A. The Epigraph
The poem’s epigraph quotes Michael Palmer’s “I Do Not” to which it is similar. The two poems reference the ability to speak English albeit in different ways and from different points of view. Palmer’s poem addresses those who are unable to speak English. Additionally, his work may be read as a commentary to those who can speak English but choose not to speak about controversial or political matters. By quoting a part of Palmer’s poem in the epigraph, Tabios links her work to a wider literary canon to draw out comparisons.
The poem’s epigraph also quotes “any 21st-century Filipino poet”. This epigraph sets the tone and theme of Tabios’ poem. The quote’s use of Filipino in such matter to assert knowledge of and ability to speak English exudes a transgression. It is not usual that an assertion of the knowledge of and ability to speak English is said in Filipino; by doing so, the speaker forces the English reader to understand Filipino to decode the quote. It argues against the common practice of translating non-English statements to English for the English-speakers to understand. However, the quote in Filipino is then followed with an English translation in parentheses; this exudes a submission to the previously mentioned common practice of translating non-English statements to English. Tabios uses this line as a preface to her poem which introduces the power relationship between native English speakers and non-native English speakers.
The poem’s epigraph also quotes “any 21st-century Filipino poet”. This epigraph sets the tone and theme of Tabios’ poem. The quote’s use of Filipino in such matter to assert knowledge of and ability to speak English exudes a transgression. It is not usual that an assertion of the knowledge of and ability to speak English is said in Filipino; by doing so, the speaker forces the English reader to understand Filipino to decode the quote. It argues against the common practice of translating non-English statements to English for the English-speakers to understand. However, the quote in Filipino is then followed with an English translation in parentheses; this exudes a submission to the previously mentioned common practice of translating non-English statements to English. Tabios uses this line as a preface to her poem which introduces the power relationship between native English speakers and non-native English speakers.
B. Symbolism, Imagery, and Allegory
I. Who is the speaker?
Towards the end of the poem, the speaker says,“Because I do know English, I have been variously called Miss Slanted Vagina, The Mail Order Bride, The One With The Shoe Fetish, The Squat Brunette Who Wears A Plaid Blazer Over A Polka-Dot Blouse, The Maid.”
The names the speaker mentions are stereotypes or common misconceptions of non-native English speakers, specifically Asians. These are stereotypes attached to Asian women who marry Caucasian men. By saying that because she is knowledgeable of the English language, hence she is called the names above, the speaker points out the prejudice which exists against non-native English speakers. No matter how well one can speak English, a gap will always exist between native and non-native speakers. It is through this prejudice that native English speakers assert their superiority over others.
II. Does the Speaker know English?
Yes, the speaker does know English and repeats it several times across the poem’s lines. The speaker knows English and asserts this by listing what she can do with it. She can “say something”, “ask”, “call”, “explain”, “prove”, “remind”, “recite”, “speak”, etc. The speaker is knowledgeable of the English language and can use the language to communicate and express herself. In fact, it is as if the speaker asserts that her knowledge of and ability to speak in English allow her to speak out on relevant matters such as those she describes in the poem.
III. Sensual Images of Women
First, lines 6 and 7 illustrate a picture of a woman who is sexually offering herself to a man whom she calls her “Master” since the poem graphically illustrates how she takes of her shirt and what not.Second, in line 17, the author write about “releasing petals from a padded cell between her thighs” to which one could guess that the author may pertain the “padded cell between her thighs” to the female reproductive part.
Lastly, line 22, would pertain to the stereotypes and names Filipina women are called as immigrants in a foreign English-speaking country. These stereotypes paint an impression in a way that they are lesser beings that are only capable of doing so little when in fact, they are just as great as other women.