Bago ang Babae

by Rebecca T. Añonuevo

Tagalog

Genres: Poetry

109 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Rebecca T. Añonuevo, a native of Pasig City, is the author of four anthologies of poetry: Bago ang Babae, Pananahan, Nakatanim na Granada ang Diyos, and the latest, Saulado, all winners of the Don Carlos Memorial Awards for Literature. She is also the author of Talinghaga ng Gana: ang Banal sa mga Piling Tulang Tagalog ng ika-20 Siglo, which won the National Book Award for literary criticism. Añonuevo also writes essays and has published children's books. She finished her Ph.D. Literature at the De La Salle University-Manila and heads the Department of English at Miriam College.

Source: panitikan.ph

Reviews

[Mx. Andy Feje · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huhuhu. May mga tula talagang nagustuhan ko. Kaso, may ibang submissive pa rin...

[Paula Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ang mga tula na napapaloob sa koleksyong ito ay katangi-tangi. Si Rebecca Anonuevo ay isa sa mga hinahangaan kong feministang manunulat. Ang Bago ang Babae ay nagpapakita ng mga karanasan at mga karapatan ng mga kababaihan.

Kahanga=hanga ang pagkakasulat at makaka-relate ka sa lahat ng tula sa koleksyong ito.

[Maxine · Rating 2 out of 5]

For this month's book club session on (Philippine Literature) poetry, I decided to take a closer look at Rebecca Añonuevo's book: Bago Ang Babae.

I have to admit, I failed my Literature class back in college because of poetry, so this was a real challenge for me to decode and understand. (This serves as a disclaimer that I am no way an expert in poetry!)

The thing about poetry is, most often than not, contemporary poets assume that using complicated words, means it has deeper meaning, which then equalizes to a mysterious look on the form of art they're creating. And when these writers create obscure meanings of words, and deliberately hide it from they're readers, they create this illusion that poetry should be hard to figure out in order to be good -- and that is false information.

Unlike novels and essays, poetry is not meant to be read for entertainment nor to gain new information, but to feel and experience things. As Matthew Zapruder of the NYT said, "[it is something] poetry can only conjure."

I tried to get this book. I did. But my experience was bleak - didn't feel empathy on women, nor was I empowered by her words (because this book's theme was women empowerment), rather I was more frustrated at understanding what she meant.

Still, I wanna share my favorite line from the one poem I understood: 

"Mabuti na lang at sa panahong ito ako    
Ipinanganak na babae.                                 
Kung kailangan ko mang gampanan
Ang pagiging ina at asawa,
Hindi ko kailangang humingi ng paumanhin,
Hindi ko kailangang panawan ng talino at lakas,
Hindi ko kailangang kalimutan ang lahat,
Hindi ko kailangang itakwil ang sarili,
Hindi ko kailangang burahin
Na isa akong tao
Bago isang babae."

("Fortunately at this time, I
Was born a woman.
If I have to perform
Being a mother and wife
I don't have to apologize,
I don't need a glimmer of intellect and strength
I don't have to forget everything
I don't have to disown myself
I don't have to invalidate
That I am a human being
Before a woman.")

P.S. I would also like to say, I dont like the author because she's a supporter of you-know-who, so no. I should've known before buying this.