Senior High School

21st Century
Literature from the
Philippines and the World
Quarter 2 – Module 2
21st Century Literary Genres and their
Elements, Structures and Traditions from
Across the Globe
 COPYRIGHT 2020

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Editors: Marites Q. Rule, Mervin C. Calip, Cris Gerom C. Arguilles
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 Senior High School

21st Century
Literature from the
Philippines and the World
Quarter 2 – Module 2
21st Century Literary Genres and their
Elements, Structures and Traditions from
Across the Globe
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
Welcome to 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Self-
Learning Module on 21st Century Literary Genres and their Elements, Structures and
Traditions from Across the Globe.
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by
educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or
facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum
while overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims
to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration
their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body
of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that will help

you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist
the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

For the learner:

Welcome to 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Self-
Learning Module on 21st Century Literary Genres and their Elements, Structures and
Traditions from Across the Globe.
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.
CONTENT STANDARD
The learner will be able to understand and appreciate literary texts in various
genres across national literature and cultures.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD
The learner will be able to demonstrate understanding and appreciation of 21st
century literature of the world through a written close analysis and critical
interpretation of a literary text in terms of form and theme, with a description of
its context derived from research;

LEARNING COMPETENCY
Compare and contrast the various 21st century literary genres and their
elements, structures, and traditions from across the globe.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the module, the students are expected to:
1. Identify various 21st century literary genres common across the globe;
and
2. Compare and contrast the 21st Century literary genres in terms of
elements, structures, and traditions from across the globe.
3. Write one sample of creative nonfictional text.
4. Exhibit sensitivity and understanding of cultural variations around the
world.

INTRODUCTION

Literature is like a vessel that guides the readers and generates a bridge for
them to learn something new. And because of the advent of technology, there was a
gradual shift of interest from the traditional form to contemporary structure in literature.
Technology has changed the way we perceive, interpret, and even write literature, by
creating the ability for everyone to write, through social networks, reviews, and
blogging, and it has been for the better. Technology has, and will continue to influence
literature in a multitude of different ways.

This module aims to engage students in appreciation and critical study of 21st
century literature from the world encompassing their various dimensions, genres,
elements, structures, contexts, and traditions.

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PRE–TEST

Directions: Read each statement carefully. Write T if the statement is TRUE and F if
the statement is FALSE. Write your answer on the space provided before the number.

__1. Manga is a Japanese word for comics.

__2. Poems can also be freedom, which follows no formal structure.

__3. A blog or weblog is a website containing short articles called posts that are
changed regularly.

__4. Short stories are brief non fictional prose narrative that are shorter than novels
and that usually deal with only a few characters.

__5. Fiction is a literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though
it may be based on a true story or situation.

__6. Drama is a genre which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often

humorously and light-heartedly.

__7. Spoken poetry utilizes concrete language, word play and rhythm to tell stories.

__8. Nonfiction are writings that contain true facts, and tell about real people, places
objects etc.

__9. Blog is a story through text and illustrated novels.

__10. Graphic novels are narratives in comic book formats.

REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS MODULE

Previously, you have learned about the different notable authors and their
works from the different parts of the world specifically, from Asia, Latin America, North
America, Europe and Africa.

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PRESENTATION OF THE NEW MODULE

In this module, you will learn about the different 21st century literary genres
across the globe specifically Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and Africa.
This module aims to engage students in appreciation and critical study of 21st century
literature from the world encompassing their various dimensions, genres, elements,
structures, contexts, and traditions.

ACTIVITY 1: Activate prior knowledge

Compare and contrast classical literature to modern literature.

ANALYSIS

Answer the following questions;

1. What are the changes in literature during the 21st century?
2. What is literature in the 21st century?
3. How has literature evolved over the years?

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ABSTRACTION

21st Century Literary Genres, traditions and forms from different cultures

Contemporary Literature
- Reflects current trends in life and culture and because these things change
often, contemporary literature changes often as well.
- Reflects author’s perspective and can be cynical.

- Questions facts, historical perspective and presents 2 contradictory

arguments side by side.

2000s
- Saw a steep increase in the acceptability of literature in all types, inspired by
the coming of age of millions of people who enjoyed the work of writers of
speculative fiction
- Speculative fiction - an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical
fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, weird fiction,
supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction,
apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as
well as related static, motion, and virtual arts.
- SHS Curriculum Guide, 21st Century Literature of the Philippines and the
World.

Chinese literature
- Affected by the impact of the Internet, which has become an important
medium for the dissemination of politically sensitive works.
- Resurgence of science fantasy not seen since the late Qing dynasty
- No epics of either folk or literary variety and hardly any narrative or descriptive
poems that are long by the standards of the world literature

Sinophone literature- Redefines Chinese literature as a field determined by

language rather than purely by geography
Modern Chinese poetry- Depends on end rhyme and tonal metre for its
cadence and characterized by its compactness and brevity

Japanese literature
- Marked by a strong and intentional break with tradition and the nation-
centered and group orientation values.
- This break included: A strong reaction against established religious, political,
and social views. –
- Feminism, individualism, internationalism, liberalism, and proletarian
emerged during this period

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 - Concerned with the subconscious.
- New literary forms and style like: A novel in 1st POV is written like an
autobiographical confessional type of narration

Indian Literature
- Simultaneous co-existence of the postcolonial state apparatuses with an
ideology which was: Liberal and Humanist, seen in the areas of public life like
the academic scene

• Realism-Outcome of the creation of a reading public which was trying to construct

an identity in the context of the anti-colonial struggles and nation building.
- This combined liberal-reformist ideology with an affirmation of an 'Indian'
cultural specificity.
- This concept however was middle-class and Hindu
The realist novel- Its focus on growth and individual freedom is transformed
in the Indian context with the economic conditions of uneven capitalism

Basis for Realism- The economic: seen the existence of capitalist exploitation
- Political; and
- Social conditions

African literature
- Distinct influence from African current events and recent history. –
- Themes: -
- Post imperialism
- Cultural upheaval
- Violence

- These are topics present in previous centuries which are still very much
relevant in modern day African nations.

• African poetry- This is a form of protest.

- Theorists describe it as having a postcolonial viewpoint, referring to: The
period after European nations tried to govern African nations

Africa's modern history- It is influenced by neo colonialism, cultural change,

and clashes between political parties and religious ideologies

• Modern African writer- Look away from the internal, individual struggle and
instead shift the focus to the: Struggles of African nations still trying to develop
after gaining independence from European imperialism
- economic struggles of the people
- divisions of classes
- and various other conflicts that modern day African nations face

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American literature
- Concerned with relationships and connections between people and emotion-
provoking storytelling is common. The value of media in culture is changing
the way this movement is perceived
- Diversity and acceptance –
- Address universal themes seen through the eyes of their culture 24
- juxtaposition of the ordinary with magical elements
- Fantastic elements are interwoven into realistic fiction

English Literature
- As the 21st century got underway, history remained the outstanding concern
of English literature. Although contemporary issues such as global warming
and international conflicts (especially the Second Persian Gulf War and its
aftermath) received attention, writers were still more disposed to look back.
- Although they had entered into a new millennium, writers seemed to find
greater imaginative stimulus in the past than in the present and the future.

Literary Genres in the 21st Century

A. Poetry. It is a type of literature that conveys a thought, describes a scene or tells

a story in a concentrated, lyrical arrangement of words. Poems can be structured,
with rhyming lines and meter, the rhythm and emphasis of a line based on syllabic
beats.

Poems can also be freeform, which follows no formal structure. It is further

subdivided into different genres, such an epic poem, narrative, romantic, dramatic,
and lyric. Dramatic poetry includes melodrama, tragedy, and comedy, while other
poems includes ode, sonnet, elegy, ballad, song, and epic. Poetry today is usually
written down but is still sometimes performed.
i. Hyper poetry – It is a form of digital poetry that uses links using hypertext
mark-up. It is a very visual form, and is related to hypertext fiction and visual
arts. The links mean that a hypertext poem has no set order, the poem moving
or being generated in response to the links that the reader/user chooses. It
can either involve set words, phrases, lines, etc. that are presented in variable
order but sit on the page much as traditional poetry does, or it can contain
parts of the poem that move and /or mutate. It is usually found online, though
CD-ROM and diskette versions exist. The earliest examples date to no later
than the mid-1980s.

ii. Spoken word poetry – It can be described as poetry that is written to be

performed. Spoken word utilizes concrete language, word play, and rhythm
to tell stories. Through the use of vivid imagery, the listener is able to “feel”
the words as they are being spoken. Many literary devices, like metaphor, can
be used to help the audience visualize the story. And although the stories may

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 be humorous, serious, sad, or painful, they remain true to the emotion of the
speaker. Some pieces may lack a 25 definite beginning, middle, or end, but it
may be in that absence that the audience finds something to relate to. The
beautiful thing about spoken word is that a person is allowed to give his or her
perspective on a certain topic without fear of debate. It is an open display of
the soul. With this medium, an individual is able to express feelings of anger
and grief about current events, and the audience is given a front row seat to
the inner workings of the artist’s mind. Spoken word pieces can involve any
life experience from losing a first tooth to losing one’s virginity to losing one’s
child. The range is endless.

B. Drama. It is the genre of literature with stories composed of verse or prose which
is meant to be dramatically or theatrically performed. Its emotions and conflicts are
expressed through dialogue and movements or action.

C. Blog. A weblog: a website containing short articles called posts that are changed
regularly. Some blogs are written by one person containing their own opinions,
interests and experiences, while others are written by many different people.

D. Creative nonfiction. It is also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction.

It is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually
accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other nonfiction, such as
technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not
primarily written in service to its craft. As a genre, creative nonfiction is still relatively
young, and is only beginning to be scrutinized with the same critical analysis given
to fiction and poetry.

E. Fiction. It is a literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though
it may be based on a true story or situation.
i. Short story – It is a brief fictional prose narrative that is shorter than a novel
and that usually deals with only a few characters. The short story is usually
concerned with a single effect conveyed in only one or a few significant
episodes or scenes. The form encourages economy of setting, concise
narrative, and the omission of a complex plot; character is disclosed in action
and dramatic encounter but is seldom fully developed. Despite its relatively
limited scope, though, a short story is often judged by its ability to provide a
“complete” or satisfying treatment of its characters and subject.

ii. Chick-lit – It is a genre which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often

humorously and light-heartedly. The genre became popular in the late 1990s,
with chick-lit titles topping best seller lists and the creation of imprints devoted
entirely to chick-lit. Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick-lit
is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel genre,

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 because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as
important as her romantic relationships.

iii. Illustrated novel. It is a story through text and illustrated novels.

iv. Digi-fiction. It is a triple media literature. It combines three media: book,

movie/video and internet website.

v. Graphic novels. These are narratives in comic book formats.

vi. Manga. This is a Japanese word for comics Example: Naruto, Bleach, One
Piece

vii. Doodle Fiction. It is a literary presentation where the author incorporates

doodle writing and drawings, and handwritten graphics in place of traditional
font. (Example: Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

viii. Text-Talk Novels. These are stories that are told almost completely in
dialogue simulating social network exchanges.

ix. Flash fiction. This is a style of fictional literature of extreme brevity.

x. Six-word flash fiction. It is a flash fiction done in six words only.

xi. Speculative fiction. It is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical

fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, weird fiction,
supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction,
apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as
well as related static, motion, and virtual arts.
- Science fiction. It is a genre dealing with imaginative concepts such as
futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light
travel, parallel universe and extraterrestrial life. (Ex. The Hunger Games)
- Fantasy – It is a genre that concentrates on imaginary elements (the
fantastic). This can mean magic, the supernatural, alternate worlds,
superheroes, monsters, fairies, magical creatures, mythological heroes—
essentially, anything that an author can imagine outside of reality.

F. Horror. It is a genre whose purpose is to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion,

and terror in the audience—in other words, it develops an atmosphere of horror.

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APPLICATION

Pick a country you are interested about and make a 3-minute spoken poetry following
the rubrics below about that country, its cultural heritage, what its known for, its people.
After doing so, upload it in your Facebook account.

Spoken Word Poetry Rubric

Category 4 3 2 1
Delivery A combination of A combination Inconsistent Lack of eye
appropriate and of appropriate use of eye contact,
effective eye eye contact, contact, clarity clarity and
contact, posture, clarity, and and projection projection of
clarity of projection of of voice, tone voice, tone
expression, voice, tone and and pace and pace
projection of pace are used interrupt the make the
voice, tone and but without a flow of the reading
pacing smooth reading. difficulty to
significantly cohesiveness. follow.
enhance the
speakers’ words.
Preparedness Completely Prepared but Seems Does not
prepared, could have used somewhat seem at all
memorized well more practice prepared, but prepared for
and has obviously and tips from it is clear that presentation.
used the material the guest the
presented by the speaker information
guest speaker presented has
not been
practiced
appropriately.
Time Student is within Student is Student is one Student is
the time frame slightly over minute overbeyond one
allowed (3 time. time. minute over
minutes max) time.
Enthusiasm / Facial Facial Facial Very little
Creativity in expressions, expressions, expressions, use of facial
presenting ideas and body ideas and body ideas and expressions,
language language body language original
generate a strong sometimes are used to try ideas or
interest and generate a to generate body
enthusiasm about strong interest enthusiasm, language;
the topic. It is a and enthusiasm but seem does not
creative about the topic. somewhat generate
presentation. lacking. much
interest in
topic
Topic/Theme Appropriately Focused topic A vague Lack of
focused topic with which partially sense of the focus or

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 a clear demonstrated purpose of the confused
understanding of understanding topic requiring purpose,
the intent of the of the intent of the audience which results
topic. the topic. to make in confusion
assumptions. for the
audience.

ENRICHMENT

Using the diagram, choose from among the various literature across the globe
and accomplish the diagram below by citing the similarities and differences in their
literary genres and their elements, structures, and traditions.

POST–TEST

Directions: Read each statement carefully. Then, write the letter of the correct answer
on the blanks.

1. A relatively new and popular type of contemporary world literature is the

__________, which uses illustrations and dialogue to create the story.
A. Graphic novel B. Comic book C. Memoir D. Descriptive
piece

2. One of the biggest thematic trends of contemporary world literature is _________,

which seeks to represent minorities, oppressed peoples and people from non-
Western countries.
A. Post-colonialism B. Fiction C. Realism D. None of these

3. A major type of literature that makes use of imagery, figurative language and
sometimes rhyme. Rather than paragraphs it is written in stanzas.
A. Drama B. Informational C. Poetry D. Fiction

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4. Fiction → Writing that contains true facts, & tells about real people, places, objects,
etc.
A. True B. False C. Maybe D. All of the given

5. Science Fiction → Fictional story that combines elements of fantasy and scientific
facts. Often set in the future.
A. True B. False C. Maybe D. All of the
given

6. It is a story through text and illustrated novels.

A. drama B. Illustrated novel C. Digi-fiction D. Blog

7. It a style of fictional literature of extreme brevity.

A. non-fiction B. fiction C. flash fiction D. short story

8. It is a form of digital poetry that uses links using hypertext mark-up.

A. chick-lit B. spoken poetry C. drama D. hyperpoetry

9. It utilizes concrete language, word play, and rhythm to tell stories.

A. chick-lit B. spoken poetry C. drama D. Hyperpoetry

10. It is a genre which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and
light-heartedly.
A. chick-lit B. spoken poetry C. drama D. Hyperpoetry

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 12
ANSWER KEY
PRE-TEST POST-TEST
1. T 1. B
2. T 2. A
3. T 3. C
4. T 4. B
5. T 5. A
6. F 6. B
7. T 7. C
8. T 8. D
9. F 9. B
10. T 10. A
ACTIVITY 1
• Answers may vary
Activity 2
• Answers may vary
Analysis
• Answers may vary
Application
• Answers may vary
Enrichment
• Answers may vary
ANSWER KEY
REFERENCES

Book
McDougal, Little (2000). The Language Of Literature. Evanston, Illinois, USA.
Houghton MIffin Company

Online
https://kidskonnect.com/language/figurative-language/
https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/closereading/
https://www.landmarkoutreach.org/strategies/finding-main-idea/
https://www.slideshare.net/lehsur/21st-century-period-in-literature
https://www.amnesty.org.au/7-googled-questions-feminism-answered-
feminists/

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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division of Surigao del Norte

Peñaranda St., Surigao City
Surigao del Norte, Philippines 8400
Tel. No: (086) 826-8216
Email Address: [email protected]

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