Discussion 1.1: Discussion 1.

2: Genres
Literature of Literature
What is Literature? What is the difference between Fiction and
It derived from the Latin “littera” meaning a Non-Fiction?
letter of the alphabet.
Literature is categorized into two major genres,
It is a body of written works perceived with namely fiction and non-fiction.
aesthetic excellence of their execution and a
medium for human expression. FICTION

What literature is not? It is a literary genre with characters,

plots, settings crafted by the writer’s
Note, not all written works are considered a imagination. Most literary works are fictional
literature. Writings that are formal, highly
and are categorized into different sub genres.
technical, informative and journalistic are not
part of the scope of literature. Examples are Speculative fiction answers all "What if"
textbooks, manuals, guidelines, memorandum, questions and made these answers possible by
etc. writing. Here are different genres under
Speculative fiction:
How important is literature?
A. Science Fiction
Do you still remember the times that you have
to press the pause button while watching or This is a literary genre that deals with imagined
even stare blankly in the air in the middle of future of science upon the society or
your reading because you realized something individuals.
from them?
Some examples are:
Do you still remember when the striking and
touching lines from the characters moved you, A. Aliens (Links to an external site.) by James
made you nod yes, and thought “Yeah, that’s Cameron
right.”? B. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Or even recommending the books, poems, (Links to an external site.) by Luc Besson
stories, lines or movies you read or watched to C. Life (Links to an external site.) by Rhett
your friends because you know it would help Reese and Paul Wernick:
them as it helped you?

There you have it; literature works in us! We

watch because of how the content moves us; B. Fantasy
we read and understand implied or explicit
This is a literary genre dependent of strange
messages on what to do when we do
settings (other worlds or times) and characters
experience the same; we reflect in life; we
(usually supernatural or different kind of
came to understand how people are including
beings).
the motive of their actions and mistakes.
Some examples are:
Hence, 21st century literature points out that
true literacy is not mainly on the grades we  Alice in Wonderland by Llewis Caroll
earn but on how we value humanity, and how  Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki:
we reflect on the human truth.
C. Dystopian Literature

Dystopian fiction depicts characters battling

environmental ruins, societal issues,
technological control, and government
oppression. It is described as a bad and How can we identify if it is fictional or non-
dehumanizing world. fictional?

Some examples are: Here are some examples:

 The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins Maaalaala Mo kaya Magpakailanman

 Snowpiercer (based on the French
I believe most of you watched some segments
graphic novel Le Transperceneige by
from ABS-CBN’s Maalala Mo Kaya and GMA’s
Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and
Magpakailanman… We even cried and pity the
Jean-Marc Rochette)
characters’ struggles, but did you know that
 The Darkest Mind by Alexandra
most stories are fabricated to intensify viewer’s
Bracken:
emotions and make the story more appealing?
D. Utopian Literature Therefore, those stories became fictional no
matter how close it is to the characters' real
Utopian Literature takes place in an idealized stories.
world; a perfect society in which may end
gruesomely.

Some examples are: Remember, a few fabrications in a non-

fictional work is no different to any fictional
 Equals by Daniel Sweren-Becker works because it loses its credibility!
 Tomorrowland: A World by Damon
Lindelof, Brad Bird and Jeff Jensen It is indeed tricky to distinguish if a literary
piece is fictional or non-fictional, but if a literary
Note that fiction is a realistic representation of piece reports the truth (verified by factual
the truth no matter evidences), it is non-fictional; and if it is
fabricated or made up, it is fictional.
Non-fiction

It is a literary genre that reports facts and

reality. Non-fiction can be in different sub
genres such as in romance, comedy, tragedy, Discussion 1.3 : Forms
etc.
of Literature
One best example is narrative non-fiction....
Forms of Literature
Narrative non-fiction is also called creative
non-fiction; famous in "true stories, well told" After learning about genres and its categories,
line. It is retelling of facts in a narrative format. let’s grasp the different forms of literature
Creative character and story developments are
still evident. We have two major forms of literature: Prose
and Poetry.
1. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
(diary) Poetry

2. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow It refers to those expressions in verse, with

(biography) measures, rhymes, lines, stanzas and
melodious tones.
3. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race
and Inheritance by Barrack Obama (memoir) Aesthetically, it employs figurative and
symbolic language that makes it susceptible to
4. The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane different interpretations.
(travel writing)
Let’s have some of the subcategories
of poetry:
A. Epic “Drink it,

Epic is a lengthy, narrative work of poetry and remember in every drop of gold,
focusing on adventures and feats of the
characters. in every topaz glass,

The defeat of Cyclops by Odysseus and his in every purple ladle,

men that autumn labored
Remember the adventures of Odysseus? That to fill the vessel with wine;
ten-year journey of Odysseus and his men
trying to go back to their hometown, Ithaca; and in the ritual of his office,
when they encountered different challenges
let the simple man remember
and islands because Poseidon, the god of sea,
intentionally delayed their way back home? to think of the soil and of his duty,””
Yeah, that’s a great example of an epic!
D. Sonnet
B. Elegy
A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem
Elegy is a poem that reflects upon death or focusing on the topic of love.
loss.
This is one of the William Shakespeare’s heart-
Here is an example: wrecking sonnet:
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale Sonnet 138
and still,
When my love swears that she is made of truth
My father does not feel my arm, he has no
pulse nor will, I do believe her, though I know she lies,

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its That she might think me some untutor’d youth,
voyage closed and done,
Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties.
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
object won;
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
Simply I credit her false speaking tongue:
But I with mournful tread,
On both sides thus is simple truth suppress’d.
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
Fallen cold and dead.
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
“O Captain! My Captain!” was written by Walt
Whitman in memory of Abraham Lincoln (The O, love’s best habit is in seeming trust,
16th president of the United States).
And age in love loves not to have years told:
C. Ode
Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
Ode is similar to elegies, a praise to its subject
(a person, event or a thing, although the And in our faults by lies we flatter’d be.
subject is not dead. This depicts the greatest Other examples:
admiration of the subject which was a famous
practice in the old literature.  Free verse
 Blank verse
Here is an excerpt from Pablo Neruda’s “Ode
 Lyrical poems
to Wine.”
Prose We do appreciate these examples of novels:

Prose is a literary piece which is written in the Harry Potter, The Lightning Thief, Hunger
pattern of ordinary spoken language and within Games, The Fellowship of the Rings, Diary of a
the common flow of conversation. Wimpy Kid, Warriors Into The Wild, A Game of
Thrones, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lost
These are some forms of prose: Hero, The Bad Beginning
A. Short Stories 2. A novelette is short novel but longer than
A short story is a brief narrative prose with short stories. It is by nature romantic or
elaborated descriptions of settings and sentimental.
characters that revolves on a single storyline. One best example is the heart soothing story,
Short stories include fables, fairy tales and The Little Prince (Links to an external site.) by
legends, etc. Antoine de Exupery:
1. Fables are short stories using animals, C. Other examples
legendary creatures and inanimate objects as
characters that depict the moral of the story. Speeches

We can never forget the stories of The Hare Diaries

and the Tortoise, The Ant and the
Grasshopper, The Lion and the Mouse, The Essays
Fox and the Grapes which are from Aesop’s
Fables.

2. Fairy tales are short stories involving Discussion 1.4:

magical events and imaginary creatures in
which traditionally, are stories used to tell Figurative Language
children.

We still have in mind the stories of Cinderella,

and Figures of Speech
Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and the Little
Figurative language
Red Riding Hood, right?
Figurative Language is a broad category that
grimm fairy tales.jpgBrother's Grimm Fairy
includes figures of speech as well as sound-
Tales
effect devices.
These enriched our childhood ideas in the
Its chief function is to communicate the writer’s
Disney versions but were originally gruesome
message to elicit emotions; to help readers
versions from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales.
form mental images; and to let readers dive
(Links to an external site.)
into the writer’s work.
3. Legends are unverified stories about a
Figures of Speech
person or a place told from generations to
generations which are popularly accepted as These are words or phrases that deviate from
historical. the common language to create a different
meaning.
One example of a legend is King Arthur and his
legendary sword: (Links to an external site.) These are the particular techniques writers use
for stylistic or dramatic effects.
B. Novels and Novelettes
A. Simile
1. Novels are a book-length narrative work;
some parts are dedicated in narrating individual Simile is a comparison of two unlike things
experiences, inner feelings and thoughts of the using the words “like” or “as.”
characters, creating a more complex persona
but relatable to the audience’s experiences. EXAMPLES:
 1. His eyes are as green as the meadow, 3. The knife lies still on the ground,
alluring and breath-taking. seducing me to place himself in my
chest.
Eyes and meadow are two different things but
were compared because of similarity in color, The knife was given life to rest and seduce the
green. speaker, which is an obvious example for
personification.
2. “Her romantic mind was like the tiny
boxes, one within the other, that come D. Apostrophe
from the puzzling East . . .” — Peter
Pan, by J. M. Barrie: Apostrophe is done when a writer or speaker
speaks directly to someone who is not present
Peter Pan story is one of the most iconic (dead) or cannot respond in reality; it can also
Disney stories! In this statement, Peter used be directly speaking to an inanimate object or
Wendy’s mind and compared it to tiny boxes; to abstract ideas.
show how she unravels more of her lovely
character. 1. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I
wonder what you are…”
B. Metaphor
This famous nursery song for 90’s kids used
Metaphor is a comparison between two unlike apostrophe; in which stars cannot really
things that has similar characteristics without respond but we directly sing or speak to them.
the use of “like” or “as.”
2. “Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve
1. Your words are music to my ears. come to talk to you again. Because a
vision softly creeping, Left its seeds
The speaker compared the receiver’s words to while I was sleeping.”- an excerpt from
music, sweet and moving. The Sound of Silence by Paul Simon
2. The streets were a furnace, the sun an The speaker directly talks to the “darkness”
executioner. which is in reality, is an unresponsive entity.
Imagine how the streets were compared to a E. Synecdoche
furnace, enclosed structure kept for heating
while the sun is the death giver. It is an Synecdoche is using a part of a person or
effective metaphor on how the writer describes object to represent the whole, or a whole to
the heat in the setting similar to this picture: represent the part.

C. Personification 1. Eyes are everywhere.

Personification is attributing human Sounds familiar? You heard this in some

characteristics to non-human things such as in movies or series but we use “eyes” to
animals, objects, or ideas. represent the people who might be watching
our every move.
1. The Earth shall rest no more when the
world is CoVID-free. 2. Give us this day our daily bread.

Earth is considered a setting but it was given a In this practiced prayer, we use “bread” to
natural human response of resting. represent the food we consume.

2. Sadness bullies me; everyday, it mocks 3. Nice wheels you got there!
me.
Instead of using the term “car”, we then use
An abstract idea, “sadness”, was given a “wheels.”
human characteristic of bullying and mocking.
F. Metonymy
Metonymy replaces the name of a thing with Act naturally, foolish wisdom, Tragicomedy
the name of something else with which it is
closely associated. Little giant, beautiful disaster ,Silent voice

1. “Friends, Romans, countrymen: lend me I. Allusion

your ears.” From Julius Caesar by It is an indirect reference to a person, place,
William Shakespeare thing or idea which can be of historical, cultural,
In this example, “ears” are not used to biblical or of literary significance.
represent people but is associated with the 1. You don’t have to be Albert Einstein to
people to listen. be a great in science. You don’t have to
2. “The pen is mightier than the sword.” be Abraham Lincoln to save the world.
You don’t have to be Beethoven to play
Pen refers to written words, and sword is nice music. Legacies are placed
closely associated in military force. differently in each one of us, you just
need time to figure it out!
3. Return to the cross; it is your only
chance. Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln and
Beethoven are examples of historical allusions.
Biblically speaking, we closely associate Jesus
with the cross just to show salvation. 2. Lancelot seems mocking, kissing the
feet of the man of whom he betrayed.
G. Paradox
This is biblically alluded to Judas, the night he
Paradox is a statement that appears to betrayed Jesus.
contradict itself, but does make sense.
Judas looking devilishly at Jesus
1. We are stronger in the broken places.
3. Looks like we have a twist in our story,
At first, we think that broken places make us he’s now the Damsel in distress.
weak but the statement contradicts itself by
making us “stronger” in the same setting. Damsel in distress is a young woman who
needs rescuing from a prince which is a
Other examples: famous plot in fairy tales (literary allusion)
2. This is the beginning of the end. J. Hyperbole
3. “Some day you will be old enough to
start reading fairy tales again.” – C.S. Hyperbole is the use of exaggerated terms for
Lewis the purpose of emphasis or heightened effect.

H. Oxymoron Normally, characters way of letting their

feelings out is by the use of hyperbole.
Oxymoron is the combination of two opposite
ideas joined side by side. 1. His stomach is a bottomless pit; he ate
twenty burgers in a row!
1. All you said were fabricated truths!
Bottomless pit are great exaggerated terms to
Fabricate means to invent or change and truth show how you are never full from eating.
entirely states the facts.
2. The whole world was staring at me.
2. That is an unbiased opinion.
It’s a hyperbolized audience instead of using
Opinions by nature should tell all sides but particular group of people judging you.
using the “unbiased” term” made a different
comprehension. 3. How do you do it? You got me losing
every breath. What did you give me to
Other examples: make my heart bleed out my chest? -
Jumbo shrimp, virtual reality, Painful happiness from Sam Smith’s song, Latch
Losing every breath, heart bleed out my chest B. Alliteration
are hyperbolized phrases to emphasize how
his love broke him. Alliteration is the repetition of the consonant
sounds in the first stressed syllables.
Remember that alliteration does not depends
on letters but on sounds. These are some
Discussion 1.5: Sound- examples:

1. "Deep into that darkness peering, long I

Effect Devices stood there wondering, fearing,

Imagine yourself listening to a monotonous Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever

speaker for two hours. dared to dream before;"

Imagine, watching a movie with a disabled -an excerpt from “The Raven” by Edgar
audio. Allen Poe)

Imagine witnessing fights without any "boom"s In this excerpt, Edgar Allan Poe repeats the “d”
or "pak"s sound effects. sound “deep”, “darkness”, “doubting”,
“dreaming”, “dreams”, “dared”, and “dream
Same with writing, it creates less impact, less which makes them alliterative.
reading responses and less appreciation to
literature if no creative techniques were used. 2. I saw the shivers and tales.
That is why in addition to Figures of Speech,
Saw and shiver create a different initial
we will learn more about Sound-Effect Devices
consonant sounds; “saw” for “s” and “shiver” for
as another technique to use to make writing
the “sh” sounds. This means that both are not
more a literature type.
examples of alliteration.
Sound-Effect Devices
C. Assonance
When you read or listen to words in literature,
Assonance (Links to an external site.) is the
you observed that those words make up good
repetition of vowel sounds within words.
musical effects. That is when writers use
Sound-Effect devices in prose and poetry to 1. “on a proud round cloud in white high
stress certain sounds and create pleasing night…”- E.E. Cummings
emotive effects for readers.
Observe that the repeated vowel sounds
A. Onomatopoeia are of “ou” with “i” letters
Onomatopoeia (Links to an external site.) is the 2. “I must confess that in my quest I felt
natural sound of things converted into words. depressed and restless.”
However, some words are unrecognizable in
the dictionary. — With Love, by Thin Lizzy

Another example is: The noticeable repeated vowel sound is “e.”

1. “I was just beginning to yawn with D. Consonance

nerves thinking he was trying to make a
Consonance is the repetition of consonant
fool of me when I knew his tattarrattat at
sounds within or at the end of the words.
the door. (Ulysses by James Joyce).
2. James Joyce used the “tattarrattat” 1. You are the first and my last; from all my
onomatopoeic word for knocking at the quest, you are the best.
door which was recorded as the longest
palindrome in the English language. The “st” sound are noticeably repeated.

Note: Palindrome is a word that is read the 2. I held my nose in the breeze so I would
same in backwards. not sneeze on my knees.
“ee” sound is repeated in “breeze”, “sneeze”, G. Rhyme
and “knees” makes up the assonance; but the
repeated “s” a and “z” sounds makes up the Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounding
consonance. words, usually occurring at the end of the lines.

E. Cacophony Forever we remain oblivious to the future,

Cacophony (Links to an external site.) is a lost to the past and enduring our torture.
combination of harsh or inharmonious sounds. Forever we take chances to settle our scores,
This helps create a maddening and disastrous
effect to the literary piece. To create losing some battles and winning some wars.
cacophony, writers use short explosive sounds
Forever praying out loud hoping someone will
such as g, v, b, sc, t, tr, k, p, etc.
hear,
One example is...
forever crying softly but never shedding a tear.
Hear the loud alarum bells–
Forever exists behind a disguise,
Brazen bells! What tale of terror, now, their
but the belief in forever keeps our hearts alive.
turbulency tells!
-Forever (Links to an external site.) by Terri
In the startled ear of night
Nicole Tharrington
How they scream out their affright!
In this poem, internal rhymes of “-ing” are
Too much horrified to speak, noticeable same with the end rhymes, “future”
and “torture”, “scores” and “wars, “hear” and
They can only shriek, shriek, “tear, “disguise” and “alive.”
Out of tune, H. Repetition
-“The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe It is the repetition of a word, or phrase, or a full
The excerpt became alive because of the poetic line or sentence to emphasize its
cacophonous sounds of “t”, “r”, “s’ and “k” just significance in the entire text.
to describe the loud terrifying alarum bells by “For everything there is a season, a time for
Edgar Allan Poe. every activity under heaven...
F. Euphony A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
Euphony, on the other hand, is the combination A time to search and a time to quit searching.
of harmonious and pleasing sounds. To create
euphony, writers use good voice effect with w, A time to keep and a time to throw away.
m, n, l, or r, etc.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
Here is an example:
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A time to love and a time to hate.
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
A time for war and a time for peace.”
-an excerpt from the prologue of William
--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (New Living Translation
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
(Links to an external site.), Bible)I
Listen to how “f” and “l” sounds create sad and
Repeating “A time to” becomes a memorable
calming effect; it becomes euphonious, just to
phrase to emphasize how time for every
set the mood of the story of Romeo and Juliet.
activity is placed correctly in our life. Repetition
Note: “From”, “forth”, “fatal, “foes” are creates an effect on what we should remember
alliterative same with “loins”, “lovers” and “life.” and be emphasized in our perspective.
 young. Sometimes, riddles are sex-related.
Discussion 2.1: Take a look at this example:

Philippine Literary **translated from a dialect

"When I pull my daddy's penis, my mom's

Forms During Pre- vagina too, screams."

Colonial Period The answer for this is campana or bell.

Introduction church bell | TumblrMakes sense?

This lesson will take you to the literature of Proverbs or aphorisms

ancient Filipinos. We will learn about their are also part of our people's folk speeches.
forms, and some of their functions. We have to These are known as sayings of the old. These
understand that before the colonizers came proverbs have extended forms known as
here, we already have different forms of art. tanaga. Tanaga is a heptasyllabic quatrain
Literature is one of the evidences of these arts. poetry which means that it has four (4) lines
More than being an entertainment, literature with seven (7) syllables each line.
also became the early religion of our ancestors.
Another folk speech is a chant. Chants are
More than knowing a little bit about early used to heal, drive away spirits or to ask
literature, we will focus on a particular text so permission, and even to foretell the future.
that we may get to investigate its nature, its Example of these are the different versions of
geographical relevance, its historical "Tabi, tabi po" in the different dialects. This
implications and appreciate its beauty and means that people believe in spirits, or nuno or
creativity. any other folk mythical creatures that reside an
When did Philippine "history" start? area where they want to pass, hence, asking
permission.
Ferdinand Magellan - Early Years, Expedition
& Legacy - HISTORY Nuno sa Punso (Goblin of the Anthill) | Horror
Amino
In 1521, when Magellan "discovered the
Philippines, official history started in the "So, you want to pass?"
Philippines. However, the early residents of this 2. Folk Songs or Lyrics
peninsula had already a lifestyle of their own.
They had their own system of government, These are dung to tell the lifestyle or culture of
they had their own means of survival, they had a community. Some provinces here in the
their own religion, and they had their own Philippines still practice this. These people
literature. The colonizers may had been from indigenous groups are singing while
successful in blotting out the memory of our working. Magtanim ay 'Di Biro is an example of
early lives, but during the 15th century, studies a folk song that tells about how farmers see
about early literature emerged. What are those planting.
literary forms?
Morning haze over terraced rice fields creates
Philippine Literary Forms During the Pre- lovely scenes in SW ...
Colonial Period
Another example is Mambayu, a Kalinga rice-
1. Folk speeches pounding song. Pounding rice is the process of
separating seeds of rice from its husk to be
Folk speech refers to the dialect, or style of cooked. On the other hand a rice not separated
speaking, unique to people living within a from its husk are kept for replanting (binhi).
geographic area. (Encyclopedia of the Great
Plains) Early folk speeches are distinguishably Pounding Rice | Buscalan, Tinglayan Kalinga
short and catchy. One kind of folk speech are Visit LANTAW for… | Flickr
riddles. Riddles are used to test the wits of the
Dirges, or lamentations are also songs sung for indeed, is in us and it comes out naturally. We
the dead. A famous song from Ilo-ilo, Ili-ili, a just have to let that art be unleashed.
lullaby to make a child sleep goes this way
(English translation included): Discussion 2.2:
Ili-ili, tulog anay (Lullaby, go to sleep first)
Philippine Literature
Wala diri imu nanay (Your mother's not here)

Adto tienda, bakal papay (She went to the

During the Spanish
store to buy bread)
Period
Ili-ili, tulog anay (Lullaby, go to sleep first)
Introduction
This Nestor Leynes painting 'Mag-ina sa... - I
Love Philippines ... The colonization of the Spaniards has brought
about changes in the literary forms in the
3. Folk Tales existing Philippine Literature. For 333 years,
These are stories told by the old people to the Philippines was under Spanish
teach a lesson to the children, explain a colonization. The Spaniards introduced
phenomenon through fiction, or just for Christianity and most forms of literature talked
entertainment. Later, we are going to about religion.
investigate a particular folk tale that attempts to Discover the influence of the Spaniards during
explain a phenomenon. An example of this the the colonization. Have fun learning!
story of Lam-ang.
What do we know about Spanish
Biag ni Lam-ang - Wikipedia Colonization?
4. Mimetic and Indigenous Dances The Spanish Colonization was marked by the
These are dances from the different tribes that following theater plays:
imitate the movements of nature for various Komedya
purposes – celebration, thanksgiving, marriage,
etc. As the word implies, mimetic means a Komedya is a popular theatrical form during
mimicry. Our ancestor apparently mimics what the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines
they observe in nature and turn them into a that focuses on the conflicts between
dance - can be love dance of animals and the Christians and Muslims.
movement of tress and the different bodies of
Zarzuela
water.
Philippine Zarsuela | The Stage and the Studio
Cockfight - Wikipedia
Zarzuela a mixture of instrumental music,
"Fight me!"
singing, dancing and the spoken word that
Have you ever witnessed a traditional Ifugao encompassed the rhythms and traditions of the
dance before ... diverse cultures of Spain.

Well...uhm. Close enough. Cenaculo

We hope that you enjoyed discovering some of Senakulo: Holy Week street plays in the
the literary forms during pre-colonial period. Philippines reenact Jesus ...
How was it? Are there some practices that are
Cenaculo/Senakulo/Sinakulo is a Lenten play
still observed until now? What are those?
that depicts events from the Old and New
These literary forms are preserved and have Testaments related to the life, sufferings, and
transpired for many, many years. Literature, death of Christ. May be you will be very familiar
with this because our rich religious culture.
Philippine Literature during the Spanish Propaganda Movement which aims to confront
colonization is marked by religious and secular the Spanish oppression toward Filipinos.
prose and poetry. Secular means anything that Famous names include Jose P. Rizal, Marcelo
is non-religious such as culture, human life and H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Emilio Jacinto and
romance. It follows that one of the major Andres Bonifacio, though he is not an ilustrado.
themes in literature during that time is religion. Examples of these literature are the well-known
The Spaniards introduced Christianity through Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
the Bible, and used this to teach Filipinos and
colonized the Philippines. Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
Summary with a Reflection ...
Doctrina Christiana was first introduced to us.
Though we have nationalistic texts like these,
"Doctrina Christiana, en lengua española y Pedro Paterno, a poet and a novelist during
tagala" is the first book written in the local the period wrote Ninay, which is largely
language to be printed in the Philippines during cultural. It is considered to be the first Filipino
Spanish colonization. It is an example of the novel and it attracted some critics as Paterno
oldest Christian literature in the local language, was considered to be a "traitor" of the
and contains Catholic catechism. This means Philippines, and this might be reflected in his
that this is the first Christian book to be ever work.
published in the Philippines.
Themes of freedom and liberty are still being
Ladino poets, written by Filipino authors until now. The rich
history of the Philippines in the hands of our
Filipinos who were well versed in Spanish and oppressors has set the fire to fight for freedom.
in Tagalog, helped the Spaniards in translating, Until now. Are we truly free as people? We will
reading and writing. They were either trained or notice that as we watch movies and read
educated in parish or catechetical schools and stories, we discover oppression and
were used as interpreters and informants. emancipation. This is how Spanish colonization
There were also poetry called dalit. A dalit is a shaped Philippine Literature.
type of a short Filipino poem with four lines and But why didn't they teach us their language
eight syllables each. These dalit poems were formally? Americans brought us formal
appended to novenas and catechism. One education and therefore, influenced us "more"
example is Ang mga Dalit kay Maria (Psalms as we have adapted their language during their
for Mary). colonization. But that is already another topic.
Secular lyrics

were also present during the period. We have

Discussion 2.3:
well-known writers such as Jose Corazon de
Jesus and Francisco Balagtas who were
Philippine Literature
famous because of their metrical romances like
awit and korido in Tagalog. Awit is a
During the American
dodecasyllabic verse, and refers to chanting
while korido is an octosyllabic verse and refers
Colonial Period
to narrating.
Introduction
Another theme was Nationalism. Because
English language has been used in the
Filipinos were oppressed by the Spanish
Philippines, not just to write stories and poetry,
colonizers, the idea and the fire for freedom
but also as a medium of instruction. This is a
and liberty emerged. Literary pieces with such
strong evidence of how the Americans have
themes were published, and they threatened
influenced our ways since its colonization.
the Spanish occupation. The Ilustrados, who
When the Spaniards have chosen not to teach
are known as educated Filipinos studied in
their language formally, the Americans used
other countries. Later on, they started the
the language to spread their influence and to
colonize the country through establishing Philippine Normal School (1914), now,
formal schools. Philippine Normal University which specializes
in teacher programs, is one of the early
What happened to literature during this period? American schools.
Ever wondered why most Filipino authors have
works written in English? How did they come to Poetry in Free Verse
learn the language? This lesson will give you a
glimpse of Philippine literature during the Jose Garcia-Villa
American Colonial Period. , a poet and later National Artist in Literature,
New Literary Forms During the American used free verse in writing and embraced the
Colonial Period dictum "Art for art's sake" which caused
disappointments for writers who are more
In addition to the literary forms Philippines had concerned about the utilitarian (functional)
during pre-colonial and Spanish colonization aspect of literature. He espoused the idea that
period, new literary forms came upon art exists because it's art and it's beautiful.
Philippine literature. These are free verse,
modern short story and critical essay. Angela Manalang-Gloria, a woman poet
described as ahead of her time is another
Free verse maverick in poetry who used free verse and
talked about illicit love in her poetry.
in poetry means that it does not follow standard
or regularized meter (the organization of Despite the threat of censorship by the new
stressed and unstressed syllables) or rhyme dispensation, more writers turned up "seditious
scheme. This is a as opposed to traditional works" and popular writing in the native
poetry which uses exact measurements to languages bloomed to the weekly outlets,like
produce a unifying effect, whereas free verse Liwayway and Bisaya. These works are
seems to be random and has no organization described as "seditious" because they
at all. encourage people to disobey the government.

Modern short story

is a short version of a novel. It tells stories

about people and how they respond to
everyday life. It showcases particular incidents
in character's life allowing the readers to have Modernism in Poetry
an impression on the characterization.
Alejandro G. Abadilla (AGA),
Critical essay
a poet, with his "Ako ang Daigdig" advocated
focuses on certain subjects that need modernism in poetry. The Balagtas tradition
discussions, issues need to be addressed or persisted until this departure from the
simply an art that needs to be analyzed. traditional rhymed, measured and orally recited
Influences of the American poems was introduced. Abadilla later
influenced young poets who wrote modern
There was a firm establishment of English as verses in the 1960s such as Virgilio S. Almario,
the medium of instruction in all schools and Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S. Tinio.
with literary modernism that highlighted the
writer's individuality and cultivated Check out his poetry, "Ako ang Daigdig":
consciousness of craft, sometimes at the 19 Little Ways to Treat Yourself in 2019
expense of social consciousness. This means
that writers sometimes focused on the art of Please take note that the line cuts, spacing,
creating a craft rather than the awareness of stanza formats and alignments are placed
important social issues. according to how it is originally written. See
what modernism looks like?
Modern Short Story attention to craft and "indirectly engendered a
disparaging attitude" towards vernacular
Filipinos seemed to have taken easily to the writings -- a tension that would recur in the
modern short story as published in the contemporary period.
Philippines Free Press, the College Folio and
Philippines Herald.
Discussion 2.4:
Paz Marquez Benitez's

"Dead Stars" published in 1925 was the first

Philippine Literature
successful short story in English written by a
Filipino. Later on, Arturo B. Rotor and Manuel
During the
E. Arguilla showed exceptional skills with the
short story.
Contemporary Period
Alongside this development, writers in the A Summary of Philippine Literature During
vernaculars continued to write in the provinces. the Contemporary Period
Others like Lope K. Santos, Valeriano
by: Christine F. Godinez-Ortega
Hernandez Peña and Patricio Mariano were
writing minimal narratives similar to the early The flowering of Philippine literature in the
Tagalog short fiction called dali or pasingaw various languages continue especially with the
(sketch). appearance of new publications after the
Martial Law years and the resurgence of
The romantic tradition was fused with
committed literature in the 1960s and the
American pop culture or European influences
1970s.
in the adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs'
Tarzan by F. P. Boquecosa who also penned Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short
Ang Palad ni Pepe after Charles Dicken's stories, novellas, novels and essays whether
David Copperfield even as the realist tradition these are socially committed, gender/ethnic-
was kept alive in the novels by Lope K. Santos related or are personal in intention or not.
and Faustino Aguilar, among others.
Of course the Filipino writer has become more
Critical Essays conscious of his art with the proliferation of
writers workshops here and abroad and the
The essay in English became a potent
bulk of literature available to him via the mass
medium from the 1920's to the present. Some
media including the internet. The various
leading essayists were journalists like Carlos P.
literary awards such as the Don Carlos
Romulo, Jorge Bocobo, Pura Santillan
Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the
Castrence, etc. who wrote formal to humorous
Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic,
to informal essays for the delectation by
Home Life and Panorama literary awards
Filipinos.
encourage him to compete with his peers and
Salvador P. Lopez's hope that his creative efforts will be rewarded
in the long run.
criticism grabbed attention when he won the
Commonwealth Literary Award for the essay in 67th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards issues
1940 with his "Literature and Society." This call for entries ...Philippines Graphic to present
essay posited that art must have substance Nick Joaquin Literary Awards on ...
and that Villa's adherence to "Art for Art's
With the new requirement by the Commission
Sake" is decadent, which means that it is more
on Higher Education of teaching of Philippine
likely to change, or disappear.
Literature in all tertiary schools in the country
The last throes of American colonialism saw emphasizing the teaching of the vernacular
the flourishing of Philippine literature in English literature or literatures of the regions, the
at the same time, with the introduction of the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured.
New Critical aesthetics, made writers pay close And, perhaps, a national literature finding its
niche among the literatures of the world will not I have felt your prayer touch my heart
be far behind. As I walked along the crowded streets of
America.
Before we read an example of a work from the And we would walk those roads again one April
contemporary period, please look at the image morn,
below: Listen to the sound of working men
Singkamas in English!Do you recognize this? Dragging tree trunks from the forests,
What do you remember when you see or eat Rebuilding homes- laughing again-
this? Sowing the field with grain, fearless of death
From cloudless skies.
The March of Death You would be silent, remembering
The many young bodies that lay mangled by
Bienvenido N. Santos
the roadside;
THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH IS NOT The agony and the moaning and the silent
FORGOTTON....Especially By One Local ... tears,
The grin of yellow men, their bloodstained
Were you one of them, my brother blades opaque in the sun;
Whom they marched under the April sun I would be silent, too, having nothing to say.
And flogged to bleeding along the roads we What matters if the winters were bitter cold
knew and loved? And loneliness stalked my footsteps on the
March, my brother, march! snow?
The springs are clear beyond the road March, my brother, march!
There is rest at the foot of the hill. The springs are clear beyond the road
We were young together, Rest, at the foot of the hill.
So very young and unafraid; And we would walk those roads again on April
Walked those roads, dusty in the summer sun, morn
Brown pools and mud in the December rains; Hand in hand like pilgrims marching
We ran barefoot along the beaten tracks in the Towards the church on the hillside,
canefields Only a little nipa house beside the bamboo
Planted corn after the harvest months. groves
Here, too, we fought and loved With the peculiar rustling in the midnight
Shared our dreams of a better place Or maybe I would walk them yet,
Beyond those winding trails. Remembering... remembering
March, my brother march! *END*
The springs are clear beyond the road
There is rest at the foot of the hill.
We knew those roads by heart Does the poetry have a certain effect after you
Told places in the dark have watched the video? Themes during the
By the fragrance of garden hedge contemporary period are historical in nature.
In front of uncle’s house; Writers started making craftsmanship that will
The clatter of wooden shoes on the bamboo showcase an artistry of real events. Poetry,
bridge, after all, is an overflow of emotions, an
The peculiar rustling of bamboo groves expression of one's self. We hope that at this
Beside the house where Celia lived. point of time, we learned to connect to a poem
Did you look through the blood in your eyes and look at what it really means for the poet. In
For Celia sitting by the window, the next modules, we will encounter more of
As thousands upon thousands of you poetry and more of short stories. We hope that
Walked and died on the burning road? you will have an active connection with the
If you died among the hundreds by the texts and make them come alive.
roadside
Now remember this?
It should have been by the bamboo groves
With the peculiar rustling in the midnight. Singkamas in English!Yes, it is what we know
No, you have not died; you cannot die; as singkamas. But what does it have to do with
Bataan Death March? As the Japanese The third definition of the term indicates the
colonizers did this atrocity to showcase their literary writings of a particular author. The
power and dominion, thousands of captured work of that certain writer is canonical if he
American and Filipino soldiers were not given made great contributions in the culture, writing,
food and water. Sometime, because of and style. Let us take Homer as an example.
dehydration, they were forced to drink the He is the writer of the Iliad and Odyssey and
muddy water formed by carabao foot tracks. these works are still considered as one of the
Most of them died of diseases because of this. finest examples of Literature. Also, we have
William Shakespeare, writer of Romeo and
Fellow Filipinos that witness these started Juliet, Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, and many
throwing them these singkamas, and because more. His works revealed the history of
they look like rocks, Japanese soldiers didn't England, the culture shared by individuals, and
suspect. This helped them endure a little more provided an insight into the society.
and survive. What we perceive as a favorite
summer food was out fellow soldiers' picture of Discussion 3.1.1: Angela Manalang Gloria
life. So the next time we see singkamas, we (About the Author)
hope that we remember what they did for the
country long time ago. Or maybe I would walk Angela Manalang Gloria is the matriarch of
them yet, /Remembering... remembering. Filipino women poets writing in the English
language. The woman whose voice is heard in
her poems. She became the first generation of
Discussion Filipinos aspiring to write national literature in a
foreign tongue.
3.1:Philippine Literary
What did it take to be a female writer
Canon competing in the male-dominated arena of
Philippine letters?
The word "canon" is originated from the Greek
The-house-of-poet-Angela-Manalang-
term "kanon" which means "a yardstick" or "a
Gloria.Photo-by-Mike-Ong.jpg
measuring rod".
With roots traced in Guagua, Pampanga,
As stated by literarydevices.net, literary canon
Angela Manalang Gloria grew up in Albay,
can be defined in three ways.
studied grade school at St. Agnes Academy in
First, it is defined as a traditional collection of Legaspi, and then on to St. Scholastica’s
writings, against which other writings are College in Manila for her secondary schooling.
evaluated. In other words, it means “a long list It was when she was under Benedictine nuns
of works taken as authentic.” A good example that she hoped to become a concert pianist. At
of this is the Hammurabi Code. The the University of the Philippines where she took
Hammurabi code of laws, a collection of 282 up liberal arts, she discovered her passion for
rules, established standards for commercial poetry and painting on the sides. A fastidious
interactions, and set fines and punishments to and hardworking student, she graduated
meet the requirements of justice. During the summa cum laude.
old times, this code is a reference whenever a
It was at UP where she became literary editor
law will be passed.
of the UP Collegian and met her future
Secondly, students of literature use it to refer to husband, Celedonio P. Gloria who was then
writings that need to be evaluated editor-in-chief of the same school publication.
according to a specific genre. For example, After college, she became editor of the Herald
the Harry Potter series is the basic standard of Mid-Week Magazine. After the war, she turned
a fantasy movie or a fantasy book. If there is a to business and did well. When she turned to
new movie/book that falls under the same business full time, her poetry took the back
genre, critics tend to evaluate that film/novel seat. But a clue to her literary life is provided by
based on the standards of the Harry Potter the book, “Angela Manalang Gloria: A Literary
series. Biography” by Edna Zapanta Manlapaz that
was published by the Ateneo de Manila Press Orden ng Gawad Pambansang Alagad ng
in 1993, the book chronicled the poet growing Sining. A rank, title, and a wearable award that
up and coming of age. represents the highest national recognition
given to Filipinos who have distinct
From elementary to secondary schooling, the contributions in the field of music, dance,
young Angela Manalang lived in a world of theatre, visual arts, literature, film and
dolls, books, and piano. In college, her literary broadcast, and architecture or allied arts. The
life flourished. Discovered by her UP teacher, order is jointly administered by the National
C. V. Vicker, who continued to encourage her, Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
Manalang soon found herself touted as a rival and Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
of another poet, Jose Garcia Villa. In one and conferred by the President of the
literary competition, she submitted a poem Philippines upon recommendation by both
entitled “Revolt from the Hymen” which was her institutions.
own way of protesting marital rape.

What are the objectives of the Order of

Angela-Manalang-Gloria-A-Literary-Biography- National Artists?
by-Edna-Zapanta-Manlapaz..jpg
The Order of National Artists aims to
An all-male jury found the subject of her poem recognize:
too offensive and was thus eliminated from the
Philippine Commonwealth Awards in 1940. 1. Filipino artists who have made
Moreover, she was also the author of a book of significant contributions to the cultural
poetry called “Poems” in 1940. This collection heritage of the country.
was also her last poem, “Old Maid Walking In 2. Filipino artistic accomplishment at its
The City.” Again, she entered this poetry highest level and to promote creative
collection in the Commonwealth Literary expression as significant to the
Awards but lost to Rafael Zulueta y da Costa’s development of national cultural identity.
verse Like the Molave but the truth is that the 3. Filipino artists who have dedicated their
Manlapaz book goes beyond literature. It also lives to their works to forge new paths
chronicled the poet’s transformation when she and directions for future generations of
lost her husband from an ambush of Japanese Filipino artists.
soldiers. How she raised her three children
single-handedly and succeeded as a The Insignia Order of the National Artist
businesswoman was also touched in the last Composed of a Grand Collar featuring circular
chapters. The last living witness of Angela links portraying the arts, and eight-pointed
Manalang Gloria’s life and times is the stone conventionalized sunburst suspended from a
house in her native Tabaco in Albay. Sampaguita wreath in green and white enamel.

4. 1 National Artists Medallion divided into three equal portions, red,

blue, and white, recalling the
for Literature Philippine flag.

Three stylized letters Ks – the KKK stands for

What is a National Artist? the CPP’s motto: Katotohanan,
Kabutihan, kagandahan. – First Lady Imelda
A national artist is a Filipino citizen who has
Marcos, CPP’s founder
been given the rank and title of National Artist
in recognition of his or her significant What are the honors and privileges of a
contributions to the development of Philippine National Artist?
Arts and Letters.
1. Rank and title of National Artist, as
What is the Order of National Artists? proclaimed by the President of the Philippines;

2. Insignia of a National Artist and a citation;

3. Cash awards, monthly life pension, medical,
and hospitalization benefits, life insurance
coverage, state funeral and burial at the
Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery),
and a place of honor at national state functions
along with recognition at cultural events.

Discussion 4.1.1: Jose

Garcia Villa (About the
Author)
Let us meet Jose Garcia Villa who called
himself God.

Jose Garcia Villa was born in Manila in 1908.

His early path did not involve poetry. Instead,
he began a pre-medical course of study at the
University of the Philippines, eventually
switching to pre-law. After some time, Villa
recognized that his true passion was in the
creative arts, and his career as a writer began.

He presented “Comma poems” where commas

are placed after every word. He wrote: “The
commas are an integral and essential part of
the medium: regulating the poem’s verbal
density and the time movement: enabling each
word to attain a fuller tonal value, and the line
movement to become more measured.
“Because of this writing style, he was known as
the comma poet. Furthermore, he used the pen
name DOVEGLION which represents the dove,
eagle, and lion.

He was known to be one of the harshest critics

of Filipino poetry in English in his time and has
angered many of those who received his
critique

Jose Garcia Villa:

“The poetry you print is unforgivable. It stinks.

My God, if I had judicial power, I’d throw you in
jail for publishing such rot and exemplifying
them before the public as good poetry, thus
submerging the public still more.”