MODULE

Philippine Literature (Lit 1)

Lesson 1. Introduction to the Study of Literature

Literature
Technically, literature comes from the Latin word which means letters.
It is a body of literary productions containing imaginative language that realistically portrays ideas, emotions,
and experiences of human condition.
Brother Azurin said that “literature expresses the feelings of people to society, to his surrounding, to the
government, to his fellowmen and to his Creator.
For Webster, literature is anything that is printed as long as it is related to the ideas and feelings of people,
whether it is true or just a product of imagination.
Qualities of Literature
1. Artistry. A quality that appeals to the sense of beauty.
2. Intellectual Value. A literary work stimulates thought enriches our mental life by making us realize
fundamental truths about life and human nature.
3. Suggestiveness. This is the quality associated with the emotional power of literature, such that it should
move us deeply and stir our creative imagination, giving and evoking vision above and beyond the plane of
ordinary life and experience.
4. Spiritual Value. A good literature elevates the spirit by bringing out moral values which makes us better
persons.
5. Permanence. A great work of literature can be read again and again as each reading gives fresh delight
and new insights and open new worlds of meaning and experiences.
6. Universality. Great work of literature is timeless and timely-forever relevant in terms of its theme and
conditions.
Literary Compositions that have Influenced the World
1. Bible or the Sacred Writings. This has become the basis of Christianity originating from Palestine and
Greece.
2. Koran. The Muslim Bible originating from Arabia. It is considered as the finest classical Arabic literature.
3. Iliad and Odyssey. These have been the source of myths and legends of Greece. They were written by
Homer.
4. Mahabharata. The longest epic in the world. It contains the history of religion in India.
5. Canterbury Tales. It depicts the religion and customs of the English in the early days. This originated from
England and was written by Geoffrey Chaucer. This is a collection of 24 tales.
6. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe of the U.S. This depicted the sad fates of
slaves.
7. The Divine Comedy. This was written by Dante Alighieri and shows the religion and customs of the early
Italians. It depicts Dante’s journey through Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil.
8. The Song of Roland. This is considered the oldest surviving work of French literature. It tells about the
Golden Age of Christianity in France.
9. El Cid Campeador. This shows the cultural characteristics of the Spaniards and their national history. It
depicts the story of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. (El Cid means the Lord, El Campeador means outstanding
warrior)
10. The Book of the Dead. This includes the cult of Osiris and the mythology and theology of Egypt. It
contains a collection of spells enabling the soul of the deceased to navigate the afterlife.
11. Book of the Days (Analects). This was written by Confucius of China. This became the basis of the
Christian religion.
12. One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights). It shows the ways of government, of industries and
Persians.

Elements of Literature
1. Humanistic Appeal. It is attained when a literary work makes the reader an improved person with a better
outlook in life and with a clear understanding of his inner self.
2. Intellectual Appeal. It is attained when the reader is intellectually triggered by any literary work.
3. Emotional Appeal. It is attained when the reader is emotionally moved or touched by any literary work.
Two Major Types of Literature
1. Prose. It consists of written words within the common flow of conversation presented in a straightforward
manner.
2. Poetry. It is an imaginative awareness of experienced expressed through meaning, sound and rhythmic
language choices as to evoke emotional response.
Types of Prose
1. Novel. A narrative which is divided into chapters. There are many characters involved.
2. Short Story. A story involving one characters, one plot and a single impression.
3. Legends. These are fictitious narrative usually about origins.
4. Folk Tales. A traditional narrative, usually written by anonymous and handed down orally.
5. Fables. It deals with animals and inanimate things who speak and act like people.
6. Myth. A traditional sacred story typically revolving about the activities of gods and heroes.
7. Anecdotes. These are merely product of author’s imagination and its main aim is to bring lessons to the
readers.
8. News. A report of everyday events in society, science, industry and government.
9. Oration. A formal treatment of a subject and is intended to be spoken in public.
Types of Poetry
I. Narrative Poetry. A poetry that tells a story.
1. Epic. An extended narrative about heroic exploits under supernatural control.
2. Ballads. These are the shortest and simplest of the narrative poems. It has a single structure
and a single incident.
II. Lyric Poetry. This is a poetry that is meant to be sung with the accompaniment of a lyre.
1. Folk Songs. These are short poems intended to be sung. The common theme is love, despair,
grief, doubt, joy, hope and sorrow.
2. Sonnets. A lyric poem with 14 lines dealing with an emotion or idea. There are two types: The
Italian and the Shakespearian.
3. Elegy. This is a lyric poem expressing feelings of grief and melancholy, and whose theme is
death.
4. Ode. A poem of noble feeling, expressed with dignity with no definite number of syllables or a
definite number of lines in a stanza.
5. Psalms. These are songs that praise God and contain a philosophy of life.
6. Awit. These are song that have the measure of 12 syllables and slowly sung to the
accompaniment of a guitar or banduria.
7. Corridos. It has the measure of 8 syllables and recited to a martial beat.
III. Dramatic Poetry. This is an emotional piece of literature which includes a story which is recited through
song. This is dramatic in form.
1. Dramatic Monologue. It presents a speech of a single character in a specific situation at a critical
moment.
2. Soliloquy. A passage spoken by a speaker in a poem or a character in play.

FOUR LITERARY GENRES

1. Short Story
2. Poetry
3. Essay
4. Drama

A. SHORT STORY
Edgar Allan Poe- considered as the Father of Short Stories
Deogracias Rosario- dubbed Father of Tagalog Short Stories in the Philippines

ELEMENTS OF SHORT STORY

1. Characters. They are the representation of a human being; persons involved in a conflict.
Types:
a. Round. A character who is dynamic who recognizes changes in the circumstances.
b. Flat. It is also known as the stock or the stereotype character who does not grow and develop.
Other Types:
1. Protagonist. This is the admirable character who embodies certain human ideals.
2. Antagonist. The character who provides some sort of contest or opposition for the protagonist.
3. Deuteroganist. This is the second in importance to the protagonist
4. Typical

2. Setting. The locale or period in which the action of the short story.

3. Conflict. The struggle of complication involving the characters, the opposition of forces upon which the
action depends in drama or fiction.
Types:
1. External Conflict. The conflict is between man and his outside world.
a. Man vs. Man. The protagonist struggles against his fellow man.
b. Man vs. Nature. The protagonist struggles against the forces of nature.
c. Man vs. Society. The protagonist struggles against the society in which they live.
d. Man vs. Supernatural/God. The protagonist struggles against a supernatural being.
e. Man vs. Fate. The protagonist struggles against his/her destiny.
f. Man vs. Technology. The protagonist against the product of technology.
2. Internal Conflict. The conflict is between the character and his/her self.
a. Man vs. Self. The character’s struggle takes place in his/her own mind.

4. Plot. A casually related sequence of events in the story.

Devices in Plot:
1. Chronological. It starts from the beginning of the events.
2. Flashback. Past events are shown to justify the conflict at present.
3. Medias res. This starts at the middle of the story.
4. Foreshadowing. The author presents insignificant events or details of the present to take on
value by being indicators of future events.

Elements of the Plot

1. Exposition (Introduction). This comes at the beginning of a story. You meet the character, learn
about the setting and see the beginning of the conflict or struggle.
2. Rising Action (Complication). The struggle grows stronger.
3. Climax. This is the highest point of interest and the most exciting part in the story.
4. Falling Action. Events move towards the end of the story.
5. Falling Action. Events move towards the end of the story.
6. Resolution (Denouement). The story is brought to an end.
5. Point of View. This refers to the angle of narration or from whose viewpoint the incidents the story are
told. The person who tells the story is called the narrator.

First Person Point of View:

I always look forward to my summer vacation at the beach. I like to collect seashells and swim in
the ocean.
We love walking the dogs in the woods. We all think it is so much fun

Second Person Point of View:

In just a few simple steps you can make a big change in your life!
To make a great chili is you must season it early and often.

Third Person Point of View:

He is a great football player. He scored the most touchdowns this season.
She was the one who knew all the answers on the test. She had the highest grade in the entire
class.

6. Theme. The theme is the writer’s message it may be specifically stated in a story or it may be derived
from the effect of all the elements of a story.

7. Symbol. A symbol is a word or phrase, a scene, or an episode that refers directly to one thing but
suggests another thing as well.

8. Mood. The atmosphere or emotional effect generated by the words, images, situations in a literary work.
(joyous, tense, melancholy…)

9. Tone. A term used to denote the feeling of the writer or speaker as conveyed by the language in artful
arrangement. (ironic, pensive, sly, humorous)

DRAMA

*It comes from the Greek word “dran” which means to do.
*Aristotle defines drama as “the imitation of an action”.
*Drama as a literary genre has been described by many playwrights as:
1. A dramatic art. It has an emotional impact or force.
2. A visual art. Actions and movements of characters or stage are as important as the lines
themselves.
3. An auditory art. Dialogue is intended to be spoken out loud.
4. A physically produced art. Sets have to be constructed on stage. Thus, unlike other genres,
personal contact is established.
5. A continuous art. Drama audience cannot turn back a page or review; thus, they must receive the
play at whatever pace the playwright sets.
6. A spectator art. Audience reaction is important.

TYPES OF DRAMA

1. Tragedy - a serious drama in which the protagonist, traditionally of noble position, suffers a series of
unhappy events that lead to a catastrophe such as death or spiritual breakdown.

2. Comedy- a type of drama intended to interest and amuse the audience.

3. Tragicomedy- a play containing elements both comedy and tragedy.

4. Farce- a drama that overreacts or engages slapstick humor.

5. Melodrama- a dramatic work in which the plot, which is typically sensational and designed to appeal
strongly to the emotions, takes precedence over detailed characterization.
6. Musical drama- dramatists not only tell their stories through acting and dialogue but through dance as
well as music.

TYPES OF THEATRE STAGES AND AUDITORIA

1. Proscenium stages- A proscenium is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually
surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch and on the bottom by the stage floor itself.

2. Thrust stages- As the name suggests, these project or ‘thrust’ into the auditorium with the audience
sitting on three sides. The thrust stage area itself is not always square but may be semi-circular or half a
polygon with any number of sides.

3. Theatres-in-the-round- These have a central performance area enclosed by the audience on all sides.
The arrangement is rarely ‘round’: more usually the seating is in a square or polygonal formation.

4. Black-box or studio theatres-these are flexible performance spaces which when stripped to their basics
are a single room painted black, the floor of the stage at the same level as the first audience row. Usually
these spaces allow for the temporary setup of seating in a number of different configurations to enable a
wide variety of productions to be presented.

5. Platform stages-these usually consist of a raised rectangular platform at one end of a room. They can
either have a level or raked sloping floor. The audience sit in rows facing the stage. Platform stages are
often used in multi-purpose halls where theatre is only one of the space’s uses. Where the stage is open
and without curtains, they are sometimes known as end stages or open stages.

TECHNICAL TERMS RELATED TO A PLAY

1. Act- subdivisions between sections of a play

2. Acting area- the area within the performance stage in which the actor may move in full view of the
audience.
3. Aisle- the passage through seating
4. Arena- a type of stage where the audience are seated on the sides of the whole acting area.
5. Audition- process where the director or casting director of a production asks actors/performers to show
him/her what they can do.
6. Auditorium- also known as the house; it is the place where the audience are accommodated during the
performance
7. Backstage- part of the stage unseen by the audience
8. Beginners- a call given by the stage management to bring those actors who appear in the first part of the
play
9. Black out- a complete absence of lighting
10. Blocking-the process of arranging moves to be made by actors during the play recorded by the stage
management in prompt script
11. Box office- part of the front house area where audience members can buy their ticket.
12. Break a leg- a superstitious and widely accepted alternative to the word “good luck.”
13. Call- a request to an actor/actress to come on stage; a notification of working sessions
14. Call backs- the process of selecting the final cast in a play production
15. Curtain call- the acknowledgement of applause by the actors
16. Dialogue- the spoken text of a play; conversations of characters
17. Downstage- part of the stage nearest to the audience
18. Dress rehearsals- a full rehearsal, with all technical and creative elements brought together
19. Dressing rooms- contains clothes rails, mirrors in which the actors change into their costumes and
apply their make ups
20. Get in- the process of moving set, props and other hardware into the theater prior to the fit up
21. Get out- the process of moving the entire production out of the theater
22. House- usually refers to the audience or the auditorium
23. Matinee- from the Latin word “of the morning.” This is the afternoon performance of the play.
24. Preset- anything in position before the beginning of the scene
25. Professional- a term used for someone who is regularly paid for a particular job
26. Props- these are furnishings, set dressings and all items large and small which cannot be classified as
scenery, electrics or wardrobes
27. Run- a sequence of performance of the same production
28. Tabs- a curtain that draws upward or downward
29. Wings- the out of view areas to the sides of the stage