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University of Perpetual

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College of Engineering & Tech. Voc.

LITERARY WORKS
(Rizals Life, Works &
Writings)
Albelar, Arvin
March 01, 2016
Arayata, Ronel
Pore, Dannica
Ramos II, Elmar D.
Orozco, Rodney
Mr. Teodorico F. Solema
Instructor

Memories of My Town
First Stanza:
When I recall the days
That saw my childhood of yore
Beside the verdant shore
Of a murmuring lagoon;
When I remember the sighs
Of the breeze that on my brow
Sweet and caressing did blow
With coolness full of delight;
Second Stanza:
When I look at the lily white
Fills up with air violent
And the stormy element
On the sand doth meekly sleep;
When sweet toxicating scent
From the flowers I inhale
Which at the dawn they exhale
When at us it begins to peep;
Last stanza:
Tender childhood, beautiful town,
Rich fountain of happiness,
Of harmonious melodies,
That drive away my sorrow!
Return thee to my heart,
Bring back my gentle hours
As do the birds when the flow'rs
Would again begin to blow!
But, alas, adieu! E'er watch
For your peace, joy and repose,
Genius of good who kindly dispose
Of his blessings with amour;
It's for thee my fervent pray'rs,
It's for thee my constant desire
Knowledge ever to acquire
And may God keep your candour!
When Jose Rizal was fifteen years old in 1876 and a student of Ateneo, he composed a poem
entitled Recuerdo a Mi Pueblo (Memories of My Town).
Rizal, being away from his family, reminisced his memories of childhood in his hometown,
Calamba, Laguna and wrote this poem to express his love and appreciation for the place where
he grew up.
Analysis
Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo or A Tribute to My Town consists of seven stanzas, eight lines per stanzas

and six syllables per line. It is seen that Rizal expresses his genuine emotions by giving citation
to memories of his past.
On the first stanza, it is reflected that Rizal is recalling the sweet memories of his childhood,
when he stayed in the green fields with cold wind breeze enjoying the fresh smell of nature.
While on the third stanza, Rizal expresses his feeling of longing for the life near the lake while
his mother cradles him with joy and love. He mentioned that he misses the simple life way back
home. The fourth stanza signifies the candid Rizal, playing barefooted on the woods and
swimming on riverbanks. Moreover, he mentioned his devotion as a catholic; that he misses
praying in rural churches with his pure intentions in his heart.
The fifth stanza is all about Rizals amusement and appreciation of Gods creations. He
expressed so by using words that describe the aged forest and blue sky. The sixth stanza is
considered as the climax of this poem. Rizal gives significance to the beauty of his hometown, a
place founded by joyous memories the he longs for. He also mentioned that all the pain of
loneliness is eased by the memories of his treasured hometown, that the hour he thinks of it is so
precious. Lastly, the seventh stanza symbolizes his dream for his hometown to be as peaceful and
as happy as when he was there.
Emotions of the poem
First and Second Stanza - Happy Reminiscing
Third and Fourth Stanza Longing
Fifth Stanza - Admiration, Awe (emphasis on God and Nature)
Sixth Stanza - Amazement, Excitement (emphasis on beauty of Town)
Seventh Stanza - Parting, Hope As seen in the title, and in the words Rizal used, we can safely
assume that this was written during a time when Rizal wasn't in his hometown anymore. A time
when these memories were fresh enough for him to remember how much he loved his town so
dearly, but these memories were also old enough for it to give him a feeling of nostalgia. You can
feel how much he loves his town when he still wishes it all the best even though they're parting
ways.
Implications of the poem
Key phrases in understanding the deeper meaning within the poem:
4th Stanza - I prayed in your rustic temple, a child, with a childs devotion.
5th Stanza - upon your bosom, sorrows were ever unknown to me;
6th Stanza - that drove away all pain: return to this heart of mine.
Message to the present
Cherish everything around you.
Use your feelings and emotions to your advantage.
Goodbyes don't always mean what we think the ymean.
Don't be in a hurry to grow up.
Never lose hope.
Humble yourself.
There are things out of your control.
Have an anchor.
To love something, you just have to accept it.

To the Flowers of Heidelberg


Go to my country, go, O foreign flowers,
sown by the traveler along the road,
and under that blue heaven
that watches over my loved ones,
recount the devotion
the pilgrim nurses for his native sod!
Go and say say that when dawn
opened your chalices for the first time
beside the icy Neckar,
you saw him silent beside you,
thinking of her constant vernal clime.
Say that when dawn
which steals your aroma
was whispering playful love songs to your young
sweet petals, he, too, murmured
canticles of love in his native tongue;
that in the morning when the sun first traces
the topmost peak of Koenigssthul in gold
and with a mild warmth raises
to life again the valley, the glade, the forest,
he hails that sun, still in its dawning,
that in his country in full zenith blazes.
And tell of that day
when he collected you along the way
among the ruins of a feudal castle,
on the banks of the Neckar, or in a forest nook.
Recount the words he said
as, with great care,
between the pages of a worn-out book
he pressed the flexible petals that he took.
Carry, carry, O flowers,
my love to my loved ones,
peace to my country and its fecund loam,
faith to its men and virtue to its women,
health to the gracious beings
that dwell within the sacred paternal home.
When you reach that shore,
deposit the kiss I gave you
on the wings of the wind above
that with the wind it may rove
and I may kiss all that I worship, honor and love!
But O you will arrive there, flowers,
and you will keep perhaps your vivid hues;
but far from your native heroic earth

to which you owe your life and worth,


your fragrances you will lose!
For fragrance is a spirit that never can forsake
and never forgets the sky that saw its birth
Message/Meaning of the poem:
The message in "Flowers of Heidelberg" is Jose Rizal's feelings. He shares his
experiences and the feelings they caused while he studied at the University of
Heidelberg.
Rizal wrote it after practicing ophthalmology in Heidelberg under a German
specialist. One morning, he was walking along the Neckar River and saw the flowers
blooming there. Their beauty inspired him to wish that the flowers and their
fragrance could be transported to his homeland of the Philippines to bring peace,
faith, virtue, and health to his countrymen.

To the child Jesus


Child-God, in a poor manger?
Does Fortune find you a stranger
from the moment of your birth?
Alas, of heavenly stock
now turned an earthly resident!
Do you not wish to be president
but the shepherd of your flock?
Meaning of the poem:
One of the important attractions of Christianity has always been its apparent
championship of the oppressed and of outsiders (Jesus was a member of a
conquered race who became god).
Rizal finds in Christ a natural and easy symbol of his own aspirations for Philippine
nationhood. Rizal believed in non-violent means of striving toward Philippine
independence, and he finds Christ a natural ally in this struggle.

Hymn to Talisay
The sandy beach of Dapitan
and the rocks of its lofty mountain
are your throne. O sacred asylum
where I passed my childhood days!
In your valley covered with flowers
and shaded by fruitful orchards,
our minds received their formation,
both body and soul, by your grace.
We are children, children born late,
but our spirits are fresh and healthy;

strong men shall we be tomorrow


that can guard a family right.
We are children that nothing frightens,
not the waves, nor the storm, nor the thunder;
the arm ready, the young face tranquil,
in a fix we shall know how to fight.
We ransack the sand in our frolic;
through the caves and the thickets we ramble;
our houses are built upon rocks;
our arms reach far and wide.
No darkness, and no dark night,
that we fear, no savage tempest;
if the devil himself comes forward,
we shall catch him, dead or alive!
Talisayon, the people call us:
a great soul in a little body;
in Dapitan and all its region
Talisay has no match!
Our reservoir is unequalled;
our precipice is a deep chasm;
and when we go rowing our bancas,
no banca in the world can catch.
We study the problems of science
and the history of the nation.
We speak some three or four languages;
faith and reason we span.
Our hands can wield at the same time
the knife, the pen and the spade,
the picket, the rifle, the sword
companions of a brave man.
Long live luxuriant Talisay!
Our voices exalt you in chorus,
clear star, dear treasure of childhood,
a childhood you guide and please.
In the struggles that await the grown man,
subject to pain and sorrow,
your memory shall be his amulet;
and your name, in the tomb, his peace.
Jose Rizal spent his days in Dapitan with his pupils and he taught them not to be
afraid of anything including the "ghost" in the balete trees. He challenge them by
letting them climb the balete tree. "Hymn to Talisay" was written by Rizal for his
pupils to sing while they rendezvous under the Talisay tree.
Analysis
Hymn to Talisay was a poem written by Dr. Jose Rizal while in exile in Dapitan. Rizal
conducted his school at his home in Talisay, near Dapitan. It is also where he had his farm

and hospital. His favorite meeting with his students who are mostly boys was under talisay
tree, after which the place was named. In honor of Talisay, he wrote a poem entitled
"Himno A Talisay" for his pupils to sing. However, the Spaniards find the poem
subversive, having this poem being used by his opponents against him during his trial.
Emotions of the poem
1st stanza- the writer describes the scenery of Dapitan.
2nd stanza- Describes the innocence of children.
3rd stanza- Describes the living of the the children in Dapitan.
4th stanza- Dr. Jose Rizal pinpointed the unique ability of the Talisayons.
5th stanza- In this stanza, the writer tells how he lived in Dapitan and what can a
brave man wield to fight the Spaniards.
6th stanza- In this stanza, Rizal praises Dapitan and says that he will not forget
about it and the experiences that he had even in his sorrow, pain or even death that
awaits him.
Implications of the poem
1st Stanza
* Rizals beautiful description of his Fatherland. He used the biblical Eden to describe
the Pre-Hispanic Philippines which is an imaginary time of purity and innocence. He
adores the beautiful country that he and others are fighting for. He said that he is glad
to give his life to Filipinas even though his life was brighter, fresher, or more blest than
it is now pertaining to the time when he wrote the poem.
2nd Stanza
* The men who gave their life to his beloved country. Rizal said that their dedication
and patriotism to the country is without second thoughts. It doesnt matter how one
struggles, that all struggles, all deaths, are worth it if it is for the good of the country.
3rd Stanza
* It speaks of Rizals love of Liberty. The image of dawn that Rizal used in the first line
signifies the liberation that he adores. In the third and fourth line, he says that if the
colour of liberation lacks his blood, he must die for the country to attain freedom.
4th Stanza
* Presents the flashback of Rizals love for Patricia that started when he was young. He
was young when he saw the martyrdom of the GOMBURZA and promised that he
would dedicate himself to avenge one day for those victims. His dreams were to see his
country in eminent liberation, free from sorrow and grief.
5th Stanza
* Repeats Rizals dream of complete Liberation. All Hail! signifies that he is
positively welcoming the dawn of freedom after his death. He also repeats what he has
said in the third stanza that it is his desire to dedicate his life to the Patria.
6th Stanza
* Describes the image of Rizals grave being forgotten someday. The grassy sod may
represent the countrys development, the growth of liberty, and that with the
redemption of the country, he becomes forgotten.

My Last Farewell

Farewell, my adored Land, region of the sun caressed,


Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost,
With gladness I give you my Life, sad and repressed;
And were it more brilliant, more fresh and at its best,
I would still give it to you for your welfare at most.
On the fields of battle, in the fury of fight,
Others give you their lives without pain or hesitancy,
The place does not matter: cypress laurel, lily white,
Scaffold, open field, conflict or martyrdom's site,
It is the same if asked by home and Country.
I die as I see tints on the sky b'gin to show
And at last announce the day, after a gloomy night;
If you need a hue to dye your matutinal glow,
Pour my blood and at the right moment spread it so,
And gild it with a reflection of your nascent light!
Let the moon with soft, gentle light me descry,
Let the dawn send forth its fleeting, brilliant light,
In murmurs grave allow the wind to sigh,
And should a bird descend on my cross and alight,
Let the bird intone a song of peace o'er my site
Rizal faced execution shortly after he wrote the poem, on December 30, 1896, at the
hands of a Spanish army firing squad. The army's intent was to kill Filipino soldiers
like Rizal, who had formed a rebellion against the Spanish incursion. Rizal hide the
poem in an alcohol stove for his family members to find.
Rizal's poem was originally written in Spanish, without a title or date attached to it.
It has also been translated with the title, "Goodbye, My Beloved Fatherland." Rizal
is considered a national hero in the Philippines, and his poem was later recited by
Indonesian soldiers prior to battle during the Indonesian National Revolution in the
1940s.
"It is 14 stanzas long, and lauded for its nationalism. Rizal emphasizes in the poem
that in his death, he is finally finding freedom from the oppression and enslavement
the Filipinos faced at the hands of the Spanish.
Analysis
Rizal was giving his last message to his countrymen. For him, offering his life was
the best way he could show his love for the country. Even he was going to die, he was
not resentful instead he challenged the each of the Filipinos to serve and love our
country. However he was also hopeful that his death would serve as inspiration to
everyone. He encouraged the youth to continue to dream and fulfill it.
Implications of the poem
1st Stanza

* Rizals beautiful description of his Fatherland. He used the biblical Eden to


describe the Pre-Hispanic Philippines which is an imaginary time of purity and
innocence. He adores the beautiful country that he and others are fighting for. He
said that he is glad to give his life to Filipinas even though his life was brighter,
fresher, or more blest than it is now pertaining to the time when he wrote the
poem.
2nd Stanza
* The men who gave their life to his beloved country. Rizal said that their
dedication and patriotism to the country is without second thoughts. It doesnt
matter how one struggles, that all struggles, all deaths, are worth it if it is for the
good of the country.
3rd Stanza
* It speaks of Rizals love of Liberty. The image of dawn that Rizal used in the first
line signifies the liberation that he adores. In the third and fourth line, he says that if
the colour of liberation lacks his blood, he must die for the country to attain
freedom.
4th Stanza
* Presents the flashback of Rizals love for Patricia that started when he was young.
He was young when he saw the martyrdom of the GOMBURZA and promised that
he would dedicate himself to avenge one day for those victims. His dreams were to
see his country in eminent liberation, free from sorrow and grief.
5th Stanza
* Repeats Rizals dream of complete Liberation. All Hail! signifies that he is
positively welcoming the dawn of freedom after his death. He also repeats what he
has said in the third stanza that it is his desire to dedicate his life to the Patria.
6th Stanza
* Describes the image of Rizals grave being forgotten someday. The grassy sod may
represent the countrys development, the growth of liberty, and that with the
redemption of the country, he becomes forgotten.

KUNDIMAN
Tunay ngayong umid yaring dilat puso
Sintay umiilag, tuway lumalayo,
Bayan palibhasay lupig at sumuko
Sa kapabayaan ng nagturong puno.
Datapuwat muling sisikat ang araw,
Pilit maliligtas ang inaping bayan,
Magbabalik mandin at muling iiral
Ang ngalang Tagalog sa sandaigdigan.

Ibubuhos namin ang dugot babaha


Matubos nga lamang ang sa amang lupa
Habang di ninilang panahong tadhana,
Sintay tatahimik, iidlip ang nasa.

Jose Rizal wrote Kundiman in Tagalog in September 12,1891. A kundiman is


actually a traditional Filipino love song used by a young man to serenade the
woman of his love. The theme of Rizals Kundiman is his intense love for his
Motherland. His words reflected his optimism that Philippines would be freed
from injustice and bondage.
Meaning
Jose Rizals nationalism did not only manifest itself in his novels and essays,
but also in song, particularly the kundiman. The choice of the musical form
was, of course, fittingbecause more than just a song about love, the
kundiman is a song about intense devotion.
In the melancholic Kundiman ni Rizal, he deplored the countrys state of
oppression in the hands of colonizers. However, he still expressed the hope
that someday, the name Filipino would be admired, even if bloodshed
became necessary to reach that goal.
he last verse should leave no doubt that Rizal believed that a bloody
revolution was a distinct possibility. Compare this last verse and the first two
verses of another kundiman of Rizal's "Alin Mang Lahi" , and then to a verse
in his "Mi ultimo adios"
Song of Maria Clara
Sweet the hours in the native country,
where friendly shines the sun above!
Life is the breeze that sweeps the meadows;
tranquil is death; most tender, love.
Warm kisses on the lips are playing

as we awake to mother's face:


the arms are seeking to embrace her,
the eyes are smiling as they gaze.
How sweet to die for the native country,
where friendly shines the sun above!
Death is the breeze for him who has
no country, no mother, and no love!

Jose Rizal wrote" the song of maria clara" it is found in Noli Me Tangere and it
was sung by the character named Maria Clara. Jose Rizal wrote this during
the time of the Spanish occupation in the Philippines.
Meaning
In this poem by Jos Rizal, popularly called "Song of Maria Clara," the love for
the native land is expressed. The poem likens the experience of living in
one's own country to the comforts felt from a mother's presence, noting
moments spent
while on native land are invaluable.
The Song of Maria Clara was written to instill a sense of nationalism in the
Filipinos who read it.
This is a poem that encourages one to love his own country, as he loves his
mother. It also expresses that, like a mother, only your native country will
love you and accept you for who you are.

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