Literature

Philippine literature is the body of works, both oral and written, that Filipinos whether native,
naturalized or foreign born, have created about the experience of people living in or relating to
Philippine Society. It is composed or written in one of the Philippine languages, in Spanish, in English
and in Chinese as well.
Pre-Colonial Period (_B.C. to 1564)

A. Characteristics
1. Based in Oral Traditions
2. Crude on ideology and phraseology
B. Literary Forms
1. Oral Literature
a. Riddles (bugtong) - battle of wits among participants
Tigmo-Cebu
Paktakon - Ilonggo
Patotdon - Bicol
b. Proverbs (salawikain) - wise sayings that contain a metaphor used to teach as a food for thought etc.
c. Tanaga - a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessons on life is "more
emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the folk lyric."
2. Folk Songs
It is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people's lifestyles as well as their
loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naive.
a. Hele or oyayi- lullaby
b. Ambahan (Mangyan) - 7-syllable per line poem that are about human relationships and social
entertainment
c. Kalusan (Ivatan) - work songs that depict the livelihood of the people.
d. Tagay (Cebuano and Waray) - drinking song.
e. Kanogan (Cebuano) - song of lamentation for the dead
3. Folk Tales
a. Myths - explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics, why
some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna.
b. Legends - explain the origin of things
Why the Pineapple Has Eyes
The Legend of Maria Makiling
c. Fables - used animal characters and allegory
d. Fantastic stories - deal with underworld characters such as "tiyanak", "aswang", "kapre" and others.
4. Epics
These are "narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition revolving around supernatural events
or heroic deeds" (Arsenio Manuel)
Examples:
Lam-ang (Ilocano)
Hinilawod (Panay)
Kudaman (Palawan)
Darangen (Maranao)
II. SPANISH COLONIZATION PERIOD (1565-1863)
A. Characteristics
1. It has two distinct classifications: religious and secular
2. It introduced Spanish as the medium of communication.
B. Literary Forms
1. Religious Literature - Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and
Tagalog were included in early catechism and were used to teach Filipinos the Spanish language
a. Pasyon-long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ. The most popular was "Ang
Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Cristong Panginoon Natin" by Aguino de Belen
b. Senakulo - dramatization of the pasyon, it shows the passion and death of Christ
2. Secular (non-religious) Literature

a. Awit - colorful tales of chivalry made for singing and chanting
Example: Ibong Adarna
b.Korido - metrical tale written in octosyllabic quatrains Example: Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar
c. Prose Narratives - written to prescribe proper decorum
i. Dialogo
ii. Ejemplo
iii.Manual de Urbanidad
iv. tratado
Examples: Modesto de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza"
and Joaquin Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in 1879.
III. NATIONALISTIC / PROPAGANDA AND REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD (1864 - 1896)
A. Characteristics
1. Planted seeds of nationalism in Filipinos
2. Language shifted from Spanish to Tagalog
3. Addressed the masses instead of the "intelligentsia"
B. Literary Forms
1. Propaganda Literature - Reformatory in objective
a. Political Essays - satires, editorials and news articles were written to attack and expose the evils of
Spanish rule
i.Diariong Tagalog-founded by Marcelo del Pilar
ii.La Solidaridad - whose editor-in-chief is Graciano Lopez- Jaena
b. Political Novels
i. Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo - Jose Rizal's masterpieces that paved the way to the revolution
2. Revolutionary Literature - more propagandistic than literary as it is more violent in nature and
demanded complete independence for the country
a. Political Essays - helped inflame the spirit of revolution Kalayaan - newspaper of the society, edited by
Emilio Jacinto
b. Poetry
True Decalogue - Apolinario Mabini
Katapusang Hibik ng Pilipinas -Andres Bonifacio
Liwanag at Dilim - Emilio Jacinto
IV. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1910 - 1945)
A. Period of Apprenticeship (1910-1930)

A. Characteristic
Filipino Writers imitated English and American models
B. Literary Forms
1. Poems -- written were amateurish and mushy, which phrasing and diction is awkward and artificial.
a. Short Stories
i. Dead Stars - Paz Marquez Benitez
ii. The Key - Paz Latorena
iii. Footnote to Youth - Jose Garcia Villa
b. Novels
i. Childe of Sorrow - first novel in English, by Zoilo Galang
B. Period of Emergence (1920-1930)
Highly influenced by Western literary trends like Romanticism and
Realism.
a. Short Stories - most prevalent literary form
i. Jose Garcia Villa - earned the international title "Poet of the Century"
V. JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1942 - 1960) A. War Years (1942-1944)
a.This literary period broke away from tradition especially among the tagalog poets. Instead of writing in
the Balagtas tradition (rhetorical, verbose, figurative) poets wrote in simple language and free verse.
b. There was a bountiful harvest in poetry, fiction and in the fields of drama and essay. (Balabar, 1989,
p.27)
c. Broke away from tradition (war years)
 Rhetorical
 Verbose
 Figurative (Balagtas Tradition)
d. Poets wrote in simple language and free verse (Ako ang Daigdig by Alejandro Abadula)
 Portray Filipino Life and Culture: Short story

 Flowering of Tagalog Short Poetry
 Palanca Awards/National Awards launched
1. Tagalog poets broke away from the Balagtas tradition and instead wrote in simple language and free
verse
2. Fiction prevailed over poetry
—
a. 25 Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino (1943) compilation of the short story contest by the
military government.
b. Suyuan sa Tubigan - Macario Pineda Lupang Tinubuan Narciso Reyes
c. Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa - Liwayway Arceo
B. Period of Maturity and Originality (1945-1960)
1. Bountiful harvest in poetry, fiction, drama and essay
2. Filipino writers mastered English and familiarized themselves with diverse techniques
3. Literary "giants" appeared

a. Palanca Awards for Literature
i. Jose Garcia Villa
ii. Nick Joaquin
iii. NVM Gonzales
iv. Bienvenido Santos
v. Gregorio Brillantes
vi. Gilda Cordero Fernando b.National Artist Awards
i. Jose Garcia Villa
ii. Nick Joaquian
CONTEMPORARY/MODERN
PRESENT)
A. Characteristics
PERIOD
(1960
1. Martial Law repressed and curtailed human rights, including freedom of the press
2. Writers used symbolisms and allegories to drive home their message, at the face of heavy censorship.
3. Theater was used as a vehicle for protest, such as the PETA (Phil. Educational Theater Association) and
UP Theater.
4. From the eighties onwards, writers continue to show dynamism and innovation
Post Edsa Literature (1986____)
• Lumbera and Lumbera (2005 pp.381-384) explain that the character of the Philippine literary scene
after "EDSA" mayɓe pinpointed by referring to the theories that inform literary production: to the
products issuing from the publishers: to the dominant concerns demonstrated by the writer's output
and to the direction towards which literary studies are tending.
• There is in the academe an emerging critical orientation that draws its concerns and insights from
literary theorizing current in England and the United States.
Post-EDSA publishing has been marked by adventurousness, a willingness to gamble on "non-traditional"

projects.
The fourth and final characteristic of post EDSA writing is the developing thrust towards the retrieval
and the recuperation of writing in Philippine languages other than Tagalog.
Today, Philippine literature may thus be classified into: (Ordonez, 2001 p. 36)
The residual, a good part of which is oral and regional, but remaining in the margins simply
because the center of writing and publishing is in Metro Manila.
The dominant language, largely in English and Tagalog-based Filipino; and
The emergent, produced by those in the periphery, - the marginalized sectors, including workers,
peasants, urban poor, women, gays, lesbians and ethnic groups.
Sometimes residual oral literature such as komposo in Negros, solidom-ay in Cordillera,
ismayling in Samar and baliling in Mindanao are used to convey contemporary messages of
struggle and commitment and are thus emergent.
Today, it is quite common to have Filipino writers published abroad - in the original English translation
if written in the local language. These include N.V.M. Gonzales, F. Sionil Jose, Ninotchka Rosca, Jessica
Hegedorn, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Epifiano San Juan Jr., Wilfredo Nolledo among others.
21st Century Philippine Literature

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World is a senior high school subject which aims
to engage students in appreciation and critical study of 21st Century Literature from the Philippines
and the World, encompassing their various dimensions, genres, elements, structure, contexts, and
traditions.

Literature

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Literature

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Literature

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Philippine literature is the body of works, both oral and written, that Filipinos whether native,

Pre-Colonial Period (_B.C. to 1564)

2. Secular (non-religious) Literature

IV. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1910 - 1945)

A. Period of Apprenticeship (1910-1930)

c. Broke away from tradition (war years)

 Portray Filipino Life and Culture: Short story

3. Literary "giants" appeared

Post Edsa Literature (1986____)

Post-EDSA publishing has been marked by adventurousness, a willingness to gamble on "non-traditional"

21st Century Philippine Literature

You might also like