rizal in ateneo final

SCHOLASTI

C

TRIU

MPHS A

T AT

ENEO

DE MANILA

Four months after the martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za and Doña Teodora still in prison, Jose was sent to Manila.

He studied in Ateneo Municipal, a college under the supervision of the Spanish Jesuits

The Jesuits returned to Manila in 1859, they were given the management of the Escuela Pia or what we now know as Ateneo de Manila

ATENEO DE MANILA DURING THE SPANISH REGIME

Rizal Enters the AteneoOn June 10, 1872, Jose, accompanied by Paciano, went to Manila. He took the entrance exams on Christian doctrine, arithmetic, and reading at the College of San Juan de Letran, and passed them. But his father changed his mind and decided to send him to Ateneo instead.Upon return to Manila, Jose again accompanied by Paciano, matriculated at the Ateneo Municipal.

Rizal Enters the Ateneo

Father Magin Ferrando, who was the school registrar, refused to admit him for two reasons:

1) He was late for registration

2) He was sickly and undersized for his ageHowever, upon the intercession of Manuel Xerez Burgos, nephew of Father Burgos, he was reluctantly admitted at the Ateneo which was located at Intramuros, outside the walls of Manila.

Rizal, was then 11 years old. However upon the intercession of Manuel Burgos, nephew of Fr.Burgos, he was admitted at the Ateneo.

Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname Rizal (This is done to avoid any association to the martyred Fr. Jose Burgos).Their family name Mercado had come

under the suspicion of Spanish authorities

• He was an externo or a living-out student. He lived in Caraballo St. in Santa Cruz outside the walled city, (which was 25 minutes away from his school) in a house owned by a certain Titay (an old unmarried woman) who has a debt of P300 on the Mercado Family.

Jesuit System of EducationThe system of education given by the Jesuits in the Ateneo was more advanced than that of other colleges in that period

It trained the student by rigid discipline and religious instruction

They give emphasis to rigid discipline, character building, and religious instruction. They established physical culture, humanities, and scientific studies. They start and end classes with a prayer.

They encouraged competition among the students.

JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

The Jesuit system of education is more advanced than that of other colleges in that period.

The student hear Mass in the morning before beginning of the daily class.

Students were divided into two groups: The “Roman Empire” and The “Carthaginian Empire”

Students were divided into two groups:• The Roman Empire

- consisting of the internos (boarders)• Carthaginian Empire

- composed of the externos (non-boarders)Ranks

Best student - emperorSecond best - tribuneThird best - decurionFourth best - centurionFifth- best – standard-bearer

Any student could challenge any officer in his empire to answer questions on the day’s lesson. His opponent could lose his position if he committed 3 mistakes. Any student might be at the end of the line, but if he studied hard and was brilliant, he could depose the officers one after another and become an emperor.The two groups were in constant competition for supremacy in the class.They had their distinctive banners.

Red for the Romans and Blue for the

Carthaginians

The Ateneo students in Rizal’s time wore a uniform which consisted of “hemp-fabric trousers” and “striped cotton coat”

The coat material was called rayadillo, which later became popular for it was adopted as the uniform for Filipino troops during the days of the First Philippine Republic

Rizal’s First Year in Ateneo (1872-1873)Fr. Jose Bech

- first professor in Ateneo- “Tall, thin man, with a body slightly

bent forward, a harried walk, an ascetic face, severe ad inspired, small seep-sunken eyes, a sharp nose that was almost Greek, and thin lips forming an arc whose end fell toward the chin.”

1ST YEAR OF RIZAL IN ATENEO (1872-1873)• Being a new comer and knowing

little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the bottom of the class.

• He was an externo, hence he was assigned to the Carthaginians, occupying the end of the line.

1ST YEAR OF RIZAL IN ATENEO (1872-1873)• He heard mass on the first day of

classes for success and guidance. Then he went to class which was composed of peninsular Spaniards, insulars, mestizos, and natives.

• His having crude knowledge of Spanish was a source of ridicule from his classmates.

• To improve his knowledge of Spanish, he took private lessons in Santa Isabel College during break time.

1ST YEAR OF RIZAL IN ATENEO (1872-1873)

After the end of the month, he became an emperor of the Carthaginians.

On the second half of his first year, Jose did not try studying as hard as the previous semester. Yet he placed second at the end of the year and his grades remained excellent.

Summer Vacation (1873-1874)

• Went to Calamba

• Did not enjoy his vacation because his mother was in prison

• Brought to Tanawan by his sister Neneng (Saturnina) to cheer him up, but did not cure his melancholy• Went to Santa Cruz without telling his father in order to visit his mother

Summer Vacation (1873-1874)

• When summer ended, Rizal returned to Manila for his second year tem in the Ateneo, this time he boarded inside intramuros at #6 magallanes st.

• His landlady was an old widow named Donya Pepay.

2ND YEAR OF RIZAL IN ATENEO (1873-1874)Jose regretted having neglected his studies at the beginning of the semester but he regained the title of emperor at the end of the second semester. During this year he became a voracious reader. He got interested in reading romantic novels. He convinced his father to buy a whole set of Historia Universal by Cesar Cantu, saying that it is a required book in class.

• Three of his new classmates were boys from Biñan, who had been his classmates in the school of Maestro Justiniano

• Received excellent grades in all subjects and a gold medal at the end of the school year

Prophecy of Mother’s ReleaseIn the course of Rizal and his mother’s conversation, Doña Teodora told her son of her dream the previous night. Rizal, interpreting the dream, told her that she would be released from prison in three month’s time.

Rizal’s prophecy became true. Barely three months passed, and Doña Teodora was set free.

3RD YEAR OF RIZAL IN ATENEO (1874-1875)

TEENAGE INTEREST IN READING

The first favorite novel of Rizal was the “Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexander Dumas.

Rizal read numerous other romantic novels with deep interest.

As a voracious reader, he read not only fiction, but also non-fiction. He persuaded his father to buy him a costly set of Cesar Cantu’s historical work entitled Universal History.

TEENAGE INTEREST IN READING

Later, Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Freodor Jagor, a german scientist traveler who traveled in the Philippines.

Rizal was impressed in his book due to

a. Jagor’s keen observation of the defects of Spanish colonization

b.His prophecy that someday that Spain would lose the Philippines and that America would come to succeed her as colonizer


It was on the start of the classes when Rizal’s mother came and told her about the good news that she has been emancipated like what he predicted.

But even if his family was happy, Rizal didn’t show excellence in class. He maintained good grades but only got one medal in Latin.


He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken spanish was not fluently sonorous.

He was beaten by a Spaniard who, naturally could speak Spanish with fluency and right accentuation.

At the end of the S.Y, Rizal returned to Calamba for summer vacation.

4TH YEAR OF RIZAL IN ATENEO (1875-1876)

On June 16, 1875, Rizal became an interno. Fr. Francisco Paula de Sanchez

-- whom he described as a great educator and scholar, a model of rectitude, a solicitude, and had a great devotion to the student’s progress.

-- Rizal became inspired to study harder and write poetry under him.

4TH YEAR OF RIZAL IN ATENEO

Rizal became successful in Ateneo. He got the highest grade in all subjects – Philosophy, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Language.

He proudly offered his five medals to and excellent rating to his parents

5TH YEAR OF RIZAL IN ATENEO

After the summer vacation, Rizal returned to Manila in June 1876 for his last year. His studies continued to fare well.

The most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly “the pride of the Jesuits”

GRADUATION WITH HIGHEST HONORS

March 23, 1877 – Commencement Day

Prayed at the college chapel: “to the Virgin so that when I should step into that world, which inspired me with so much terror, she would protect me,”

Graduation with Highest HonorsRizal graduated at the head of his class. His scholastic records at the Ateneo from 1872-1877 were as follows:

1872-1873Arithmetic – EXCELLENT

Latin I – EXCELLENTSpanish I – EXCELLENTGreek I - EXCELLENT

1873-1874Latin 2 – EXCELLENT

Spanish 2 – EXCELLENTGreek 2 – EXCELLENT

Universal Geography - EXCELLENT

1874-1875Latin 3 – EXCELLENT

Spanish 3 – EXCELLENTGreek 3 – EXCELLENT

Universal History – EXCELLENTHistory of Spain and the Philippines – EXCELLENT

Arithmetic and Algebra – EXCELLENT

1875-1876Rhetoric and Poetry – EXCELLENT

French I – EXCELLENTGeometry and Trigonometry – EXCELLENT

1876-1877Philosophy I – EXCELLENT

Mineralogy & Chemistry – EXCELLENTPhilosophy 2 – EXCELLENT

Physics – EXCELLENTBotany & Zoology - EXCELLENT

• Received from his Alma Mater, the Ateneo Municipal the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors

Extra-Curricular Activities in Ateneo• An “emperor” inside the classroom, a campus leader outside

• An active member, later secretary, of a religious society, the Marian Congregation

• Devoted to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the college patroness• Member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of Natural Sciences

• Continued to solicit Father Sanchez’ help in improving his poetry

• Devoted his spare time to fine arts

- Studied painting under the famous Spanish painter, Agustin Saez

- Studied sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus

• Engaged in gymnastics and fencing under his sports-minded Tio Manuel

POEMS WRITTEN BY RIZAL

Doña Teodora was the one who first knew about Rizal’s skill in poetry but Fr. Sanchez was the one who inspired him to use this gift from God.


To My Fellow Children: The Controversial Poem

The famous poem was a nationalistic artwork promoting the use of Tagalog (Filipino) language by the Filipino people.


The poem “To My Fellow Children” (Sa Aking Mga Kababata/Kabata)was traditionally believed to be the national hero’s first written Tagalog poem at the age of eight and was said to have been published posthumously many years after Rizal’s death.


My First Inspiration (Mi Primera Inspiracion, 1874)

Most likely, “Mi Primera Inspiracion” was the first poem Jose Rizal had written during his stint at Ateneo. This poem was written in honor of his mother’s birthday as suggested by the terms “perfume of the flowers”, “the songs of the birds”, “feast your day of bloom” and “festive day”.


My First Inspiration (Mi Primera Inspiracion, 1874)

Jose Rizal’s poetic verses show his eternal love and appreciation for his mother. This was somewhat his way of paying tribute to all the efforts for him of her dear mother.


Felicitation (Felicitacion, 1875)

The poem “Felicitation” was written by the hero in 1875 during his schooling in the Ateneo de Municipal. The 14-year old Rizal wrote this poem to congratulate his brother-in-law, Antonio Lopez, husband of his sister Narcisa.


The Embarkation, A Hymn to Ferdinand Magellan’s Fleet (El Embarque: Himno A La Flota De Magallanes, 1875)

Rizal wrote this poem while he was a boarding student at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. It was believed to have been his first poem that had the honor of being read in a public program held at that school. “Hymn to Magellan’s fleet”talked about the departure of Ferdinand Magellan, the first man to colonize the Philippines.


And He Is Spanish: Elcano, The First To Circumnavigate The World (Y Es Espanol: Elcano, El Primero En Dar La Vuelta Al Mundo, December, 1875)

This poem is about Juan Sebastián Elcano, a Spanish Basque, Ferdinand Magellan’s second in command, who upon Magellan’s death on the shores of Mactan in the Philippines, took over and completed the first circumnavigation of the world.


The Battle: Urbiztondo, Terror of Jolo (El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror De Jolo, December 1875)

The poem is a reflection of Rizal’s liking for history. It was written to hail Urbiztondo for the successful battle against the Muslims. In the poem, the hero narrated how the great warrior defeated the Moros under Sultan Mahumat of Jolo.


The Tragedy of St. Eustace (La Tragedia De San Eustaquio, June 1876)

This poem recounts the tragic story of St. Eustace. The original manuscript of this poem no longer exists however as it may have been destroyed during the WWII bombings. Nonetheless, the poem had been published in installments in a magazine, “Cultura Social” of the Ateneo.


In Memory of My Town (Un Recuerdo A Mi Pueblo, 1876)

Rizal loved his hometown Calamba in Laguna. He fondly remembered his memories of the said town. In 1876, Rizal as a 15-year old student in the Ateneo Municipal de Manila wrote the poem “In Memory of My Town”. It was written to express his love and appreciation for the place where he grew up.


Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education (Alianza Intima Entre La Religion Y La Buena Educacion, 1876)

Jose Rizal believed that religion and good education go together. Believing that there is a strong relationship between academics and faith, he wrote the poem “Intimate Alliance between religion and good education” at the age of fifteen while he was in Ateneo.


Education Gives Luster To The Motherland (Por La Educacion Recibe Lustre La Patria, 1876)

Our national hero, despite his young age, had expressed high regards for education. He believed in the significant role education plays in the progress and welfare of a nation as evident in his poem “Education Gives Luster to the Motherland”.


Rizal believed that education gives knowledge, knowledge gives wisdom, and that great wisdom benefits everyone. Considering that education is a vehicle for a country’s prosperity and success, he encouraged the Filipinos through the poem to acquire education for them to be able to fulfill their dreams and to improve their motherland. His high regards for education was manifested in his determination to seek the best education possible even across the shores of his country.


The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil (El Cautiverio y el Triunfo: Batalla de Lucena y Prision de Boabdil, December 1876)

At 12 years of age, Rizal was believed to have read “El Ultimo Abencerraje,” a Spanish translation of Chateaubriand's novel, “Le Dernier des Abencérages.”


This is the story of the last member of a famous family in the Muslim Kingdom of Granada in the 15th century, which later inspired Rizal to compose “The Captivity and the Triumph: Battle of Lucena and the Imprisonment of Boabdil” while studying in Ateneo. In this poem, he described the defeat and capture of Boabdil, last Moorish sultan of Granada.


Triumphant Entry of The Catholic Monarchs Into Granada (Entrada Triunfal De Los Reyes Católicos En Granada, December 1876)

This poem of Jose Rizal relates the triumphant entry of Ferdinand and Isabella, Spain’s “Most Catholic Kings,” into the city of Granada in 1492. This entry is one of the most powerful symbolic moments in Spanish history.


The Heroism of Columbus (El Heroismo De Colon, 1877)

Jose Rizal wrote this epic poem in December 1877 during his academic years in Ateneo Municipal de Manila. This poem praises Columbus, the discoverer of America.


Columbus and John II (Colon y Juan II)

This poem relates how King John II of Portugal missed fame and riches by his failure to finance the projected expedition of Columbus to the new world.


Great Solace in Great Misfortune (Gran Consuelo En La Mayor Desdicha, 1878)

This is a legend in verse of the tragic life of Columbus, the person credited for discovering America.


A Farewell Dialogue of the Students (Un Dialogo Alusive A La Despedida De Los Colegiales)

This was the last poem written by Rizal in Ateneo which again amazed his teachers. It was a poignant poem of farewell to his classmates, written just before he graduated from the Ateneo.


Child Jesus (Al Nino Jesus, November 1875)

During his student days, the 14-year old Jose Rizal wrote “Al Niño Jesus” (Child Jesus), a brief religious ode which expressed his devotion as a child to Catholicism.


To the Virgin Mary (A La Virgen Maria, To Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage)

This undated poem was another religious writing Jose Rizal wrote in praise of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.


To The Philippine Youth (A La Juventud Filipina, November 1879)

This was a winning poem in 1879. Rizal submitted it as his entry to the literary contest held by the ‘Liceo Artistico-Literario’ (Artistic-Literary Lyceum) of Manila—a society of literary men and artists. Written by Rizal at the age of eighteen, this artwork which was said to be of flawless form aimed to implore the Filipinos to rise from indolence.


It is deemed a classical piece of Philippine literature for reasons that (1) Spanish literary authorities recognized it as an impressive poem written in Spanish by a Filipino and (2) it was the foremost literary piece to display the nationalistic belief that Filipinos were the “fair hope of the Fatherland.”


Abd-El-Azis and Mohammed (Abd-El-Azis Y Mahoma, December 1879)

This epic poem was written by Jose Rizal in 1879 and declaimed by a certain Manuel Fernandez on the night of December 8, 1879 in honor of the Ateneo’s Patroness. It recalls the struggle between the Spaniards and the Moors in Spain.


The Philippines, February 1880

This very nationalistic poem was written by Jose Rizal to serve as a reminder for Filipinos to love their motherland.


Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon, 1881Jose Rizal truly loved his alma

mater Ateneo as well as his professors. He wrote a poem for one of them, ‘Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon’, a lovely tribute to the Very Reverend Pablo Ramon, Rector of the Ateneo, who had been so kind and helpful to the national hero. The poem was written on the occasion of the rector’s birthday.


Goodbye to Leonor, 1882 Leonor was only 13 years of

age when she first met Jose Rizal. Due to the strong disapproval of Leonor’s parents of their love affair, they kept in touch by sending letters and photographs to each other. This poem was the one Rizal wrote for Leonor as he left for Spain in 1882.


They Ask Me for Verses (Me Piden Versos, October 1882)

Rizal had been a member of Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle), a society of Spaniards and Filipinos in Madrid. In the New Year’s Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in 1882,


he declaimed his written “Me Piden Versos”, a poem he wrote due to the request of the society’s members. In March 31, 1889, this poem was published in the La Solidaridad.


To Miss C.O. y R., 1883He composed a poem entitled

“To Miss C.O. y R” to express his admiration to Consuelo Ortiga y Perez, the beautiful daughter of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey. Nevertheless, he did not pursue his feelings for her due to the fact that he was still engaged to Leonor Rivera then and his friend, Eduardo de Lete, had serious feelings for Consuelo.


The Flowers of Heidelberg (A Los Flores De Heidelberg , April 1886)

In 1887, the 25-year old Rizal completed his eye specialization under the renowned Prof. Otto Becker in the University of Heidelberg. In spring, flowers bloom along the banks of Neckar River.


Rizal admired particularly the light blue spring flower “forget-me-not”. These beautiful flowers made him think of their flowers in Calamba. Amid his homesickness in the spring of 1886, he came up with this nice poemwhich expressed prayer for the wellbeing of his native land.


The Song of Maria Clara, 1887

This poem forms part of the Jose Rizal’s first novel, Noli Me Tangere. In the novel, one of the main characters, Maria, upon the insistent requests of her friends, rendered a beautiful song with the accompaniment of the harp.


Hymn To Labor, 1888Jose Rizal wrote the poem “Himno

Al Trabajo” before he left Calamba in 1888. This poem was in response to the request of his friends from Lipa, Batangas. They wanted a hymn to commemorate the elevation of Lipa from a town to a city in January 1888. Dedicated to the industrious folks of Lipa, the poem consisted of lyrical conversations of men, wives, maidens and children.


To My Muse (A Mi, 1890)It was against a background

of emotional agony in Brussels, during those sad days when he was worried of family disasters, that Rizal wrote his emotional poem, “A Mi” (To my Muse).


Kundiman, 1891The word “kundiman” connotes a

traditional Filipino love song usually used by a man to serenade a woman being wooed. Rizal’s “Kundiman” was a poem expressing his intense love for his motherland. In the verses, we can see that Rizal is optimistic that the Philippines would be freed from inequality and oppression.


Water and Fire (El Agua Y El Fuego, 1891)

This is a very short composition excerpt from the novel El Filibusterismo, Chapter ‘El Cubierta’. In this poem, Jose Rizal expressed his great dream for the Philippines: its freedom and advancement.


To Josephine, 1895

Rizal dedicated this poem to an Irish woman, Josephine Bracken, whom he called (in another poem) his “dulce extranjera” (sweet foreigner).When Josephine temporarily left Dapitan to accompany Taufer to Manila, Rizal gave her this short poem which manifested that he was really “smitten” with Josephine.


Hymn To Talisay, October 1895

Rizal conducted his school at his home in Talisay, near Dapitan, where he had his farm and hospital. He frequently met with his boys underneath a talisay tree. This poem, which was written for his pupils to sing, also taught them how to fight for their rights. The poem speaks about the place Talisay and Rizal’s serene life in exile.


My Retreat (Mi Retiro, 1895)

Upon the request of Doña Teodora, Jose Rizal came up with a beautiful poem. The poem was sent to his mother in 1895. It was commended by the critics as one of the best of his literary creations.

In the poem, he gave a narrative account of his peaceful life while exiled in Dapitan where he lived a well-rounded life as a farmer, teacher, and a merchant.


Song of the Wanderer/Traveler (El Canto Del Viajero, 1896)

Rizal’s friend Blumentritt once advised Jose Rizal, an exile in Dapitan, to offer his services as a military doctor in Cuba which was raged by yellow fever epidemic. A letter from Governor Ramon Blanco later notified Rizal that his offer was accepted.


Knowing that he would be able to travel again (to Europe and then to Cuba), his delight in receiving the news led him to writing his “El Canto del Viajero” (The Song of the Traveler/Wanderer).


My Last Farewell (Mi Ultimo Adios, December 1896)

This untitled poem is considered as the most celebrated poem by the national hero. Rizal’s friend, Mariano Ponce,was the one who titled the poem “Mi Ultimo Pensamiento”(My Last Thought). Later, the poem was referred to as “My Last Farewell” (Mi Ultimo Adios).


“Mi Ultimo Adios”, a brilliant creation, was assumed to be written the night before Jose Rizal’s execution on December 30, 1896. The Rizal family reproduced and distributed copies of it and sent copies to the hero’s friends in the country and abroad.


At the last part of the poem, Jose Rizal mentioned of his “sweet stranger” as his friend and joy. This implied his farewell to his beloved “dulce estranjera”, Josephine.


A Fragment (A poem that has no title)

This short poem of Rizal has no title. It speaks of his thanksgiving to God for soothing him during his troubles and dark moments. In the poem, he also expressed his gratitude to God for allowing him to be born to a respectable and honorable family and to belong to a rich country.

SCULPTURES MADE IN ATENEO

In Ateneo, he impressed Jesuit professors by carving the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on a piece of Batikuling.

Fr. Lleonart asked him to carve the Sacred Heart of Jesus which he did in a few days.

Sculptural Works in Ateneo• Carved an image of The Virgin Mary on a

piece of batikuling (Philippine hardwood) with his pocket knife

- Placed at the door of the dormitory of the Ateneo boarding students

- Reminded all the Ateneans the greatest alumnus of their Alma Mater, Dr. Jose Rizal- Played a significant part in Rizal’s last hours at Fort Santiago

PAINTING MADE IN ATENEO

Teenage Interest in Reading

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

• First favorite novel

- made a deep impression on him. His boyish imagination was stirred by the sufferings of Edmond Dantes (the hero) in prison, his spectacular escape from the dungeon of Chateau d’If, his finding a buried treasure on the rocky island of Monte Cristo, and his dramatic revenge on his enemies who had wronged him.

• Read not only fiction, but also non-fiction

• Persuaded his father to buy him a costly set of Universal History by Cesar Cantu

• Read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German scientist-traveler who visited the Philippines in 1865-1890.

1) Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization

2) His prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines and that America would come to succeed her as a colonizer

FIRST ROMANCE OF RIZAL

Segunda Katigbak – 14-yr. old Batanguena from Lipa

Visited his maternal grandmother in Trozo, Manila with his friend Mariano Katigbak

Segunda’s portrait

Came to know Segunda more intimately during his weekly visits to La Concordia College

“a love at first sight”

Hopeless – Segunda engaged to Manuel Luz

Thursday – December 1877; Visited her at La Concordia College to say goodbye

First Romance: “ruined by his own shyness and reserve,”

rizal in ateneo final

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