Life and Works

of

Dr. Jose P. Rizal

CHAPTER IV:
Jose Rizal’s Formative
Years

“ Hold high the brow serene,

O youth, where now you stand;
Let the bright sheen
Of your grace be seen,
Fair hope of my fatherland!”

- Jose Rizal
TRAGEDIES OF RIZAL LIFE
 The boy was now eleven years old.
 His brother Paciano was studying in
the Colegio de San Jose under his
famous teacher Fr. Jose Burgos.
 Rizal found Paciano distracted over
the execution of the beloved Fr.
Burgos, who was convicted in
inciting mutiny, an insurrection or
uprising against civil, legal, and
political authority.
 TRAGEDIES OF RIZAL LIFE

 Finally, it was decided that he would attend the

prestigious Ateneo de Municipal de Manila in
Intramuros which means “within walls.”
 Rizal was making new preparations to depart when an
injustice occurred and threw a shadow across his happy
young life.
 TRAGEDIES OF RIZAL LIFE

 His mother was thrown into prison, accused a crime of

which she was wholly incapable of doing that
everybody knew it was pure fabrication.
SAN JUAN DE LETRAN - Dominican – owned college and
a rival of Ateneo de Manila

ATENEO MUNICIPAL - formerly known as Escuela Pia, a

charity school for poor boys in Manila which was
established by 1817 and later became Ateneo de Manila.
 
Rizal took and passed the examination in COLLEGE OF
SAN JUAN DE LETRAN but he enrolled in ATENEO when
he came back to Manila.
 

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 01

RIZAL ENTERS ATENEO
 
FATHER MAGIN FERRANDO (college registrar) - refused
to admit Jose Rizal because ;

 He was late for registration

 He was sickly and undersized for his age

MANUEL XEREZ BURGOS – nephew of Father Burgos; Rizal

was admitted to Ateneo because of him
RIZAL - surname used by Jose Rizal because Mercado became
under suspicion by the Spanish authorities.
 MERCADO – surname used by Paciano
TITAY – owner of the boarding house where Rizal boarded to settle
the bill owed by Titay by about Php 300.00

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 02

JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
 
Reasons why Jesuit System was advance than other college
 
It trained the character of students by rigid discipline and
religious instruction.
It promotes physical culture, humanities and scientific
studies.
Aside from academic courses leading to AB, it offers
vocational course in agriculture, commerce, mechanics
and surveying.
They were given splendid professors.
They acquired prestige as an excellent college for boys.

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 03

TWO GROUPS OF STUDENT
 
Roman Empire (internos/boarders) -RED FLAG
Carthaginian Empire (externos/non-boarders) -BLUE FLAG
 
5 RANKS
EMPEROR
TRIBUNE
DECURION
CENTURION
STANDARD BEARER
 
RAYADILLO – official uniform of Ateneo students

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 04

FATHER JOSE BECH – first teacher of Rizal in Ateneo

Rizal was placed as an externo but a week after he showed his

progress and after a month he became the emperor.
 
SANTA ISABEL COLLEGE – where Rizal took his Spanish
lessons during recess and paid it for Php 3.00

  Rizal returned to Calamba for his vacation. Saturnina brought him

to Tanawan to visit their mother to cheer him up. After the vacation he
returned to Ateneo for his second year. He is now living at DOÑA
PEPAY, an old landlady with widowed daughter and four sons.

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 05

SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO(1873-1874)
 
He again became an emperor; he also received excellent
grades in all subjects and a gold medal. At March 1874, he
returned to Calamba for his vacation.
 
PROPHECY OF MOTHER’S RELEASE
 
Doña Teodora was released in the jail after 3 months like
what Jose Rizal said.
 
St. JOSEPH – Rizal was comparable because of his
interpretation about his mother’s release.

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 06

 TEENAGE INTEREST IN READING

TWO FAVORITE NOVELS OF RIZAL

 
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexander Dumas
TRAVEL IN THE PHILIPPINES by Feodor Jagor
UNIVERSAL HISTORY by Cesar Cantus
– he wishes to buy

THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO (1874-1875)

 
He only got 1 medal in his Latin subject, then on March 1875
he returned to Calamba

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 07

FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO (1875-1876)
 
JUNE 16,1875 – Rizal became an interne in Ateneo
FATHER FRANCISCO SANCHEZ - Rizal’s favorite
teacher
Rizal won 5 medals and topped in all subjects and on
March, 1876 he returned to Calamba.
 
Rizal became the pride of the Jesuits and he obtained
highest grades in all subjects. He received the degree of
Bachelor of Arts with highest honors during commencement
exercise.
 

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 08

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN ATENEO
 
He was an emperor and a campus leader outside.
Secretary of the Marian Congregation
Member of Academy of Spanish Literature
Member of Academy of Natural Sciences

FATHER JOSE VILLACLARA – advised Rizal to stop

communing with the muses but to pay more attention to
practical studies.
 
Rizal studied painting at AGUSTIN SAEZ and sculpture
under ROMUALDO DE JESUS, a Filipino sculptor.

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 09

SCULPTURAL WORKS IN ATENEO
 
THE VIRGIN MARY - he carved an image with Batikuling (Phil.
Hardwood) with his pocket knife
FATHER LLEONART – requested Rizal to carved an image of SACRED
HEART OF JESUS
 
POEMS MADE BY RIZAL IN ATENEO
Doña Teodora was the first one to discover Rizal’s poetical talent while Fr.
Sanchez helped Rizal to develop his talent.
Poems made by Rizal:
 Mi Primera Inspiration (My First Inspiration) - dedicated to Rizal’s mother
 Through Education Our Motherland Receives Light
 The Intimate Alliance between Religion and Good Education
 To the Child
 To the Virgin Mary

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 10

RIZAL’S EARLY WRITINGS IN EDUCATION
TO THE PHILIPPINE YOUTH
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.

Descend with the pleasing light

Of the arts and sciences to the plain,
Oh Youth, and break forthright
The links of the heavy chain
That your poetic genius enchain.
TO THE PHILIPPINE YOUTH
You of heavenly harmony,
On a calm unperturbed night,
Philomel's match in melody,
That in varied symphony
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;

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;
THROUGH EDUCATION OUR MOTHERLAND RECEIVES LIGHT
The vital breath of prudent Education
Instills a virtue of enchanting power;
She lifts the motherland to highest station
And endless dazzling glories on her shower.
And as the zephyr's gentle exhalation
Revives the matrix of the fragrant flower,
So education multiplies her gifts of grace;
With prudent hand imparts them to the human
race.
For her a mortal-man will gladly part
With all he has; will give his calm repose;
For her are born all science and all art,
That brows of men with laurel fair enclose.
As from the towering mountain's lofty heart
The purest current of the streamlet flows,
So education without stint or measure gives
Security and peace to lands in which she lives.
Where Education reigns on lofty seat
Youth blossoms forth with vigor and agility;
He error subjugates with solid feet,
And is exalted by conceptions of nobility.
She breaks the neck of vice and its deceit;
Black crime turns pale at Her hostility;
The barbarous nations She knows how to tame,
From savages creates heroic fame.
And as the spring doth sustenance bestow
On all the plants, on bushes in the mead,
Its placid plenty goes to overflow
And endlessly with lavish love to feed
The banks by which it wanders, gliding slow,
Supplying beauteous nature's every need;
So he who prudent Education doth procure
The towering heights of honor will secure.
THROUGH EDUCATION OUR MOTHERLAND RECEIVES LIGHT

From out his lips the water, crystal pure,

Of perfect virtue shall not cease to go.
With careful doctrines of his faith made sure,
The powers of evil he will overthrow,
Like foaming waves that never long endure,
But perish on the shore at every blow;
And from his good example other men shall learn
Their upward steps toward the heavenly paths to turn.

Within the breast of wretched humankind

She lights the living flame of goodness bright;
The hands of fiercest criminal doth bind;
And in those breasts will surely pour delight
Which seek her mystic benefits to find,
Those souls She sets aflame with love of right.
It is a noble fully-rounded Education
That gives to life its surest consolation.

And as the mighty rock aloft may tower

Above the center of the stormy deep
In scorn of storm, or fierce Sou'wester's power,
Or fury of the waves that raging seep,
Until, their first mad hatred spent, they cower,
And, tired at last, subside and fall asleep, --
So he that takes wise Education by the hand,
Invincible shall guide the reigns of motherland.
THE INTIMATE ALLIANCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND GOOD
EDUCATION
As the climbing ivy over lefty elm
Creeps tortuously, together the adornment
Of the verdant plain, embellishing
Each other and together growing,
But should the kindly elm refuse its aid
The ivy would impotent and friendless wither
So is Education to Religion
By spiritual alliance bound
Through Religion, Education gains reknown, and
Woe to the impious mind that blindly spurning
The sapient teachings of religion, this
Unpolluted fountain-head forsakes.

As the sprout, growing from the pompous vine,

Proudly offers us its  honeyed clusters
While the generous and loving garment
Feeds its roots; so the fresh’ning waters
Of celestial virtue give new life
To Education true, shedding
On it warmth and light; because of them
The vine smells sweet and gives delicious fruit

Without Religion, Human Education

RIZAL’S EARLY RELIGIOUS WRITINGS
 Two separate religious poems.
 One night as Rizal visiting his parents in Calamba, he
stepped out into a dark street as a man was passing. He
failed to see that the man was one of the civil guards, and
so he did not salute.
 Suddenly a sword struck him across the back. When he
recovered from the sword wound, he complained to the
authorities. He was informed that the civil guard has done
his duty, so that instead of complaining, the victim ought
to be thankful that he was alive.
TO THE VIRGIN MARY
Mary, sweet peace and dearest consolation
of suffering mortal: you are the fount whence springs
the current of solicitude that brings
unto our soil unceasing fecundation.
From your abode, enthroned on heaven’s height,
in mercy deign to hear my cry of woe
and to the radiance of your mantle draw
my voice that rises with so swift a flight.
You are my mother, Mary, and shall be
my life, my stronghold, my defense most thorough;
and you shall be my guide on this wild sea.
If vice pursues me madly on the morrow,
if death harasses me with agony:
come to my aid and dissipate my sorrow!
TO THE CHILD JESUS

Why have you come to earth,

Child-God, in a poor manger?
Does Fortune find you a stranger
from the moment of your birth?

Alas, of heavenly stock

now turned an earthly resident!
Do you not wish to be president
but the shepherd of your flock?
MEMORIES OF MY TOWN
When I recall the days
That saw my childhood of yore
Beside the verdant shore
Of a murmuring lagoon;
When I remember the sighs
Of the breeze that on my brow
Sweet and caressing did blow
With coolness full of delight;

When I look at the lily white

Fills up with air violent
And the stormy element
On the sand doth meekly sleep;
When sweet 'toxicating scent
From the flowers I inhale
Which at the dawn they exhale
MEMORIES OF MY TOWN

Oh, yes! With uncertain pace

I trod your forest lands,
And on your river banks
A pleasant fun I found;
At your rustic temple I prayed
With a little boy's simple faith
And your aura's flawless breath
Filled my heart with joy profound.
Saw I God in the grandeur
Of your woods which for centuries stand;
Never did I understand
In your bosom what sorrows were;
While I gazed on your azure sky
Neither love nor tenderness
Failed me, 'cause my happiness
In the heart of nature rests there.

Tender childhood, beautiful town,

Rich fountain of happiness,
 Rizal also wrote “A Farewell Dialogue of the
Students” just before he graduated from Ateneo.
 On March 23, 1877(not yet 16 years old), he
receive the degree Bachelor of Arts with highest
honors.
 Five years later he composed a tribute for the
very reverend Fr. Pablo Ramon, rector of Ateneo,
on the occasion of his birthday.
 
DRAMATIC WORK IN ATENEO
 
Father Sanchez requested Rizal to wrote a drama based with ST.
EUSTACE THE MARTYR and on June 2, 1876, Rizal had
finished the drama.
 
FIRST ROMANCE OF RIZAL
 
SEGUNDA KATIGBAK – a 14 yr. old Batangueña from Lipa
whom Rizal first fell inloved with but Segunda was already
engaged to Manuel Luz.
MARIANO KATIGBAK – brother of Segunda
LA CONCORDIA COLLEGE – where Segunda and Olimpia
(Rizal’s sister) studied

TRIUMPHS IN THE ATENEO (1872 – 1877) 11