To The Filipino Youth

By: Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Unfold, oh timid flower! 

Lift up your radiant brow,
This day, Youth of my native strand! 
Your abounding talents show
Resplendently and grand,
Fair hope of my Motherland! 

Soar high, oh genius great,

And with noble thoughts fill their mind;
The honor's glorious seat,
May their virgin mind fly and find
More rapidly than the wind.

The first line, "unfold, oh timid flower," implies that the youth is silent, maybe
daunted, and consequently has not yet gone into full bloom for whatever reason there is
that may have silenced them. In the beginning stanza, Rizal encourages the youth, by
telling them to hold their heads high for they possess talents and skills and abilities that
would make their country proud.

The second verse can be rearranged in contemporary English to say: "Oh

genius great, soar high; and fill their mind with noble thoughts. May their virgin mind fly
and find the honor's glorious seat more rapidly than the wind." Here, Rizal calls to
genious to fill young minds with noble thoughts and hopes that as they release their
thinking from the chains that bind, they may be able to soar swiftly high where the joy of
honor is.

Descend with the pleasing light

Of the arts and sciences to the plain,
Oh Youth, and break forthright

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 The links of the heavy chain
That your poetic genius enchain.

Contrary to the second verse, which talked about ascending and soaring to the
heights, this third stanza now talks about descent, and a downward motion of the great
genius to fill the earthly strokes of art and science with their magnificent ideas. Again,
Rizal calls them to break the chains that bind their intellect. "Poetic genius" here does
not necessarily pertain to the talent of writing poetry. Instead, the term "poetic" is simply
an adjective to describe genius, meaning that it is deep and mystifying and heavy with
meaning.

See that in the ardent zone,

The Spaniard, where shadows stand,
Doth offer a shining crown,
With wise and merciful hand
To the son of this Indian land.

Rizal challenges the youth, that in their pursuit of knowledge and wisdom they
may humble the hand of Spain, whose proud chin did not look kindly upon the people
whom they labelled as "Indios" and whom they treated with contempt. He dreams that in
their journey to intellectual greatness they may humble even the proudest nations that
look down on them and rightfully deserve "a crown that shines, even where shadows
stand."

You, who heavenward rise

On wings of your rich fantasy,
Seek in the Olympian skies
The tenderest poesy,
More sweet than divine honey;

You of heavenly harmony,

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 On a calm unperturbed night,
Philomel's match in melody,
That in varied symphony
Dissipate man's sorrow's blight;

In these two stanzas, Rizal calls the youth to seek the beauty of poetry and
music, which he himself values greatly as essentials in every manner of life. He claims
that poetry is "more sweet than divine honey," and that music can "dissipate man's
sorrow's blight."

You at th' impulse of your mind

The hard rock animate
And your mind with great pow'r consigned
Transformed into immortal state
The pure mem'ry of genius great;

Speaking to the youth, Rizal says that by the very impulse of their mind, they
are capable of bringing to life or animating even someting as lifeless and unmoving as a
hard rock. He continues to say that the youth is able, to immortalize their thoughts and
their words through the help of great genius (as he has done himself.  This stanza can
be arranged in a more contemporary English structure as follows: "You can animate the
hard rock at the impulse of your mind; and transform, with the great power of your mind,
the pure memory of great genius into immortality."

And you, who with magic brush

On canvas plain capture
The varied charm of Phoebus,
Loved by the divine Apelles,
And the mantle of Nature;

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 Rizal here addresses the youth, comparing their abilities to a magic brush that
can capture even the most majestic views and the most glorious charms on a blank
canvas.

Run ! For genius' sacred flame

Awaits the artist's crowning
Spreading far and wide the fame
Throughout the sphere proclaiming
With trumpet the mortal's name
Oh, joyful, joyful day,
The Almighty blessed be
Who, with loving eagerness
Sends you luck and happiness.

The last stanza is a charge, urging the youth to run, for a glorious crown
awaits them. The "sphere" here pertains to the world, showing that Rizal believed the
Filipino youth is as brilliant as those in any other nation, and is able to contend with
even the strongest powers if they only set their mind to making most of what they
already have.

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 Reaction about the Poem
By: Jefferson S. Pabatang

Without a doubt, just like all the other poems conceived by our national hero Dr.
Jose P. Rizal, the poem “To the Filipino Youth” is a masterpiece worth reading and
comprehending for. While I was examining its every line, I was entirely amazed on the
three aspects that composed it: the manner of writing, the message it tries to stress,
and the sincerity of the poem. These aspects, I must say, were the principal strengths of
the poem; and the reasons why my attention was heavily caught through it.

As to the manner of writing, if I were to base my judgments to the poem’s English

translation, I can personally describe it as a “real poem”—that is, something that
beautifully incorporated the essential elements of poetry. When I was trying to read it
aloud, I felt like its rhythm sounded excellent and with drama. That thing made me feel
more eager to continue reading it. The meter of the poem then followed a certain rule
which I totally love for it showed the utmost effort of the author. Moreover, the figures of
speech such as personification, alliteration and metaphor were somewhat perfectly laid
down, making the poem more emotional, appealing, deep and colorful. On the other
hand, the rhyming of the words also astonished me; the symbolisms then that were
used such as the deities Phoebus and Apelles as symbols of their respective realms,
were superb for it made the poem have a blending of Western and Eastern cultures.

The poem “To the Filipino Youth” by Dr. Jose Rizal is a message primarily to tell
the importance of one’s love and appreciation to his dialect or language, for it is the
bridge and intermediary connecting people’s country to each other.

In the poem, Rizal praised the rising generation. This poem can be considered as
Rizal’s first testimony and presentation of his nationalism. In this literary piece, he
clearly referred to the Philippines as his home/motherland, Rizal thought in the poem
relates to the role of the youth with the nation building.

Dr. Jose Rizal composed the poem “To the Filipino Youth,” dedicating to the
youth of the Philippines. He wanted the Filipino youth to use their capabilities, talents

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and skills to stand out not only for their own praise and success but also for the praise
and success of their own motherland, the Philippines. Dr. Jose Rizal wanted the Filipino
youth to build up their abilities and use them to help those who are in need. Also, Dr.
Jose Rizal challenged the youth through this poem to refine and nurture their talents in
the arts, to invigorate and reinforce their knowledge of the sciences, and to look forward
and comminute their chain of servitude.

As to the message the poem tries to convey, or in another way of saying, the
theme of the poem, “To the Filipino Youth” does carry a very strong one; strong enough
to persuade those who are to be persuaded—the Filipino youth themselves. As one of
those individuals, I could really feel the nationalistic spirit within me glow brighter the
moment I finished reading the poem. It was like telling me that I am one of the existing
hopes of our dear country and that through my abilities, expertise and knowledge of
things, I am capable of protecting its freedom against oppressive forces that may come
through. Furthermore, it was like telling me that together with my fellow youths, I am
responsible for preserving the Philippines as a nation not for the foreigners but for me
and the rest of the Filipinos.

Finally yet most importantly, as to the sincerity of the poem, I can really consider
“To the Filipino Youth” as indeed a work from the heart—no pretense, no plasticity and
no sort of hidden motives. I can tell it so based on what I felt when I was reading the
poem and the emotions that were expressed on each of the poem’s line. The fact that it
came out during the Spanish era was also another thing that made me think that way.
Conceiving a work that possesses an anti-Spain theme at that time would be a great
threat to the life of the author. But despite that, Dr. Jose Rizal fearlessly created it,
sticking to his nationalistic ideology no matter how dangerous the outcome would be to
him. With that, I can say that he truly had the sincerity of delivering the message to the
young Filipino people; and that this sincerity our national hero possessed can be vividly
sensed in the poem even at a glance.

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