Philippine Contemporary Literature

Literature and history are closely interrelated. In discovering the history of a race, the feelings,
aspirations, customs and traditions of people are sure to be included . . . and these feelings,
aspirations, customs and traditions that are written is literature. History can also be written and
this too, is literature. Events that can be written down are part of true literature. Literature,
therefore, is part of history.

As Filipinos, who truly love and take pride in our own culture, we have to manifest our deep
concern for our own literature and this we can do by studying the literature of our country.

Pre-Spanish Period - Our forefathers already have a body of literature even before the arrival of
the Spaniards. They have customs and traditions comparable to other parts of the globe. They
have their own system of writing, alphabet, and other nuance of a working body of literature.
They are trading with the neighboring countries of Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and
Arabia. In short, they are not savages nor uncivilized as maliciously declared by some friars
during the Spanish colonization.

Our many language are related to the Malaya-Polynesian Family of Languages spoken in vast
areas covering mainland Southeast Asia, East Timor, Polynesia, Micronesia and South Pacific
Islands. We have our own system of writing called Baybayin consisting of 3 vowels and 14
consonants. Baybayin came from the word “baybay” which means “spelling”.

Spanish Period (1565-1898) - It is an accepted belief that the Spanish colonization of the
Philippines started in 1565 during the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish
governor-general in the Philippines. Literature started to flourish during his time. This spurt
continued unabated until the Cavite Revolt in 1872. The Spaniards colonized the Philippines for
more than three centuries.

Due to the long period of colonization of the Philippines by the Spaniards, they have exerted a
strong influence on our literature.
1. The first Filipino alphabet called ALIBATA was replaced by the Roman alphabet.
2. The teaching of the Christian Doctrine became the basis of religious practices.
3. The Spanish language which became the literary language during this time lent many of its
words to our language.
4. European legends and traditions brought here became assimilated in our songs, corridos, and
moro-moros.
5. Ancient literature was collected and translated to Tagalog and other dialects.
6. Many grammar books were printed in Filipino, like Tagalog, Ilocano and Visayan
7. Our periodicals during these times gained a religious tone.

The Period of Enlightenment (1872-1898) - After 300 years of passivity under Spanish rule,
the Filipino spirit reawakened when the 3 priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were guillotined
without sufficient evidence of guilt. This occurred on the 17th of February. This was buttressed
with the spirit of liberalism when the Philippines opened its doors to world trade and with the
coming of a liberal leader in the person of Governor Carlos Maria de la Torre. The Spaniards
were unable to suppress the tide of rebellion among the Filipinos. The once religious spirit
transformed itself into one of nationalism and the Filipinos demanded changes in the government
and in the church.

The Propaganda Movement (1872-1896) rose and was spearheaded mostly by the intellectual
middle-class like Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar; Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano
Ponce, Jose Ma. Panganiban, and Pedro Paterno.

The objectives of this movement were to seek reforms and changes like the following:
1. To get equal treatment for the Filipinos and the Spaniards under the law.
2. To make the Philippines a colony of Spain.
3. To restore Filipino representation in the Spanish Cortes.
4. To Filipinize the parishes.
5. To give the Filipinos freedom of speech, of the press, assembly and for redress of grievances.

The American Regime (1898-1941) - The Filipino Revolutionists won against the Spaniards
who colonized us for more than 300 years. Our flag was hoisted on June 12, 1898 as a symbol of
our independence. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was elected the first President of the Philippine
Republic but this was short-lived. The Fil.-American was resulted in the defeat of Gen. Miguel
Malvar in 1903. The peace movements started as early as 1900. Many Filipinos started writing
again and the nationalism of the people remained undaunted. Filipino writers went into all forms
of literature like new s, reporting, poetry, stories, plays, essays, and novels. Their writings clearly
depicted their love of country and their longings for independence.

The Japanese Period (1941- 1945) - Between 1941-1945, Philippine Literature was interrupted
in its development when the Philippines was again conquered by another foreign country, Japan.
Philippine literature in English came to a halt. Except for the TRIBUNE and the PHILIPPINE
REVIEW, almost all newspapers in English were stopped by the Japanese. This had an
advantageous effect on Filipino Literature, which experienced renewed attention because writers
in English turned to writing in Filipino. Juan Laya, who use to write in English turned to Filipino
because of the strict prohibitions of the Japanese regarding any writing in English. The weekly
LIWAYWAY was placed under strict surveillance until it was managed by Japanese named
Ishiwara. In other words, Filipino literature was given a break during this period. Many wrote
plays, poems, short stories, etc. Topics and themes were often about life in the provinces.

The Rebirth of Freedom (1946- 1970) - The Americans returned in 1945. Filipinos rejoiced and
guerillas who fled to the mountain joined the liberating American Army. On July 4, 1946, the
Philippines regained is freedom and the Filipino flag waved joyously alone. The chains were
broken.

The early post-liberation period was marked by a kind of “struggle of mind and spirit” posed by
the sudden emancipation from the enemy, and the wild desire to see print. Filipinos had, by this
time, learned to express themselves more confidently but post-war problems beyond language
and print-like economic stability, the threat of new ideas and mortality – had to be grappled with
side by side. There was a proliferation of newspapers like the FREE PRESS, MORNING SUN,
of Sergio Osmeña Sr., DAILY MIRROR of Joaquin Roces, EVENING NEWS of Ramon
Lopezes and the BULLETIN of Menzi. This only proved that there were more readers in English
than in any ocher vernaculars like Tagalog, Ilocano or Hiligaynon. Journalists had their day.
They indulged in more militant attitude in their reporting w hich bordered on the libelous.
Gradually, as normality was restored, the tones and themes of the writings turned to the less
pressing problems of economic survival.

Period of Activism (1970-1972) - According to Pociano Pineda, youth activism in 1970-72 was
due to domestic and worldwide causes. Activism is connected with the history of our Filipino
youth.

Many young people became activists to ask for changes in the government. In the expression of
this desire for change, keen were the writings of some youth who were fired with nationalism in
order to emphasize the importance of their petitions. Many young activists were imprisoned in
military camps together with rebel writers. As early as this period of history we can say that
many of those writers who were imprisoned were true nationalists and heroes of their time.

Period of the New Society (1972-1980) - The period of the New Society started on September
21, 1972. The Carlos Palanca Awards continued to give annual awards. Almost all themes in
most writings dealt with the development or progress of the country – like the Green Revolution,
family planning, proper nutrition, environment, drug addiction and pollution. The New Society
tried to stop pornography or those writings giving bad influences on the morals of the people.

The weekly publications like KISLAP, and LIWAYWAY helped a lot in the development of
literature. These became outlets for our writers to publish many of their works.

Period of the Third Republic (1981-1985) - After ten years of military rule and some changes
in the life of the Filipino which started under the New Society, Martial Rule was at last lifted on
January 2, 1981. To those in government, the lifting of military rule heralded a change. To their
perceptions, the Philippines became a new nation and this; former President Marcos called “The
New Republic of the Philippines.”

During this period, it cannot be denied that many people seethed with rebellion and protest
because of the continued oppression and suppression. This was further aggravated when former
Senator Benigno S. Aquno Jr., the idol of the Filipino masses, whom they hoped to be the next
president, was president, was brutally murdered on August 21, 1983.

This stage of the nation had its effect on our literature. After the Aquino assassinated, the
people’s voices could no long be contained. Both the public and private sectors in government
were chanting, and shouting; women, men and the youth became bolder and their voices were
raised in dissent. We can say that Philippine literature, in spite of the many restrictions, still
surreptitiously retained its luster.

The Contemporary Period - The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages
continue especially with the appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the
resurgence of committed literature in the 1960s and the 1970s.
 Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and essays whether
these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention or not.

Of course the Filipino writers has become more conscious of their art with the proliferation
of writers’ workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available to them via the mass
media including the internet. The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca
Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and
Panorama literary awards encourage them to compete with their peers and hope that their
creative efforts will be rewarded in the long run.

With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher Education of teaching of Philippine
Literature in all tertiary schools in the country emphasizing the teaching of the vernacular
literature or literatures of the regions, the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured. And,
perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the literatures of the world will not be far
behind.
 American Contemporary Literature
American literature does not easily lend itself to classification by time period. Given the size of
the United States and its varied population, there are often several literary movements happening
at the same time. However, this hasn't stopped literary scholars from making an attempt. Here
are some of the most commonly agreed upon periods of American literature from the colonial
period to the present.

The Colonial Period (1607–1775) - This period encompasses the founding of Jamestown up to a
decade before the Revolutionary War. The majority of writings were historical, practical, or
religious in nature. Some writers not to miss from this period include Phillis Wheatley, Cotton
Mather, William Bradford, Anne Bradstreet, and John Winthrop. The first Slave Narrative, "A
Narrative of the Uncommon Sufferings, and Surprizing Deliverance of Briton Hammon, a Negro
Man," was published during this period, in 1760 Boston.

The Revolutionary Age (1765–1790) - Beginning a decade before the Revolutionary War and
ending about 25 years later, this period includes the writings of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas
Paine, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. This is arguably the richest period of political
writing since classical antiquity. Important works include the “Declaration of Independence,”
"The Federalist Papers," and the poetry of Joel Barlow and Philip Freneau.

The Early National Period (1775–1828) - This era in American literature is responsible for
notable first works, such as the first American comedy written for the stage—"The Contrast" by
Royall Tyler, written in 1787—and the first American Novel—"The Power of Sympathy" by
William Hill, written in 1789. Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, and Charles
Brockden Brown are credited with creating distinctly American fiction, while Edgar Allan Poe
and William Cullen Bryant began writing poetry that was markedly different from that of the
English tradition.

The American Renaissance (1828–1865) - Also known as the Romantic Period in America and
the Age of Transcendentalism, this period is commonly accepted to be the greatest of American
literature. Major writers include Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau,
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, and Herman Melville. Emerson, Thoreau, and Margaret
Fuller are credited with shaping the literature and ideals of many later writers. Other major
contributions include the poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the short stories of
Melville, Poe, Hawthorne, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Additionally, this era is the inauguration
point of American literary criticism, lead by Poe, James Russell Lowell, and William Gilmore
Simms. The years 1853 and 1859 brought the first novels written by African-American authors,
both male and female: "Clotel," by William Wells Brown and "Our Nig," by Harriet E. Wilson.

The Realistic Period (1865–1900) - As a result of the American Civil War, Reconstruction and
the age of industrialism, American ideals and self-awareness changed in profound ways, and
American literature responded. Certain romantic notions of the American Renaissance were
replaced by realistic descriptions of American life, such as those represented in the works of
William Dean Howells, Henry James, and Mark Twain. This period also gave rise to regional
writing, such as the works of Sarah Orne Jewett, Kate Chopin, Bret Harte, Mary Wilkins
Freeman, and George W. Cable. In addition to Walt Whitman, another master poet, Emily
Dickinson, appeared at this time.

The Naturalist Period (1900–1914) - This relatively short period is defined by its insistence on
recreating life as life really is, even more so than the realists had been doing in the decades
before. American Naturalist writers such as Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser, and Jack
London created some of the most powerfully raw novels in American literary history. Their
characters are victims who fall prey to their own base instincts and to economic and sociological
factors. Edith Wharton wrote some of her most beloved classics, such as "The Custom of the
Country" (1913), "Ethan Frome" (1911), and "The House of Mirth" (1905) during this time
period.

The Modern Period (1914–1939) - After the American Renaissance, the Modern Period is the
second most influential and artistically rich age of American writing. Its major writers include
such powerhouse poets as E.E. Cummings, Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams,
Marianne Moore, Langston Hughes, Carl Sandburg, T.S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens, and Edna St.
Vincent Millay. Novelists and other prose writers of the time include Willa Cather, John Dos
Passos, Edith Wharton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, William
Faulkner, Gertrude Stein, Sinclair Lewis, Thomas Wolfe, and Sherwood Anderson. The Modern
Period contains within it certain major movements including the Jazz Age, the Harlem
Renaissance, and the Lost Generation. Many of these writers were influenced by World War I
and the disillusionment that followed, especially the expatriates of the Lost Generation.
Furthermore, the Great Depression and the New Deal resulted in some of America’s greatest
social issue writing, such as the novels of Faulkner and Steinbeck, and the drama of Eugene
O’Neill.

The Beat Generation (1944–1962) - Beat writers, such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg,
were devoted to anti-traditional literature, in poetry and prose, and anti-establishment politics.
This time period saw a rise in confessional poetry and sexuality in literature, which resulted in
legal challenges and debates over censorship in America. William S. Burroughs and Henry
Miller are two writers whose works faced censorship challenges. These two greats, along with
other writers of the time, also inspired the counterculture movements of the next two decades.

The Contemporary Period (1939–Present) - After World War II, American literature has
become broad and varied in terms of theme, mode, and purpose. Currently, there is little
consensus as to how to go about classifying the last 80 years into periods or movements—more
time must pass, perhaps, before scholars can make these determinations. That being said, there
are a number of important writers since 1939 whose works may already be considered “classic”
and who are likely to become canonized. Some of these very established names are: Kurt
Vonnegut, Amy Tan, John Updike, Eudora Welty, James Baldwin, Sylvia Plath, Arthur Miller,
Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Joan Didion, Thomas Pynchon, Elizabeth Bishop, Tennessee
Williams, Philip Roth, Sandra Cisneros, Richard Wright, Tony Kushner, Adrienne Rich, Bernard
Malamud, Saul Bellow, Joyce Carol Oates, Thornton Wilder, Alice Walker, Edward Albee,
Norman Mailer, John Barth, Maya Angelou, and Robert Penn Warren.
 English Contemporary Literature

Although historians have delineated the eras of British literature in different ways over time,
common divisions are outlined below.

Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period (450–1066) - The term Anglo-Saxon comes from two
Germanic tribes, the Angles and the Saxons. This period of literature dates back to their invasion
(along with the Jutes) of Celtic England circa 450. The era ends in 1066, when Norman France,
under William, conquered England. Much of the first half of this period, prior to the seventh
century, at least, had oral literature. A lot of the prose during this time was a translation of
something else or legal, medical, or religious in nature; however, some works, such as
"Beowulf," and those by period poets Caedmon and Cynewulf, are important.

Middle English Period (1066–1500) - The Middle English period sees a huge transition in the
language, culture, and lifestyle of England and results in what we can recognize today as a form
of “modern” (recognizable) English. The era extends to around 1500. As with the Old English
period, much of the Middle English writings were religious in nature; however, from about 1350
onward, secular literature began to rise. This period is home to the likes of Chaucer, Thomas
Malory, and Robert Henryson. Notable works include "Piers Plowman" and "Sir Gawain and the
Green Knight."

The Renaissance (1500–1660) - Recently, critics and literary historians have begun to call this
the “Early Modern” period, but here we retain the historically familiar term “Renaissance.” This
period is often subdivided into four parts, including the Elizabethan Age (1558–1603), the
Jacobean Age (1603–1625), the Caroline Age (1625–1649), and the Commonwealth Period
(1649–1660).

The Elizabethan Age was the golden age of English drama. Some of its noteworthy figures
include Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, Edmund Spenser, Sir Walter Raleigh, and, of
course, William Shakespeare. The Jacobean Age is named for the reign of James I. It includes
the works of John Donne, Shakespeare, Michael Drayton, John Webster, Elizabeth Cary, Ben
Jonson, and Lady Mary Wroth. The King James translation of the Bible also appeared during the
Jacobean Age. The Caroline Age covers the reign of Charles I (“Carolus”). John Milton, Robert
Burton, and George Herbert are some of the notable figures.

Finally, the Commonwealth Age was so named for the period between the end of the English
Civil War and the restoration of the Stuart monarchy. This is the time when Oliver Cromwell, a
Puritan, led Parliament, who ruled the nation. At this time, public theaters were closed (for
nearly two decades) to prevent public assembly and to combat moral and religious
transgressions. John Milton and Thomas Hobbes’ political writings appeared and, while drama
suffered, prose writers such as Thomas Fuller, Abraham Cowley, and Andrew Marvell published
prolifically.
The Neoclassical Period (1600–1785) - The Neoclassical period is also subdivided into ages,
including The Restoration (1660–1700), The Augustan Age (1700–1745), and The Age of
Sensibility (1745–1785). The Restoration period sees some response to the puritanical age,
especially in the theater. Restoration comedies (comedies of manner) developed during this time
under the talent of playwrights such as William Congreve and John Dryden. Satire, too, became
quite popular, as evidenced by the success of Samuel Butler. Other notable writers of the age
include Aphra Behn, John Bunyan, and John Locke.

The Augustan Age was the time of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, who imitated those first
Augustans and even drew parallels between themselves and the first set. Lady Mary Wortley
Montagu, a poet, was prolific at this time and noted for challenging stereotypically female roles.
Daniel Defoe was also popular.

The Age of Sensibility (sometimes referred to as the Age of Johnson) was the time of Edmund
Burke, Edward Gibbon, Hester Lynch Thrale, James Boswell, and, of course, Samuel Johnson.
Ideas such as neoclassicism, a critical and literary mode, and the Enlightenment, a particular
worldview shared by many intellectuals, were championed during this age. Novelists to explore
include Henry Fielding, Samuel Richardson, Tobias Smollett, and Laurence Sterne, as well as
the poets William Cowper and Thomas Percy.

The Romantic Period (1785–1832) - The beginning date for the Romantic period is often
debated. Some claim it is 1785, immediately following the Age of Sensibility. Others say it
began in 1789 with the start of the French Revolution, and still, others believe that 1798, the
publication year for William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s book "Lyrical
Ballads," is its true beginning. The time period ends with the passage of the Reform Bill (which
signaled the Victorian Era) and with the death of Sir Walter Scott. American literature has its
own Romantic period, but typically when one speaks of Romanticism, one is referring to this
great and diverse age of British literature, perhaps the most popular and well-known of all
literary ages. This era includes the works of such juggernauts as Wordsworth, Coleridge,
William Blake, Lord Byron, John Keats, Charles Lamb, Mary Wollstonecraft, Percy Bysshe
Shelley, Thomas De Quincey, Jane Austen, and Mary Shelley. There is also a minor period, also
quite popular (between 1786–1800), called the Gothic era.

The Victorian Period (1832–1901) - This period is named for the reign of Queen Victoria, who
ascended to the throne in 1837, and it lasts until her death in 1901. It was a time of great social,
religious, intellectual, and economic issues, heralded by the passage of the Reform Bill, which
expanded voting rights. The period has often been divided into “Early” (1832–1848), “Mid”
(1848–1870) and “Late” (1870–1901) periods or into two phases, that of the Pre-Raphaelites
(1848–1860) and that of Aestheticism and Decadence (1880–1901). This period is in strong
contention with the Romantic period for being the most popular, influential, and prolific period
in all of English (and world) literature. Poets of this time include Robert and Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Christina Rossetti, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Matthew Arnold, among others.
Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, and Walter Pater were advancing the essay form at this
time. Finally, prose fiction truly found its place under the auspices of Charles Dickens, Charlotte
and Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), Anthony Trollope,
Thomas Hardy, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Samuel Butler.
The Georgian Period (1910–1936) - The Georgian period usually refers to the reign of George
V (1910–1936) but sometimes also includes the reigns of the four successive Georges from
1714–1830. Here, we refer to the former description as it applies chronologically and covers, for
example, the Georgian poets, such as Ralph Hodgson, John Masefield, W.H. Davies, and Rupert
Brooke. Georgian poetry today is typically considered to be the works of minor poets
anthologized by Edward Marsh. The themes and subject matter tended to be rural or pastoral in
nature, treated delicately and traditionally rather than with passion (like was found in the
previous periods) or with experimentation (as would be seen in the upcoming modern period).

The Modern Period (1914–?) -

The modern period traditionally applies to works written after the start of World War I. Common
features include bold experimentation with subject matter, style, and form, encompassing
narrative, verse, and drama. W.B. Yeats’ words, “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold” are
often referred to when describing the core tenet or “feeling” of modernist concerns. Some of the
most notable writers of this period, among many, include the novelists James Joyce, Virginia
Woolf, Aldous Huxley, D.H. Lawrence, Joseph Conrad, Dorothy Richardson, Graham Greene,
E.M. Forster, and Doris Lessing; the poets W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, Seamus Heaney,
Wilfred Owens, Dylan Thomas, and Robert Graves; and the dramatists Tom Stoppard, George
Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, Frank McGuinness, Harold Pinter, and Caryl Churchill. New
Criticism also appeared at this time, led by the likes of Woolf, Eliot, William Empson, and
others, which reinvigorated literary criticism in general. It is difficult to say whether modernism
has ended, though we know that postmodernism has developed after and from it; for now, the
genre remains ongoing.

The Postmodern Period (1945–?) - The postmodern period begins about the time that World
War II ended. Many believe it is a direct response to modernism. Some say the period ended
about 1990, but it is likely too soon to declare this period closed. Poststructuralist literary theory
and criticism developed during this time. Some notable writers of the period include Samuel
Beckett, Joseph Heller, Anthony Burgess, John Fowles, Penelope M. Lively, and Iain Banks.
Many postmodern authors wrote during the modern period as well.
 Reader Response on Philippine Literature

Through this research in line to the history of Philippine literature, and after reading a lot of
information, I have learned that Philippine literature flourished during the Spanish period. The
literature of Philippines covers a variety of genres, most notably poetry and metrical romances,
prose dramas, religious dramas and secular dramas. It is a spring board of the truth that is handed
down from generation to generation by our ancestors which is handed to us with care. Philippine
literature has brought me the realization of valuing the sense of being a true Filipino, in spite of what
have happened in our history that we were once slaves of the foreign invaders.

The pursuit of happiness enlightens the hearts of the Filipinos into the light of a new nation. The rich
cultural heritage of our ancestors has thought me a lot of things about the way of life. For instance the
alamat, the origin of things and events that usually narrates about the genesis of man, the meaning of
life, the constant search of the truth and the profound meaning of life that Bathala has brought us.

I would give my credits to some very wellrespected Filipino authors in the history of the Philippines,
particularly authors such as Jose Rizal, whose writing during the Spanish colonial era helped to mobilize
and reform the thinking of the Filipino people against the Spanish in their conquest of the country and
give pride to the Filipino people. It was the controversial writings of Rizal that became a factor in his
execution by the Spanish. The Philippines, having been under Spanish rule for nearly three centuries,
changed hands to American rule following the Spanish-American War and a lot of the literature that
followed gave a pro-Hispanic theme as the country began to adapt to life under American rule, at that
time preferring life under Spanish rule. I also learned about what the other National Heroes did in our
country, like Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano Ponce, Jose Ma.
Panganiban, and Pedro Paterno, they are the leading in Propaganda Movement. The study of literature
during this period (the 20th and 21st Century writings) gives fascinating insight to the change that was
going on in the Philippines and how the Filipino people were dealing with this. In this way the study of
Philippine literature is actually also a study of part of the history of both Spain and America and
demonstrates how the Filipino people related to these countries. The writings also point to the identity
of the Filipino people during this era and their struggle to have an independent identity under the yoke
of foreign rulers.

I have realized that Philippine literature has influenced me so much that it became my way of thinking
and feeling toward the appreciation of the beauty of life and I’m just not aware of it. In fact, the truth is
that Philippine literature lies within the innermost seat of my heart. And no one could ever take it away
from me. It means that I am a Filipino in thought, words and in action. This inspiration has helped me to
discover the truth of my innermost self.

I salute all the Filipinos who put up a good fight for our freedom. Because of what they did, we have
now the freedom to express our thoughts, feelings, ideas, etc.
 Reader Response on American Literature

Although I’m a Filipino, the readings and the writing assignments have really developed my
knowledge of early American literature. From Christopher Columbus to Herman Melville
American literature has developed and changed a good bit. The lessons that I have learned from
these great American writers cannot be replaced. I learned that revision is important, nature is a
great escape, and do not be scared to take an idea, even if it is totally different than anything that
anyone has ever seen, and running with it.

The readings of Benjamin Franklin taught me that revision is important in life and in writing. He
was big on the idea of revision. He believed that everyone should take the idea of revision and
use it in all aspects of their life. He said that if a person does not try to use revision then they are
not being the best possible version of themselves that they can be. He believes that revision
makes everything better. I need to apply this idea to my life and my writing. He taught me to
always save time and space for revision no matter what.

I learned through Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau that nature is a great escape
from reality. These two writers wrote about how nature is a great place to go and experience God
and one’s self truer than anywhere else. I am going to apply this to my life when I am getting
stressed. If I am stressed I am going to turn to nature and the beauty of it to help me relax.

One other thing I learned from this class was not to be scared of an original idea. Edgar Allan
Poe and Walt Whitman proved that having original ideas is something to be proud of. Both of
these writers took a new approach to their writing, and it really paid off for them. Poe wrote in a
new form that submerged his audience into the story like no one has ever done before. Whitman
changed the way poetry was written completely, getting rid of free verse and rhyme. These two
were criticized at first, but now are praised for their work. I plan to apply this to my life and not
be scared to try something new and different.