There is an awful lot to admire in Romalyn Ante’s collection Agimat: some beautiful images, wonderful use of language, effective communication of emotion. She seems to treat all her subjects – even the difficult ones (and there are a few!) – with a kind of even-handed respect.
And there is a haunting, lyrical quality about the poetry too.
Not surprisingly, however, some of the subtleties of the work are undoubtedly lost if you are ignorant of the culture from which they arise. And not only in terms of the imagery, but also in the use of non-English here and there. Aware I was missing out, inevitably I found myself frustrated a little, wanting to understand more about the events and legends which permeate the poems.
But you should not let this put you off from reading the collection. Indeed, it says much about the quality of the poetry that, even facing into that ignorance, it can still carry you along.
Ian Gouge - Writer 