Philippine Literature

Sharjah B. Tuazon, LPT, MAT

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF
LITERATURE

While history records past events, it does not include among its pages, the spirit of the
nation. It is in literature where one can see the dreams, anxieties, joys, and problems of
the people in a certain country (Senatin, 2003).

In order to know the history of a nation’s spirit, one must read its literature. Hence, it is,
that to understand the real spirit of a nation, one must “trace the little rills as they course
along down the ages, broadening and deepening into the great ocean of thought
which men of the present source are presently exploring” (Kahayon et al., 2000).

Definition of Literature

Literature is derived from the Latin word litera which means letter. It has been defined
differently by various writers.

Literature is a piece of printed work related to the ideas and feelings of the people that
may be true or just a product of the writer’s imagination (Sayno et al., 2004).

Literature covers all the writings of a particular country, time, kind, etc. especially those
valued for excellence of form and expression (Webster’s Dictionary).

Literature refers to a composition that deals with life experiences. It tells stories,
dramatizes situations, expresses emotions, analyzes, and advocates ideas (Patron, 2002).

Literature is an eternally burning flame, exuding light that renders significance to

civilization (Castillo et al., 2002).

Because literature deals with the ideas, thoughts, and emotions of man, literature can
be said to be the story of man (Kahayon et al., 2000).
Filipino literature regardless of the language in which it is written expresses the Filipino
soul, national traditions, customs and cultural values which are so ingrained in a people
that no super-imposition of foreign cultural patterns can completely eradicate them
(Serrano & Ames).

Literary Models

The study of Literature appeals in different aspects and importance.

1. Cultural Literature aims to understand and appreciate cultures and ideologies

Model different from one’s own in time and space.

2. Language Literature aims to promote language development like vocabulary

Model and structure.

3. Personal Literature aims to help one achieve lasting pleasure and deep
Growth satisfaction in reading.
Model

Literary Approaches

Formalistic or Literary Approach

The study of the selection is more or less based on the so-called “literary
elements.”

This approach emphasizes the text itself, analyzing its structure, style, and literary
devices without considering external factors like the author's biography or
historical context. Formalists focus on how elements such as imagery, tone, and
structure contribute to a text's meaning.

Reader-Response Approach

This method shifts the focus from the text to the reader, exploring how individual
experiences and interpretations shape the understanding of a literary work.
Reader-response critics argue that meaning is not fixed but created through the
interaction between the reader and the text.
 Historical Approach

This approach examines literature in the context of the time and circumstances
in which it was written. Historical critics analyze how social, cultural, and political
factors influence a text and its reception.

Feminist Approach

This approach analyzes literature through the lens of gender, focusing on the
representation of women and the impact of patriarchal norms on both the
creation and interpretation of texts. Feminist critics often seek to uncover and
challenge gender biases embedded in literature.

Marxist Approach

This perspective views literature as a reflection of socio-economic conditions

and class struggles. Marxist critics analyze how economic factors influence
themes, characters, and narratives within a text.

Psychoanalytic Approach

Drawing from Freudian and Jungian theories, this approach explores the
psychological dimensions of characters and narratives. Psychoanalytic critics
may examine unconscious motivations, desires, and conflicts within the text.

Cultural Approach

This approach examines literature as a product of cultural contexts, exploring

how cultural identity, traditions, and values shape literary works. Cultural critics
analyze the interplay between literature and the cultural landscape of its time.

Mythological Approach

This approach identifies universal themes and archetypes found across different
cultures and texts. Mythological critics explore how these recurring patterns
reflect shared human experiences and cultural narratives.

Queer Theory Approach

This perspective examines texts for representations of queer identities and

challenges traditional notions of gender and sexuality. Queer critics analyze how
literature reflects and constructs social understandings of gender and sexual
orientation.
 Moral or Humanistic Approach

Literature is viewed to discuss man and its nature. The approach is close to the
“morality” of literature, to questions of ethical goodness or badness.

Sociological Approach

Literature is viewed as the expression of man within a given social situation.

This approach stresses on social “relevance,” social “commitment,”
contemporaneity, and it deems communication with the reader.

What is Literature?

Literature is a body of written works that

encompasses various forms of artistic
expression, including poetry, prose, drama, According to Saymo et al. (2004), literature is
and essays. It reflects the human experience, divided into two large groups: Prose and
exploring themes such as love, conflict, Poetry.
identity, and culture. Literature can be both
Prose is defined as a spoken written
fictional and non-fictional, and it often serves
language without metrical regularity.
to entertain, inform, provoke thought, or evoke
emotions in readers. Poetry, on the other hand, is the imaginative
expression of emotion, thought, or narrative,
The study of literature involves analyzing its frequently in metrical form and often using
language, structure, and the contexts in which the figurative language.
it was created, allowing readers to gain
deeper insights into the human condition and
societal issues.

Moreover, the study of Literature offers the following:

- It stimulates the mind to awareness of human experiences.
- It touches the heart.
- It satisfies a person’s sense of beauty.
- It educates, enlightens, and inspires.
 Types of Prose

1. Novel. It is an extended fictional prose narrative, often including the psychological

development of the central characteristics and of their relationship with a broader
world. The modern novel took its name and inspiration from the Italina novella, the short
tale of varied character, which became popular in the late 13th century

Novel is classified according to genres and subgenres such as the

historical novel, detective fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
e.g. Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana

2. Short Story. It is an artistic form of prose fiction that is usually written in a narrative format
which is centered on a single main incident whose aim is to produce a single dominant
impression. Its qualities are economy, compression, brevity, and emphasis.
e.g. My Father Goes to Court by Carlos Bulosan

3. Play. It is a piece of creative work presented on stage. It is usually divided into acts.
e.g. Thirteen Plays by Wilfredo M. Guerrero

4. Legend. It is traditional or undocumented story about famous people, commonly

religious in character and frequently posing problems of authenticity.
e.g. The Bikol Legend by Piio Duran, The legend of Cagayan River

5. Fable. It is a story in either verse or prose, in which animals or inanimate objects are
given the mentality and speech of human beings to point out a moral/lesson.
e.g. The Monkey and the Turtle

6. Anecdote. It is a product of the writer’s imagination whose aim is to bring out lesson to
the readers. It can be stories about animals or children.
e.g. The Moth and the Lamp

7. Essay. It is a short piece of nonfiction dealing with a particular subject from a personal
point of view. The best example of this is the editorial page of a newspaper.

8. Biography. It is an account of a person’s life. It may consist of factual details of a

person’s life told in a chronological order, but has generally become a matter of
interpretation as well as historical accuracy.
e.g. Cayetano Arellano by Socorro O. Albert
 9. News. It is a report of daily events in society, government, or in science and industry.

10. Oration. It is a piece of work relative to speech whose aim is to arouse the listener’s
interest and emotion.
e.g. “I Have a Dream” delivered by Martin Luther King (8/28/63)

Elements of a Short Story

1. Setting. It is an element that reveals where/when the story happened.
2. Characters. They are the performers of a story. It may refer to the hero or to the
heroin of the story. It includes people playing important roles in a given story aside
from the principal characters.
3. Plot. It refers to the storyline/sequence in a novel, play, film, or other work of fiction.
It is traditionally a scheme of connected events.
4. Theme. It refers to the central idea or insight of any piece of literary work; a truth
in life which is the heart of the story. It is usually implied rather than stated, e.g.
good vs. evil (personal evil or dark forces in man’s environment such as disease,
poverty, and war) or life process (childhood joys and fears or growing-up pains of
teenagers).
5. Point of View. It is a device used by the writer in presenting his idea.
6. Conflict. It refers to the collision between one character and another, between a
character and some elements in the world about him. It is the opposition of forces
which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not
merely limited to open arguments; rather, it is any form of opposition that the main
character faces.

The preceding basic elements of a short story can be expanded

as follows:

1. Setting – the place or location of the action; provides the historical and cultural context for
characters. It often can symbolize the emotional state of characters.

2. Plot – the development of a story in terms of beginning, middle, or end. The beginning
contains the conflict which rises to a climax where the story turns before reaching a
denouement or a resolution. A good plot is not based on twist and turn of events but how
much is revealed about the characters and the theme of the story.
 1. Linear Plot moves with the natural sequence of events
where actions are arranged sequentially.
2. Circular Plot is a kind of plot where linear development
of the story merges with an interruption in the
chronological order to show an event that happened in
the past.
3. En Medias Res is a kind of plot where the story
commences in the middle part of the action.

Elements of Plot
The introductory material, creates the tone, presents the
Exposition characters, and presents other facts necessary to understand the
story.
A struggle or a problem that needs to be resolved. Our amount of
Conflict
interest usually depends on the amount or depth of the conflict.

This is a series of events that builds from and during conflict. It begins
Rising Action
with the inciting forms and ends with the climax
The climax is the result of the crisis. It is the highest point of the story
for the reader. Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest
Climax
and the greatest emotion—the point at which the outcome of the
conflict can be predicted.

Falling Action These are the events after the climax which close the story.

This is the ending of the story which rounds out and concludes the
Resolution
action. It can resolve the conflict or close the actions.

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The preceding basic elements of a short story can be expanded
as follows:
3. Characterization - imaginary people created by the writer. They fall under two categories:
a. Major Characters. These are almost always round or three dimensional characters.
They have good and bad qualities. Their goals, ambitions, and values change.
 A round character changes as a result of what happens to him or her and is
referred to in literature as a “dynamic” character.
 A dynamic character grows or progresses to a higher level of understanding in
the course of the story. Characters in literature are characterized as follows:
- Protagonist - the main character at the center of the story.
- Antagonist - the character or force that opposes the protagonist.
- Foil - a character that provides a contrast to the protagonist.

b. Minor Characters. They often provide support and illuminate the protagonist. These
characters are flat or two-dimensional and have only one or two striking qualities. A
usually all-good or all-bad. Such characters can be interesting or amusing in their own
right, but they lack depth. Flat characters are sometimes referred to as “static”
characters because they do not change in the course of the story.

4. Point of View - pertains to who tells the story and how it is told. It can sometimes indirectly
establish the author or the person telling the story. He could be classified as:
a. First Person. The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts
and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He cannot tell us the
thoughts of other characters.
b. Objective. The narrator in unnamed or unidentified (a detached observer). This narrator is
not a character in the story and does not assume character’s perspective. The narrator
reports on events and lets the reader supply the meaning.
c. All-Knowing Narrator or Omniscient. The narrator is an all knowing outsider who can enter
the minds of more than one of the characters.

5. Conflict - the essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be
identifies as one of four kinds:
Man vs Man.
Man vs Nature.
Man vs Society.
Man vs Self or Internal Conflict.
6. Theme - the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme may be major or
minor. A major theme is an idea the author returns to time and again. It becomes one of the
most important ideas in the story. Minor themes are ideas that may appear from time to time.

Literary Devices

1. Foreshadowing - the author’s use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in
the story. Not all foreshadowing is obvious. Frequently, future events are merely hinted at
through dialogue, description, or the attitudes and reactions of the characters.

2. Flashback – is the writer’s use of interruption of the chronological sequence of a story to

go back to related incidents which occurred prior to the beginning of the story.

Types of Poetry

1. Narrative Poetry. It describes important details in life following the order of events either
real or imaginary. They are classified as epic, metrical tales, metrical romance, and ballad.

a. Epic. It is a narrative poem or cycle of poem dealing with some great deeds like
the founding of a nation or the forging of national unity. They often use religious or
cosmological themes.
b. Metrical Tales. These are narrative poems that tell stories in a structured meter,
often using rhyme. They blend elements of poetry and prose.
Characteristics:
- They often focus on moral or didactic themes, conveying lessons or values.
- Metrical tales may include elements of folklore or fairy tales.
- The language is typically elevated, and the narrative can be complex.

c. Metrical Romance. It is also a type of metrical tale composed of a long rambling

love story in verse. It is centered on the adventure of knights and lords and their
royal ladies during the age of chivalry. It is heavily flavored with romance, fantastic
events, supernatural occurrences, and magic.
Characteristics:
- They often feature heroic characters, courtly love, and fantastical
elements.
- Themes often revolve around honor, love, and the trials faced by the
protagonists.
 d. Ballad. It is a narrative type of poem, often set to music that narrates a story in a
simple and direct manner, traditionally passed down orally.
Characteristics:
- Ballads typically have a straightforward narrative style and often focus on
themes of love, tragedy, or historical events.

2. Lyric Poetry – means any short poem which is subjective and intensely emotional that is
songlike. This is the most common type of poetry.

a. Folk songs (awiting bayan) – are short poems intended to be sung. The common
theme is love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope, and sorrow.
e.g. Chit-chirit-chit

b. Haiku – a short, Japanese poem consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines.

e.g. Autumn Leaf
It is autumn time
A leaf no longer green falls
Softly kissing Earth

c. Ode – a serious lyric poetry which commemorates important public events. It

consists of stanzas with the same pattern of rhythm and rhyme.
d. Elegy – a common lyric that deals with life and death. It mourns the death of a
loved one.
e.g. “The Lover’s Death” by Ricardo Demetillo
e. Corridos (Kuridos) – with measures of eight syllables (octosyllabic) and recited to
martial beat.
e.g. “Ibong Adarna”
f. Psalms (dalit) – a song praising God or the Virgin Mary containing a philosophy of
life.
g. Awit (song) – with measures of twelve syllables (dodecassyllabic) and slowly sung
to the accompaniment of a guitar or banduria.
e.g. “Florante at Laura” ni Francisco Balagtas Baltazar
h. Sonnet – a love poem which mostly consists of 14 lines and has a certain pattern
of rhyme and rhythm. It has two types: Italian and Shakespearean
e.g. “Santang Buds” by Alfonso P. Santos
i. Lullabies – a soothing refrain specifically a song to quiet down children or to lull
them to sleep.
3. Dramatic Poetry – tells stories like narrative poetry, but in dialogues of play rhymes,
repeating rhythms, and other poetic elements. One of the most famous dramatic poets is
the English playwright William Shakespeare.

a. Comedy. The word comedy comes from the Greek term “komos” meaning
festivity or revelry. This form usually is light and written with the purpose of
amusing, and usually has a happy ending.

b. Melodrama. This is usually used in musical plays with the opera. Today, this is
related to tragedy just as the farce is to comedy. It arouses immediate and
intense emotion and is usually sad but there is a happy ending for the
principal character.

c. Tragedy. This involves the hero struggling mightily against dynamic forces; he
meets death or ruin without success and satisfaction obtained by the
protagonist in a comedy.

d. Farce. This is an exaggerated comedy. It seeks to arouse mirth by laughable

lines; situations are too ridiculous to be true; the characters seem to be
caricatures and the motives undignified and absurd.

e. Social poems. This form is either purely comic or tragic and it pictures the life
of today. It may aim to bring about changes in the social conditions.

f. Dramatic Monologue. A literary work in which a character reveals himself in

a dramatic sketch performed by himself alone. (with other
character/audience)
e.g. My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
g. Soliloquy. The act of talking to oneself. (alone or with other but not heard,
private)
e.g. Hamlet

h. Character Sketch. A poem which dramatizes the attributes or features that

make up and distinguish an individual.
e.g. “The Man with the Hoe” by Edwin Markham

i. Prose Poetry. A narrative in poetic form.

e.g. No.14 from “Gitanjali” by Rabindranath Tagore
 Elements of Poetry
1. Denotation vs. Connotation
Denotation is the dictionary meaning while connotation is the suggested or
implied meaning/s associated with the word beyond its dictionary definition.
2. Imagery is the use of sensory details or descriptions that appeal to one or more of
the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. These are otherwise known as
“senses of the mind.”
3. Figurative Language is a language used for descriptive effect in order to convey
ideas or emotions that are not literally true but express some truth beyond the literal
level.
Figures of Speech are specific devices or a kind of figurative language that
uses words, phrases, and sentences in a non-literal definition but rather, gives
meanings in abstractions.
Types of Figures of Speech
a. Allusion is a reference in a work of literature to a character, a place, or a situation
from history, literature, the Bible, mythology, or a scientific event, character, or place.
e.g. “Sad rom-coms are my kryptonite.”
(alludes to Superman comics and media)
b. Antithesis is a disparity of words and ideas.
e.g. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
c. Apostrophe is an address to an inanimate object, an idea, or a person who is
absent/long dead.
e.g. “Oh, brave sword, lead me to victory!”
d. Hyperbole is an exaggeration used to express strong emotion, to make point, or to
evoke humor.
e.g. “This heat,” I mutter,
“melts the very bones.”
e. Irony is a contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality.
e.g. “A stranger to one of your parents” —
f. Litotes is a deliberate sarcasm used to affirm by negating its opposite.
e.g. It’s not rocket science. (It’s easy.)
You can’t say I didn’t warn you. (Meaning you did warn them)
g. Metaphor implies comparison instead of a direct statement and that equates two
seemingly unlike things or ideas.
e.g. Love is a battlefield.
h. Metonymy is the use of one word to stand for a related term or replacement of
word that relates to the thing or person to be named for the name itself. (not part)
e.g. To say that the crown will have an heir
Is to assume a new life, a new beginning
(the crown substitutes for the word majesty, king, queen, and the like)
i. Onomatopoeia is the use of a word/phrase that actually imitates or suggest the
sound of what it describes.
e.g. And early evening, like croaking
of the frogs, evoking memories lost.
j. Oxymoron is putting together two opposite ideas in one statement.
e.g. awfully good, alone together, bittersweet
k. Paradox is a phrase or statement that seems to be impossible or contradictory but
is nevertheless true, literally or figuratively.
e.g. “I must be cruel, only to be kind.” – Hamlet
l. Personification is giving human attributes/characteristics to inanimate objects, an
animal, force of nature, or an idea.
e.g. Sunflowers pushed
Out of the shadows
Betrayed into tracking
The sun.
m. Simile uses a word or phrase such as “as” or “like” to compare seemingly unlike
things or ideas.
e.g. His lips as soft as rose petals
n. Synecdoche is the naming of parts to suggest the whole.
e.g. Respect is due for snowy hair
Life they lived is beyond compare (snowy hair pertains to elder people)
 Importance or Relevance
of Literature to Filipino students

1. Material progress and political power may vanish; the spirit of nationalism may
wane; but the true glories of literature withstand the forces of decay and decline.

2. Literature is an eternally burning flame, exuding light that renders significance to

civilization.

3. In literature, likewise, there is conserved heritage which gives meaning to people’s

ideals. It molds the mind of a people by preserving the experiences of the past in a
cohesive and beautiful manner.

4. Literature mirrors the depth of a culture and manifests the truly creative genius of
the race.

5. Literature, though seeming to hide timidly between the covers of a book, has
frequently generated ideas that have had a tremendous effect. It has exhibited the
potency of an explosive in its capacity for upsetting the social order.

6. Literature helps us grow both personally and intellectually.

7. It helps us to connect ourselves to the cultural context of which we are a part.

8. It helps us to develop mature sensibility and compassion for the condition of all
living things, human, animal and vegetable.

9. Literature is one of the things that shape our lives; it makes us human.

10. It encourages us to assist creative talented people who are in need.