I.
In Connection To Michael Palmer's "I Do Not"
Michael Palmer’s poem entitled “I Do
Not” talks about the struggles of a non-English speaker in an English-speaking
country. The poem exhibits the struggles the narrator faces such as being
unable to ask or work for food when he is starving not being able to exhibit
his affection to his significant other for fear of miscommunication. The
narrator’s inability to speak English has also caused him to be “uneducated” in
a foreign land and had also caused him to be called names, such as “The
Nonrespondent” or “The Truly Lost Boy” by those native-speakers.
Another analysis of Palmer's poem would
view it as a commentary on English speakers and how they choose not to speak up
about relevant societal matters. English is viewed as a powerful language that
transcends boundaries and races, hence it is considered the global language.
Palmer uses this in his poem to point out the lack of concern and things said
about pressing issues. With those ideas in mind, Eileen Tabios’s poem entitled
“I Do” is related to Palmer’s poem because Tabios talks about the relationship
the English language with its non-native speakers. To know more about Palmer’s
poem click here.
II. The Poet
A.
Her background
Eileen
R. Tabios is a Filipino-American poet, writer, artist, editor, and critic. Born
in the Philippines, Tabios moved to the United States at the age of 10 and
received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Barnard College.
She received her Master’s degree in Economics and International Business from
the New York University Stern School of Business.
B.
Her Writing Style
Tabios has authored poems, essays,
works of fiction, and collections of mixed-genre writing. She is also known for
her style of poetry, hay(na)ku, in which the first line contains one
word, the second contains two, and the third contains three.
C.
Her Awards and Recognitions
She has received several
awards for her work including the Philippines’ National Book Award for Poetry,
the PEN Oakland- Josephine Miles Literary Award, The Potrero Nuevo Fund Prize,
the Gustavus Meyers Outstanding Book Award, Judds HIll’s Annual Poetry Prize,
and the Philippine American Writers’ & Artists’ Catalagan Award. She
received recognition from prestigious institutions including the Academy of
American Poets, the Witter Bynner Foundation, the National Endowment
of the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Humanities.