Figures of Speech

Personification Irony

"the blind black houses mutteres hush-hush"
"an evil old moon prowled about in a corner or where a
murderous wind whirled, whistling and whining"
Hyperbole
"She bewitched me and she tortured me. She ate my
heart and drank my blood."
"I saw the devil."
Questions
May Day Eve is definitely a literary masterpiece, an
irony at its best. It is able to paint a rare dimension of a
very complicated subject matter called love through the
use of tale hardly having unexpected twists and turns.
It goes beyond the conventional perception of love of
man which is represented by flowers and chocolates,
passionate words, warm hugs and a lot more sweet
things in the world. It explores a greater depth exposing
how love ironically brings pain and sorrow. May Day Eve
does all of these while keeping the readers interested.

What is the May Day Eve? Explain the traditions that people celebrate during this day.

May Day refers to first day of May and is traditionally a celebration of spring. Several cultures believe
that spring is a gift from gods, thus festivities and gatherings are usually held. May Day also holds a mystic attribute, for
it is also considered a time for divination and lovers.

How do you describe the love between Agueda and Badoy?

The love they had was true, but was clouded by their initial dislike for each other; hence, the love they
shared was poorly manifested.

What is the significance of mirror in the story as a way to explain the tradition?

The mirror enables you at midnight to behold the face of the person fated to be yours. It serves as a clue
to unlock the mystery of the past and the future, the departure and return, and the idealistic traces of what is "out
there" and what is "at hand."

Explain the following literary devices used by Nick Joaquin in this narrative:

a. the telescoping/uneven use of time frame

Joaquin aimed to present a man and a woman holding on to love until the death, unveil the hazy
romance of the old world and the silent consummation of their love, show the tragedy that Agueda and Badoy had
undergone - the love that did not go away and was just covered up in the dust of time.

b. the depiction of dark metaphors of witch and devil to describe love

Joaquin wanted to provide the readers with a n insight of how Badoy and Agueda perceived their
marriage to be a taste of hell. Instead of admitting that they saw their spouses in the mirror, they claimed that it was the
witch/devil they saw for that was probably how each of them was to each other during their life together.

c. the use of lush and ornate language

It mirrors the multifaceted emotional intensity of the era during which the characters lived.
Joaquin not only used words that attract and enthrall but also breathes life into what seem to be non-living as well as
consequently lending the work its delicious ambiguity and double meanings.

d. the parallel structure of the opening and closing paragraphs

The careful organization and development aids the readers to effectively analyze the story for the
author to achieve his well-defined purpose. Joaquin chose to reiterate for amplification. This is because he intends to
produce familiarity. He repeats exactly the description of the foul street towards the end of the story to encourage the
reader to remember the mood and promote further conveyance. He wants the story to leave an impression that will last
even after the literary piece has been put away.