Love, Wednesday: Love in the Time of Martial Law
Love, Wednesday is an online review forum by WEDNESDAY ABBEY PASCUAL. Here we explore not only the history of love but also the way it has been perceived through time and through different perspectives using popular and world literature.
Dear You,
For this week's entry, we will talk about the poem "Love in the Time of Martial Law" written by Arvin Mangohig. I came across this poem in my Facebook newsfeed during the anniversary of the beginning of the Marcos dictatorship. I also feel that it is very timely to feature this poem in our weekly forum because as of this writing, the son of the dictator, Bongbong Marcos has just filed his certificate of candidacy for president. And to that we answer, #NEVERFORGET #NEVERAGAIN!!!
Indeed poetry is potent enough to move the political needle. Protest in the form of literature and poetry in social media arose almost organically using the Internet which was quick to become an open venue for Filipino poets. As this poem was published on Facebook. Poetic protest against the cavalier disregard of human rights and lives faces an uphill climb in face of a majority that shares in the hubris of blind power.
The poem tells the reality of love and life during the reigning of the dictator alongside with the Martial Law. It is a reflection of the scenario of what and how the Filipinos experienced the tragic and traumatic event throughout the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines.
Overall it has an interesting writing of allusion in Philippine history. But what makes it befitting to belong in our blog series is the first two concluding lines from the poem. We can argue that the poem was anything but political, it was a grieving lover’s exhortatory but pained message. But the lyrical apostrophe had the ring of transcending the personal, and the second line especially lent itself to an almost predictable appropriation as a clarion call, as it were, to some "higher" humanitarian cause. It is in this context and spirit—the well-founded warnings on the impending imposition of martial law seen as the twilight of freedom and democracy in the Philippines, and the determined response of many of the country's writers in doing battle with the regime—that I have done my own appreciation for this piece and consider it to have the potential in becoming world literature.
Through this poem, the wounds inflicted by the dictatorship are allowed to bloom and to be masked in the pleasure and tenderness of falling in love. It allows the readers to identify themselves with the realities and truths shown in the texts through metaphors and figurative languages injected for readers to think and read between the lines. It also provides an alternative interpretation of the historical atrocities that took place.
It goes to show that literature personalizes history and makes it a story. Further proving that history and literature are not against each other, but complement each other.
Arguably the most important fallout from the Martial Law era is our newfound appreciation of freedom. With the national elections coming next year, misinformation is rampant on the internet and attempts at historical revisionism and distortion are once again in full gear (if it ever stopped). Which is why popular literature like this is vital in battling misinformation. It’s considered to be PopLit not only because of its romantic theme that is in-demand in today’s generation but also because of the convenience as to how it was published in the role that its online platform played in the overall message of the work. Millennials and Gen Z paved the way for digital literature as early as blogposts and fan-fiction to now posting poems and short fiction on social media. That being said, the art forms still ground its purpose in self-expression and proves that words remain more powerful than ever.
Literature in this form is important, because they get poetry off the page and into an avenue that is more felt — more “urgent.” True to the essence of the eye, the reading was calm — but with the kind of tension and attention had in a storm. Our literature wrought from whatever language, in whatever genre, is our people’s memory. Our sense of love for our country as it strengthens our power of abstraction and imagination. This is our friendly reminder that: Love and literature is political.
That's all for this week's letter. See you next week!
Love, Wednesday ❤
Overall it has an interesting writing of allusion in Philippine history. But what makes it befitting to belong in our blog series is the first two concluding lines from the poem. We can argue that the poem was anything but political, it was a grieving lover’s exhortatory but pained message. But the lyrical apostrophe had the ring of transcending the personal, and the second line especially lent itself to an almost predictable appropriation as a clarion call, as it were, to some "higher" humanitarian cause. It is in this context and spirit—the well-founded warnings on the impending imposition of martial law seen as the twilight of freedom and democracy in the Philippines, and the determined response of many of the country's writers in doing battle with the regime—that I have done my own appreciation for this piece and consider it to have the potential in becoming world literature.
Through this poem, the wounds inflicted by the dictatorship are allowed to bloom and to be masked in the pleasure and tenderness of falling in love. It allows the readers to identify themselves with the realities and truths shown in the texts through metaphors and figurative languages injected for readers to think and read between the lines. It also provides an alternative interpretation of the historical atrocities that took place.
It goes to show that literature personalizes history and makes it a story. Further proving that history and literature are not against each other, but complement each other.
Arguably the most important fallout from the Martial Law era is our newfound appreciation of freedom. With the national elections coming next year, misinformation is rampant on the internet and attempts at historical revisionism and distortion are once again in full gear (if it ever stopped). Which is why popular literature like this is vital in battling misinformation. It’s considered to be PopLit not only because of its romantic theme that is in-demand in today’s generation but also because of the convenience as to how it was published in the role that its online platform played in the overall message of the work. Millennials and Gen Z paved the way for digital literature as early as blogposts and fan-fiction to now posting poems and short fiction on social media. That being said, the art forms still ground its purpose in self-expression and proves that words remain more powerful than ever.
Literature in this form is important, because they get poetry off the page and into an avenue that is more felt — more “urgent.” True to the essence of the eye, the reading was calm — but with the kind of tension and attention had in a storm. Our literature wrought from whatever language, in whatever genre, is our people’s memory. Our sense of love for our country as it strengthens our power of abstraction and imagination. This is our friendly reminder that: Love and literature is political.
That's all for this week's letter. See you next week!
Love, Wednesday ❤
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