Critical Paper About Mi Ultimo Adios

Allan Gabriel J. Magpantay                                        July 31, 2017[pic 1]

ABM 12 – 1                                                         21st Century Literature

Critical Paper about Mi Ultimo Adios

        “To die is to rest”

Death is a process. No matter what our beginning is, the end will always be death. The fact that, death has so many questions unanswered leaves us uninformed of what is coming next. It might me today, tomorrow or any other day of the week. For one, no one really has discovered if there’s life after death. Other people develop fears that devours their existence which results to deterioration of purpose and phobia of the unknown. We must realize the opportunity we are given and not disregard it by thinking it will always be there. We must remember, life’s no Nintendo game; we don’t get a second chance after dying once. The possibilities in life are endless, we must seize them not let them lapse us by. If we ask ourselves with regards to self-fulfillment, are we confident that every goal in our bucketlist was successfully achieved without any regrets? Did we accomplish our purpose in life? Did we become a missing puzzle to solve one’s annomalies? Did we become a tool for world peace? If there is one person who exemplifies the epitome of life without regret, that woulde probably be Dr. Jose Rizal.

The line, “To die is to rest” is found in Dr. Jose Rizal’s piece, My Last Farewell. Mi Último Adiós is a poem written by Philippine national hero Dr. José Rizal on the eve of his execution by firing squad on 30 December 1896. The piece was one of the last notes he wrote before his death; another that he had written was found in his shoe but because the text was illegible, its contents today remain a mystery.

The poem shows Philippines as the most beautiful place then proceeds to battle fields and honorary death. At the 3rd stanza, the author recognizes his death and encourages the Philippines to pour out his blood if it needed be. The fourth and fifth stanzas emphasize Rizal’s youthful play and soaring dreams that concludes a cry of pre-execution sentiments. The 6th, 7th and 8th stanzas portray a message for future grave visitors to remember him and offer a prayer. The 9th stanza begs for universal prayer to honor those who sacrificed their lives before Rizal. And the 10th stanza became a reminder of Rizal that his song for the Philippines will be heard after all else is gone. The 10th and 11th stanzas are Rizal’s sentiments that if his grave is eventually forgotten, at least his ashes are poured in the mother land. Stanzas 12 and 13 are adoration to the country. The 14th stanza is a conclusive goodbye for all.

Mi Ultimo Adios is a 14-stanza poetry and is a required reading material in schools. Unfortunately, during youthful times, my immediate concern was to get a passing grade for it, and not ponder on its meaning. Reading it again now strikes a chord of nationalism in me. The image depicted in my mind while reading this poem is like walking in the streets of Makati City 100 years ago. I felt like I can still smell the fresh yellowbells on Dr. Jose Rizal’s backyard. I can felt the extreme passion of the Katipuneros who sacrificed their identity and life cycle for our country’s freedom. Everything felt so vivid. I felt like I was fighting beside them. This made me feel that the writer was genuine in writing the poem.[pic 2]

When it comes to the person who wrote the poem, I felt his conviction at the same time the pain. Dr. Jose Rizal infected a mass amount of melancholic syrum in my system. I felt his longingness. What would someone do if he/she knew that death is coming in an hour? I believe that what our national hero did was extreme courage and bravery. He wrote his last good byes without regrets. It was said in the poem that all he ever wanted was for his country to be a better place, and yet, death is the reward for his efforts. It was somewhat devastating but I think that all things that could have been done was done and Dr. Jose Rizal is an important piece that completes the puzzle of our nation. He speaks still of his love and hope that someday, his dreams for a better Philippines will come true, and that his works & purpose will be remembered even if he will be forgotten.