MODULE 2

POETRY OF BIENVENIDO N. SANTOS

INTRODUCTION

Bienvenido N. Santos had his own ways to capture the heart of his readers. His intriguing titles
would make you think deeply and the metaphors that he used in his poems would warm your
heart and reflect about life, love, sex, and everything. In the book The Writer and His Milieu: An
Oral History of First Generation of Writers in English by Alegre and Fernandez (1984), he was
described this way, “he is basically a poet, a love poet who speaks being clawed by love. He
charts the biography of passion, sex included, as no Filipino poet- novelist ever has”.

Sir Ben wrote everything that he knew. He had his failures and difficulties as a writer but what
his readers like about him is that he wrote what he thought of writing. Aside from mentioned
themes, he also wrote a lot about being exiled (based on his experience), in fact in an interview,
he talked about a poem compilation which is all about exile, The Paperboat Poems. According to
Sir Ben, “we are all exile in our own ways”, it makes you reflect right? Learn more about his
poetry as you proceed reading the module.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Analyze the poetry of BNS through the given activities;
2. Write poems based from the themes of poetry of BNS; and
3. Compare the writing style of BNS with other Filipino poet-novelist.

MEA CULPA

Sir Ben’s poetry compilations are famous. These are Wounded Stag which consists of 54 poems
and Distances: In Time which was published by Ateneo De Manila University Press in 1983. Read
and explore one of his poetry, Mea Culpa.

I know that you already experienced to apologize whether in a simple or complex situation. So,
before reading the poem, let me ask you, what is your point of view about asking an apology,
when and how do you ask for it?

My parents taught me that when asking for an apology, I ought not to fill it with excuses in order
to justify the mistakes I have made. They told me that a person who is truly apologetic would be
humble and guilty for what he / she has done and that no matter the attending circumstances
which probably contributed to me committing that mistake, it doesn’t change the fact that what
I did damaged another person.
Mea Culpa

I wanted you to taste my poem

but your sunglasses
kept getting in the way

so here’s your valentine

a moonfish easily fed
with crumbs
and unleavened ashes

for the season’s sacrifice

I shall give up jade
Dipped in crème de menthe
to atone for all
my sins of emission

For further understanding, answer the following questions:

1. Which line tells that the persona is a lover?

“So here’s your valentine”

2. What does the persona want to the person wearing the sunglasses?
To taste his poem. It probably meant that he wanted her to take him seriously and to
actually believe what he is about to say.

3. What is the gift of the persona?

“I shall give up jade dipped in crème de menthe; and here’s your valentine”

4. What do ashes represent in this poem?

Guilt or regret

5. What does moonfish represent in the poem?

_the one asking for apology

6. What are the things which the persona would give up?
“Jade dipped in crème de menthe”
7. What does Mea Culpa mean?
“Through my fault”
 8. What is the theme of the poem?
Reconciliation

9-15. What is the overall meaning of the poem?

It is most likely about trying to make up for the things that this person has committed to
this person. It is showing that he feels remorse and that he is willing to sacrifice things in
order to make right with the aggrieved individual.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.1

A monorhyme is a poem which all the lines have the same end rhyme. Using the theme of
Mea Culpa, write a monorhyme below.

Lifetime

They say all wounds are healed over time

But some stay for a lifetime
Like a family who suffered from a heinous crime
The path towards healing is an uphill climb
And no matter the length of time
these instances will never make sense or rhyme
PARTY’S OVER

Sir Ben was a serious writer. His works are peculiar but at the same time will challenge your
ability to analyze. He wrote his works in English because he wanted them to be used in language
and literature classes. Challenge yourself and analyze another poem of Sir Ben; Party’s Over.

How do Filipinos see death in general? How about your personal belief about death? Share your
thoughts below.

Death for me is nothing but an ordeal that must be made in order for me to live again. Death
can mean the end of an unhealthy habit; it could also mean severing oneself to a partner who
doesn’t know how to treat you right; it could also mean the end of self-doubt and cowardice. It
could mean a lot of things; it varies from person to person on what it might mean.

Party’s Over

As the night
touched the cheeks of all those
gentle folks making believe
their ancestors had been invited
I dared not show the outsider’s
Mask I was wearing like my skin.

Not under those lights

that went through me like fingers
made for wounding and sucked
the courage I had borrowed
with goblets of madeira.

There was another night

many old leaves over when digging
for the ultimate root
we discovered gold in what was
but a name for follow fields
and sweet intentions.

At party’s end
I played my proper role
stranger to dubious feast
and bowed myself in time
out of your history.
The persona talks about a gathering. He made several descriptions of it. Tell what kind of
gathering he is trying to describe by answering the questions below.

1. At night, people gentle folks making believe their ancestors had been invited.
2. Another night came and people were digging many old leaves over for the ultimate root
in search for gold

3. At the end of the gathering, the persona played his proper role, stranger to dubious
feast and bowed himself in time out of one’s history

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.2

Write a Tigsik using the theme of Party’s Over.

Kagadanan

Tigsik ko ang kagadanan

mayong pinipili asin inaalanganan
Importante o salot ka man sa lipunan
Mayong makakatakas sa saiyang pangangapudan

SUMMARY CONCEPTS

● Bienvenido N. Santos was a serious writer who wrote everything that he knew.
● He was known for themes about sex, life, love, and being exiled.
● He published poetry compilations namely Wounded Stag which consists of 54 poems
and Distances: In Time which was published by Ateneo De Manila University Press in
1983.
ASSIGNMENT

Explain the writing style of Bienvenido Santos and compare it with the writing style of another
Filipino poet-novelist.

Jessica Hagedorn, who is best known for her 1990 novel Dogeaters, also talked about the
American influence prevailing in our entertainment industry just like how Sir Ben would
contemplate about the presence of American culture in our own. Sionil Jose also comes into
mind when talking about social justice in the realm of Philippines literature. Jose would
integrate the happenings during the Spanish Colonization of our country and that would be a
vital part of his works. Just like Sir Ben, Sionil also enjoys how another country’s culture
influenced our own culture. Looking at these similarities, I think all of these writers are
fascinated about how our culture is basically an amalgamation of different cultures of foreign
countries and how we were able to make it our own.

REFERENCES

Alegre E. and Fernandez, D. (1984). The Writer and His Milieu: An Oral History of First
Generation Writers in English. De Lasalle University Press

Santos, B. (1992). Wounded Stag. Cellar Bookshop Subsequent Edition

Santos, B. (1983). Distance: In Time. Ateneo De Manila University Press