Moonlight on Manila Bay

By: Fernando M. Maramag

Author's Background:
Fernando M. Maramag
Fernando Mamuri Maramág was born on January
21, 1893 in Ilagan, Isabela. He had a rich style
and deep understanding of human nature –
qualities which made his poetry appealing to all
readers.

His poems include “To a Youth,” “The Aetheist,”

and “Moonlight on Manila Bay”. His essays were
anthologized in Leopoldo Yabes’ Filipino Essays in
English 1910-1954 (1954). He passed away on
October 23, 1936.
Vocabulary Words
1. Serene- an expanse of clear sky or calm sea
2. Effulgent- shining brightly; radiant
3. Lambent- glowing, gleaming, or flickering
with a soft radiance
4. Behest- a person's orders or command
5. Olympia- Americans
A light serene, ethereal glory, rests
Its beams effulgent on each cresting wave;
The silver touches of the moonlight lave
The deep’s bare bosom that the breeze molests;
While lingering whispers deepen as the wavy crests
Roll with weird rhythm, now gay, now gently grave;
And floods of lambent light appear the sea to pave –
All cast a spell that heeds not time’s behests.
Not always such the scene: the din of fight
Has swelled the murmur of the peaceful air;
Here East and West have oft displayed their might;
Dark battle clouds have dimmed this scene so fair;
Here bold Olympia, one historic night,
Presaging freedom, claimed a people’s care.
 Poem Type
Poem Analysis Figures of speech
used and Sound devices

Rhyme and Rhyme Persona/speaker in

Scheme the poem

Rhythm Mood, Tone,

and Theme
a) Poem type 1 A light serene, ethereal glory, rests
2 Its beams effulgent on each cresting wave;
Sonnet (Italian) 3 The silver touches of the moonlight lave
4 The deep’s bare bosom that the breeze molests;
14 Lines 5 While lingering whispers deepen as the wavy crests
1 Stanza 6 Roll with weird rhythm, now gay, now gently grave;
7 And floods of lambent light appear the sea to pave 
8 All cast a spell that heeds not time’s behests.
9 Not always such the scene: the din of fight
10 Has swelled the murmur of the peaceful air;
11 Here East and West have oft displayed their might;
12 Dark battle clouds have dimmed this scene so fair;
13 Here bold Olympia, one historic night,
14 Presaging freedom, claimed a people’s care.
b) Rhyme and Rhyme Scheme
Internal Rhyme
Here East and West have oft
displayed their might
End Rhyme
Its beams effulgent on each cresting wave;
The silver touches of the moonlight lave

Roll with weird rhythm, now gay, now gently grave;

And floods of lambent light appear the sea to pave
A light serene, ethereal glory, rests A
Its beams effulgent on each cresting wave; B
The silver touches of the moonlight lave B The Rhyme Scheme of
The deep’s bare bosom that the breeze molests; A
While lingering whispers deepen as the wavy crests A
Moonlight on Manila
Roll with weird rhythm, now gay, now gently grave; B Bay is ABBA ABBA CDCDCD
And floods of lambent light appear the sea to pave - B
All cast a spell that heeds not time’s behests. A Same as the rhyme scheme
Not always such the scene: the din of fight C
Has swelled the murmur of the peaceful air; D
used by John Keats in his
Here East and West have oft displayed their might; C works (Sonnets).
Dark battle clouds have dimmed this scene so fair; D
Here bold Olympia, one historic night, C
Presaging freedom, claimed a people’s care. D
c) Rhythm
Trochee (/ x)
The SILver TOUCHes of the MOONlight lave
Moonlight on Manila bay by
Fernando M. Maramag

d) Figures of Speech
SIMILE PERSONIFICATION
While lingering whispers
deepen as the wavy crests
e) Sound devices
Repetition
Roll with weird rhythm, now gay, now gently grave
Consonance
While lingering whispers deepen as the wavy crests
Alliteration
The deep's bare bosom that the breeze molest
Imagery
a) Sight b) Sound
It beams effulgent on While lingering whispers
each cresting wave deepen as the wavy crest
f) Persona/speaker in the poem
The poet himself is the narrator or the
speaker in the poem
g) Mood
Calm
Dramatic
h) tone
The tone changed from that of the change of beauty
to a subtle tone of the reminiscence of a painful
memory.
i) Theme
Reminiscence and appreciation

j)State the relation ( implications) of the

literary text to 21st century literature
THANK YOU
MARK JAMES A. JUNSAN
STEM 11-C