Ailan Marie L.

Argonza September 17,2020

Grade 12- St. Elizabeth
Ballad of A Mother's Heart
by Jose La Villa Tierra

The night was dark, for the moon was young

And the stars were asleep and rare;
The clouds were thick, yet Youth went out
To see his Maiden fair.

"Dear One," he pleaded as he knelt

Before her feet, in tears,
"My love is true; why have you kept
Me waiting all these years?"

The maiden looked at him unmoved,

It seemed, and whispered low:
"Persistent Youth, you have to prove
By deeds your love is true."

"There's not a thing I would not do

For you, Beloved," said he.
"Then go," said she, "to your mother dear
And bring her heart to me."

Without another word,

Youth left and went to his mother dear.
And opened her breast and took her heart.
 He did not shed a tear!

Then back to his Maiden fair he ran,

Unmindful of the rain;
But his feet slipped and he fell down
And loud he groaned with pain!

Still in his hand he held the prize

That would win his Maiden's hand;
And he thought of his mother dear
So kind, so sweet, so fond.

And then he heard a voice,

Not from his lips but all apart:
"Get up," it said; "Were you hurt, Child?"
It was his mother's heart.

Theme

The love of parents for their children is a strong trait among Filipinos and as true
in the orient, generally the son is particularly dear to his mother. This is how forgiving
and how great the love of a mother for his son although he has hurt her very much. In
the poem, although the boy already killed his mother and get her heart, she still cares to
him. She asked if the boy was heart. Know that, realization here is that no matter how
many people we met, how many people we love and how many people will care for us,
still no one can surpass, the love, and care we felt and have from our mother. They still
forgive us even though we made a lot of mistakes and sins. They still love us
nevertheless we hate them. They treat us as their precious gem that needed care and
love. We are very special to them. I realized that this poem wants us to know that
mothers will do anything for us. They will do everything for our happiness, safety and
freedom. Even we do something wrong and very cruel, they will still accept us and
support us all the way. A mother is someone we need to cherish, treasure, love and
care all throughout our life. Our mother is very important in our life.

Tone

Ballad of a Mother’s Heart by Jose La Villa Tierra is a great and interesting

poem. It is about the great love of a mother towards her son, that she will do everything
even if it hurts her so much. It is a maternal bond between a mother and her child. This
poem really breaks my heart especially the young man. I was asking myself “why did he
do that to his own mother just to prove his love to his maiden fair?”, I did not expect that
there is someone who can do that just to get the heart of the girl, even if it is just a
poem. What I love in the story is that, it still shows the mother’s love for his son because
that is true, that the love of our parents is really unconditional and endlessly and he still
cared for the young men even though he gets his mother’s heart just to give it to his
maiden.

Mood

Throughout the poem I feel sad and angry at the same time. I am sad for the
mother because she will do everything just to make her son happen even if it causes
her life. She will move heaven and hell just to grant her son’s wishes or wants. She is
not seeking for a change but she just wants her child to be happy. And I am angry to her
son because he chose the one that he loves than the one who love him ever since. He
didn’t think all the things that his mother does just to give everything he need and this is
what he will repay, to choose the woman he loves over his mother. In my opinion, the
thing we need to engrave in our mind is that people get blinded because of loved like
what the sone do to his mother. The persistent son that will do everything for her
maiden did a cruel thing to her mother. I never thought that his love for the maiden will
lead to killing his own mother. Love can make us do things we never imagined to do.
Things that are for our possession but later on we will regret it. We should first before
we make a decision or move. We also need to face the consequences of our action.

Atmosphere

All throughout the poem I feel gloomy and the heavy weight of feeling due to the
mixed emotions that the poetry provides. I feel what the author wants to convey. The
author wants to make us understand that anything a mother will do for the pleasure of
her child. She will give everything for her child even if in return it hurts her. And even
though she is already hurting because of her son, this is still the first thing she
remembers and not herself. That's how a mother love, she will do everything for her
child.

Persona

The one that is speaking throughout the poem is the author. A poem about a
mother's undying love for her son. He is the one who is narrating all over the poem. He
is the one showing how cruel is the son to her mother and what will the mother could do
just to make her son happy. It is also show how selfish the maiden who is loved by the
son. It is like she wants the son to choose between her or his mother. Thru the poem we
could see the son and the maiden is the self-centered one and the mother is the
selfless. The mother does everything just to give her son wants while the two will do
everything just to satisfy their needs. The author’s message wants us to feel a mixed-
emotions. This makes me feel emotional. This makes us realized that our mother is very
important. This makes us realized that love can sometimes be cruel. That love can
make us do things we never intended to do. Actually, I kind of hate the son because he
easily decides things without thinking about the consequence and he is quite unwise.
Nevertheless, I admire his persistence and determination.