GEC 13

LITERATURE OF THE PHILIPPINES

ACTIVITY 4
Instructions: Look for a song that has a similar message to the poem, To the Man I Married,
by Angela Manalang-Gloria. Write the title of the song you have chosen, then explain how it
is similar to the theme of To the Man I Married. Be guided with the rubric for you to
accomplish this activity.

Title of the song:

Love Me For What I Am

Name of the singer:

Carpenters

Explanation

One of the best songs I can compare with Angela Manalang-Poem Gloria's "To The Man, I
Married" is the Carpenter's "Love Me for What I Am." The song's and poem's message is about a
vow and guideline given by a woman or wife to her husband or man. The song implies that you
have to accept me for who I am, similar to the poem that even we are married, I still have dreams
and things I want to do. Moreover, the trees mention that it is on the ground and has roots, but the
earth can never prevent the plant from growing. That says that even though I am already your wife,
you must let me achieve what I want to achieve. The sun and the sky would symbolize her dreams
and her aspiration. However, Even though she has dreams to achieve or other things to think
about, it does not mean she does not need you. Remember, you are her elemental clay, the earth
that she needs. She loves you, but it will not hold her back from achieving something else. Angela
Manalang-Gloria said in the last two stanzas of the poem, "I can not love you with a love that out-
compress the boundless sea, for that were false, as no such love and no such ocean can ever be.
But, I can love you with a love as finite as the wave that dies and dying holds crest to crest the
blue of everlasting skies". As the song lyrics said, "You've got to love me for what I am, for simply
being me. Don't love me if what you intend or hope that I will be, and if you're only using me to
feed your fantasy, you're really not in love, so let me go. I must be free." both mean that her love
has limits, it is not boundless like the sea, and you must not test that.

The song and poem are meaningful and a little bit complicated to understand. It empowers
women, and it tells that women have the credit to left and let go of something or even a
relationship. Moreover, it expresses how the writer Angela, realistic about forever and relationships,
is a work in progress. If you want to achieve it, do your part, you must do something. It must not be
just one way you must help each other.

Criteria Excellent Good Fair Poor Score

10-9 8-5 4-3 2-1
Details Explanation title Only explanation Only title of the song Only title of the
of the song and and title of the and name of the song
name of the artist song are given. artist are given. (No explanation
are given. (No name of the (No explanation) and name of the
artist) artist)
Explanation The explanation The is explanation The explanation is The explanation is
is comprehensive somehow somehow unacceptable.
and complete. comprehensive comprehensive and
but complete. incomplete.
Total

Maria Gloria R. Beco-Nada,MA 1

Southern Luzon State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Languages, Literature and Humanities Department