The Spouse
by Luis Dato
Divina G. Banling
Divina G. Banling
*Author’s Background
Luis Dato was born on July 04, 1906 at Baoa,
Camarines Sur.
*He is a poet, educator, columnist and formerly mayor
of Baoa, Camarines Sur.
* Brother of Rodolfo Dato who is graduate of Political
Science in University of the Philippines.(among the
hills)
*His parents are Eugenio Dato y Esplana and Barbara
Guevarra y Imperial.
*In 1926, he was a classroom teacher in Iriga Elementary
School from 1937-1939, in Baao Elementary School.
Characteristic of his Poetry
Most of them are written in traditional and
conventional poetry.(meter or rhyme, some is free
verse)
Written the longest poem in English by a Filipino ‘The
Life of Christ’(Bikol version of the Bikol Passion, 1929,
during lent season)
Have written the longest sonnet sequence in the
Philippines (nearly 200 sonnets)
First Filipino to translate “Mi ultimo adios”-Rizal
Wrote less than 500 poems
Books Published
*Manila, A collection of Verse (1926)
*My Book of Verses (1926)
*The Instant Lyre (manuscript)
*Vocabulario Bicol-Ingles-Kastila(1963)
*Kantahon na Bikol (1969)
*First published poem appeared in the Naga Tribune in
1922, Naga , Camarines Sur(Naga City)
*Vocabulary Words
1.Threshold- the door
2.Plows- a piece of farm equipment
3.Dishevel- to throw into disorder
4.Limb- a leg or arm of human
5.Strife- very angry or violent disagreement ;fight
6.Wrath- extreme anger
7.Furrow- field
8.Somber- very sad and serious
9.Enigma- mystery
10.
Forlorn- nearly hopeless; empty and in poor condition
11.Sphinx – ancient Greek and Egyptian stories: an
enigmatic or myterious person
The Spouse
By Luis Dato
Rose in her hand, and moist eyes young with
weeping,
She stands upon the threshold of her house,
Fragrant with scent that wakens love from sleeping,
She looks far down to where her husband plows,
Her hair dishevelled in the night of passion,
Her warm limbs humid with the sacred strife,
What may she know but man and woman fashion
Out of the clay of wrath and sorrow- life?
She holds no joys beyond the days tomorrow,
She finds no worlds beyond her love’s embrace;
She looks upon the Form behind the furrow,
Who is her Mind, her Motion, Time and Space.
O somber mystery of eyes unspeaking,
O dark enigma of Life’s love forlorn;
The Sphinx beside the river smiles with the
seeking
The secret answer since the world was born.
Analysis of the Poem
1.General Classification
Narrative Poetry
Metrical Tale
2. Kind of Poem
v
16 iambic pentameter line
Rhyming scheme(ababcdcdefefghgh)
Poetic Devices
Imagery (Words and Phrases)
Rose in her hand- woman’s enticing power over man
Eyes moist from crying- woman’s strong weapon to get
what she want.
Husband plowing- working hard
Hair dishevelled in the night of passion- sexuality
Warm limb humid and the sacred strife- sexuality
Smiling Sphinx beside the river- a woman whose behavior
can never be understood.
Interpretation of the Poem
1st Stanza
The wife is crying in the frame of their door
after she woke up from the night of passion
while looking down to the field where her
husband is working really hard for the
family.
2nd Stanza
The wife’s hair was messy because from the night of
passion because her husband forced her to do it. Even
though she know what is the responsibility of every wife
to her husband, she is still in anger. She is asking here if
is this the life of being a married person?
3rd stanza
In this stanza, the woman is not happy anymore with her
life. She feels that she is being prisoned. She is obliged
to perform the act of loving under whatever
circumstances. Because now her husband is established
as her life(mind), strength(motion), her only joy(time)
and everything(space).
4th Stanza
The speaker in the poem was suffering from
repression(controlling).The sphinx here is talking
about the wife because the husband think that
the wife here is really mysterious.
Theme of the Poem
Love and equality.
Literary Criticism
Feminist Approach
Symbolism
Rose and Fragrant – invitation of woman.
Weeping –weakness of a woman but her strong
weapon to get what she want.
Sphinx- love and how to understand the
woman.
Conclusion
The spouse is a kind of poem that deals with the
situation of a married couple in reality. There
are many struggles that the wife and the
husband is facing during this time. It is also the
time where you will know the true attitude of
your partner because when you are still in an
intimate relationship, you will not see it unless
you get married.
References
* http:cbanga360.net/2015/04/17/retrospect-
luis-g-dato
* www.paperpublication.org
Thank you!
