WAVES OF POETRY

The Importance of 21st Literature in Nationalism

    "Cultures meet, mix, and sometimes collide on the tongue — in a taste, a word, a kiss"  thus said by Merlinda Bobis in her book which entitled 'The Kiss'. In this, she embody the back and forth diferences between cultures and language. She transcended the rigid framework of any particular culture to create her own form, that is, to create herself.’ Her own style of writing catch the attention of teenagers nowadays wherein we are in the age of technology and reading textbooks is not a deed. Furthermore, this just proves that Merlinda Bobis, one of the contributers of 21st Literature from the Philippines also contributes to developed individuals' nationalism.
The selected texts written in a core subject of K-12 curricullum, which is 21st Literature in the Philippines and the world, bring lights to the contrapural issues of nationalism as it globalizes, preserve the nation and accomodates diversity with the touch of patriotism. As, This is how important 21st Literature is in terms of nationalism.
            Literature is a very powerful tool to awaken the national spirit. DeNeefe once said that "The creed 'the pen is mightier than the sword' is the foundation upon which the festival was built”. This means when a person intended t revive and developed patriorism of his fellows, writing is essentials. On the other side, when a being also intended to develop his nationalism, reading is essentials. This is why literaure was existing and merely important as a source of igniting lights of nationalism. 

Literature helped us to make sense of the world and bring communities together as nationalism seeks to preserves and revives nation's traditional culture. As what Partogi (2011) have been said that "Literature has a stalagmite effect,” we cannot deny the fact that reading and writing sensitive issues, as what 21st authors most common wrote about, it can create a small ignite, that later on become a big fire in the psyche of individuals. Nationalism to compare in fire, when we read these selected texts in the said core subjects, a small realization about issues we are facing nowadays hits our minds. Then, as we read and read their stories, little we did not know that we are already beaten up with the fire caused with too much realizations. And these realizations has a big impact to developed, revived, and deeply exposed nationalism in each individuals.
As a Filipina, a student who had already read some of 21st Philippine Literature, it brings me the feeling proudness to my own country often with the believe that Philippine may also produce International works that can literally offspring Philippine Literature all over the world.

However, it may also true that nationalism is not always in good sides, especially when ethnocultural happens wherein it believes that his own culture is better from the other culture. But, as what have been Nietyche said that "We do not hate as we still attached a lesser value, but only when we attached an equal or greater value" which figuratively means that hating diversity means lack of values, so if everyone do respect diversity, it highly means they possessed the true meaning of nationalism.