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A Literary Analysis of Jose Lacaba’s Prometheus Unbound

From the first word, the prologue of the poem down to its very last words,

the poem was the embodiment of a struggling being going against the power of a

tyrant, on the level of a god. Written during the times wherein the command of a

dictator is better than the humanitarian law, words to be seen as absolute truth.

Even the thought of attempting to publish something like Prometheus Unbound,

is like standing on the edge of a ravine with sure death to follow. However, with

the government and the puppet military, all of humanity is pushed to the edge of

this ravine. Those in power threaten the people with fear and violence; no matter

where you look death is the endgame for everyone. One may cower in fear for

one’s life but one can become a martyr and speak out against the atrocities and

inhumane treatment they are served with. What can a civilian do to fight against

those who wield weapons tarnished with blood? A man has his wits and his magic

to write, to start a cry of revolution.

And that’s what the enigma of the man, Ruben Cuevas did, like no one else

did before him, he wrote a masterpiece that would forever be etched in the

history of the Philippines, both for its mastery and influence during the Martial

Law era up till now, even if it costed the precious life he had.
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A year after Proclamation 1801, the Martial Law, a man dared, and was

successful, to smuggle a seemingly unrelated poem about Greek mythology but

actually a cry of waging a war against the tyrannical government. The funny yet

brave thing about this is that, it went under the nose of inspectors and careful eye

of media censorship to be published under Focus Magazine, a publishing right

under the control of the government. This brave man, the champion of the

Heaven’s slaves, was not Prometheus nor Ruben Cuevas, it was Jose F. Lacaba.

For Lacaba, writing this poem was just a deadly game, a gamble. Working

underground and being active on protests, Lacaba knew that every day was a

gamble under the close inspection of the constabulary. He was already a wanted

man yet still risked his life in order to send this poem out to everyone. Initially,

sending this to the Varsitarian, University of Sto. Thomas’ official publication,

Lacaba was rejected as publishing houses are afraid to produce something that

will anger the dictator. However, Lacaba was fortunate that Focus Magazine

wasn’t as keen as they thought they were with the compendiums they release.

Maybe it was because, the way Lacaba wrote the poem, was the epitome of how

a Marcosian era literary piece should be, aligned to a set of rules a writer would

never dare disobey or it will end in torturous nights, naked and silenced by death.
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This poem as what superficially Lacaba intended it to be, was a

continuation story, or an after look, on Prometheus after he was bound on Mt.

Olympus for eternity as punishment for going against Zeus. Prometheus like many

radical men of the Marcos regime, was put under miserable circumstances,

suffered an eternal punishment, for his liver to be eaten by a vulture at day and

for his organ to grow again at night, perennially. This speaks volumes for those

who had suffered various torture methods in the hands of military personnel

during the martial law, those who are lucky enough to be granted freedom, must

still be scarred for life after such nightmare. Yet, those who were not given such

luxury in times of horror, still didn’t get the justice and peace they fought for as

we see that to this day, four decades after the darkest time of Philippine history,

no Marcos was sent to jail to pay for all the atrocities their family is responsible

for.

Lacaba’s take on Prometheus Unbound was patterned on the likeness of

conventional classical or romantic poetry that the Marcosian era was in favor of.

It was neat, simple, and not that hard to understand especially if one is

knowledgeable on the Myth of the titan, Prometheus who once helped the gods

in their goals for the development of the universe. What set this poem apart was
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not only its metaphorical representation of martyrs but also the acrostic that

shook the Philippine society.

Now, looking closer at the poem, one does not throw away its contents as

to see that the only significant part of it was the acrostic. It would be a great

mistake to forgo the message Lacaba wittingly delivered to the Filipino mass.

Analyzing the structural format of the piece, many classical literary

conventions can be seen used throughout the poem. The poem is a lyrical poetry

as if written by Prometheus himself. The four-sextet stanza slices the acrostic into

MARCOS/HITLER/DIKTAD/ORTUTA.

Each of the four stanzas contain sexains or sestets which follow a rhyme

scheme of AA/BB/CC. This was typical of classical poems to follow a consistent

rhyming scheme compared to modern creations more and more movements

opted to adapt free verse schemes to break free from conventional metered and

rhymed pieces. There wasn’t inner rhyme schemes or alliterations of such but the

poem seems to contain a lyrical rhythm of Prometheus’ thoughts while suffering

in Mount Olympus.

The poem also favors the use of caesura and enjambment conventions in

order to create its desired rhythm. A clear use of caesura was within the line,

“Orion stirs. The vulture

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Retreats from the hard, pure

Thrust of the spark that burns,”

After a complete pause in the middle of the line, it was followed by the

masterful continuous use of enjambment. Another use of enjambment in the

poem,

“Licks at the chains that mock

Emancipation’s breath,”

The diction of the poem was also quite simple to understand, the use of

vernacular words was evident and grandiose or highfalutin words were

minimized. The reason is to somehow appeal to the common people and not only

to scholars of literature as we remember that Lacaba was trying to connect to the

people in the only way he can, through words. He was talking to the mass not to

the elite percentage of the population, the choice of words was only fitting.

The tone then sets for an enraged persona, someone with a burning desire

to overcome oppression which gives the readers a sympathetic yet powerful

feeling to throw an uprising against those in power who declare themselves as

gods. The image of a forsaken Prometheus left to die for eternity in Mount

Olympus gives us the cathartic feeling of a tragedy; there was both pity and

terror. The overall sound of the poem, I’d say is a mixture of euphonic and
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cacophonic sounds. However, the sense of hearing plays with the readers ears

that you hear a Prometheus raging, and proclaiming,

“I am rage! I am wrath! I am ire!”

The former line also uses the tool of repetition in order to emphasize that

the persona in the poem was in such an intense emotion. This intensity was

repeated with the line,

“Reeks of death, death, death”.

From the opening cut from the original Prometheus Unbound of Aeschylus,

the author made it clear that a martyr like him, like Prometheus, would rather be

chained and to be punished for eternity than to give service to a someone like the

pompous and self – absorbed Zeus.

Now to look at that images and allusions used in the poem, there was quite many

to exhaust as the poem was a product of an intertextual merging of literary works

from different millennia which seems to work for both milieus.

As what was mentioned earlier, Lacaba saw this poem as a game, a gamble

wherein his life was at stake, and he was certainly playful when the first line on a

closer inspection is a pun on, “Martial Law tonight”.

Mars symbolizes war and rage and was representative of how the poem is

about a revolutionary rage. The second line made a mention of Artemis, the
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symbol of a good hunt and fertility, yet she was, “out of sight”, conveying that

these truths were seen nowhere during this regime.

The vulture by the second stanza was the symbol used for those who feast

on the trampled and bounded. These vultures take delight in mocking the chained

and in seeing Prometheus suffer. Emancipation then was personified in terms of

hearing its cry for air, the mere act of breathing, was as painful as death itself.

Freedom was at the cost of death.

The third stanza gives more focus and calls out to Death itself. The persona

was determined to overcome even death itself through the “flaming sword of

love”. Despite the hatred raging inside this martyr, what actually fuels him is the

love for the cause he is willingly suffering for because he sees that humanity

deserves better than to be worshippers of an arrogant god. Above hate is love,

love for the people so dear to him that he cannot bear witness to them being

trampled upon.

Another mythological character was mentioned and it was Orion, the light

of heaven but also the one who chased after the Taurus, “the bull of heaven.” In

the final stanza and its last line, the god that was mentioned wasn’t the mighty

Zeus, it was Prometheus “who dared to resist”.

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The entirety of Prometheus Unbound was full of powerful imagery which

represents the situation of the Filipino people who relentlessly fought for

democracy and to end tyranny. This poem is like a letter to us, the mass, to stand

up, raise our fists and resists. Enough of bowing down to self – proclaimed leaders

who actually does not serve anyone but himself. The audacity of this poem to

criticize a government whose hands are bloody is truly laudable and must be

celebrated to this day where de factor martial law once again threatens the

freedom of the people. This is a timeless tale of the continues struggle of the

likes of Prometheus wo had been subjected to mental and physical torture over

and over again yet still choose to fight for what humanity, for what the people

deserves.

The power of this poem if powerful on its day of release 40 years ago, is still

as powerful as it is today. “MARCOS HITLER DIKTADOR TUTA,” now a mantra that

can still be heard to modern day acts of protest never really left the heart of

Filipino uprising. Since that day, Lacaba solidified a hymn for those who fight

against the oligarchical power of the corrupt Marcos family. This poem rattled the

seemingly iron wall of media censorship back in the day. This is a commemoration

of the power the writers possess if their skill prowess was used to something as

deadly yet brave as this. To simply just move on from this nightmare is an insult to
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the sacrifices these martyrs made, it belittles the hardships they had to go

through in order to fight for those who are afraid, to those who doesn’t care.

Never again. Never forget.

References
Lacaba, Kris Lanot. 2015. "The Torture of My Father and Other Stories."
September 21. Accessed September 23, 2019.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/88718/the-torture-of-my-father-and-other-
stories.
Melendez, Paulo Enrico. 2018. "The Marcos-era Resistance Poem that Smuggled a
Hidden Message into State Media." Metro Manila: Esquire Magazine
Philippines, September 11. Accessed September 23, 2019.
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/the-marcos-era-
resistance-poem-that-smuggled-a-hidden-message-into-state-media-
a1508-20180911-lfrm2.

http://read.thebenildean.org/2020/09/prometheus-unbound-silence-cant-be-bought

Prometheus Unbound: Silence can’t be

bought
Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people.

By Francis Gatuslao | Monday, 21 September 2020

Written by Jose Maria Flores Lacaba, also known as “Pete Lacaba,” a Filipino
poet,  screenwriter, and journalist best known for his poetry and his coverage of
the “First Quarter Storm” during the Marcos Regime, “Prometheus Unbound”
published by Focus Magazine in 1973 under the pseudonym Ruben Cuevas, is a
classic example of subtle protest poetry meant to speak up against the injustices
of Martial Law.
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In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus was most famous for his crime against
Zeus and Olympus. Sympathizing with the primitive state of man and their
dependence on the Gods, Prometheus broke into Hephaestus’ workshop and stole fire,
eventually giving that gift to man in order to aid them in their troubles. And though
the titan had made a significant impact on the progress of man, his act would not go
unpunished as Zeus tortured him by binding him to a rock and having an eagle peck at
the titan’s self-healing liver, tormenting him for many years to come.

Gods to titans. Dictators to countrymen. There are a lot of parallels to be drawn

between the two. The poem begins with what seems to be a stanza from the
Aeschylean Greek tragedy similarly titled Prometheus Bound. 

I shall never exchange my fetters

For slavish servility. 'Tis better

to be chained to the rock than bound

to the service of Zeus.

                        Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound

At first glance, the piece can seem like a simple retelling of the Greek myth. But
reading between the lines (both literally and figuratively) you start to see its true
message. Like mentioned earlier, the poem is acrostic—reading the first letter of
every line forms its own set of words, and in this case, those words were: “Marcos
Hitler Diktador Tuta,” a popular Tagalog slogan among protestors of the time. 

Lacaba took a big risk not only writing the piece but also sneaking it past media
censorship and publishing it. Even under a pseudonym, it was a gamble that most
writers would not have taken. Any public criticism of Marcoses at the time, no matter
how small, was usually met with punishment—punishment that Lacada would
experience first hand in just a few months later. But as soon as people realized that the
poem wasn’t what it seemed, the magazine was pulled from newsstands by men in
uniform. 

This begs the question: is it worth risking one’s life to spread a message when many
would rather remain silent? The final stanza of the poem says a lot about this. 

Orion stirs. The vulture

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Retreats from the bard, pure

Thrust of the spark that burns,

Unbounds, departs, returns

To pluck out of death's fist

A god who dared to resist.

The mention of Orion is a curious one as Artemis was mentioned in the first stanza.
There is a version of Orion’s story where he actually falls in love with Artemis, only
for her to be tricked by her brother, Apollo, into unintentionally killing him later on.
Thinking about Orion and Artemis as two parts of the people, with the former being
the protesters, and the latter being everyone else. Apollo can be those in power,
twisting the narrative and tricking the people to put down those who love and fight for
them. 

The vulture can be seen as a symbol of a corrupt government throughout the whole
piece, those who mock the weak and feast upon their life-drained corpses. It retreats
from the bard; the poet, the journalist, the storyteller. And once they are free, no
longer threatened by the gloom of death, no one can be denied from speaking the
truth. But we wouldn’t get there if there weren’t those willing to risk it all for the
chance to give everyone that voice.

Prometheus gave man the gift of fire, allowing them to progress and live in a world
that is no longer dictated by the Gods. But maybe for us, the gift of fire is simply the
knowledge that those in power can’t keep us all restrained. Because like Prometheus,
in the quest for freedom against those who’d rather stay in control, our silence during
times like these is exactly what they want.

https://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/literature/2016/11/29/poetry-as-weapon.html

Poetry as a weapon for

peaceful dissent
Written by Regine Cabato
Updated Nov 29, 2016 6:32:41 PM
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — “What an intelligent Greek reference,” an unwitting editor must
have thought when he happened across “Prometheus Unbound” by a certain Ruben Cuevas. Little did he
know it referenced something else — an oversight that reportedly cost him his job, in a regime steeped
in censorship and human rights violations.

The iconic, infamous acrostic piece had actually seen the light of publication before the military pulled it
out of newsstands. The initials of its lines read: “Marcos Hitler diktador tuta,” a rally chant against the
dictatorship. Now a classroom staple and literary classic, it is referenced again in rallies today.

Journalist Jose Lacaba, the true name of the poem’s author, was suffering torture in a jail cell, entirely
unaware of the trouble his piece had caused. His brother was the revolutionary and poet Emmanuel
Lacaba, who was killed in Davao in 1976.

Fresh off these events, the presidential family sought to name Lacaba’s colleague and literary golden
boy Nick Joaquin a National Artist for Literature. Decades later, Lacaba’s son Kris would write on Rogue
Magazine that they thought Joaquin’s association with the award “would lend the dictatorship an air of
prestige.”

“How can I do that? Emman’s killed and Pete’s in prison!” Joaquin had cried, as Ninotchka Rosca
recounted on The FilAm. Eventually, he decided to barter his acceptance of the award in exchange for
Lacaba’s freedom. Rosca — the author of the novel “Twice Blessed” — said, “This was the way it was:
everyone with even a little bit of conscience tried to help friends who were in trouble.”

Lacaba would later recall that in the course of his torture, he was told: “You’re the one who wrote that
poem in that magazine.” He did not reply. “I was flattered that a constabulary colonel was literate
enough to have heard about my poem, but he was making a statement, not asking a question, so I did
not bother to confirm or deny his allegation,” Lacaba wrote in ASIA: Magazine of Asian Literature. He did
not come out as its author until after the 1986 revolution.

“In many totalitarian societies, literature, theater and song have always been tools for resistance,”
explains Joyce Martin, an Ateneo de Manila University professor who specializes in literature, memory,
and trauma studies. “In eras that ban newspapers or censor TV shows, journalists have resorted to
poetry to voice out dissent.”

Bienvenido Lumbera wrote “Alay kay Kumander Tangkad” and “Elehiya  para kay Renato Constantino”
for activist influences. When people started getting used to Martial Law, Benilda Santos wrote “Paano
Ba ang Magtapon ng Pusa,” likening the situation to a cat you could not get rid of. These are just some
of many pieces prompted by the times.

Fr. Albert Alejo, S.J. was initiated into activism in 1972 as a high school sophomore. “The truth is that the
Martial Law years provided plenty of opportunities and additional motivation to write,” he shared. “My
work with the trade unions and urban poor gave both grounding in [the] real life struggle of our people
as well [as] plenty of gatherings for oral poetic performances. Along the way, I also picked up some
theoretical debates on the politics and aesthetics.”

"In other words, although the Martial Law regime was oppressive, it also provided platform and
motivation for generating literary creativity in the midst of political struggle,” he says.
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"Although the Martial Law regime was oppressive, it also provided platform and motivation for
generating literary creativity in the midst of political struggle."

His piece “Sanayan Lang ang Pagpatay,” dedicated to the “sector” that kills for a living, likens the act of
killing a human being to killing a lizard. Excellent when read aloud, the chilling poem concludes:

Subalit ang higit na nagbibigay sa akin ng lakas ng loob

Ay ang malalim nating pagsasamahan:

Habang ako’y pumapatay, kayo nama’y nanonood.

“The title itself spoke very much of the violence that characterized that period,” says Alejo. “It was,
however, also a moment when poetry was alive, when metaphors were as sharp as bullets, and when
poetry reading served as a kind of liturgy.”

                                                             Then and now

In the days leading up to the Supreme Court decision on the Marcos burial, small press High Chair
released a Martial Law issue edited by Mabi David and Allan Popa. Its array of works, primarily in prose
form, recalled, questioned, and criticized the period, planning to thrust it into a “continuing
conversation.”

One of the notable pieces from the collection is Gideon Lasco’s “The Spectator.” It begins thus: “It was a
lie all along, but the truth must finally be told: We did not believe the child who said that the emperor
had no clothes.”

After the Supreme Court permitted the burial of former President Marcos in the heroes’ cemetery on
November 8, Baguio-based writer Janine Dimaranan thought of giving her protest a different form. After
posting an open invitation online, she collaborated with writers Adam David, Joseph Saguid, and Tilde
Acuña among others to delete parts of the Supreme Court media briefer on the Marcos burial decision.
The result: “ERASE MARCOS,” an erasure poetry series which she uploaded to a Facebook album.

“Imbis na bigyan ng bagong kontent at linangin ang source text, ang tunguhin ng politikal na pagbubura
sa konteksto ng ERASE MARCOS  ay mag-inflict ng simbolikong dahas sa isang tekstong ‘natural’ at
sistematikong dinadahas ang taumbayan,” Dimaranan explains. She said that while the Court, the
president, and the Marcoses figuratively tried to erase the injustices committed during Martial Law, the
project aimed to reclaim that history through the same method: erasure.