SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF JOSE GARCIA VILLA
Villa was born on August 5, 1908, in Manila`s Singalong district. His parents were Simeon Villa
and Guia Garcia. He was graduated from the University of the Philippines Integrated School and
the University of the Philippines High School in 1925. He enrolled on a Pre-Medical course, but
then switched to Pre-Law course. However, he realized that his true passion was in arts. He
tried painting but then turned into writing. He used the pen name Doveglion. He introduced the
reverse consonance rhyme scheme, including the comma poems that made use of the
punctuation mark in innovative, poetic way.
In 1946, Villa married Rosemarie Lamb, with whom he had two sons, Randy and Lance. They
annulled ten years later. Villa died on February 7, 1997 in New York City.
AND IF THE HEART CAN NOT LOVE
By: Jose Garcia Villa
And if the heart can not love
death can not cure it nor sleep
no splendor of wound the heart
had no sound
Bloom had escaped it and
birth the miraculous flower
and music and speech leave
it unbewitched
God it can not spell nor sun
nor lover the beautiful word
and it has no sound no sound
nor wound
LITERARY ANALYSIS
THEME- Inability of the heart to love and the resulting emptiness and lack of validity in life.
RHYME SCHEME- The poem follows an irregular rhyme scheme, with occasional rhymes
throughout. For example, “love” rhymes with “above” and “unbewitched” with “witched”.
TYPE OF STANZA- The poem is written in free verse, without a consistent stanza structure or
meter.
MOOD-The is poem is melancholic and desolate, reflecting the sense of despair and emptiness
conveyed by the speaker.
TONE- The poem is somber and resigned, suggesting a sense of acceptance of the heart`s
inability to love.
METER- The poem lacks consistent meter, contributing to its free-flowing and introspective
nature.
STYLE- characterized by its use of concise and enigmatic language, as well as its exploration of
abstract concept such as love and emptiness. The lack of punctuation and capitalization adds to
the poem`s minimalist and contemplative style, inviting readers to engage deeply with its
themes.
STRUCTURE- The poem structured into a single stanza, contributing to its unity and coherence.
Despite the lack of traditional stanza breaks, the poem`s structure serves to emphasize the
interconnectedness of its ideas. The absence of a clear beginning, middle, and end mirrors the
perpetual state of emptiness and lack of fulfillment described in the poem.
LITERARY DEVICES:
Personification- The heart is personified as incapable of love.
Imagery- The poem uses imagery such as “splendor of wound” and “miraculous flower” to evoke
a sense of beauty and despair.
Repetition- The repetition of phrases like “no sound” emphasizes the silence and emptiness of
the heart.
Symbolism- The heart symbolizes love and vitality, while the absence of love represents
emptiness and lack of fulfillment.
INTERPRETATION:
The poem talks about feeling really sad and empty when there`s no love in your heart. Even
though the world can be beautiful, if you don`t have love, it`s like you can`t feel anything good.
It`s like being stuck in a quiet and sad place, where nothing seems to matter. The person in the
poem accepts that sometimes, hearts just can`t feel love, and that`s just how it is. It shows how
important love and connection are in life, and how hard it can be when you don`t have them.
FIRST, A POEM MUST BE MAGICAL
By: Jose Garcia Villa
First, a poem must be magical,
Then musical as a seagull,
It must be brightness moving
And hold secret a bird`s flowering.
It must be slender as a bell,
And it must hold fire as well,
It must have the wisdom of bows
And it must kneel like a rose.
It must be able to hear
The luminance of dove and deep,
It must be able to hide
What it seeks, like a bride.
And over all I would like to hover
God, smiling from the poem`s cover.
LITERARY ANALYSIS
THEME- The poem revolves around the essence and qualities that a poem should possess,
emphasizing its magical, musical, and transcendent nature.
RHYME SCHEME- The poem follows an irregular rhyme scheme, with occasional rhymes
throughout. For example, “seagull” rhymes with “flowering”, “bell” with “well”, and “bows” with
“roses”.
TYPE OF STANZA- The poem is written in free verse, without a consistent stanza structure
meter.
MOOD- The mood of the poem is celebratory and reverent, conveying a sense of awe and
admiration for the power and beauty of poetry.
TONE- The tone of the poem is reverential and earnest, reflecting the speaker`s deep
reverence for the art of poetry and its transformative potential
METER- The poem lack of consistent meter, contributing to its free-flowing and expressive
nature.
STRUCTURE- The poem consists of a single stanza, contributing to its unity and coherence.
Despite the lack of traditional stanza breaks, the poem`s structure serves to emphasize the
interconnectedness of its ideas and the seamless flow of its imagery.
FORMS- The form of the poem is free verse, characterized by its lack of traditional rhyme
scheme, meter, or stanza structure. This form allows the poet to express themselves with
greater flexibility and freedom, enabling them to explore complex themes and ideas in a more
organic and unrestrictive manner. The absence of formal constraints in the form of the poem
mirrors the speaker`s celebration of the boundless and transformative nature of poetry.
STYLE- The style of the poem is characterized by its use of vivid imagery, lyrical language, and
symbolic representation. The poet employs similes, personification, and symbolism to convey
the qualities and essence of poetry, creating a sense of awe and reverence for the art form. The
language is rich and evocative, inviting readers to engage deeply with the poem`s themes and
ideas. The style reflects the speaker`s deep appreciation and admiration for poetry as a magical
and transcendent medium of expression.
LITERARY DEVICES:
Simile- The poem uses similes to compare the qualities of a poem to various natural and
symbolic elements, such as “musical as a seagull” and “slender as a bell”.
Personification- Poetry is personified as possessing wisdom, the ability to hear, and the
capacity to hide what it seeks.
Imagery- The poem employs vivid imagery to evoke the magical and transformative nature of
poetry, such as “brightness moving” and “hold fire”.
Symbolism- The poem utilizes symbols like the seagull, bell,, and rose to represent the
qualities and attributes of poetry.
Repetition- The repetition of phrases like “It must” emphasizes the essential characteristics that
a poem should embody.
Alliteration- There are instances of alliteration, such as “brightness moving”, which enhance
the musicality of the poem.
INTERPRETATION:
Poetry is indeed an amazing topic to write about, and this poem clearly shows that. The poem
suggests that poetry should be magical just like music, it should be so engrossing that it can
make feel something unusual. The poem relates poetry to things such as birds and flowers and
illustrates its attractiveness and strength. The speaker truly adores poetry and claims it is a
special gift for learning valuable lesson as well as seeing the world differently. It`s as though we
get a marvelous and enchanting present which has capacity to transform us into better people.
BONSAI
By: Edith L. Tiempo
All that I love
I fold over once
And once again
And keep in the box
Or a slit in a hollow post
Or in my shoe.
All that I love?
Why, yes, but for the moment-
And for all time, both.
Something that folds and keeps easy,
Son`s notes or Dad`s one gaudy tie,
A roto picture of a queen,
A blue Indian shawl, even
A money bill.
It`s utter sublimation,
A feat, this heart`s control
Moment to moment
To scale all love down
To a cupped hand`s size
Till seashells are broken pieces
From God`s own bright teeth,
And life and love are real
Things you can run and
Breathless hand over
To the merest child.
REFLECTION
“Bonsai” speaks to how we keep things that are precious to us close. Folding and keeping
things, it compares with holding onto memories and cherished items. Different object that
symbolize love such as a note from a son or a photograph of a queen are mentioned by the
speaker. In order to make them easier to hold on, these things are kept safe in small sizes, like
putting them in boxes or shoes.
The poem also says that love is both temporary and permanent. It`s something that we feel now
and again for eternity. The speaker discusses our efforts to shrink our loving feelings so they
become more manageable, until they fit into our hands.
At last, this poem to me likens life, love to delicate shell; however, these are real things which
people can share with others even children. Overall, the work is about maintaining what one
loves matter how small or transient those may be.
Be Beautiful, Noble, Like the Antique Ant
By: Jose Villa Garcia
Be beautiful, noble, like the antique ant.
Who bore the storms as he bore the sun,
Wearing neither gown nor helmet,
Though he was archbishop and soldier:
Wore only his own flesh.
Salute characters with gracious dignity:
Though what these are is left to
Your own terms. Exact: the universe is
Not so small but these will be found
Somewhere. Exact: they will be found
Speak with great moderation: but think
With great fierceness, burning passion:
Though what the ant thought
No annuals reveal, no his descendants
Break the seal.
Trace the tracelessness of the ant,
Every ant has reached this perfection
As he comes, so he goes,
Flowing as the water flows,
Essential but secret like a rose.
LITERARY ANALYSIS:
THEME: The central theme of the poem is the celebration of simplicity, resilience, dignity, and
inner strength.
TONE: The tone of the poem is reverential and contemplative. The speaker reflects on the
admirable qualities of the ants with admiration and respect, encouraging readers to appreciate
and embody these virtues.
MOOD: The mood of the poem is one of admiration and introspection. The descriptions of the
ant`s resilience and simplicity evoke a sense of wonder and appreciation for the inherent beauty
of these qualities.
METER: Free-verse
STRUCTURE: The poem is structured into stanzas, each containing concise reflections on the
ant`s virtues. The structure provides framework for the exploration of the poem`s themes and
allows for a cohesive presentation of ideas.
LITERARY DEVICES:
Metaphor- The ant serves as a metaphor for desirable human virtues such as resilience,
simplicity, dignity, and inner strength.
Imagery- Vivid imagery is used to depict the ant enduring storms and sun without external
protection, evoking a sense of resilience and strength.
REPETITION- Phrases like “Exact: they will be found” are repeated, emphasizes the
universality and timeless nature of the virtues being celebrated.
SYMBOLISM- The ant symbolizes humility, endurance, and perseverance, as it relies on its
own flesh and endures without external adornments.
ALLUSION- The poem alludes to the admirable qualities of the ant, drawing parallels between
its virtues and desirable human qualities.
INTERPRETATION:
This poem seems to praise the virtues of simplicity, resilience, and dignity, using the metaphor
of antique ant. It encourages embracing one`s own nature and essence without pretense or
external adornment, akin to the ant wearing only its flesh. The call to salute characters with
gracious dignity suggests a respect for individuality authenticity. The emphasis of moderation in
speech but fierceness in thoughts highlights the importance of inner strength and conviction.
The notion of tracelessness where every ant achieves perfection, hints at the idea of living
without leaving a conspicuous mark, yet still embodying essential qualities like water or rose.
Overall, it celebrates the nobility and beauty found in simplicity, resilience, and authenticity.
.
Old Maid Walking on a City Street
By: Angela Manalang-Gloria
She had a way of walking through
concupiscence
And past the graces her fingers never twirled:
Because her mind refused the heavy burden,
Her broad feet shoveled up the world.
INTERPRETATION:
This poem tells about woman who is unlike everyone else. She does not strive to acquire what
is not necessary for her. When she sees a beautiful object, she does not allow herself to be
distracted and always remain focused. The woman does not whip her fingers, get lost in empty
worries, and walk through life with a clear head and strong feet.
The poem says that her strength is her ability to remain above the situation on the one hand and
not be burdened with an excess of randomness. That is, she always remains in plain sight,
leading the usual course of life, that is, with her feet. Thus, this poem, glorifies the spirit of a
woman`s self-awareness, calm, and strength in a world full of flowers and various temptations.
VANITY
By: Trinidad Tarrosa- Subido
We call her Foreign Woman, God…
Burnished copper dusts are glinting from her hair;
White as the tropic sky her face; her eyes sea-blue;
Like silver of the levant star her smile.
My eyes are dark and, too, my hair;
And brown the flesh that shrouds my soul;
If I should die tonight and be reborn;
O, Lord Creator, make me too
A Foreign Woman to my native land.
INTERPRETATION:
The poem is about a woman whom the speaker feels is a person to be reckoned with. They are
known as the foreign woman and are almost considered a sort of deity. Her shiny, copper-red
hair, her face as white as the sky in the tropics, her eyes as blue as the sea, and her smile
dazzling as a star. A mere ignorance of her self-identity is present to the speaker, as many
personalities are exuding from her. However, the speaker doesn`t feel like her. Her eyes are
darker, her wavy hair is blond, and her skin is tinged with brown. The speaker desires to be
reborn in her home country as a foreign woman. This poem is about being drawn to someone
who seems exotic and different and wanting to have their beauty and acceptance.
Truant`s Epitaph
By: Rafael Zulueta Y De Costa
When someday he escapes into the next,
Remember, in his way, he always was a truant.
Never would he pass,
Closed doors but pried.
He read, but not the text.
INTERPRETATION:
This poem can be interpreted as a reflection of the unconventional journey of a free spirit. The
word “truant” implies someone who strays from the conventional path, choosing instead to
explore their own avenues. Despite not conforming to societal expectations, this person was
deeply curious and sought knowledge in their own unique way. The imagery of “closed doors
but pried” suggests a determination to uncover what lies beyond barriers, whether physical or
metaphorical. Ultimately, the poem celebrates the individuality and resilience of someone who
lived life on their own terms.
