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Seven Mountains of the Imagination
- GenresLiterary Criticism
167 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Virgilio S. Almario
143 books296 followersVirgilio S. Almario, better known by his pen name, Rio Alma, is a Filipino artist, poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher, and cultural manager. He is a National Artist of the Philippines.
Growing up in Bulacan among peasants, Almario sought his education in Manila and completed his degree in A.B. Political Science at the University of the Philippines. A prolific writer, he spearheaded the second successful modernist movement in Filipino poetry together with Rogelio G. Mangahas and Lamberto E. Antonio. His earliest pieces of literary criticism were collected in Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina (1972), now considered the first book of literary criticism in Filipino. Later, in the years of martial law, he set aside modernism and formalism and took interest in nationalism, politics and activist movement. As critic, his critical works deal with the issue of national language.
Aside from being a critic, Almario engaged in translating and editing. He has translated the best contemporary poets of the world. He has also translated for theater production the plays of Nick Joaquin, Bertolt Brecht, Euripedes and Maxim Gorki. Other important translations include the famous works of the Philippines' national hero, José Rizal, namely Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. It was deemed as the best translation by the Manila Critics Circle.
Almario has been a recipient of numerous awards such as several Palanca Awards, two grand prizes from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Makata ng Taon of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, the TOYM for literature, and the Southeast Asia Write Award of Bangkok.
He was an instructor at the Ateneo de Manila University from 1969-1972. He only took his M.A. in Filipino in 1974 in the University of the Philippines. In 2003, he was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Letters in the said university. In June 25 of the same year, he was proclaimed National Artist for Literature.
Almario is also the founder and workshop director of the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), an organization of poets who write in Filipino. Award-winning writers and poets such as Roberto and Rebecca Añonuevo, Romulo Baquiran Jr., Michael Coroza, Jerry Gracio, and Vim Nadera are but some of the products of the LIRA workshop.
Growing up in Bulacan among peasants, Almario sought his education in Manila and completed his degree in A.B. Political Science at the University of the Philippines. A prolific writer, he spearheaded the second successful modernist movement in Filipino poetry together with Rogelio G. Mangahas and Lamberto E. Antonio. His earliest pieces of literary criticism were collected in Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina (1972), now considered the first book of literary criticism in Filipino. Later, in the years of martial law, he set aside modernism and formalism and took interest in nationalism, politics and activist movement. As critic, his critical works deal with the issue of national language.
Aside from being a critic, Almario engaged in translating and editing. He has translated the best contemporary poets of the world. He has also translated for theater production the plays of Nick Joaquin, Bertolt Brecht, Euripedes and Maxim Gorki. Other important translations include the famous works of the Philippines' national hero, José Rizal, namely Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. It was deemed as the best translation by the Manila Critics Circle.
Almario has been a recipient of numerous awards such as several Palanca Awards, two grand prizes from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Makata ng Taon of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, the TOYM for literature, and the Southeast Asia Write Award of Bangkok.
He was an instructor at the Ateneo de Manila University from 1969-1972. He only took his M.A. in Filipino in 1974 in the University of the Philippines. In 2003, he was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Letters in the said university. In June 25 of the same year, he was proclaimed National Artist for Literature.
Almario is also the founder and workshop director of the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), an organization of poets who write in Filipino. Award-winning writers and poets such as Roberto and Rebecca Añonuevo, Romulo Baquiran Jr., Michael Coroza, Jerry Gracio, and Vim Nadera are but some of the products of the LIRA workshop.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 28, 2013
This is my 52nd book read this year and only my 2nd time to give a five-star rating.
Pitong Bundok ng Haraya (Seven Mountains of Imagination) is a Filipino literary-analysis book. It is written in contemporary readable yet pure and unblemished Filipino. There are very few Filipino authors who write books like this. My first was last year's Halos Isang Buhay: Ang Manananggal sa Pagsusulat ng Nobela (4 stars) by my favorite young author Edgar Calabia Samar. Being the first time I read a full-length literary analysis made the experience very memorable. This book, Pitong Bundok ng Haraya was released a year ahead of Samar's but I just did not have an idea of this book's content. Had I known, I would have read this first because not only this is more important. Almario, compared to Samar, is older and a more experienced author not to mention that he is also a National Artist for Literature laureate. This is also more comprehensive since he traced back the history of Philippine poetry from its early stage emphasizing the seven elements that make poetry the most important literary form or discipline. Lastly, Almario chose to discuss only the local (translation: closer to our hearts) works and artists while Samar talked about mostly his foreign influences like Haruki Murakami, Paul Auster, Roberto Bolano, etc. Those are some of the reasons why I gave this a full and sparkling 5-star rating.
The other reason and I think the more important one is that Almario's prose is a joy to read. He is also known as Rio Alma, one of the pillars of Filipino poetry in the Philippines. So, his prose can be read as poems, good poems: rhythmic, concise, melodic, taut at most of the time, playful. He grew up in the province and this, I think, is the reason why he could effectively incorporate the wonders of nature in his works. Readers who grew up in the province would know what I mean when they get to those Almario's poems that deal with nature. However, in this book, Almario chose not to talk about his own works. Rather, he discussed in length the works of the other poets or Balagtasistas like, among others, Ildefonso Santos' Sa Tabi ng Dagat and Lope K. Santos' Darak. He also mentioned the works of Francisco Balagtas, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Jose Garcia Villa, Amado V. Hernandez, Alejandro G. Abadilla. He even mentioned Edgardo M. Reyes, not for his poems as he did not have any, but the poetic discipline that Reyes used in his novels. I enjoyed reading all of them since I've lately read Efren Abueg's Sa Bagwis ng Sining and some of those writers were also mentioned there. My interest on Filipino literature has even taken a step higher: these dead authors' lives are becoming clearer and clearer to me as I read more books about them and their works. Unfortunately, there are just too few books available and so I salute these writers, Abueg, Almario and Jun Cruz Reyes (whose definitive biography of Amado V. Hernandez, Ka Amado is what I started reading this morning) for making younger people appreciate what these early authors did to uplift the status of Philippine literature.
There are many memorable parts in the book that I really enjoyed: (1) the naughty meaning of Ildefonso Santos's Sa Tabing Dagat that is so funny I read the poem allowed and I laughed alone; (2) the memory of my brother who memorized and recited Ang Pamana by Jose Corazon de Jesus. That is the most dramatic poem I've ever heard in my life but since I was a schoolboy when my brother was memorizing this, it becomes poignant or tear-jerking only now; (3) the juxtaposition of the lives of Amado V. Hernandez and Alejandro G. Abadilla. Both were rebels in literature but Abadilla was not able to sustain his. So, Hernandez died as a hero while Abadilla was buried like a poor man. This part made me sad and made me feel like I wanted to go and visit Abadilla's grave and give some flowers as a sign that I also love him despite so many wrongs he did in his life; and (4) Almario's view on President Gloria Arroyo's attempt to honor Carlo J. Caparas with the National Award for Literature plum. This was an eye-opener for me. Prior to reading this book, when I heard that brouhaha many years ago, I just shrugged my shoulders because I did not care. I thought that the President could give the award to anyone she wanted. However, in this book, Almario made a clear explanation that Caparas was a commercial artist. Almario's argument can be summarized by this line of his: "If being commercial or successful is the yardstick for giving this award, then why is it that the Nobel jurors are not picking J. K. Rowling for the Nobel Prize for Literature?"
The only small comment that he got wrong (ehem, ehem, even if he is a National Artist, he does not know everything, right?) is the way he explained Balagtas' verse in the popular classic, Florante at Laura: "At kung maliligo'y sa tubig aagap/ Nang di abutin ng tabsing sa dagat." This means that the bathing will not be in the sea as Almario thinks. The bathing is in the river and the persona should do it early while the tide is low. When the tide is high, the seawater can seep into the river and the water will become salty.
Almario will have a book launch for his new book next week and I will attend. I should see him in person. Hopefully have his autograph and have a picture with him. Despite not being able to grasp the tubig tabsing verses, for me, Almario is a literary genius.
Pitong Bundok ng Haraya (Seven Mountains of Imagination) is a Filipino literary-analysis book. It is written in contemporary readable yet pure and unblemished Filipino. There are very few Filipino authors who write books like this. My first was last year's Halos Isang Buhay: Ang Manananggal sa Pagsusulat ng Nobela (4 stars) by my favorite young author Edgar Calabia Samar. Being the first time I read a full-length literary analysis made the experience very memorable. This book, Pitong Bundok ng Haraya was released a year ahead of Samar's but I just did not have an idea of this book's content. Had I known, I would have read this first because not only this is more important. Almario, compared to Samar, is older and a more experienced author not to mention that he is also a National Artist for Literature laureate. This is also more comprehensive since he traced back the history of Philippine poetry from its early stage emphasizing the seven elements that make poetry the most important literary form or discipline. Lastly, Almario chose to discuss only the local (translation: closer to our hearts) works and artists while Samar talked about mostly his foreign influences like Haruki Murakami, Paul Auster, Roberto Bolano, etc. Those are some of the reasons why I gave this a full and sparkling 5-star rating.
The other reason and I think the more important one is that Almario's prose is a joy to read. He is also known as Rio Alma, one of the pillars of Filipino poetry in the Philippines. So, his prose can be read as poems, good poems: rhythmic, concise, melodic, taut at most of the time, playful. He grew up in the province and this, I think, is the reason why he could effectively incorporate the wonders of nature in his works. Readers who grew up in the province would know what I mean when they get to those Almario's poems that deal with nature. However, in this book, Almario chose not to talk about his own works. Rather, he discussed in length the works of the other poets or Balagtasistas like, among others, Ildefonso Santos' Sa Tabi ng Dagat and Lope K. Santos' Darak. He also mentioned the works of Francisco Balagtas, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Jose Garcia Villa, Amado V. Hernandez, Alejandro G. Abadilla. He even mentioned Edgardo M. Reyes, not for his poems as he did not have any, but the poetic discipline that Reyes used in his novels. I enjoyed reading all of them since I've lately read Efren Abueg's Sa Bagwis ng Sining and some of those writers were also mentioned there. My interest on Filipino literature has even taken a step higher: these dead authors' lives are becoming clearer and clearer to me as I read more books about them and their works. Unfortunately, there are just too few books available and so I salute these writers, Abueg, Almario and Jun Cruz Reyes (whose definitive biography of Amado V. Hernandez, Ka Amado is what I started reading this morning) for making younger people appreciate what these early authors did to uplift the status of Philippine literature.
There are many memorable parts in the book that I really enjoyed: (1) the naughty meaning of Ildefonso Santos's Sa Tabing Dagat that is so funny I read the poem allowed and I laughed alone; (2) the memory of my brother who memorized and recited Ang Pamana by Jose Corazon de Jesus. That is the most dramatic poem I've ever heard in my life but since I was a schoolboy when my brother was memorizing this, it becomes poignant or tear-jerking only now; (3) the juxtaposition of the lives of Amado V. Hernandez and Alejandro G. Abadilla. Both were rebels in literature but Abadilla was not able to sustain his. So, Hernandez died as a hero while Abadilla was buried like a poor man. This part made me sad and made me feel like I wanted to go and visit Abadilla's grave and give some flowers as a sign that I also love him despite so many wrongs he did in his life; and (4) Almario's view on President Gloria Arroyo's attempt to honor Carlo J. Caparas with the National Award for Literature plum. This was an eye-opener for me. Prior to reading this book, when I heard that brouhaha many years ago, I just shrugged my shoulders because I did not care. I thought that the President could give the award to anyone she wanted. However, in this book, Almario made a clear explanation that Caparas was a commercial artist. Almario's argument can be summarized by this line of his: "If being commercial or successful is the yardstick for giving this award, then why is it that the Nobel jurors are not picking J. K. Rowling for the Nobel Prize for Literature?"
The only small comment that he got wrong (ehem, ehem, even if he is a National Artist, he does not know everything, right?) is the way he explained Balagtas' verse in the popular classic, Florante at Laura: "At kung maliligo'y sa tubig aagap/ Nang di abutin ng tabsing sa dagat." This means that the bathing will not be in the sea as Almario thinks. The bathing is in the river and the persona should do it early while the tide is low. When the tide is high, the seawater can seep into the river and the water will become salty.
Almario will have a book launch for his new book next week and I will attend. I should see him in person. Hopefully have his autograph and have a picture with him. Despite not being able to grasp the tubig tabsing verses, for me, Almario is a literary genius.
June 12, 2026
The consecutive all-Filipino online book fares during this extended lockdown had me enjoyably purchasing titles from local publishers. This being one of the haul.
Mr. Almario scrutinized in this poetry analysis book the seven mountains or foundations of poetry that the poet must overcome to produce his purest work; or the reader must note of to critique the literature. As such, the copy* I have is written in strict, formal Filipino language. And it helped that I grew up in the same province, Bulacan, as the author, and learned most of the old Tagalog words I know now from my Bulakenya mother.
*A translated edition from Filipino to English: Seven Mountains of the Imagination (2011) by Marne L. Kilates and Phillip Kimpo Jr. is available.
Here and there, surely, are the presence of unfamiliar words where context clues will tide the modern reader over. In its structure and formality, I say it is best consumed with (classroom) discussion.
I don't read poems as often as I find myself writing one because the discipline of deciphering what lies underneath is taxing. Unlike when formulated by others, I derive satisfaction from expressing myself in measured lines; reading others' leaves me feeling otherwise. My intention for picking up this one was to re-learn my native language and widen it with the art.
Mr. Almario's examination can be as engaging or as provoking as reading the other Filipino artists' works being examined. With that, I may or may not acquiesce to the degree he believes of the writing's quality or validity. I've always believed that a poem can only be absolutely interpreted by its creator. But by readers? There are tireless ways. Quite simply, it is a privilege to be guided by a literary master. My favorite examined pieces by him are from the Gilalas (Awe) and Kalinawan (Clarity) chapters:
‣ 'Pag-Ibig' ni Jose Corazon de Jesus
‣ Kabanatang 'Gusali' mula sa nobelang Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1967) ni Edgardo M. Reyes
‣ 'Darak' ni Lope K. Santos
Amongst all, I'm amused to gain the knowledge of the indigenous poetry style tanaga which I may be using all along. My mum knew of it! I didn't. Was I daydreaming when this was taught at school?
***
Mr. Almario scrutinized in this poetry analysis book the seven mountains or foundations of poetry that the poet must overcome to produce his purest work; or the reader must note of to critique the literature. As such, the copy* I have is written in strict, formal Filipino language. And it helped that I grew up in the same province, Bulacan, as the author, and learned most of the old Tagalog words I know now from my Bulakenya mother.
*A translated edition from Filipino to English: Seven Mountains of the Imagination (2011) by Marne L. Kilates and Phillip Kimpo Jr. is available.
Here and there, surely, are the presence of unfamiliar words where context clues will tide the modern reader over. In its structure and formality, I say it is best consumed with (classroom) discussion.
I don't read poems as often as I find myself writing one because the discipline of deciphering what lies underneath is taxing. Unlike when formulated by others, I derive satisfaction from expressing myself in measured lines; reading others' leaves me feeling otherwise. My intention for picking up this one was to re-learn my native language and widen it with the art.
Mr. Almario's examination can be as engaging or as provoking as reading the other Filipino artists' works being examined. With that, I may or may not acquiesce to the degree he believes of the writing's quality or validity. I've always believed that a poem can only be absolutely interpreted by its creator. But by readers? There are tireless ways. Quite simply, it is a privilege to be guided by a literary master. My favorite examined pieces by him are from the Gilalas (Awe) and Kalinawan (Clarity) chapters:
‣ 'Pag-Ibig' ni Jose Corazon de Jesus
‣ Kabanatang 'Gusali' mula sa nobelang Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1967) ni Edgardo M. Reyes
‣ 'Darak' ni Lope K. Santos
Amongst all, I'm amused to gain the knowledge of the indigenous poetry style tanaga which I may be using all along. My mum knew of it! I didn't. Was I daydreaming when this was taught at school?
***
Hindi ka isisilang na tila si Lam-ang at sasabihan ang ina na tawagin kang Filipino. Madadapa ka sa maraming pusali. Hindi laging tagumpay ang iyong sinaing. May panahong katipan ka ng bathala't diwata. May panahong kalaro ka ng sirena't tikbalang. May panahong tinutugis ka ng aswang. Makakaramdam ka lamang ng unti-unting kaganapan tuwing may sasalungaing bundok at kapag higit na tumatatag ang kalooban sa pagpapahayag na "Ako'y Filipino."
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May 30, 2014A blog post on this book here: http://booktrek.blogspot.com/2014/05/...
August 6, 2026
Mahusay ang pag-aakda ng mga sanaysay. Makabuluhan ang paglalahad ng mga ito.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews