An Analysis On A Eulogy of Roaches by Buenvenido Lumbrera: Pablo Borbon Main I, Batangas City

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Pablo Borbon Main I, Batangas City
An Analysis on A Eulogy of Roaches by Buenvenido Lumbrera
A Eulogy of Roaches
Blessed are the cockroaches
In this country they are
the citizens who last.
They need no police
to promulgate their peace
because they tolerate
each other's smell or greed.
Friends to dark and filth,
they do not choose their meat.
Although they neither sow
nor reap, a daily feast
is laid for them in rooms
and kitchens of their pick.
The roaches do not spin,
and neither do they weave.
But note the russet coat
the sluggards wear: clothed
at birth, roaches require
no roachy charity.
They settle where they wish

and have no rent to pay.
Eviction is a word
quite meaningless to them
who do not have to own
their dingy crack of wall.
Not knowing dearth or taxes,
they increase and multiply.
Survival is assured
even the jobless roach;
his opportunities
pile up where garbage grows.
Dying is brief and cheap
and thus cannot affright.
A whiff of toxic mist,
an agile heel, a stick
-- the swift descent of pain
is also final death.
Their annals may be short,
but when the simple poor
have starved to simple death,
roaches still circulate
in cupboards of the rich,
the strong, the wise, the dead

Introduction
A Eulogy of Roaches was written year 1965. This illustrates marginalized
people in a metaphorical way. The author used strange symbolism of
cockroaches or simply roaches. This symbol may be seen in the history of the
Philippines were the author had lived. Cockroaches in this poem were described
positively and negatively. In this analysis, the critic tried to illustrate and weight
this kind of materials if it opposed cockroaches or if it romanticized the pest,
roaches.
Background of the Author
B u e n v e n i d o L
was a product of University of Santo
Tomas in 1950 and continued his
masters and doctorate degree in the
Indiana University in 1967. He had
complemented Comparative Literature.
Lumbrera was regarded as a
noteworthy poet, critic and dramatist.

Buenvenido Lumbrera
http://panitikan.ph/2014/06/06/bienveni He has been a recipient of numerous
do-l-lumbera/
awards, including the Ramon
Magsaysay Award for Journalism,
Literature and Creative Communication Arts in 1993, the Gawad CCP, Gawad
Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas, Manila Critics' Circle and the Palanca. He has
also gained Professor Emeritus status in the University of the Philippines. He
also serves in the Board of Advisers of the UP Institute of Creative Writing. This
2006, for his creative and critical work directed towards a literature rooted in the
search for nationhood, Dr. Lumbera received the much-coveted title of National
Artist for Literature.

He has a poetry collection entitled Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (1993), and
Balaybay: Mga Tulang Lunot at Manibalang, a collection of new poems in Filipino
and those from Likhang Dila. He has several critical works, including Abot-
Tanaw: Sulyap at Suri sa Nagbabagong Kultura at Lipunan (1987) and Writing
the Nation/Pag-akda ng Bansa (2000). He has also done several librettos,
among them Tales of the Manuvu (1977) and Rama Hari (1980). Sa Sariling
Bayan: Apat na Dulang May Musika (DLSU, 2003) collects the four historical
musicals Nasa Puso ang Amerika, Bayani, Noli Me Tangere: The Musical, and
Hibik at Himagsik Nina Victoria Laktaw.
Literary Approach and Literary Lens
A Eulogy to Roaches is a poem implicitly describes the poor. Poor simply
describes lacking of sufficient money in order to live at a standard comfortable in
the society, however, poor can be described as cultural. Seebrook (2017)
investigated if culture is a cause of poverty. In his reviews, he was certain that
poverty is the culture itself. It is a culture in the traditional anthropological sense
in that it provides human beings with a design for living, a ready-made set of
solutions for human problems, and so serves a significant adaptive function. The
culture of poverty presents itself as culture of welfare dependency. Thus, this is a
useful distraction from material deprivation. However, in the late 1930’s poverty
in the Philippines was not distinguished as cultural. Poverty is a societal issue
resulted from poor governance and misguided policies.
Likewise, Eulogy of Roches was written year 1965, wherein poverty was a
reported case. This is during the reign of Former President Marcos. The critic
believed that this societal issue in the image of poverty is a great impact towards
the author’s poetic images posted in the poem. Therefore, in analyzing the text
as a whole, the critic used the Sociological Approach. This approach to criticism
is a way to understand that literature has a big connection to the social,

economic and political forces. Though many critics opposed this idea, still in
sociological approach, it was deemed important. This approach is also a means
of exploring the artist and society. This means that the critic examines the artist’s
society and connects it to the work of the artist (--- CRITICAL APPROACHES TO
LITERATURE ---, 2019). Meanwhile, O’Connor (2020) stipulated that the critics
of these approach tend to uphold the dignity of marginalized people or the
oppressed from the well positioned individuals. Additionally, a critic that has been
onto analyzing a certain text through sociological approach is regarded as social
historian rather than being historian only. Thus, this provides a clear illustration of
the world the author had lived (Walker, 2017).
With the abovementioned facts, the critic of this paper was certain that
sociological approach is pivotal in this analysis. The material to be used had
something to do to the social and political areas. A Eulogy of Roaches contained
data in retrieving how poor thrived long years ago. Though the artist, Buenvenido
Lumbrera, was indeed in a higher hierarchy during that time, since he can study
in local and foreign schools, he represented the minorities in this text. Hence, this
helps the critic to understand how upper class perceived the marginalized
people. This perspective of the author was supportive in understanding different
classes of the society. With this, the critic used the Marxist Lens to better
understand the social classes existed year 1965, the same year that A Eulogy of
Roaches had published.
Marxism is the subcategory of Sociological Approach. Delahoyde (n.d.),
had examined that the proponent of Marxism is Karl Marx. Karl Marx perceived
human history to have consisted of a series of struggles between classes--
between the oppressed and the oppressing. Literature reflects those social
institutions out of which it emerges and is itself a social institution with a
particular ideological function. Literature reflects class struggle and materialism:

think how often the quest for wealth traditionally defines characters. Marxists
generally view literature not as works created in accordance with timeless artistic
criteria, but as products of the economic and ideological determinants specific to
that era. Literature reflects an author's own class or analysis of class relations,
however piercing or shallow that analysis may be. Steenhoek (2011) reviewed
Marxists lens as a theory that deals with class conflicts and distinction. Thus, it
gave a directive meaning to social and political phenomena during the time the
text was written. This lens often proud of the oppressed people and how they win
the. It means that readers summarized ideologies that opens the social realities
wherein it these realities were socially constructed. It also deepens the
understanding the social issues that counts the economic and class extremes.
These issues were brought by social behavior.
SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH vis-à-vis MARXIST LENS
“The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide
which particular representatives of the oppressing class are
to represent and repress them.”
To better understand the text, the critic decided to include the social and
political context in the Philippines during 1965. This year was the beginning of
the Former President Marcos. Philippines - Marcos and the Road to Martial Law,
1965-72 (n.d.), reviewed that during the first reign of Marcos, there are
improvement of life. It was seen through public work projects such as roads,
bridges, schools, irrigation facilities and urban beautification projects. These were
all cost-free political projects. According to Ferdinand Marcos - New World
Encyclopedia (n.d.), initially, the former president’s intentions were worthy, to
improve the economy and to increase agricultural productivity and to dismantle
the oligarchy that had dominated the nation. His greatest achievements were in
the areas of infrastructure development, safeguarding the country against

communism, and international diplomacy. However, his administration was
marred by massive government corruption, despotism, nepotism, political
repression and human rights violations. In the end, he replaced one privileged
class with another and gained enormous personal wealth while his nation's
economy, originally strong under his leadership, went into serious decline.
Blessed are the cockroaches the first line revealed that author was
amazed about cockroaches. This seemed to highlight that even a pest can
receive blessings.
In this country they are
the citizens who last.
They need no police
to promulgate their peace
because they tolerate
each other's smell or greed.
The second stanzas presented above exposed three reasons why
cockroaches are blessed. First, they are the citizens who last. Second, they need
no police to have peace, and third, because they can cover each other’s greed
and smell. This smell seemed to be unpleasant. Here, as the author
metamorphically connects cockroaches as to citizen. These are the ways how
citizens are able to survive and protect each other.
Friends to dark and filth,
they do not choose their meat.
Although they neither sow
nor reap, a daily feast
is laid for them in rooms
and kitchens of their pick.

Likewise, here in the third stanza, it also exposed how cockroaches or
citizens able to survive in their daily life basis. Somehow, the critic was certain
that cockroaches were entitled for the poor. It was stipulated in the third stanza
how people in oppressed group thrived for food everywhere. The critic was able
to analyzed that the author was kind of envious for the poor, as he thought that
they can celebrate festivity every single day.
The roaches do not spin,
and neither do they weave.
But note the russet coat
the sluggards wear: clothed
at birth, roaches require
no roachy charity.
This third stanza was too mysterious. The third person had included a
russet coat that sluggards wear which means that he regarded this poor as
lethargic as when they live on earth they were clothe with a russet coat. An
increased interpretation of how the author viewed the poor as immobile and
sluggish. He, the author, himself contradicted the idea that the poor needs charity
They settle where they wish
and have no rent to pay.
Eviction is a word
quite meaningless to them
who do not have to own
their dingy crack of wall.
This part entailed that cockroaches or these kinds of citizens uphold
dignity. even as they can be evicted nor destroyed from a place where they
decided to stay. The critic was sure that these poor people seem not to be the
poor others may visualize as they are the poor who strongly commands and was
empowered by other people.
Not knowing dearth or taxes,
they increase and multiply.
Survival is assured
even the jobless roach;
his opportunities
pile up where garbage grows.
Everywhere roaches may be there. Roaches have multiplied in number
just like how they multiply their opportunities. They seek and thrived just like
everyone wished. They were unlike the poor who was underrepresented. They
are famous as everybody noticed. Where roaches hide, anomality begins.
Their annals may be short,
but when the simple poor
have starved to simple death,
roaches still circulate
in cupboards of the rich,
These lines depicted how governing roaches are, they cannot be affright
with just a snap. The real oppressed was one who struggled the most, and they
are the simple poor. Likewise, they thrived in the hands of whom gave them
benefits — rich. Thus, they can be claimed as people who acts to be a wealthy
being. Roaches in these lines depict how wise cockroaches are.
the strong, the wise, the dead
The last lines were very straight forwarded as the author regarded
roaches as strong, wise and dead individuals. This also means that these are the
continuation of the first line and give a strong conviction that Blessed are the
roaches the strong, the wise, the dead. This end line was the summary of the
entire poem. The author represented roaches as strong, as they were affirmative,
wise as they thrived on rich to survive amidst of hunger and poverty and dead as
they cannot surpass the sentence of death.
In this poem, two social classes were depicted the the poor and the rich.
In relation to the context when the texts were written, it can be clearly depicted
that poverty exists on the late age. The context was no different from today.
Roaches seemed to be parasite for rich. They only aimed for the best for them.
They were immobile, but they can live wherever and whenever they want.
Roaches were citizens who seems to struggle a lot but able to live. They were
very positive and resourceful; they did this for living. People at times, may
misunderstood them, however, like Lumbrera in purpose, willingly write a piece of
literature to commend them. He wanted to be perfectly served as a
representation for people to appreciate their being.
To conclude, through sociological approach and Marxist lens, A Eulogy of
Roaches has clear depiction of social classes in context. This poem values the
way how the poor play its vital part in the economy and in the society. Contrast
on the idea that roaches are pests in the society, this paper were made to praise
their existence. This was a clear representation that as long as the roach are still
circulating anomality, oppression and discrimination were popular social issues
that governs the welfare, security and protection of the marginalized people.
References:
--- CRITICAL APPROACHES TO LITERATURE ---. (2019). Olemiss.Edu.
http://home.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/spring97/litcrit.html
Bienvenido L. Lumbera. (2020). Www.Goodreads.Com; Goodreads, Inc.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5156421.Bienvenido_L_Lumbera
Delahoyde, M. (n.d.). Introduction to Literature. Introduction to Literature: Critical
Theory. https://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/marxist.crit.html
Ferdinand Marcos - New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
Www.Newworldencyclopedia.Org. Retrieved May 9, 2020, from
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ferdinand_Marcos
Mendoza, R. U. (2016, February 26). Ferdinand Marcos’ economic disaster.
Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/123773-marcos-
economic-disaster
O’Connor, K. (2020, May 8). Economic and Social Literary Criticism | Great
Writers Inspire. Writersinspire.Org.
http://writersinspire.org/content/economic-social-literary-criticism
panitikan.ph Lumbera, Bienvenido L. (2020). In Likhaan Panitikan.ph.
http://panitikan.ph/2014/06/06/bienvenido-l-lumbera/
Philippines - ECONOMY - Martial Law and its Aftermath. (n.d.).
Countrystudies.Us. http://countrystudies.us/philippines/57.htm
Philippines - Marcos and the Road to Martial Law, 1965-72. (n.d.).
Countrystudies.Us. Retrieved May 9, 2020, from
http://countrystudies.us/philippines/27.htm
Seabrook, J. (2017, May 25). Culture as a cause of poverty has been wilfully
misinterpreted | Jeremy Seabrook. The Guardian; The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/14/culture-poverty-
poor-power-welfare-sanctions-cuts
Steenhoek, L. (2011, April 14). Marxist Lens. Prezi.Com.
https://prezi.com/t27ifcofjbno/marxist-lens/
Walker, J. (2017, February 18). The Long Essay: LITERATURE AND
SOCIOCULTURAL CRITICISM: The value of Lawrence and Leavis to a
sociologist. D.H. Lawrence: A Digital Pilgrimage.
https://thedigitalpilgrimage.wordpress.com/2017/02/18/featured-content-2/
Witte, W. (1941). The Sociological Approach to Literature. The Modern Language
Review, 36(1), 86–94. https://doi.org/10.2307/3717263

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BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

An Analysis on A Eulogy of Roaches by Buenvenido Lumbrera

Blessed are the cockroaches

In this country they are

the citizens who last.

They need no police

to promulgate their peace

because they tolerate

each other's smell or greed.

Friends to dark and filth,

they do not choose their meat.

Although they neither sow

nor reap, a daily feast

is laid for them in rooms

and kitchens of their pick.

The roaches do not spin,

and neither do they weave.

But note the russet coat

the sluggards wear: clothed

at birth, roaches require

They settle where they wish

and have no rent to pay.

quite meaningless to them

who do not have to own

their dingy crack of wall.

Not knowing dearth or taxes,

they increase and multiply.

even the jobless roach;

pile up where garbage grows.

Dying is brief and cheap

and thus cannot affright.

A whiff of toxic mist,

an agile heel, a stick

-- the swift descent of pain

is also final death.

Their annals may be short,

but when the simple poor

have starved to simple death,

roaches still circulate

in cupboards of the rich,

the strong, the wise, the dead

A Eulogy of Roaches was written year 1965. This illustrates marginalized

people in a metaphorical way. The author used strange symbolism of

this kind of materials if it opposed cockroaches or if it romanticized the pest,

Background of the Author

was a product of University of Santo

Tomas in 1950 and continued his

masters and doctorate degree in the

Indiana University in 1967. He had

complemented Comparative Literature.

Lumbrera was regarded as a

noteworthy poet, critic and dramatist.

Magsaysay Award for Journalism,

also gained Professor Emeritus status in the University of the Philippines. He

Artist for Literature.

Balaybay: Mga Tulang Lunot at Manibalang, a collection of new poems in Filipino

Tanaw: Sulyap at Suri sa Nagbabagong Kultura at Lipunan (1987) and Writing

the Nation/Pag-akda ng Bansa (2000). He has also done several librettos,

Hibik at Himagsik Nina Victoria Laktaw.

Literary Approach and Literary Lens

A Eulogy to Roaches is a poem implicitly describes the poor. Poor simply

describes lacking of sufficient money in order to live at a standard comfortable in