Understanding Poetry

I attempted to understand a friend's poetry.

Agas

Munting Katawan sa init ay salat,
Basurang sa damuhan ikinalat.

Puting lampin dapat nakabalot,
itim na plastik ang naging saplot.

Nanay sana ang kaulayaw,
Nakapiling ay ang mga langaw.

Karupukan daw dito ang kanilang paliwanag,
sa mga obligasyon lamang daw sila ay naduwag.

Sa tulad ba nila'y anong nararapat?
Ang isang patawad lamang ba ay sapat.

I am more familiar with its synonymous term ‘agos’,which means a swift current or a sudden flow. In this context, it connotes human impulse or an act of whim. Here, it creates a deeper take of its meaning by using it as the controlling idea in the poem. Meaning, the image that the poem represents, as a whole, connects the central idea of which has been signaled by the title.

The synthesis of the idea and image works in an intuitive and symbolic way therefore, giving an insight of the entire poem:
/Puting lampin dapat nakabalot,
Itim na plastic ang naging saplot/.

I associate “puting lampin” to a “newborn” supposedly clothe not by black garbage plastic. With the synthesis, I understand the context of the poem by association.

Another thing I want to highlight is the emotional tone impressed towards the end of the poem. It ends with a question directed towards the mother(s) of the unborn child/ (children). Yet, the poet’s intention is neither to condemn nor to rebuke, but to awaken sympathy for the unborn child/children supported with the images beforehand:
/nanay sana ang kaulayaw.
Nakapiling ay ang mga langaw/.

The emotional significance is endowed by Irish’s imagination when she employs vivid images and description. Consequently, appealing not only to the visualizing power, but also to the heart and soul of a reader as I find balance between the emotion and idea of the poem.