Nature as an Ilokano poetical landscape

Abstract

Nature has a crucial role among Ilokano poets as it serves as their source of crafting their poem. Nature id also used as a vehicle to deliver their intended meanings. This study proposed to identify the role of nature in selected Iluko poems. Specifically, the paper attempted to address the following problems: 1. What literary devices do Iluko poets employ to portray nature? 2. How is nature used in the poems to reveal poetic messages? Based on the finding, the following conclusions were drawn: Natural elements were prevalent in the poetical writings of the Ilokano poets as reflected by the literary devices. The literary devices used were anaconoesis, analogy, imagery, metaphor, personification, and symbol. Nature was used to reveal: analogy of human growth, feelings, and abundance; image of hardships, simplicity, and love; metaphor of human interrelationships; personification of struggle, intimacy, and loss; symbols of loneness, death, temporal components of life. The messages included journeys in life, love affairs, hope in the hopeless situations, and the like. Nature speaks through various such as self journey, expressing love until marriage, wisdom, alienations, coming of age, conformity, chances, suffering, sense of self, and survival. Based on the findings, the following were recommended: In-depth analysis in Iluko poetry and other vernacular literary masterpieces focused on other literary devices to provide broader concept in understanding the poems. Other poetical concepts other than nature can also be studied like geography: locations (foreign vs. local, urban vs. rural) which could serve as factors for inspiration of the poets in the highlight of their usage of natural elements should also be other studies on other aspects of nature like trees, animal, insects, day and night, to be used in poetical writings to make them more understandable to the local readers. Another study like this of the same genre and language in its original translation maybe conducted.