Philippine E-Journals

Poet of the Revolution: A Neo-Marxist Reading of the Poems of Andres Bonifacio

John Rey A. Aleria | Maribeth Q. Galindo

Discipline: Literature, Political Science

 

Abstract:

Andres Bonifacio is a household name in the history of the Philippines. His name has been included into many discussion and controversies revolving over his identity as the Father of the Revolution and being the founder of Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangag Katipunan (KKK). His poems serve as legacies that can unlock what kind of person is Andres. Through his poems, he expressed reflections about the situation of the Indios during the time of colonization and the rage of the revolution. This descriptive study analyzed four selected poems of Andres Bonifacio and sought to find a new insight into the poems through a Neo-Marxist perspective using a Neo-Marxist lens, specifically the theory of cultural hegemony by Antonio Gramsci. Based on the content analysis of his poems, it was found out that Bonifacio was affected by the false consciousness propagated by the colonizers during the Spanish settlement in the country. It also answered the question whether Bonifacio is a patriotic man or a nationalistic hero.