DISCERNMENT: noun \di-?s?rn-m?nt, -?z?rn-\; according to Merriam-Webster, the quality of grasping something obscure.
In his latest book, Discernments (UST, 2013), poet and critic Ralph Semino Galan shares through his essays his extensive insights on poetry, literature and culture.
Every section of the book aims to simplify the troublesome topics of literature and her meanderings.
The essays that stand out are analyses of the love poems of Edith Tiempo and Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta.
Galan’s careful dissection of Tiempo’s well-loved poem, “Bonsai,” reminds one that understanding poetry takes more than the first or even the hundredth read—that there is so much more behind the poet’s choice of title and choice of word in tackling love for it to be “…hand(ed) over/ To the merest child.” His diagram of the poem simplifies the thought expressed through its images, making the analysis of Tiempo’s poetry easily digestible for the uninitiate.
Galan also pays tribute to Lady Polyester—Dimalanta—and the capacity of her poetry to weave magic even in the simplest words, and the toughness of her poetic imagination that can tackle daunting issues such as abortion, carefully laying down fences without taking sides.
But a reader looking forward to a lighter touch on literature might be disappointed with the non-fading academic tone of the essays. For a person not so well versed in the humanities and who may be looking for aid in learning, the book may serve as a double-edged sword. It may work to the reader’s advantage so long as one is willing to endure Galan’s panoramic view of poetry with patience, perseverance, and a trusty dictionary by one’s side.
Challenging reading as it may be, the new book is a key contribution to the literary arts in the Thomasian scene; its release is perfectly timed with the rebirth of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies. Through Galan’s critical opus, a critically discerning audience of thoughtful literature is fostered.
