Poem Review: Our Mother Tongue by Rizal

Our Mother Tongue

IF truly a people dearly love
The tongue to them by Heaven sent,
They'll surely yearn for liberty
Like a bird above in the firmament.

BECAUSE by its language one can judge
A town, a barrio, and kingdom;
And like any other created thing
Every human being loves his freedom.

ONE who doesn't love his native tongue,
Is worse than putrid fish and beast;
AND like a truly precious thing
It therefore deserves to be cherished.

THE Tagalog language's akin to Latin,
To English, Spanish, angelical tongue;
For God who knows how to look after us
This language He bestowed us upon.

AS others, our language is the same
With alphabet and letters of its own,
It was lost because a storm did destroy
On the lake the bangka 1 in years bygone.

§  What is the poem about? OR What is the theme of the poem?

-       It talks about the love for Filipino Language

§  Who is the speaker?

-       Rizal

§  Who is the poem addressed to?

-       Filipino People

§  What is the tone of speaking?

-       Third person

§  Does the poem belong to any particular category? (Ode, sonnet, ballad, dramatic monologue, lyric, confessional, modern, post-modern, etc.)

-       poem

§  What is the mood of the poem? (Happy, sad)

-       nationalistic

§  How does the poem begin? (Most poems begin either with a description of something or a statement)

-       It begins with contrast by conditional statement that love for language must result to freedom.

§  How does the poem proceed? (When writing, include a short summary of the poem.)

-       It opens up with classification of a nationalist individual, and then points the importance of language as means of identity. The 3^rd stanza contrast unloving people as animal. Stanza 4 compares Tagalog to foreign language as God’s gift. The 5^th stanza concludes the Subject as lost.

§  Does the initial mood change? Why?

-       no

§  How does the poem end?

-       With awareness of language extinction

§  What is the philosophy of life expressed in the poem? (Optimistic, pessimistic, religious, pantheistic, mystical, cynical, etc.)

-       It warns readers

§  Are there any autobiographical elements in the poem?

-       none

§  Has the poet used any figures of speech? Are they apt and suitable to the situation? How do they enhance the meaning? (One great quality of good poets is to find similarity in quite dissimilar things.)

-       Simile

§  Are there things like a rhyme scheme, alliteration, assonance, etc.? Do they add to the charm of the poem?

-       add

§  Has the poem got any contemporary significance? Is the theme universal?

-       yes

§  Does the poem remind you of any other poem? What are the similarities and differences?

-       no

§  What feeling has the poem created in you? Is it touching, for example?

-       inspirational

Poem Review: To The Philippines by Rizal

TO THE PHILIPPINES by J.P. Rizal
The light foam of the son'rous sea Doth kiss her feet with loving desire;The cultured West adores her smileAnd the frosty Pole her flow'red attire.
With tenderness, stammering, my MuseTo her 'midst undines and naiads does sing;I offer her my fortune and bliss:Oh, artists! her brow chaste ringWith myrtle green and roses red
§  What is the poem about? OR What is the theme of the poem?
-       It is about the Philippines being compared as beautiful as a woman lover
§  Who is the speaker?
-       Rizal
§  Who is the poem addressed to?
-       To the country
§  What is the tone of speaking?
-       First person, I (found on 3^rd stanza)
§  Does the poem belong to any particular category? (Ode, sonnet, ballad, dramatic monologue, lyric, confessional, modern, post-modern, etc.)
-       sonnet
§  What is the mood of the poem? (Happy, sad)
-       inspired
§  How does the poem begin? (Most poems begin either with a description of something or a statement)
-       It begins with description of sunrise while someone is still asleep
§  How does the poem proceed? (When writing, include a short summary of the poem.)
-       The poem opens up with general description of nature and land, then proceeds to physical attributes and attire, and ends to offering to please the mother land.
§  Does the initial mood change? Why?
-       It is consistently descriptive.
§  How does the poem end?
-       With a vow to give fortune and bliss
§  What is the philosophy of life expressed in the poem? (Optimistic, pessimistic, religious, pantheistic, mystical, cynical, etc.)
-       optimistic
§  Are there any autobiographical elements in the poem?
-       none
§  Has the poet used any figures of speech? Are they apt and suitable to the situation? How do they enhance the meaning? (One great quality of good poets is to find similarity in quite dissimilar things.)
-       Yes, it pictures the subject using colorful words.
§  Are there things like a rhyme scheme, alliteration, assonance, etc.? Do they add to the charm of the poem?
-       A
B,AB Pattern
-       yes
§  Does the poem remind you of any other poem? What are the similarities and differences?
-       no
§  What feeling has the poem created in you? Is it touching, for example?

Aglowing and fair like a houri on high,Full of grace and pure like the Morn that peepsWhen in the sky the clouds are tinted blue,Of th' Indian land, a goddess sleeps.

And lilies, and extol the Philippines!

§  Has the poem got any contemporary significance? Is the theme universal?

-       It is imaginative

Poem review of Mi Ultimo Adios by Jose Rizal

Here is a Poem review of Mi Ultimo Adios by Jose Rizal

§  What is the poem about? OR What is the theme of the poem?

  It is about the last message of Rizal for the Philippines, his family and friends, to prayerful men, and to next generation Filipinos.

§  Who is the speaker?

  Jose Rizal

§  Who is the poem addressed to?

  To Philippines, family and relatives, and future people who’ll visit the grave

§  What is the tone of speaking?

  First person

§  Does the poem belong to any particular category? (Ode, sonnet, ballad, dramatic monologue, lyric, confessional, modern, post-modern, etc.)

§  What is the mood of the poem? (Happy, sad)

  sad

§  How does the poem begin? (Most poems begin either with a description of something or a statement)

  The poem begins in a farewell statement and Rizal’s assurance of a willful death

§  How does the poem proceed? (When writing, include a short summary of the poem.)

  The poem shows Philippines as the most beautiful place then proceeds to battle fields and honorary death. At the 3^rd stanza, the author recognizes his death and encourages the Philippines to pour out his blood if it needed be. The fourth and fifth stanzas emphasize Rizal’s youthful play and soaring dreams that concludes a cry of pre-execution sentiments. The 6^th, 7^th and 8^th stanzas portray a message for future grave visitors to remember him and offer a prayer. The 9^th stanza begs for universal prayer to honor those who sacrificed their lives before Rizal. And the 10^th stanza became a reminder of Rizal that his song for the Philippines will be heard after all else is gone. The 10^th and 11^th stanzas are Rizal’s sentiments that if his grave is eventually forgotten, at least his ashes are poured in the mother land. Stanzas 12 and 13 are adoration to the country. The 14^th stanza is a conclusive goodbye for all.

§  Does the initial mood change? Why?

  No, it remained dreamy and sad.

§  How does the poem end?

   With a goodbye.

§  What is the philosophy of life expressed in the poem? (Optimistic, pessimistic, religious, pantheistic, mystical, cynical, etc.)

  nationalistic

§  Are there any autobiographical elements in the poem?

  The inclusion of childhood vivid memories and the farewell to family members.

§  Has the poet used any figures of speech? Are they apt and suitable to the situation? How do they enhance the meaning? (One great quality of good poets is to find similarity in quite dissimilar things.)

  Yes. He uses personification, simile, and analogy.

§  Are there things like a rhyme scheme, alliteration, assonance, etc.? Do they add to the charm of the poem?

  yes

§  Has the poem got any contemporary significance? Is the theme universal?

  yes

§  Does the poem remind you of any other poem? What are the similarities and differences?

  Robert Frost -  A Road not Taken

§  What feeling has the poem created in you? Is it touching, for example?

  It is nationalistic and self-sacrificial

The Benefits of Free Writing

    We are progressive beings. Had not been for craftsmanship of Homo sapiens during Stone Age, we wouldn’t know writing. Their carved cave images communicate a civilization that exists back then. Later, Egyptian’s hieroglyphics not only portrays dated narrations but also relates to fiction through mythological character. This language is enhanced through basic parts of speech, its syntax, tones, and other technicalities. So men progress not because they can communicate but because there are archived ideas that give backbone for new research and innovation.

15 minute warm-up

    To maximize academic papers, educational institutions use technical writing. It uses structure to name items, identify its category, and explain further details. However, creative writing is a medium for novels, poems, and more. But as a writer by heart or profession, we will experience mental block along the way. It is the dull moments when our language seems to fail and ideas can’t be put into words. To go back in our, there is an ice breaker called free writing. For 15 minutes, we have to let it all out into paper without worrying about technicalities. So it is a beneficial practice as early as now.

The rationale

    First let’s talk about how to free write. As we mentioned above, it is a nonstop randomness where a writer can write without murdering his flow. We must realize that our articles are technically our babies. We birth them out into words and are willing to do necessary care to see them grow. But technically speaking, being our own critic hinders writing process itself. Writers are communicators. So imagine a stressed first time speaker that holds the microphone while struggling to pull off an argument. This is our situation in forced technical writing. But free writing is a friend that we can focus an eye to eye contact to be more relaxed during the whole seminar. In free writing, we can be free without worrying too much about subject and verb agreement. In free writing, we can say our deepest downfall and highest rise when no one else is available to listen. But psychology, it is beneficial to write down emotions and pour it out as it is. Doctors recommended it to patient to lessen their stress. In fact, we just need to hear ourselves and analyze if our thoughts are logical enough to decide better. Lastly, the benefit of free write for those people who are practicing creative writing is that we can dig precious gems from our creative land. Yes, we are the creative land. Our personal experiences and convictions can be put into writing so the backbone of change can start again.

                                                            IMAGE SOURCE (PIXABAY)

A call to express

    Try free writing and do it regularly. As a matter of fact, novels and office contracts gone through massive hours of revision. Actually, it’s what make our babies grow. Each revision beatifies the article because we can see its flaws and makes correction to resolve it. Sometimes writers lack supporting details to pull off an argument, sometimes the thesis statement is to broad that readers are left wanting for more. So each manuscript or random free write is an achievement because after several years, we can see how much we change for the better.