“SOFT NIGHT”
BY: ABELARDO SUBIDO
The night is soft and cool. I wait for you
Amid the garden dusk beneath the trees.
This is the hour of softly falling dew.
I breathe your name; it floats upon the breeze
That gently stirs the clinging window-vine.
You can not hear; the fervid longing dies
Upon my heart… I hear a bird repine
In liquid notes that mingle with my sighs,
Rise from your dreams; The sampaguita faint;
The cool, soft night is slipping, wanning slow…
Night sheds its tears; the nightbird’s sad complaint
Melts into silence. Love, I want you so.
Rise from your dreams; I bring to you love more sweet
Than all the flowers I scatter at your feet.
A. Who is the author? Based on his biography and experiences, what intentions
did he have in writing the literary piece?
ABELARDO SUBIDO
• Birthdate: August 1, 1912
• Birth Place: Biñan, Laguna, Calabarzon, Philippines
• Death: April 27, 1979
• “Dadi”
• Poet, Journalist, Publisher, Author, Lawyer, Diplomat and Civil Service
Commissioner of the Philippines
• Sonnet from a Gardener and other Poems
• According on his biography, most of his work’s dwell into the theme of fervid and
solace reflective situations. Therefore, Soft Night is about his love experience and
expression. Specifically, the poem was for the love of his life, Trinidad Tarrosa-
Subido.
FIVE SYMBOLISMS FROM THE POEM
1. Breathe – This could imply the writer’s rapid expression of his loves’ name amid
the silent moment of the night, it doesn’t refrain his feeling for his love.
2. Dew – Connotes the thoughts of the writer which softly drops within his head
thinking about the love of his life.
3. Tears – Implies the mood of the poem.
4. Flowers – Simply means his loves and affection that he will spread widely for the
love of his life.
5. Sampaguitas – Signifies hope.
COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE POEM
PER STANZA:
1st: & 2nd:
The writer is calmly mesmerizing the moment of his wait for his love where he
acclimates the relaxing of the night’s atmosphere.
3rd:
This is the time where he ponderize about being with his love.
4th: & 5th:
The writer’s emotion of gloominess alter into upbeat and his heart cuddles with
blush every time he speaks and thinks about his love.
6th: & 7th:
The writer is alone in this poem, therefore, he expresses to no one, but it is for
someone, and he feels that the longingness for his love fades and he feels the
languish because he is not contended by just expressing it.
8th:
The thoughts running inside his head are rumbled with different emotions that
creates humidity to the writer’s feelings.
9th:
The writer reflects and told himself to wake up because he is losing consciousness
of himself in reason of being deeply in love and thinking only just it.
10th: & 11th:
The writer feels sad for a day is ahead and still has not met his love, he waited the
whole night and waited but his love did not arrive.
12th:, 13th:, & 14th:
Even though he waited for nothing, he still loved the woman that all he feels were
all drown in hush. He expected the day for them to meet again and will promise to
provide her the love sweeter than that night he could give.
THEMES OF THE POEM IN DEPTH
“PASSIONATE LOVE”
When someone is genuinely in love, they typically have intense feelings for that
particular person. Most of the time, deep love is fleeting, as the urge to feel is
frequently replaced by sentiments of warmth and comfort for the other person.
Soft Night by Abelardo Subido is a poem that perfectly acknowledges deep and
real love of a man because this poem is written for a woman named Trinidad
Tarossa, she is the love of Abelardo’s life. The poem shows the deep love and
intimate feeling of the writer to Trinidad. He’ll do almost just for the sake of his lover
and will sacrifice and wait for the whole night just for her. The writer highlights the
humble abundance and serenity of the night, prescribing the character of patience
and introspection that can be adapted by people from the atmosphere of night. The
poem mainly conveys the sense of consolation and comfort that links the nights
main feature, intending the readers to appreciate the night’s gentle, enthusiastic,
and fascinating embrace.
STUDENT-MADE DIALOUGE
“CLARA AND LAURENTE”
Laurente:
My love, you are my universe, my world, and my everything, I offer you mine to
love and appreciate you until the death of my breath.
Clara:
I don’t know what I did to deserve such a wonderful person like you.
Laurente:
I do not wish for anything but you, I only want, I only need, and I only wish to be
with you forever and ever, not only for the merit but also in the gloominess of the
coming days.
Clara:
I couldn’t help it. My love for you is uncontrollable. With you, my heart finds a beat,
and without you I’m incomplete.
Laurente:
I would die for you, therefore, I’d live for you.
Clara:
Thank you for loving everything about me. Laurente, I want to make every second
we share as magical as the feelings I have for you.
Laurente:
I love you forever and ever. I love everything about you. I love your beauty and I
love your flaws. Everything that embodies only is my admiration
ACTIVITY
• Group yourselves into 6 members and use the poem Soft Night by Abelardo
Subido as a basis of the short poem you will be creating. According to the
poem, its sonnet is in 14 lines and 10 syllable.
• Hence, your group will create a poem in any type of theme by following the
“7 lines and 5 syllable” format type of sonnet. We will use the remaining time
for your activity to finish.
Criteria:
Uniqueness: 40%
Correct Grammatical Structure: 30%
Originality: 20%
Relevance: 10%
References:
• Shakesperean Sonnet | Rhyme Scheme, Form & Characteristics. (n.d.) Retrieved
October 8, 2024, from https://study.com/learn/lesson/shakespearean-sonnet-
ryhme-scheme-
form.html#:~:text=Shakespearean%20sonnets%20usually%20have%20the,is%2
0repeated%20with%20different%20rhymes.
• Gonzales, D. (November 27, 2013) Prezi. Retrieved October 8, 2024, from
https://prezi.com/jlmzlffmn8nw/soft-night-by-abelardo-subido/
• Internet Archive | Open Library. (April 1, 2008). Retrieved October 8, 2024, from
https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL1534329A/Abelardo_Subido
• GENi. (2024). Retrieved October 8, 2024, from
https://www.geni.com/people/Abelardo-Subido/6000000002543963051
• Answers. (n.d). Retrieved October 8, 2024, from
https://www.answers.com/english-language-arts/Who_is_Abelardo_Subido
• Abelardo Subido. (2012). Retrieved October 8, 2024, from
https://www.facebook.com/AbelardoSubido?mibextid=ZbWKwL
GROUP IV Presenters: BAGALOT II, NORIZON VALZEZ
FLORES, PATRISHA MAE VELORIA
MONTEFALCO, MARY CRISTINE AYSON
EL 113 Instructor: MS. LIANNE NEILL BAUTISTA
