21st Century Literature from The Philippines and the World
MODULE 4: Supplementary Activity
Montales, Jason C.
12 ABM 4
THIRD WORLD GEOGRAPHY
by Cirilo F. Bautista
A country without miracles
Sits heavy on the map,
Thinking of banana trees rotting
In the sunlight.
The man who watches over it
Has commandeered all hopes,
Placed them in a sack,
And tied its loose end.
He goes around carrying it
On his back.
When asked what is inside,
He say, “Just a handful of feathers,
Just a handful of feathers.”
That’s how light the burden
Of government is in peace time –
Any tyrant can turn it into a metaphor.
You kneel on the parched earth
And pray for rice. Only the wind
Hears your useless words.
The country without miracles
Tries to get up from the page,
But the bold ink and sharp colors
Hold it down.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/literature.ph/photos/the-poem-third-world-geography-of-cirilo-f-bautista-is-all-about-the-time-when-f/397775200716943/ (accessed July 15, 2020)
Numbers Imagery Allegory and Illustration
(1 point)
ALLEGORY (4 points):
1. Word/s with hidden
meaning: WIND HEARS
Only the wind Literal meaning: Wind can’t hear anything
Hears your useless words. Symbolic meaning: SELFISH
Line interpretation: ABOUT CORRUPTION AND
BAD POLITICS
ILLUSTRATION (3 points):
(insert illustration/ drawing here)
Caption (2 points):
They know the needs, they know the numbers and
yet most keep a deaf ears on poverty and hunger
ALLEGORY (4 points):
2. But the bold ink and sharp colors Word/s with hidden
Hold it down. meaning: Sharp Colors
Literal meaning: Precise and vivid bright colors
Symbolic meaning: True Colors of Politicians
Line interpretation: REAL INTENTIONS OF SOME
GOVERNMENT TO US
ILLUSTRATION (3 points):
(insert illustration/ drawing here)
Caption (2points): At the end of the day, the true
colors of that politician will come up and will stop
once people realize it.
3. A country without miracles ALLEGORY (4 points):
Sits heavy on the map, Words with hidden
meaning: MAP
Literal meaning: a diagrammatic representation of an
area of land or sea showing physical features, cities,
roads, etc
Symbolic meaning: COUNTRY
Line interpretation: CORRUPTION AND OTHER
BAD POLITICS IS NOT HAPPENING ON ONE
COUNTRY ONLY. IT IS EVERYWHERE
ILLUSTRATION (3 points):
(insert illustration/ drawing here)
Caption (2 points): Country that has highlight labeled
as the third world country that has population with
low and middle incomes, yet government take
advantage of their powers on a hopeless country.
Numbers Literary Devices Line in the poem (2 points) Function/Impact (3 points)
EXAMPLE:
SYMBOLISM You kneel on the parched It made the line or poem more appealing
earth and pray for rice and significant.
EXPLANATION: The parched
earth means dry land and
visualizes drought, which causes damage
to crops. And if there's a drought, it
causes hunger- that’s why they “pray for
rice” or ask for help.
Thinking of banana trees It means that there is no hope and
1. FIGURE OF rotting in the sunlight improvement or chance that make
SPEECH something better or more value
When asked what is insdue, Is that the selfish leader looks down on
2. REPETITION he says, “Just a handful of his people’s hopes and dreams in life
feathers, just a handful of
feathers,
That’s how light the He acts as if these were just something of
burden little value and could easily throw them
3. ENJAMBMENT Of government is in away
peace time –
Any tyrant can turn it
into a metaphor.
SUMMARY
The poetry creates a vivid image in the mind's eye. The author describes how one man
ripped away all optimism that their country's issues might be solved and replaced it
with a false illusion. This hazy hope washed away the government's heavy load, which
regarded everything as insignificant. Some stanzas use repetition of the phrase to
illustrate the government's deceit and indifference to humankind. The poem also
teaches resilience and selflessness, as well as the need of not giving up even when
others are pulling you down and not allowing you to breathe. The past is the shadow of
the present, and the present is the shadow of the past.
