Critical Analysis of the Poem “ Mi Ultimo Adios”

Introduction

Mi Ultimo Adios (“My Last Farewell”) is a poem written by our National Hero Jose
Rizal in Fort Santiago before his execution. The poem was written in Spanish and consists of 14
five-line stanzas. It was later discovered by his family, hidden inside a small alcohol cooking
stove. Originally, Rizal did not give it a title. It was Mariano Ponce, his friend and fellow
reformist, who gave the title to this poem.

This well-known literary work was written in response to the social situation in which
he witnessed slavery, cruelty, and brutality towards his beloved fellowmen. Rizal expresses his
willingness to die for his motherland and bids farewell to his loved ones and his country,
Philippines.

Analysis

Farewell, my adored Land, region of the sun caressed,

Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost,

With gladness I give you my Life, sad and repressed;

And were it more brilliant, more fresh and at its best,

I would still give it to you for your welfare at most.

The poem began with a farewell, the words of one about to die for his country. Rizal
wrote this poem while awaiting his death. In his final moments, he remembers to appreciate the
beautiful country for which he and others are fighting. He compared the pre-Hispanic Philippines
to the biblical Eden, describing it as a time of purity and innocence. And now, instead of regret,
he is filled with joy, knowing that by giving his life, he is giving his country the greatest gift that
every Filipino desires.
 On the fields of battle, in the fury of fight,

Others give you their lives without pain or hesitancy,

The place does not matter: cypress laurel, lily white,

Scaffold, open field, conflict or martyrdom's site,

It is the same if asked by home and Country.

Rizal asserts here that it doesn't matter where one dies or how one struggles as long as
one dies for a reason, and that reason is for the sake of the country. Whether on a scaffold, in an
open field, in a conflict, or on the site of martyrdom, all deaths are honored if given for home and
country. Emphasizing our heroes' devotion and patriotism to the country is unwavering and they
are willing to give their lives in defense of our beloved country.

I die as I see tints on the sky b'gin to show

And at last announce the day, after a gloomy night;

If you need a hue to dye your matutinal glow,

Pour my blood and at the right moment spread it so,

And gild it with a reflection of your nascent light!

The first and second lines refer to the time of Rizal’s execution, which was set at
sunrise. He uses the visual senses in his poetic use of color, and then in the third and fourth lines,
he adds the bright red tint of his blood to the scene, gilding it with golden sunlight. Even without
the use of words that express emotion, the use of these devices arouses passion in the reader in
the same way that it is felt a hundred times more strongly in the writer.

My dreams, when scarcely a lad adolescent,

My dreams when already a youth, full of vigor to attain,

Were to see you, gem of the sea of the Orient,

Without frown, without wrinkles and of shame without stain.

Since his childhood, Rizal dreamed of seeing his country free, esteemed, and with his
head held high. Play it back to when Rizal was a child, he was young when he witnessed the
martyrdom of the Gomburza and promised himself that one day he would dedicate himself to
avenging those victims. His hopes were for his country to be liberated, free of sorrow and grief.

My life's fancy, my ardent, passionate desire,

Hail! Cries out the soul to you, that will soon part from thee;

Hail! How sweet 'tis to fall that fullness you may acquire;

To die to give you life, 'neath your skies to expire,

And in your mystic land to sleep through eternity!

Rizal's dream of complete liberation is repeated in this stanza. "All Hail!" indicates
that he is eagerly anticipating the dawn of freedom after his death. But his joy does not end with
his death, but extends beyond the grave, where he will sleep in his country's mystic land for all
eternity. Rizal dies for his country in the same way that one dies for God. And if heaven is
something to look forward to, Rizal's heaven in these lines is being buried in the land of his
ancestors.

If over my tomb some day, you would see blow,

A simple humble flow'r amidst thick grasses,

Bring it up to your lips and kiss my soul so,

And under the cold tomb, I may feel on my brow,

Warmth of your breath, a whiff of your tenderness.

Let the moon with soft, gentle light me descry,

Let the dawn send forth its fleeting, brilliant light,

In murmurs grave allow the wind to sigh,

And should a bird descend on my cross and alight,

Let the bird intone a song of peace o'er my site.

In the following four lines, Rizal expresses his love for nature once more. It's
interesting that he mentions the moon, the sunrise, the wind, and a bird to pay tribute to his
grave, but he doesn't mention any close friends or specific people. Perhaps he simply wants to
recall his reunion with nature; perhaps it is also an expression of the loneliness and isolation he
has experienced and continues to experience in his fight for freedom.

Let the burning sun the raindrops vaporize

And with my clamor behind return pure to the sky;

Let a friend shed tears over my early demise;

And on quiet afternoons when one prays for me on high,

Pray too, oh, my Motherland, that in God may rest I.

The mention of a friend here is the closest he comes to company. And the fourth line's
mention of God is the closest he comes to praying for a spiritual heaven. Rizal's request that his
country prays for his soul to rest in God is consistent with the Roman Catholic belief that all men
are sinners and that salvation must be earned and cannot be determined before death.
 Pray thee for all the hapless who have died,

For all those who unequalled torments have undergone;

For our poor mothers who in bitterness have cried;

For orphans, widows and captives to tortures were shied,

And pray too that you may see your own redemption.

Here, he shows his motherland what he wants her to pray for. He remembers all the
martyrs who have suffered the same fate as he will, who have died for their country; the mothers,
wives, and children they have abandoned, who suffer no less for their abandonment. In a hopeful
note, he also asks her to pray for herself.

And when the dark night wraps the cemet'ry

And only the dead to vigil there are left alone,

Don't disturb their repose, don't disturb the mystery:

If you hear the sounds of cittern or psaltery,

It is I, dear Country, who, a song t'you intone.

Certainly, Rizal does not expect a monument to be built over his grave and envisions
his final resting place as a humble cemetery where he will sing a song of devotion to his
motherland even after death.

And when my grave by all is no more remembered,

With neither cross nor stone to mark its place,

Let it be plowed by man, with spade let it be scattered

And my ashes ere to nothingness are restored,

In the following stanza, Rizal wishes to be "plowed by man" when his grave is
forgotten and to be scattered as he returns to be part of the dust that covers the land he died for.
What actually occurs in real life, however, bears an uncanny resemblance. Rizal's remains were
buried in an unmarked grave in the Paco Cemetery on December 30, 1896, the day of his
execution. Years later, however, his remains were exhumed and moved to their final resting
place at the base of the Luneta Monument on December 30, 1912.

Then it doesn't matter that you should forget me:

Your atmosphere, your skies, your vales I'll sweep;

Vibrant and clear note to your ears I shall be:

Aroma, light, hues, murmur, song, moanings deep,

Constantly repeating the essence of the faith I keep.

The first line of this stanza assumes that our hero's ashes have now been scattered
across the land. Rizal imagines that once he has come back to her in this manner, it will no
longer matter if the country forgets him because he will be with her everywhere, as dust in the
atmosphere, blowing in the skies, in the wind, singing songs and murmuring words of devotion.

My idolized Country, for whom I most gravely pine,

Dear Philippines, to my last goodbye, oh, harken

There I leave all: my parents, loves of mine,

I'll go where there are no slaves, tyrants or hangmen

Where faith does not kill and where God alone does reign.

We've arrived at a more submissive yet hopeful tone. Rizal bids farewell to his one
great love, his country while looking forward to being with God, where slaves, tyrants, and
hangmen do not exist.
 Farewell, parents, brothers, beloved by me,

Friends of my childhood, in the home distressed;

Give thanks that now I rest from the wearisome day;

Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, who brightened my way;

Farewell, to all I love. To die is to rest.

Finally, Rizal cries goodbye to all his fellowmen, his cherished companions, and his
sweet companion that helped his direction. In other translations, the fourth line reads, "Adios,
sweet-tender foreigner—my friend, my happiness," which historians have interpreted to refer to
Josephine Bracken, the daughter of an Anglo-Saxon father and a Chinese mother, whom many
believe he secretly married an hour before his death, though this is frequently challenged. In his
final line, "to die is to rest," Rizal says he is now ready to be executed and is happy to die in
peace.

In relation to today’s society, the poem relates to soldiers who are not afraid to die in
order to protect our country and preserve the freedom we have now. Similarly to Rizal, the tragic
loss of SAF 44 is a lesson that must not be forgotten. Like generations of warrior heroes before
them, they sacrificed everything for a cause greater than themselves, not for glory or gratitude.
May the Gallant 44's memories may ignite Filipinos and serve as a constant source of inspiration
for us to strengthen our faith in God and continue our sworn duty to protect the public from
lawless elements, criminal acts, terrorism, and anti-illegal drugs that threaten children's futures.

Furthermore, just as Rizal and many other national heroes are fighting for our
country, we must ensure that their sacrifices will not be put to waste. Rizal wants us to learn
from the past. His point of view can be applied in the present by simply opening our eyes, seeing
what is going on, being aware of what is happening, speaking what is on our minds, and standing
fearlessly on our own feet.
Conclusion:

Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios is a literary work that every young person should read and
learn. The Filipino youth must appreciate the privilege and freedom that our forefathers have
bestowed upon us as a result of their battles, sacrifices, and struggles. Rizal wants us to know our
history, to be aware of our current situation and surroundings, to speak up about the issues, and
to act on what Filipinos can do about them. Independence is everyone's dream, not just Rizal's.
Filipinos must strive to better themselves rather than squander their blood, sweat, and tears. As
one's success is determined not by when or where he was born, but by the purpose for which he
has lived.

Overall, Mi Ultimo Adios was regarded as evidence that Rizal did not retract his
beliefs. The poem, along with Rizal's execution, sparked the Philippine Revolution, which
resulted in the freedom we now enjoy.