What is Poetry?

Before we define what poetry is, lets first define what is "Literature in English" in the Philippines.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

          Philippine literature in English has its roots in the efforts of the United States, then engaged in a war with Filipino nationalist forces at the end of the 19th century. By 1901, public education was institutionalized in the Philippines, with English serving as the medium of instruction. That year, around 600 educators in the S.S. Thomas (the "Thomasites") to replace the soldiers who had been serving as the first teachers. Outside the academe, the wide availability of reading materials, such as books and newspapers in English, helped Filipinos assimilate the language quickly. Today, 52% of the population can understand or speak English (see List of countries by English-speaking population).

Poetry

Different Definitions of Poetry..

"Poetry is artistically rendering words in such a way as to evoke intense emotion or an Ah Ha! experience from the reader."

"Poetry is a riddle wrapped in an enigma swathed in a cardigan sweater… or something like that. It doesn't like your definitions and will shirk them at every turn. If you really want to know what poetry is, read it. Read it carefully. Pay attention. Read it out loud. Now read it again."

"Defining poetry is like grasping at the wind - once you catch it, it's no longer wind."

Those are borrowed phrases to define poetry.

Now, lets define what is Contemporary Poetry in English...

Contemporary Poetry in English

"One of the crowning glories of our people today"

Here are some pioneers of contemporary poetry in english in the philippines.

FERNANDO MARAMAG

Fernando  Maramag  was  an  excellent  poet  and  journalist  in  English.    He  had  a  rich  style and deep understanding of human nature – qualities which made his poetry appealing to all readers.  On the other hand, his editorial writings “exerted great influence on the various phases of the Filipino way of life, particularly in its government, economics, education and politics,” according to a critic. 

He was born on January 21, 1893 in Ilagan, Isabela, to Rafael Maramag and Victoria Mamuri, a Spanish mestiza.  His parents were wealthy landowners. At  age  seven,  he  was  enrolled  in  a  public  school in his hometown.  He finished his high school  in  1908.    He  was  15  when  he  entered  the  Philippine  Normal School.    However,  at  the insistence of his father, he transferred to the University of the Philippines. At UP he started writing for the school organ.  A brilliant student, he later became its editor-in-chief.  Among his equally brilliant classmates, were Pilar Hidalgo-Lim and Jose Hilario.  Together, they managed the school newspaper. 

At age 21, he was named principal of the Instituto de Manila, a prestigious school for gifted and well-off students.    Later,  he  became  an  English  professor  at UP. He  also  taught  at  San Juan de Letran.  During this time, he met and married Constancia Ablaza, by whom he had six children. 

In 1917, he became the editor of Rising Philippines, a daily read by almost every literate Filipino because of its nationalistic contests.   The Philippines Herald and the National Weekly also benefited from his editorship.  With his credentials, he started to work in the government as chief of the publications division of the Department of Justice. Later, he became technical assistant to then Senate President Manuel Luis Quezon. Maramag published countless poems which were devoured and admired by the reading public, like “My Queen Tagala,” “The Atheist,” “A Christ Without a Cross,” “Jose Rizal,” and “The Presentation.”  He wrote about the history of the English language in the Philippines.  This enabled him to mine the secrets of English poetics, especially its techniques.  Leopoldo Y. Yabes, a noted literary historian, included seven of Maramag’s works in his book of Filipino essays in English, which has become a standard textbook in English in Philippine schools and universities. Maramag also wrote appraisingly of some eminent Filipinos in history like the Presidents Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmeña , Sr., not to mention Dr. Jose Rizal, neither understating nor  over glorifying their qualities and achievements, but treating his subjects with sincerity and respect.

He died on October 23, 1936.

In his honor, a marker was installed in his hometown on January 21, 1983

WORK(S)

The Rural Maid

Thy glance, sweet maid, when first we met,

Had left a heart that aches for thee,

I feel the pain of fond regret—

Thy heart, perchance, is not for me.

We parted: though we met no more,

My dreams are dreams of thee, fair maid;

I think of thee, my thoughts implore

The hours my lips on thine are laid.

Forgive these words that love impart,

And pleading, bare the poet’s breast;

And if a rose with thorns thou art,

Yet on my breast that rose may rest.

I know not what to name thy charms,

Thou art half human, half divine;

And if I could hold thee in my arms,

I know both heaven and earth were mine.

EXPLANATION

The language comes alive not from the present words and their common meanings, but from the usage which enables our senses to achieve reality. Fernando Maramag was an excellent poet and journalist in English. His rich style and deep understanding of the human nature make his poems appealing to all readers. 

In his poem, The Rural Maid, the persona is a guy who fell in love with a girl. Even if he left, the memory of his maiden still remains in him; proving that his love for her transcends time and distance. This poem is so sad but I like how love is shown by the lover. His love for his beloved is so unconditional and transcendental.

Love is addicting. No questions asked – no strings attached. For me, there’s no other word to describe that sweet sensation that makes a smile appear on ones face; a grin accompanied with that contented trademark sigh. But let’s face it: not everyone has a ‘happily-ever-after’ ending. We end up having people are usually called ‘hopeless dreamers’; those that hold onto dreams that could never turn into reality.

“The Rural Maid” by Fernando M. Maramag is one good example of a hopeless dreamer’s passion for a girl he could, and never would, own. Moreover, it is about a love of the painful kind: a one-sided love. Reading this poem, you could feel a part of the poet’s torn and shredded heart, as if you were holding these pieces in your own hands; pieces that are laced with bitterness but with no regret. He bares his soul, no matter how hard, and used a metaphor to tell the readers how it fells:

“and if a rose with thorns thou art,

yet on my breast that rose may rest”

Even if I’m not that old yet to experience these things, through the poet’s choice of words I could feel a man’s sacrifice, a potion of which hope and eternal damnation mix.

Sometimes, no matter how addicting love can get, one must know when to stop dreaming and to start living in the world of reality. The words written are of the words of someone’s feelings: a small voice of unrequited love.

Loyalty, respect, sincerity. The three things you can rarely find these days in men and women as well. all these were beautifully exemplified by the poet. I love how the persona in the poem admired the maid. the line "Thou art half human, half divine" shows how much the persona in the poem appreciated the maid's beauty. The last two lines embodies the persona's sincerity for the maid and how true the persona's love was for the maid.

Some of his works are,

• Sonnet on Sympathy
• Pagan Madonna
• On a Rose
• Lost Friendship

LUIS SERRANO
(BIOGRAPHY IS NOT AVAILABLE)

WORK(S)

Go To The Polls

Go to the polls today: this is your day,

When you shall make the erring leaders pay,

With mind sincere, unprejudiced and true,

Go to the polls your civic duty do.

Go to the polls and on your ballot write,

With clear and steady hand, in letters bright,

The names of men, whom gold can never buy,

The men who for the right will stand and die.

Go to the polls—the valiant men elect,

The coward and the weak of heart reject,

Put into office men with nerves of steel,

Unselfish men who’ll serve the public real.

Go to the polls—dethrone the demagogue,

And on your ballot write the epilogue,

To his career of graft, corruption vile,

And put in power honest men the while.

The gambler never is an honest man,

He’ll bet his country when and if he can,

The man immoral choose you never must

He’ll sell his birthright and his sacred trust.

Go to the polls, and at your heart’s behest,

Vote for the men who’ll serve their country best,

Vote for the men whom gold can never buy,

The men who for the right will stand and die.

Some of his works are,

• Oh, Let's Review the Friendship of Old
• On Moonlight Night
• The Dream of Young

LORENZO B. PAREDES

Matutunton ang pamilya Paredes sa Imus mula sa isang estranghero sa Ilokos, si Cipriano Paredes. Lumilitaw na tinutulan si Cipriano sa pag-aasawa ng mga magulang ng babae, kaya nagtungo ito sa isang pinsang pari sa Iba, Zambales. Nagkataong tradisyon sa simbahan na ilipat-lipat ng parokya ang mga pari, kaya ang pinsan ni Cipriano ay naitalaga sa Imus, Cavite. Isinama nito si Cipriano.

Ganito ang salaysay ni Dr. E. Arsenio Manuel sa sinulat niotng talambuhay ni Tomas Tirona, isa pang makata ng Imus (The Diliman Review, Vol. XIV No. 4):
“Cipriano Paredes soon found another understanding soul in the person of a young lady who spoke Spanish well. She was Leoncia Topacio, a woman who had a white skin and who came from a family of landowners. She was remembred for her refinement and assertive ways, qualities not so common in those days, for which she was respected even by the local Spaniards and friars.”

Pinakasalan ni Cipriano si Paredes ni Leoncia Topacio. Mula sa pag-asawahang ito, isinilang ang mga anak, kabilang si Mariano Paredes.

Maaaring matunton ang sining ni Dr. Pardes sa nuno niyang ito. Hindi makata si mariano. Mahusay itong magsasaka. Ngunit mapanlikha ang mga kamay nito—nakalilok ito ng mga kalikot (para sa nganga), sandok, alkansya mula sa iba’t ibang materyales, kudkuran, at mga busto ng tao.

Matutunton din ang sining ni Dr. Paredes sa napangasawa ni Mariano na si Filomena Caldo (?) Cruz, isang babaing naakit ng mga katangian ni Mariano. Makisig ang tindig nito, may matangos na ilong at may kutis na kayumanggi. Lahing tsipay (o lahing bumbay). Iyon ang panahong laganap ang halimuyak ng panitikan sa Tagalog, kinahuhumalingan ang mga awit at korido. Wala umanong pinalalampas na babasahin mula sa Maynila si Filomena—lahat ay binibili. At sinaulo nito ang bawat linyang binabasa. Ang kahusayan sa pagsasaulo ay nakatulong nang malaki upang maging tampok na manlalaro siya ng duplo.

Ang dalawa’y ikinasal ay ang naging mga anak ay sina Bernardino, Jacoba, Agustin, Doroteo, at Manuel. Si manuel ang ama ni Br. Lorenzo B. Paredes. Kalahatian na ng siglo labingwalo (mid-1800)

Sa panahon ng kastila, ang ikinabubuhay ng taumbayan sa Imus ay pagsasaka. Ang lupaing sinasaka noon ay pag-aari ng Hacienda de San JuanBautista de Imus at pinamamahalaan ng mga prayle, tulad ng mga Recoletos sa Imus.

Dati’y bahagi ng Cavite El Viejo (Kawit) ang Imus. Noong 1795, ang lupaing ito na may 2, 424 na bahay-pawid na may iba’t ibang laki ay ginawang munisipalidad. Ang bayang ito na may 24 na kilometro ang layo sa Maynila ay may palayang umaabot ng 8, 905 ektarya na natatamnan ng palay na umaani ng kiri-kiri, elon-elon, at wagwag. May mahabang ilog ito patungo sa Bain g Maynila na ang karaniwang transportasyon ay mga Bangka. Dahil sa kalayuan sa Maynila, ang karaniwang pinupuntahan ng mga mangangalakal at mamimili ay ang Cavite Puerto (Cavite City) na may as tiller o gawaan ng mga galyon at lansuran ng mga kalakal at military mula sa mga expedition.

Nang maging bayan ang Imus (na maaaring nag-ugat ang pangalan sa infimus o mababang lupa at sa centimes o sampera) ang tanging mga baryo nito na madaling isiping napakalawak ay ang Toclong (unang pinanirahan). Bukandala, at Alapan. Mula sa tatlong baryong ito sumulpot ang iba pang mga baryo na dati’y mga sitio lamang.

Sa malawak na bukirin ng mga sityong ito nagmula ang kabuhayan ni Mariano Paredes, ang ama ni Manuel. Sinasabing matiyaga, masipag at masinop si Mariano at dahil nagkataong nakita ng kaibigang paroko ng Imus ang mga katangiang ito, pinagkalooban ito ng bukid ng mga bukid na pinauupahan ng hasyenda. Nang malaon, ang mga bukid nito na nagsimula sa Anbu ay nadagdagan sa Malagasang, saka ang bukid na rin ito sa Salitran, Dasmariñas. Naging mga baryo na ng Imus ang mga dating sityo.

Naging mabilis ang mga pagbabagong ito. Hindi na bukid lamang ang naging bukal ng kabuhayan ng mga taga-Imus. Ang pangangalakal, ang pagpapautang (sa mga magbubukid), at ang pagbili-pagbenta ay mabilis na nakatulong sa pag-angat sa buhay. Tangay ng mga biyaya ng pagbabago ang pamilya Paredes.

Naipamana rin sa mga anak ang mga bukid na paupahan. Maaring maliit lamang ang nakuhang parte ni Manuel dahil sa kasabihang “bigyan ng malaking parte ng mana ang anak na babae upang makapag-asawa ng mayaman”. Gayunpaman, hindi ito naging hadlang upang hindi magsumikap ang ama ni Dr. Paredes. Dahil sa matagumpay na pamamahala sa kabuhayan, napag-aral nito si Dr. Paredes noong bata pa sa Cavite Puerto.

WORKS

• Reminiscences ( a book of poems)

Here are some of the poems inside that book,

MY PARTING WORDS

To "Her"

Come lay the dead love out,

And close his vacant eyes,

That once shone with the light

And hope of Paradiza.

Unbend the rounded limbs

So perfect still in death,

Lay by the harmless bow

And poison harrow shealth.

Fold back the broken wings

That now shall mount no more,

Though once beyond the stars

The goldlike child they bore.

Yes, take my hand again,

Though we be parted wide,

And far a moment’s space

Go softly by my side.

While once more, as of old,

A common pain we brave,

And bear our dearest dead

Together to the grave.

LOVE

To the Young Ladies in my Native Town

Let liberty run onward with the years,

And circle with the seasons; let her break

The tyrant’s harness, the oppresor’s spears

Bring ripened recompenses that shall make

The supreme amends for sorrow’s long arrears;

Drop holy benison on heart that ache;

Put clearer radiance into human eyes,

And set the glad earth singing to the skies.

Let her voice thunder at the doors of kings

And lighten in black dungeons, let her breath

Stir the day bones of people till there springs

Life’s fruitful vigor out of barren death,

And roused, vast millions clap triumphant wings

O’er the mean devils which have hindered faith;

And men’s tall growths of excellence express

Invincible, puissant nobleness.

But let her do hallworthily; let not

The foul contagions of our selfishness

Stain her immaculate purity, nor blot

The brightnes of her vesture, nor make less

The marvelous divineness of her thought,

Nor the rapt wisdom of her utterances,

Nor that orbed splendor of her perfect light,

Which is God’s morning promised to the night.

And ye, o Sovran people of the land,

Crowned with her benedictions, lifted up

From chaos ang low tracts of shifting sand,

And owlish places wherein ye did grope,

To the delectable mountains which command

Far visions of your sanctuaries of hope—

Be yet to Mercy and to Love as true

As Love and Mercy have been into you.

Behold! The things are possible to these

Which are not possible to wrath; they bear

The secret of the laden mysteries

Piled like packed doom in the thick-boding air;

At their fair girdles hang the mystic keys

Which unlock inmost meanings; their brows wear

The sole serenities that consecrate

The masters of the sublte sphinx of fate.

Clean natures coin pure statues. Let us cleanse

The hearts that beat within us; let us mow

Clear to the roots our falseness and pretence,

Tread down our rank ambitions, overthrow

Our baggart moods of puffed self-consequence,

Pplow up our hideous thistles which do grow

Faster than maize in May-time, and strike dead

The base infections our low greeds have bred.

MABUHAY KA

Sa kaarawan ng pagsilang 

ng isang mabunying diwata

Halika at ako’y salubungin,

Sa paglalakbay ako’y akayin

At ng di sa hirap ay biglang hapuin.

Masdan mo ang landas

At pawing may bakas

Ng di gaanong dusa’t hilahil

Marating ka lamang, ng upang awitin

Ang kaarawan mong dakila sa akin.

Narito ako ngayon’t nagsasaya,

Oo, nalulugod yaring alaala

Sa araw na itong lipos ng ligaya

Laking pagka-aliw

Ng aking panimdim

O! araw na puspos ng giliw.

Dakilang sandaling naka-aanyayang

Kudyapi’y batingi’t himasin ang Musa.

Titigan ang araw mo sa masayang langit,

Ang bukang liwayway na kaakit-akit,

Ang huni ng ibon ngayo’y umaawit:

Iyan ang tagumpay

Niyang kaarawan

Iyan ang dakilang araw mong sumapit

Na naghihihiyaw ng paos kong tinig

At nang buong tuwang: buhay mo’y lumawig

Mga kaparangan, sampung panganorin,

Samyo ng bulaklak at simoy ng hangin,

Pawing bumabati ng puspos ng giliw:

Mabuhay ang mithi!

Gaya niring hingi.

Datapwa’t maghintay, hayun at malasin

Ang sikat ng araw, ating salubungin

Manikluhod kita’t tuloy manalangin.

NATIVIDAD MARQUEZ
(BIOGRAPHY IS NOT AVAILABLE)

WORK(S)

The Sampaguita

THE SAMPAGUITA

Little sampaguita

With the wondering eye,

Did a tiny fairy

Drop you where you lie?

In the witching hour

Of a tropic night

Did a careless moonbeam

Leave you in its flight?

EXPLANATION

In my own analysis, the author of this poem is telling us that sampaguita is like us; Filipinos. Sampaguita's are wild but full of scent and fragrance and can adopt to any changes of weather. Just like us, we are wild because all over the world you can see Filipinos living in different countries. We are full of scent and fragrance because even we are not in our motherland Philippines, we still have our Filipino Values and Virtues in ourselves. And we can adopt to every situations and to every problems that we are facing.

THE SEA

Why does the sea laugh, Mother,

As it glints beneath the sun?

It is thinking of the joys, my child,

That it wishes every one.

Why does the sea sob so, Mother,

As it breaks on the rocky shore?

It recalls the sorrows of the world.

And weeps forevermore.

Why is the sea so peaceful, Mother,

As if it were fast asleep?