Ramos, Ma. Teresa C.

UNDERSTANDING

1. Do you believe that the daughter is cherished? Defend your answer.

I honestly believe that the daughter is not cherished because the
mother sets prices and challenges for her daughter's marriage, which I believe
is inappropriate. However, I realized that the mother may simply want her
daughter to live a life free of poverty, as it is well known that Vietnam is one of
the poorest countries. It is also said that Vietnam had an arrange marriage
culture, which I believe the mother is simply following. We can see that the
challenges the mother throws at the men decrease over time, implying that
she is lowering the bar. We can see that the challenges the mother throws at
the men decrease over time, implying that she is lowering the bar, but no one
can give them what she is asking for. It's wonderful to have a mother who
genuinely cares about her daughter's life and future. I believe the daughter is
loved, but it is excessive.

2. What is the present day equivalent of magpie from the context?

A fortune teller, in my opinion, is the modern-day equivalent of a
magpie. Magpie is the one who brings matchmakers to the mother in the
poem. Actually, a magpie is a type of bird with a loud voice. People used to
believe that if they happened to see a magpie, they should reconsider their life
choices, just as when they met a fortune teller, they believed what they said
and followed their advice. Magpie speech represents communication and
artistic expression. They are also said to be obsessed with shiny things,
similar to how fortune tellers always wear shiny accessories and clothing. And
a magpie is believed that incorporated with mystery and magic same as a
fortune teller.

3. What culture of the Vietnamese is shown in the poem?

The Vietnamese culture represented in the poem is that the family has
a significant say in the selection of their children's wives and husbands, which
they arrange through matrimonial agents (called mai-dongs). This decision is
heavily influenced by the family's social standing, Buddhist theology, and
Confucian philosophy. Surprisingly, despite some cultural differences, it is
striking how similar people and ways of life are all over the world. For
example, in the Philippines, we have a similar culture known as the dowry
system.

4. Comment on the value of challenges of the mother.

Given that they are following a certain culture, I suspect that the value
of all the mother's challenges is just enough. Perhaps this is the mother's way
of determining her daughter's worth (which I believe is incorrect), because if
she would rather give her away for free, it could imply that her daughter is not
desirable in some way. This is without prejudice to the Vietnamese culture,
but I believe that our own marriage should be based on our own decisions.
Our parents should only be our guide and mentor, not someone who can rule
over us by dictating what we should do with our lives.

5. How do you feel for the daughter at forty-three?

She is 43 years old and still single, unable to enjoy her life. The
daughter in the poem sounded desperate for her mother to simply give her
away. I'm not familiar with Vietnamese culture, but as a woman, it appears the
mother became too selfish and stole her daughter's opportunity to be happy.
But, from her mother's perspective, she simply did what she believed her
daughter deserved. We can also say that charging a high price implies that
her daughter is valuable and precious, whereas "giving her away" implies that
her daughter is not as desirable and special.

VALUING

1. What family, economic, education, and social values should be cherished

based on the poem?
According to the poem, the values of respect and obedience are widely
apparent, with the daughter quietly accepting the family's tradition and culture.
Preserving culture is another important aspect of economic and social values.
Cultures and traditions are being neglected and are on the verge of being
forgotten in our generation, which is why we must keep them alive in order to
preserve our own identity and integrity.

2. Does obedience always give optimistic result?

Exhibiting obedience, or too much of it, is not always a good thing. In a
parent-child relationship, for example, if the parents always insist on their
rules and demand strict compliance, they take away the child's right to
express their opinion by silencing their voice to reason out. It discourages
healthy communication by allowing the child to never disagree on anything
and never have the opportunity to explain or justify their points of view, and
eventually adapting this behavior as they grow older. As a result, an individual
should not be raised solely as an obedient person, but also as an independent
thinker who knows how to speak their minds and practice a sense of
responsibility and accountability for their own views and decisions.

SOUND DEVICE

1. What sound device is used in the poem?

The poem employs repetition as a sound device. The repeated lines in
the stanza emphasize the poem's development or change by using identical
phrases with few words changed to effectively express the piece's flow.

2. Expound on the use of repetition.

The use of repetition in this poem is a powerful poetic strategy for
emphasizing its message. It enhances the piece's impact and makes it more
memorable to the readers. The writer wrote the piece carefully, which allowed
the readers to easily understand and remember the point of this poem.

3. Do you appreciate the poem through its sound device? Why or Why not?
Yes, although it is a little confusing at first, it does make the poem more
appealing to the readers. It emphasizes important points and informs readers
that the repeated phrases/sentences should be taken into account. Another
advantage of repetition is that it creates a sense of unity and consistency, as
well as leaves a lasting impression on the readers.
POETRY TYPE

1. What poetry type is The Cherished Daughter? Support your answer.

The poem The Cherished Daughter is lyric poetry. Lyric poetry is a type
of formal poetry that expresses personal emotions or feelings in the first
person. We can clearly feel the daughter's desire to marry as we read the
poem because she is not getting any younger. Furthermore, The Cherished
Daughter was written in the first person, as evidenced by the use of the
personal pronouns I and me.