Bonsai by Edith Tiempo

Bonsai by

Edith Tiempo​

ENGS211

Draw

Draw your mood today!

Objectives

• explain the effects of war and colonization on Philippine literature after the war;

• enumerate and define the characteristics of Philippine postwar literature; and

• discuss the development of literature in the 21st century as influenced by technology

Multiple Choice

What does 'bonsai' mean?

• a Japanese war cry

• an ornamental tree or shrub grown in a pot and artificially prevented from reaching its normal size.

• a country

All that I love

I fold over once

And once again

And keep in a box

Or a slit in a hollow post

Or in my shoe

BONSai​

Poll

Is it possible to fold and keep your love in small places as a box, hollow post, or a shoe?

• Yes

• No

Sometimes, we feel frenzied desires that we wish to quell due to the fear that it may lead to heartache. The author states that she compartmentalizes her feelings, love in particular, into smaller portions that she can keep or hide in inconspicuous places.

All that I love

I fold over once

And once again

And keep in a box

Or a slit in a hollow post

Or in my shoe

​First Stanza

All that I love?

Why, yes but for the moment-

And for all time, both.

Something that folds and keeps easy,

Son’s note, or Dad’s one gaudy tie,

A roto picture of a young queen

A blue Indian shawl, even

A money bill.

Open Ended

What is one item besides your essentials (wallet, phone) that you consider the most important to you?

There are things we love for the moment and things we will love for a long time. And there are some sentimental trinkets that we can use for us to remember them. Sometimes, it serves as reminders of lost or forgotten loves.

All that I love?

Why, yes but for the moment-

And for all time, both.

Something that folds and keeps easy,

Son’s note, or Dad’s one gaudy tie,

A roto picture of a young queen

A blue Indian shawl, even

A money bill.

​Second Stanza

It’s utter sublimation,

A feat, this heart’s control

Moment to moment

To scale all love down

To a cupped hand’s size.

Multiple Choice

How do you think is the word 'sublimation' used in the third stanza?

• to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable.

• to pass or cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state.

It takes a lot of bravery and endurance to try to keep your emotions at bay, especially when you can be judged by society for it.

It’s utter sublimation,

A feat, this heart’s control

Moment to moment

To scale all love down

To a cupped hand’s size.

Third Stanza

Till seashells are broken pieces

From God’s own bright teeth,

All life and love are real

Things you can run and

Breathless hand over

To the merest child.

Open Ended

Using your answer in this week's announcement, complete this statement:

"I love _____ because ________."

The bonsai metaphor now represents more than just the physical items, it also represents slices of life lessons and experiences that can be imparted to someone younger than us. As we become more aware of the complexities of love and life, we become wiser to share them to someone else.​

Till seashells are broken pieces

From God’s own bright teeth,

All life and love are real

Things you can run and

Breathless hand over

To the merest child.

Fourth Stanza

Multiple Choice

What characteristic of Philippine postwar literature was used in the poem 'Bonsai'?

• Romanticism

• Naturalism

• Independence

• Nationalism

Open Ended

What's your takeaway for this week's literary text?

Draw

Draw your best bonsai!