Ethnopoetic Insights into the Leona Florentino’s Poem: Implications for Ilocano Oral Literature

Abstract

Leona Florentino’s poetry reflects the transition of Ilocano oral tradition into written literary expression during the 19th century. Historically, Leona Florentino was the only woman writer of her time who had poems in the vernacular, Spanish, and English. She was recognized as the Philippine poetess. However, the majority of her original works were discarded, compounded by the ensuing events of the Philippine Revolution. Despite its limitations, the study contributes to the limited scholarship on the works of Leona Florentino and Ilocano oral literature. Guided by ethnopoetic theory, the qualitative study analyzed Florentino’s Ilocano poem “Nalpay Ti Namnama” (Blasted Hopes) through an examination of its ethnopoetic features to reveal implications for Ilocano indigenous oral literature. Its line breaks disintegrated the poem’s emotion into manageable reflections. The pauses establish silence that simulates endurance and acceptance. The tonal markers highlighted conditional phrasing transitioning from suffering to restraint to quiet hope. And the structural patterns attested the tradition in Ilocano oral literature. The intensive ethnopoetic analysis implies that Ilocano oral literature is not merely expressive or aesthetic, but pedagogical and moral, teaching how to live, feel, and endure. Its reflection in contemporary Ilocano poetry in the Philippines can be a good area for future studies to retain indigenous culture, voice emotional truth, and maintain intergenerational memory.