Have you read Gabu by Carlos Angeles but still wondering the meaning behind it?
In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the poem.
Who is Carlos A. Angeles?
- Born on May 25, 1921 in Tacloban City, Leyte
- Graduated from Rizal High in 1938
- Various universities in pre-med and pre-law
- One sem at Ateneo de Manila
- Two at UP in 1941 (member of the UP Writers’ Club)
- One quarter at Central Luzon Colleges
- Did not return to school after World War II
- 1950 to 1958
- Chief of the Philippine bureau of International News Service
- 1958 to 1980
- Guest of the US State Department on a Smith-Mundt leader grant
- Press assistant under the Garcia administration
- Public relations manager of PanAm Airlines
- Board of directors of International PEN, Philippine chapter
- A Stun of Jewels
- 1963
- 47 poems
- In 1964, when poetry was first considered in the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, received first prize
- Republic Cultural Heritage Award for Literature
- USA since 1978 with his family
Gabu
by Carlos AngelesThe battering restlessness of the sea
Insists a tidal fury upon the beach
At Gabu, and its pure consistency
Havocs the wasteland hard within its reach.Brutal the daylong bashing of its heart
Against the seascape where, for miles around,
Farther than sight itself, the rock-stones part
And drop into the elemental wound.The waste of centuries is grey and dead
And neutral where the sea has beached its brine,
Where the split salt of its heart lies spread
Among the dark habiliments of Time.The vital splendor misses. For here
At Gabu where the ageless tide recurs
All things forfeited are most loved and dear.It is the sea pursues a habit of shores.
Analysis
Genre: What is the genre of the poem?
- Philosophical (Existentialist)
- Lyric Poem
The poem of Gabu involves the search for the true existence of the self. With this in mind, the poem can be defined as a journey of self-discovery.
Persona: Who is the one talking in the poem?
Here are possible personas in the poem:
- The persona in the poem is probably someone on a beach at Gabu, watching the rough sea, contemplating life.
- It could also be someone sitting on a beach at Gabu, watching the rough ocean waves. He has to confront his own mortality while he is sitting there and watching it all unfold. In life, we are constantly confronted with death and decay, even though we try our best to shield ourselves from it.
- Another possible persona is someone who lost a loved one because of the fury of the sea.
Theme: What does the poem tell us?
- Life can be restless like the sea; temporal, but desires permanence.
Life can be restless like the sea, and sometimes it seems that we are just drifting around. But there is beauty in the temporal as well; life should be lived to its fullest. Life should not merely be a waiting game but a living game. We may never reach permanence on this earth, but perhaps we can find a sense of fulfillment in these fleeting moments.
Setting: What is the setting referred to or described in the poem?
- A place in Ilocos Norte near the sea
- Often, when typhoons occur, places like this are affected greatly
- Tsunami
- Ex: typhoon Imbudo, July 2003
Meaning and Imagery: What is the meaning behind the poem?
Here’s a detailed analysis of the poem according to each stanza.
The battering restlessness of the sea
Insists a tidal fury upon the beach
At Gabu, and its pure consistency
Havocs the wasteland hard within its reach.
WHAT DOES THE FIRST STANZA MEAN?
The sea is restless and can be destructive
- Sea = Life
- Battering restlessness = Impermanent
Brutal the daylong bashing of its heart
Against the seascape where, for miles around,
Farther than sight itself, the rock-stones part
And drop into the elemental wound.
WHAT DOES THE SECOND STANZA MEAN?
The turmoil of the sea is continuous and powerful
- Brutal bashing = life’s chaos
- Elemental wound = Depths of the sea
The waste of centuries is grey and dead
And neutral where the sea has beached its brine,
Where the split salt of its heart lies spread
Among the dark habiliments of Time.
WHAT DOES THE THIRD STANZA MEAN?
The sea has been there for centuries
- Waste of centuries = Past
Once the sea touches shore, it becomes neutral
- Spilt salt = Bad luck
Saltiness of the sea describes its darkness/deadness
Time bears the “spilt salt” of life
The vital splendor misses. For here
At Gabu where the ageless tide recurs
All things forfeited are most loved and dear.
WHAT DOES THE FOURTH STANZA MEAN?
The brilliance necessary for life is not there because in life even the most important things are lost
It is the sea pursues a habit of shores.
WHAT DOES THE LAST STANZA MEAN?
Waves show that the sea is constantly moving, but always towards the shore
Life is bounded by time, always moving, but what we all desire is a stable and eternal ending
- Spiritual context: Shore = afterlife
Figures of Speech: What are the figure of speech in the poem Gabu?
1. Metaphor
Sea = life
The vital splendor misses
the sea pursues
3. Synecdoche
Brutal the daylong bashing of its heart
4. Paradox
All things forfeited are most loved and dear
Overall Lesson
Gabu by Carlos Angeles tells us to always remember that our lives are fleeting and that the only constant thing in life is change.
Life can be rough, like the sea. But we can believe that if the sea can find stability once it meets the shore, we can find it too.
Reference List:
DIWA Senior High School Series: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
This was originally published on my previous website at Teacher Anele <iamteacheranele.wordpress.com>
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