In the serene heart of the countryside, where the landscape unfolds in gentle undulations and nature's symphony orchestrates a peaceful melody, there exists the embodiment of simplicity and grace — the rural maid. Her existence is interwoven with the rhythms of rural life, a harmonious dance with the changing seasons and the ever-turning wheel of time.
With sun-kissed cheeks and calloused hands that bear the marks of hard work, the rural maid is a living testament to the resilience and fortitude bred in the embrace of the earth. Clad in humble garments that echo the hues of the fields, she moves with a quiet elegance, her steps echoing the cadence of the rustic surroundings. Her eyes, deep pools of wisdom, reflect the stories of generations past and the unwavering connection to the land.
The rural maid's day unfolds in a series of rituals that mirror the cyclical nature of agrarian life. At dawn, she awakens to the symphony of chirping birds and rustling leaves, a prelude to a day filled with labor and love. Armed with a wicker basket, she ventures into the fields, where the scent of fertile soil mingles with the fragrance of wildflowers. There, she cultivates the very essence of sustenance, nurturing the land that sustains both her and her community.
In the quiet moments, when the midday sun casts a golden glow upon the landscape, the rural maid seeks refuge in the shade of ancient trees or by the babbling brook. With nimble fingers, she weaves wildflowers into garlands, an ode to the beauty that surrounds her. Her laughter, light and carefree, carries across the fields like a melody, echoing the joy derived from life's simple pleasures.
As the day surrenders to the embrace of dusk, the rural maid returns to a hearth that flickers with warmth and familiarity. Her hands, now adept at the alchemy of sustenance, prepare a feast that celebrates the bounty of the land. The aroma of freshly baked bread and simmering stews fills the air, creating a tableau of sensory delight. In the company of family and fellow villagers, she shares not just a meal but the essence of community — a bond forged through shared toil and shared triumphs.
In the quiet hours of the night, under a blanket of stars that stretches across the vast expanse of the rural sky, the rural maid finds solace in the simplicity of her life. Her dreams, intertwined with the whispers of the wind and the rustling leaves, are rooted in the very soil she tends. For in her hands, the rural maid holds the keys to a legacy — a heritage passed down through the ages, a testament to the enduring beauty found in the heart of rural simplicity.
3. Fernando M. Maramag was
born on January 21, 1893 in
Ilagan, Isabela. His parents
were landowners Rafael
Maramag and Victoria
Mamuri, a Spanish mestiza.
He studied at the University of
the Philippines and was the
editor-in-chief of the school
newspaper meanwhile.
4. He was the principal of the
Institute De Manila when he
was 21 years old. He also
taught English at UP and San
Juan de Letran. Then, he
worked in the government as
chief of the publications
division of the Department of
Justice.
5. He was a great poet and
journalist at the same time.
He was very influential on the
lives of the Filipinos by his
writings in 1917. He was the
editor of Rising Philippines
too. He published many poems
in his lifetime.
7. Thy glance, sweet maid, when
first we met,
Had left a heart that aches for
thee,
I feel the pain of fond regret－
Thy heart, perchance, is not for
me.
8. We parted: though we met no
more,
My dreams are dreams of thee,
fair maid;
I think of thee, my thoughts
implore
The hours my lips on thine are
laid.
9. Forgive these words that love
impart,
And pleading, bare the poet’s
breast;
And if a rose with thorns thou art,
Yet on my breast that rose may
rest.
10. I know not what to name thy
charms,
Thou art half human, half divine;
And if I could hold thee in my
arms,
I know both heaven and earth
were mine.
11. ANALYSIS:
The Rural Maid is Fernando M.
Maramag's most well-known poem and
he has written well over fifty poems. It's
written in the style that is uniquely
Maramag's. If you read a number of his
other poems, you will start to see the
common glue that tends to bring them all
together.
12. ANALYSIS:
The term "rural maid" as used
in the poem could be the
equivalent of the Filipino term
"probinsiyana". The poet also
shortened "maiden" to "maid".
13. ANALYSIS:
• The Rural Maid is a lyric poem
that follows the structure of a
sonnet.
• The poem also has a masculine
rhyme.
• Furthermore, its meter is an
iambic tetrameter.
14. The Rural Maid
by Fernando M. Maramag
Thy glance, sweet maid, when first we met, A
Had left a heart that aches for thee, B
I feel the pain of fond regret— A
Thy heart, perchance, is not for me. B
We parted: though we met no more, C
My dreams are dreams of thee, fair maid; D
I think of thee, my thoughts implore C
The hours my lips on thine are laid. D
Forgive these words that love impart, E
And pleading, bare the poet’s breast; F
And if a rose with thorns thou art, E
Yet on my breast that rose may rest. F
I know not what to name thy charms, G
Thou art half human, half divine; H
And if I could hold thee in my arms, G
I know both heaven and earth were mine. H
15. ANALYSIS:
LITERARY DEVICES:
TONE: The tone of a literary
work is the perspective or
attitude that the author adopts
with regards to a specific
character, place or development.
16. “And if a rose with thorns thou art,
Yet on my breast that rose may
rest”
17. ANALYSIS:
LITERARY DEVICES:
MOOD: It refers to a definitive
stance the author adopts in
shaping specific emotional
perspective towards the subject
of the literary work.
19. ANALYSIS:
LITERARY DEVICES:
FLASHBACK: A literary device
wherein the author depicts the
occurence of specific events to
the reader, which have taken
place before the present time the
narration is following.
21. ANALYSIS:
LITERARY DEVICES:
HYPERBOLE: A literary device
wherein the author uses specific
words and phrases that exaggerate
and overemphasize the basic crux of
the statement in order to produce a
gander, more noticeable effect.
22. “And if I could hold thee in my
arms, I know both heaven and
earth were mine ”
24. ANALYSIS:
MESSAGE:
Love is addicting. There’s no other word to
describe that sweet sensation that makes a smile
appear on one’s face. But not everyone has a
‘happily-ever-after’ ending. We end up being
hopeless dreamers: those that hold onto dreams
that could never turn into reality. But no matter
how addicting love can get, one must know
when to stop dreaming and start living the
world of reality.
