Balagtas, Francisco (1788-1862), ranks among the greatest poets in Philippine literature. Balagtas became best known for his influential epic poem Florante at Laura (Florante and Laura, 1838). Balagtas wrote the poem in Tagalog, a Philippine language, instead of Spanish, the standard literary language of Philippine writers of the 1800’s.
Florante at Laura is set in the distant past. The poem is filled with a fairy-tale sense of adventure. It describes the romance between Florante, a duke of Albania, and Laura, the daughter of the Albanian king. The villain is Count Adolfo, Florante’s rival for Laura’s love and leader of a rebellion against the king. A subplot portrays the romance between Prince Aladin, son of the sultan of Persia, and Flerida, the prince’s fiancée.
Balagtas was born on April 2, 1788, in Bigaa, on the island of Luzon. In 1849, Balagtas changed his name to Francisco Baltazar, to obey a decree by the governor general, who ordered that every Philippine native adopt a Spanish surname. The town of Bigaa later changed its name to Balagtas in honor of the poet. Balagtas attended the San Juan de Letran College in Manila. One of his teachers there was the Philippine poet José de la Cruz, who had a major impact on his writing.
In 1835, Balagtas moved to the Pandacan district of Manila. There, he met María Asunción Rivera, who served as the inspiration for his writing. Balagtas’s rival for her affections was Mariano Capule, a wealthy businessman. Capule was responsible for having Balagtas imprisoned under false charges. While in jail, Balagtas wrote Florante at Laura, including events in the story that reflected his own real-life situation. The poem was published in 1838, following the poet’s release from jail. Balagtas’s other writings include several comedies for the stage. Balagtas died on Feb. 20, 1862.
See also Tagalog language.
