? Bend me if you can.

Literary Approach:
Literary Approach Biographical Approach - Amador Daguio was a young man when he
wrote this poem. - At a young age, he already tasted many of life’s painful things. - He
said his life has been a series of back- breaking hardships which is why perhaps he
became a poet. Historical Approach - Philippines have suffered a great deal from
countries that had colonized us. They treated the Filipino as inferiors and were cruel to
them especially the Japanese and Spaniards. Filipino have no choice but be submissive
and accept their situation . But then in weakness , they were able to find strength .

Message of the poem:

Message of the poem This poem was written in 1932 but it reflects the plight of Filipinos
today. It tells us how we, Filipinos, should face the seemingly endless challenges in
today’s world. Truly, the Filipinos should be as pliant as the bamboo. As the wind of
economic crisis, tragedies, and political crisis blow, we should humbly stoop- we should
bend, adjust, try to cope, try to survive. At the same time, we should stand on our own
ground- firm, bold, brave, daring. We should continue living even if it’s hard.