God said, I made a man

Out of clay
But so bright he, he spun
Himself to brightest Day
Till he was all shining gold,
And oh,
He was handsome to behold!
But in his hands held he a bow

Aimed at me who created

Him. And I said,
Wouldst murder me
Who am thy Fountainhead
Then spoke he the man of gold:
I will not
Murder thee! I do but
Measure thee. Hold

Thy peace! And this I did,

But I was curious
Of this so regal head.
Give thy name! Sir! Genius
Leaving as heritage this islet this poem,
You and I, this country yours and mine,
This child dreaming on the edges of life.
Ink
In literature, an unexpressed idea is useless. Ideas must be expressed, be put in reality, in order to
serve their purpose; to mirror the depth of a culture and to manifest the creative genius of the race.
Just imagine Aristotles ideas being lock, unexpressed, inside his mind. Do you think well have his
thoughts about literature (Poetics), ethics (Nichomachean Ethics), transcended beings
(Metaphysics), etc., if he did not expressed his incomparable ideas about the things around him and
put them into writings? Of course, not! The importance of expressed idea than an idea locked inside
the mind is then clear. In Guillermo Castillos poem, Ink, he articulated his notion of an unexpressed,
chaotically expressed and properly expressed idea.

The poem used the typical picture of an inks bottle as its metaphor for the poets notion of idea (ink)
inside the mind (bottle). The idea of using ink as the metaphor of idea is quite practical for a writer.
Simply because this object is the one being used by a writer to write his idea and also because it is
the commonly seen object in a writers desk. Through the years, it became the symbol of the writers
weapon, together with a pen, in his battle field which is in writing, (as we can remember the classical
image of Francisco Balagtas in the cover of his work; Florante at Laura, holding a bottle of ink and a
plumage, symbolizing his talent in thought arrangement).

The bottled ink is described as meaningless, so as an idea trapped inside a bony skull of a writer.
Idea is minds grasp of an essence. Its a mental product of a rational mind that expresses the agents
capability of rationality. They were given and allotted, by the Almighty, to man, for them to be used for
the betterment of a society. That is their very purpose of existence; to be used for the betterment of a
society. Therefore an idea confined in a dark corner of a mind opposes the nature and purpose of an
idea. And sooner or later it will cease to be an idea.

Yet a bottled ink is strongly urged to speak so as a trapped idea. Merchandise manufactured by a
factory must be consumed within a particular period of time. If a consumer failed to do so, the product
will expire and lead to nothingness; a bottled ink, remained unused for months, will be dried-up and
will be useless. Just like ideas that are produced by the mind, it is really intended to be distributed to
the entire human race. It is not for the enjoyment of only one person, the one who posses it, but rather
for the greater number of person. If a bearer of idea failed to distribute such idea, that idea will be lost
until another person who is willing to share with his community will be enlightened and will come up
with that same idea.

Ergo, unexpressed idea is meaningless in itself, black and mute without a language, for it can not do
anything but to rely to the willingness of the bottle to release it. It explains that an idea is always there
in our mind waiting to the releasing command of reason; to expose it to the reality and be consumed
by the thirsty mind of man.

Ink

chance-impressed on white

inarticulate unintelligible chaotic

welcome on the bareness of white

but still foreign

excommunicate.

Many persons expressed their ideas in a manner known only to himself, or even sometimes, in a
disordered way. This act still fails the nature of idea; to be shared. Even though the person succeeded
in accomplishing the first stage of sharing the idea, which is to express it, the manner of sharing it, is
again, another matter to be considered.

One description of idea is that which is a mental product; a product of a rational mind. Such product
must reflect the rationality of the mind. And one reflection of a rational mind is order, as Plato kept on
reminding as that order or organization of something follows intelligence. The correctness, right order,
consistency, legitimacy of procedure, and justifiability of inference in presenting an idea are quite
important because through these other person will be able to understand the idea that a person is
trying to present. Just imagine a mosaic artist putting mosaic pieces together in unthinking way; do
you think any person will appreciate the beauty that the mosaic artist wanted to show and share? Of
course not!

The poem stated a possible way of presenting an idea (ink) in the real world (white; color of paper
usually used by writers); chance-impressed on white inarticulate unintelligible chaotic, welcome on the
bareness of white. Chance, in the ancient Greece, is oppose to order. Since order is the manifestation
of intelligence, therefore we can conclude that chance is oppose, also, to intelligence. Chance is
rooted in a simultaneous movement, chaotic movement as the Greek philosophers described, and
produced only chaos and disorder because it follows no plan or intelligence; which is necessary for a
thing to have order. Anything that is based on chance produce nothing appreciative. And again the
poem also showed the probable reaction of people to whom the expressed idea is presented; still
foreign, excommunicate. It is clear that people will unwelcome such idea presented in such manner;
for they can not see any beauty and goodness in it (beauty and goodness are some of the ends that
man look for). Ergo, expressed idea in an unintelligible manner still fails the nature of an idea.

But ink

pen-lifted pen-impressed

on blank white paper

Will-ordered

interprets intensifies clarifies

expresses

Life.
The latter part of the poem gave the positive way of presenting an idea. It is the poets notion of an
idea properly presented (Will-ordered), with the end that is entangled in it. While many persons
presents their idea in a chance-rely manner, some, fortunately, wrapped their ideas in an order-rely
manner. The end-product of such manner of presenting an idea is a work that interprets, intensifies,
clarifies, and expresses Life.

How does Will-ordered make things clearer? When you say will ordered it means that the order,
where your work is based, is definitely ruled by the will. And will relies only to the power of reason, of
intelligence alone.

Anything that is done based on intelligence, manifest order. And only things that manifest order
through intelligence possess beauty and goodness which are the desired end of man. Therefore
these things are welcome by people to whom they are presented. Because through these things they
can relate to what they see, feel and hear, in their surroundings, through a clearer picture presented
by these things. They can relate their life. Simply because life is already deduced, deepened,
explained, and communicated.

When an idea is shared, through the willingness to share it and through the proper presentation of it, it
manifest the greatest idea of all; LIFE.

Note:

The possibility of using the word Ink in literal language in the poem is undeniable (and focus the
analysis to the manner the ink is being used as a medium to express an idea). Yet the writer prepared
to stick to the possibility that the word Ink is used allegorically for the word Idea (and focus the
analysis to the manner the idea is express) for he can relate his knowledge more to such possibility
Ink - such a simple word, with such a simple object behind it. We see ink everyday but fail to see its
significance. Ink, used properly, can convey our deepest emotions, can speak truths, can speak lies,
can hold us bound. Ink, like the words we use, is useless on their own. But when meaning is
impressed into the ink, it becomes a powerful tool. This poem reminds us of the way that the simplest
of things, when used with the right knowledge and direction can become important.

Ink is a poem that deals with the power of words in particular. For many people, ink is something they
just need to write their thoughts and words. It's nothing to give real importance too. However, he
comes this poem saying how important and significant ink is. And rightfully so. Ink empowers its
writers to fully articulate their messages and make an impact in a reader's life. Ink, though something
so simple and unique, is essential as well. It enables people to bridge the gap from paper to person
with the marks it leaves behind. On a personal note, ink to me represents how the simple things in life
are actually the ones that are life changing and life defining. These are the catalysts that make us the
person we are today. And ink does it. Though often overlooked, it is still of importance any which way
you look at it.
God (in third person point of view) begins speaking here directly to someone or something (not
explained yet) and he simply speaks a general "fact" that he created mankind out of clay, perhaps an
ode to Greek myth and/or perhaps referring to a common conception of mankind being "molded" by a
heigher deity

But so bright he, he spun

Himself to brightest Day
Till he was all shining gold, and oh,
He was handsome to behold!

these lines continue with the molding imagery as its subject, but relay its meaning to a simple
compliment to our mankind/his creation..we were able to be ordinary beings made from clay to
wonderful ("handsome") creatures

But in his hands held he a bow

Aimed at me who created him.

God's creation is turning hostile towards him (i.e. Frankenstein and his monster)

And I said, "Wouldst murder me

Who am thy Fountainhead!"

God (in first person now) is questioning why his creation would turn against him, him being a
fountainhead (mankind's source-see source note below)

Then spoke he the man of gold:

"I will not
Murder thee! I do but measure thee.
Hold thy peace.'

mankinds rebuttal to a confused God, basically states mankind will not act against God, but God will
be under a watchful eye (measure thee) and demands God to be peaceful with his new creation

And this I did.

God agrees to mankind's terms in first person but is curious who this "regal head" (kingly like leader)
is in front of him because it is clearly not his original creation and he demands an answer from
mankind ('Give thy name!')

'Sir! Genius.'
mankind, God's creation, responds that this "regal head" is actually "genius" which could be viewed
as the personification of Genius as an evolved form of human being wary of God's power