Philippine literature, The poverty of a Woman who turned herself into Stone
The Poverty of a Woman Who turned herself into Stone
by Lina Sagaral-Reyes
Lina Sagaral-Reyes (1961) Region 7: Bohol
A Boholana who moved to Manila in the Mid-80's, she graduated from Siliman University in Dumaguete. While working, she also wrote articles for magazines and poetry for herself. When she got sick with a serious illness in 1990, she returned to Bohol. She now files news stories about rural women with the Women's Feature Service. She has a collection of poetry; Honing Weapons (1987) and Storya(1993).
"into stone,
This struggle
Has turned me
Into stone."
She has no hands,
She is the folded hand.
A fist, frozen, Permafrost
Anger that cannot thaw into sorrow.
She has no eyes,
She is the blinded eye,
She is her own blinding dark,
At noon, her socket carries the night.
She is all ears,
Voices weigh her down.
She sinks into a swill of noises,
Silence is not always her own choice.
She wears a monochrome of gray,
Clowns, orphans, soldiers at war -
Their laughter has that stone -
Texture of gray.
Summary
The poet initially brings attention to a remark of the character about turning into stone as a result of a certain struggle. The succeeding paragraphs describe he as having no hands; compare her to a folded hand and frozen fist with frozen anger; as having no eyes and compare her to a blinded eye though of her own choice; and having sensitive ears, but is overwhelmed by the voices around her. The last stanza brings attention to other characters like the clowns, orphans, and soldiers of war whose laughter has the characteristics of a stone. There seems to be a tension in the poem as reflected in the negative image of hardness brought about by a large and disturbing theme of the harsh realities of life, specifically, poverty.
Simple Criticism
The idea of the woman turning into stone is suggested clearly in this line: "permafrost anger that cannot thaw into sorrow". This means that anger has hardened the character so much turning this into a softer emotion, such as sorrow, is no longer possible.
The fact that the woman chose to be blinded and chose to carry the darkness even during the day suggests to us attitude of withdrawal, of a refusal to fight for her own welfare and of a refusal to hope.
"Turning into stone", tells us of an extended experience of the very grim reality of poverty. The woman must have been at one time, genuinely involved in the struggle to alleviate poverty – her own or others. But its voices and forms proved too strong and overwhelming, and finally discouraged her from even trying and bring her down to the level of hopelessness and frustration.
Silence is not always her own choice.
The metaphor, images and symbols help bring out the inner feelings of the character. The short sentences give a feeling of control and exasperation as each line is read.
The woman has extended her shape to other characters: "clowns, orphans, and soldiers at war" whose laughter convey, ironically, cynicism, coldness, and hardness.
The long and futile struggle against poverty had definitely turned this woman into stone - into one who could no longer fee any other kind of emotion, only anger.
The idea of giving up the fight is evidenced by one’s refusal to see the light and to speak and stand for a cause to the end.
The extended metaphor and the lines: "into stone. This struggle has turned men into stone" suggest and created an atmosphere of accusation towards a society (though not stated explicitly in the poem) that allows this hopelessness to take root among its people.
It is also notable that the main character is a woman who, in many aspects, symbolizes ans stands for the marginalized, oppressed, and deprived people of society.
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