Ilocano Literature

Author:  Ariel S. Tabag

Context:  The poem details the experience of someone who has been distant from others and how they wish to belong to something. 

Analysis:  The text grapples with someone's search for their sense of self and how they deal with isolation. When reading the poem, the narrator dwells on the past while wishing for the present to feel exactly like the past, where everything felt in place, where they felt like they belonged. 

Author: Karl Gaverza

Context:  The short story is about a sickly man named Arturo who hunts the tikbalang to provide money for his family to pay off their medical bills. 

Analysis:  The text highlights the values of responsibility and resilience through its main character Arturo. While he is a sickly man, he still sees himself responsible for the benefit of his family, hunting the tikbalang so they won't have to drown in medical debt. His perseverance for his family is what drives him to confront the fearsome tikbalang and eventually tame it.

Author: Ariel S. Tabag

Context:  The story is about a man named Miguel, who visits his hometown in Santa Teresita, Cagayan.  While rummaging through the stuff in his house, he discovers a voice tape from his deceased uncle Ato.

Analysis: The text grapples with the process of grief and healing in losing a loved one.  Throughout the text, it further chronicles how the process of grieving and eventual healing is emotionally complex, but it also highlights how people can grieve in their own ways.