Angela Manalang-Gloria and her Enthusiasm

    Every talent may be discover anytime, like what happened to Angela Manalang-Gloria. Her talent in writing specifically on a poem was discovered during her senior year, the discovery happened during her studying at St. Scholastica’s College in Malate, Manila. She continued her passion when she was at University of the Philippines; at first she enrolled in law, as suggested by her father. However, she transferred to literature as what her professor and mentor, C.V Vicker advised. As the time passed by, her career on being a poet were blooming.

     During her stay in UP, she worked with the Philippine Collegian as a literary editor, with Celedonio P. Gloria as editor-in-chief. Their friendship culminated in marriage. Subsequently, her husband, who finished the LL.B. in UP, went into law practice. She became editor of the Herald Mid-Week Magazine but had to resign six months later because of poor health. WWII came and her husband died. Her creative writing gradually diminished.

     Angela was the author of a poem against the marital rape entitled as Revolt from Hymen,. The poem caused her denial  by an all-male jury from winning the Philippine’s Commonwealth Literary Awards in the year of 1940. On the same year, her list of poetry entitled as Poems was published and revised on the year of 1950. The collection contained the best of her early work as well as unpublished poems written between 1934-1938. Her last poem, Old Maid Walking on a City Street can also be found in the collection. This book was her entry to the Commonwealth Literary Awards, losing to Rafael Zulueta y da Costa's verse  Like the Molave.

     Most of us follows our passion in life, no matter who dictate us and what people want us to be at the end it is still up to us what to choose. Passion, a thing that has been part of our life since birth that no one can change. May we be diverted but at the end it is what we are ending with. So, to ease things up, check your selves, rather ask "Have I discovered my passion or not yet?" if not then start finding for it, if yes go for it. It is not bad to be in a hurry discovering your passion besides you are looking for your lifetime interest.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Manalang-Gloria

http://pinoylit.webmanila.com/filipinowriters/amgloria.htm