The poem was thought to be Jose Rizal's (the Philippine national hero) first written Tagalog poetry when he was eight years old, and it was claimed to have been published posthumously several years after Rizal's death. Recent inquiries, however, have raised substantial concerns about the poem's purported authorship. The poem has been attributed to Rizal on the basis of an engraved signature found in a book owned by the family of Antanas Mackevicius, a prominent Lithuanian scholar and diplomat who served as the first Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States from 1815 to 1819.
However, there is now doubt about whether this poem was actually written by Rizal. Some scholars believe that the poem may have been copied by someone who knew how to write Tagalog but did not know how to read or understand what they were copying. Others point out that there are similarities between this poem and other works by Rizal's father, José María Rizal, which suggests that they may have been composed by the same person. Still others question why Rizal would have wanted to give the impression that he was able to write poetry when he was still a young boy, since he knew that it would make him appear immature and less worthy than those older boys who may have helped him with its composition.
Jose Rizal penned it when he was eight years old, in 1869. The poem was commonly taught in Philippine classrooms to highlight Rizal's early growth of patriotic aspirations. Dr.'s first poetry was composed in the form of a haiku. It was published while he was a student at St. Joseph School in San Francisco.
Rizal's father wanted him to be an attorney but Rizal had other plans. He aspired to become a doctor like his uncle who lived in Spain. However, due to the outbreak of the Mexican War, there were not many opportunities for Rizal to learn medicine. In addition, the family could not afford to send him to school outside the country. Finally, Rizal decided to go to Europe and study medicine. He left for France but died before reaching its border.
In his last letter to his mother, Rizal wrote a poem titled "Mga Tugon". This is one of his earliest known poems. It was later set to music by Filipino composer Felipe Elizalde.
Lyrics: I am the flame of liberty / That burns in every heart / I am the spirit of patriotism / That drives us all. / When will we realize / That freedom is our right? / That it cannot be given away? / The future is now!
Sa Aking Mga Kababata. Johnisaiah Platino is the author. His mother instilled in him a passion of poetry from an early age. That is why, at the age of eight, he was able to compose his first Tagalog poetry. Furthermore, this is often regarded as one of Rizal's greatest poetry. The poem expresses the beauty of nature and the feeling of freedom.
Some say that it was when he was nine years old that Rizal wrote his first poem in English, but this has not been confirmed by any document or record. What is known for sure is that he composed some poems before he reached the age of ten. One of them was "Sa Aking Mga Kababata" (In My Childhood).
His parents were very happy with his talent and decided to send him to school. However, since there was no school available in their town that offered education beyond the basics of reading and writing, they had to move to Manila where Rizal enrolled himself in the La Salle School. He stayed only for a short period because soon after its opening he was admitted into the new Saint Louis School where he could further his studies under more experienced teachers.
Besides being a good student, Rizal played various sports such as archery, tennis, and fencing. In addition, he also painted and sketched people, places, and things that took his imagination.
Aside from that, there is no legitimate manuscript of the poem in Rizal's handwriting. The poem is more likely to be traced to Rizal's buddy, Saturnino Raselis, or a certain Hermenigildo Cruz. So that isn't Rizal's poem, and he never composed one when he was eight years old.
The date of birth of Rizal has been the subject of much speculation. The most common date given for his birth is December 30, 1864 but this has been disputed by some scholars who used DNA testing on bones believed to be those of Rizal. They concluded that he was probably born on January 15, 1892.
Rizal's family lived in an area now called Malate in Manila. His parents were poor farmers who had nine other children besides Jose. When Rizal was seven years old, his father died and his mother took work as a maid in order to support her family. Rizal went to school only until the third grade because his mother could not afford to send him any further. He learned to read and write from a Catholic priest who came to their house for prayers on Sundays. This priest also taught Rizal how to play guitar and dance which are both included in some of his poems.
After graduating from high school, Rizal tried to go to college but didn't get in because he lacked the funds needed to cover tuition.
When Jose Rizal was a student at the University of Santo Tomas in 1879, he penned the poem a la juventud Filipina, which was intended for the Filipino youth, as the title implies. The poem exhorts the young people to be courageous and proud of their nationality.
Rizal wrote "a la Juventud Filipina" when he was only nineteen years old. He had just finished his studies at the university when he started writing poems and essays that would later make him famous all over the world. "A la Juventud Filipina" was one of these essays that he published in La Solidaridad, a newspaper that he and other students founded. In this essay, Rizal calls on the youth of the country to have courage, be loyal to the nation, and fight for its freedom.