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Synthesis: Understanding JCDJ’s choice of genre through the works discussed in GED117:

Jose Corazon De Jesus has more poems in his collection other than the poems shared in this blog. In my college course GED117, I have learned six poems written by Huseng Batute himself that are significant to the learning objectives of our course. These poems are primarily directed toward the state of our nation and how we must act as citizens to glorify our homeland.

For instance, in his poem “Isang Punongkahoy,” we learned that we should make the most out of our lives to influence the people around us and our country. How the poet looked at his previous life through his deathbed (in the poem) was the stage he used to show how we should be conscious about how we live our lives as Filipinos. His poem ‘Manggagawa’ shows us the value of workers in our society and encourages us to treat them with kindness and respect for the contributions that they have made to our society, even in the little things. It also may even go so far as to show them support regarding issues regarding their welfare. These first two poems discussed in our course mainly discuss how people can influence our lives and society.

Through analyzing the poem “Buhay ng Tao,” we explored the different aspects of human life and learned how we should stay strong despite the challenges we face in life. Most of the stanzas in the poem are about the human condition of oneself. A few examples of this are that it is expected as humans to experience difficulties in life, it is expected to experience envy against other people, and how our decisions can influence the life we have (josecorazondejesus, n.d.-a). Regarding the discussion about human life in this poem, “Puso, Ano Ka?” further details a particular aspect of our lives, especially romance. For instance, it explains how relationships are often determined through both of the couple’s states of heart, as it is responsible for handling one’s emotions (josecorazondejesus, n.d.-b). This is further discussed in Huseng Batute’s poem “Pag-ibig.” This poem explains how Filipinos should express and receive love through passion, proper principles, and maturity to share this feeling not just with the people we know but also with our country in general.

Our 4th poem in my course in GED117 is De Jesus’ “Ang Tren,” where we see the importance of nationalism and the value of being united amid colonization and national tribulations. As it is written during American colonization, he shows how crucial nationalism is in every Filipino’s hearts. Hence, it encourages Filipino readers to focus our efforts together with other Filipinos for the glory of our country. The poems “Pag-ibig” and “Puso, Ano ka?” also further emphasize the importance of unity among Filipinos, but through the emotion of love.

josecorazondejesus. (n.d.). Ang Buhay ng Tao ni Jose Corazon De Jesus. Tumblr.com. Retrieved October 23, 2023, from https://josecorazondejesus.tumblr.com/#:~:text=Kaisipan%20ng%20Tula%3A

josecorazondejesus. (n.d.-b). Puso, Ano Ka? ni Jose Corazon De Jesus. Retrieved October 23, 2023, from https://josecorazondejesus.tumblr.com/post/625135954219433984/puso-ano-ka-ni-jose-corazon-de-jesus

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Kamay ng Birhen (Draft)

Poem:

Mapuputing kamay, malasutla’t lambot, kung hinahawi mo itong aking buhok, ang lahat ng aking dalita sa loob ay nalilimot ko nang lubos na lubos.

At parang bulaklak na nangakabuka ang iyong daliring talulot ng ganda, kung nasasalat ko, O butihing sinta, parang ang bulaklak kahalikan ko na.

Kamay na mabait, may bulak sa lambot, may puyo sa gitna paglikom sa loob; magagandang kamay na parang may gamot, isang daang sugat nabura sa haplos.

Parang mga ibong maputi’t mabait na nakakatulog sa tapat ng dibdib; ito’y bumubuka sa isa kong halik at sa aking pisngi ay napakatamis.

Ang sabi sa k’wento, ang kamay ng birhen ay napababait ang kahit salarin; ako ay masama, nang ikaw’y giliwin, ay nagpakabait nang iyong haplusin.

Message:

Translating the poem’s title in English, the message of this title is called “Virgin’s Hands.” The main message this poem wants to convey to the readers is that people can change other people. In this case, the person you love can change you, even going so far as to state how a virgin’s hand can make even the vilest people turn into good men in the last stanza (Poem: Kamay Ng Birhen, 2023). The author emphasizes how much of an impact the virgin has on him, like describing how her hands made his problems go away (first stanza) and made him lovestruck to her (3rd stanza). We all experience this in our daily lives regarding our romantic life, feeling different than usual whenever we are with the one we truly love. It may even happen even if that person you love is your crush, as it inspires you to become a better person for her to notice you.

References:

Poem: Kamay ng Birhen. (2023, May 3). Pinoystalgia. https://pinoystalgia.com/poem-kamay-ng-birhen/

Rothgen. (2013, September 22). Philippine Literature under u.s Colonianism. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/Rothgen/philippine-literature-under-us-colonianism

Tagalog Love Poem: Kamay ng Birhen (Hands of a Virgin). (n.d.). TAGALOG LANG. Retrieved October 25, 2023, from https://www.tagaloglang.com/kamay-ng-birhen/

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Agaw-Dilim (Draft):

Poem:

Namatay ang araw sa dakong kanluran, nang kinabukasa’y pamuling sumilang, ngunit ikaw, irog, bakit nang pumanaw ay bukod-tangi kang di ko na namasdan?

Naluoy sa hardin ang liryo at hasmin, Mayo nang dumating pamuling nagsupling, ngunit ikaw, sinta, bakit kaya giliw dalawang Mayo nang nagtago sa akin?

Lumipad ang ibon sa pugad sa kahoy, dumating ang hapon at muling naroon, ngunit ikaw, buhay, ano’t hangga ngayo’y di pa nagbabalik at di ko matunton?

Message:

Translating the poem’s title in English, the message of this title is called “Snatching Darkness.” After reading the poem, it talks about the possibility of resurrection. For instance, in the 2nd stanza, we see a phrase about how flowers can bloom or “resurrect” during the summer after withering on other days of the season. However, it is shown in the second half of that stanza that the author questions why the person he loved the most (implied), who has passed away before, cannot resurrect in the same way as the flowers.

Based on my interpretation, the message that Jose Corazon De Jesus wants to bring to us through this poem is that there are things that cannot go back to normal, as if there is a recurring life cycle. Shattered glass cannot be quickly brought back to its original form. Once we are old, we cannot do things like when we were kids. And more importantly, when a person dies, they cannot be brought back to life unless a supernatural miracle occurs (which is unlikely). Hence, the response one could have after understanding this is to learn how to move on with things to spare oneself the trouble of being miserable for an extended period, even if it inevitably hurts.

References:

Philippine Literature - Agaw Dilim. (2013, March 14). Philippine Literature. https://alexandraabelong.blogspot.com/

Tula: Agaw-Dilim (Twilight). (n.d.). TAGALOG LANG. Retrieved October 25, 2023, from https://www.tagaloglang.com/tula-agaw-dilim-twilight/

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Itanong mo sa bituin (Draft)

Poem:

Isang gabi’y manungaw ka. Sa bunton ng panganorin ay tanawin ang ulila’t naglalamay na bituin; Sa bitui’y itanong mo ang ngalan ng aking giliw at kung siya’y magtatapat, ngalan mo ang sasabihin.

Ang bitui’y kapatid mo. Kung siya ma’y nasa langit, ikaw’y ditong nasa lupa’t bituin ka ng pag-ibig; dahil diya’y itanong mo sa bituin mong kapatid kundi ikaw ang dalagang minamahal ko nang labis.

Itanong mo sa bitui’t bituin ang nakakita nang ako ay umagahin sa piling ng mga dusa; minagdamag ang palad ko sa pagtawag ng Amada, ngunit ikaw na tinawag, lumayo na’t nagtago pa.

Message:

Translating the poem's title in English, the message of this title is called "Ask the stars." The poem's story starts when the author asks the stars who will be the love of her life. He had treated the star as a trusted person, even going so far as to call him "kapatid" or brother in this context. However, at the poem's end, the star hides after calling out his love interest or lover, as if he betrayed him and left (Parochelin, 2018).

Based on my initial interpretation, it's not just a love story. From what I understand in this poem, this is more like a story about a betrayal of a friend. It is apparent during the 2nd stanza of the poem that he trusts the star very much, while in the 3rd stanza, the "brother" left him as if he wanted to stay away from him. This poem has something to do with trickery regarding love matters. Going back to the 1st stanza, the poem's author believes that the stars know who his future lovers are so long as you ask them about it. Understanding his trust in the 2nd stanza, he calls out the answer of the star called Amanda. Little did he know that it was wrong, with the star's actions proving it further to avoid the author's questioning.

This message wants to convey indirectly that sometimes it is better to wait for your destined one to come, lest you want to end up like the author in this poem. Sometimes, we believe that this person is the one for our life, only to realize that our expectations are betrayed the more we spend together with each other. Hence, this may be the reason why the theme of this poem is about love.

References:

Parochelin, J. (2018, October 7). Itanong Mo Sa Bituin: Poem Analysis. Wordpress.com; WordPress.com. https://tropicalnotebook.wordpress.com/2018/10/07/itanong-mo-sa-bituin-poem-review/

TULA: Itanong Mo Sa Bituin (Ask the Stars): Tagalog Poem. (n.d.). TAGALOG LANG. Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://www.tagaloglang.com/itanong-mo-sa-bituin/

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Kahit Saan (Draft)

Poem:

Kung sa mga daang nilalakaran mo, may puting bulaklak ang nagyukong damo na nang dumaan ka ay biglang tumungo tila nahihiyang tumunghay sa iyo. . . Irog, iya’y ako!

Kung may isang ibong tuwing takipsilim, nilalapitan ka at titingin-tingin, kung sa iyong silid masok na magiliw at ika’y awitan sa gabing malalim. . . Ako iyan, Giliw!

Kung tumingala ka sa gabing payapa at sa langit nama’y may ulilang tala na sinasabugan ikaw sa bintana ng kanyang malungkot na sinag ng luha Iya’y ako, Mutya!

Kung ikaw’y magising sa dapit-umaga, isang paruparo ang iyong nakita na sa masetas mong didiligin sana ang pakpak ay wasak at nanlalamig na. . . Iya’y ako, Sinta!

Kung nagdarasal ka’t sa matang luhaan ng Kristo’y may isang luhang nakasungaw, kundi mo mapahid sa panghihinayang at nalulungkot ka sa kapighatian. . . Yao’y ako, Hirang!

Ngunit kung ibig mong makita pa ako, akong totohanang nagmahal sa iyo; hindi kalayuan, ikaw ay tumungo sa lumang libinga’t doon, asahan mong. . . magkikita tayo!

Message:

Translating the poem's title in English, the message of this title is called "No Matter Where" (TULA: Kahit Saan, n.d.). As the title suggested, most of the poem's premise is directed at the fact that his presence is always seen no matter where the person in question is, presumably, his lover. This way of storytelling is because he has already died, which is found in the last stanza of this poem.

For instance, in the first stanza, we can see the author using the flowers on the grass as a symbol to show how there is an obstacle in their relationship (sipatsuri, 2014). In the second and third stanzas, the author uses life forms such as a bird and an orphan, symbolizing that he is watching over them despite their distance.

This poem wants to convey that whenever his lover goes, there will always be a symbol of his lover's love for her. Love can be formed in many ways, not just from the actions of a human person (sipatsuri, 2014). Also, it cannot quickly go away even when you are separated for life. There will always be cues that evoke memories with the person you love.

References:

sipatsuri. (2014, July 26). Pagsusuri sa tulang Kahit Saan ni Jose Corazon de Jesus. Tumblr. https://www.tumblr.com/sipatsuri/92850466632/pagsusuri-sa-tulang-kahit-saan-ni-jose-corazon-de

TULA : Kahit Saan . (n.d.). TAGALOG LANG. Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://www.tagaloglang.com/tagalog-love-poem/

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Bayan Ko - (Draft 1)

Poem:

Ang bayan kong Pilipinas Lupain ng ginto’t bulaklak Pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad Nag-alay ng ganda’t dilag.

At sa kanyang yumi at ganda Dayuhan ay nahalina Bayan ko, binihag ka Nasadlak sa dusa.

Ibon mang may layang lumipad kulungin mo at umiiyak Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag Ang di magnasang makaalpas!

Pilipinas kong minumutya Pugad ng luha ko’t dalita Aking adhika, Makita kang sakdal laya.

Message:

Translating the poem's title in English, the message of this title is called "My Country." This poem is one of the many famous works Jose Corazon Dela Jesus composed during his life. In fact, it turned into a song by Constancio de Guzman as a form of protest against the Marcos administration during the 1980s (Tula: Bayan Ko, n.d.). This fact alone explains the whole message that Dela Cruz wants to bring to the audience. Bayan ko is a poem about his country, the Philippines, and the desire to make his country free amidst the colonial rule of the colonizers, namely the Americans.

In the first stanza of this poem, Dela Jesus uses adjectives to describe the beauty of his country, the Philippines, with phrases such as "Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak" and "Pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad, nag-alay ng ganda't dilag." The 2nd stanza talks about how foreigners have entered and enslaved their country. In the 3rd stanza, he describes how the colonizers treated them by using an analogy of a bird. And lastly, the 4th stanza shows a clear message that he wishes to see the Philippines free from their land's foreign rulers.

Overall, the message this poem wants to convey to his readers is his desire to see the Philippines free amidst the control of the foreigners in their land. Conveying it this way may be his way of encouraging Filipinos to have a sense of nationalism for our country.

References:

Quirino, K. (2011, March 13). Bayan Ko. The Bulwagan Foundation Trust; The Bulwagan Foundation Trust. https://thebulwaganfoundation.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/bayan-ko/

Tula : Bayan Ko. (n.d.). TAGALOG LANG. Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://www.tagaloglang.com/bayan-ko/