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1 PHILIPPINE LITERARY HISTORY

PHILIPPINE PRECOLONIAL LITERATURE
This existed before the Spanish occupation in the 1500s. It is oral in nature and is full of lessons
and ideas about life, its blessings, and its consequences. The oral characteristic of pre-colonial
literature gives the possibility for many alterations. However, in the Philippine context, no matter
how it may be considered as altered, pre-colonial literature is still revered to by many Filipinos. The
sources are usually the local native town folk.
The precolonial literature of the Philippines was marked by our ancestors’ daily observations
about life, explanations for natural phenomena, and beginnings of rituals.
It also focuses on stories on how the world was created. Many tales were not preserved since
the trend during this period was Oral Literature. Most of what have been transcribed now are taken
from Oral Literature.

TYPES OF LITERATURE DURING PRECOLONIAL PERIOD IN THE PHILIPPINES

PROVERBS
Proverbs are practical observations and philosophy of everyday life that are written usually
in a rhyming scheme. It also teaches basic skills in surviving local life.
Examples:
“Kung ano ang puno, siya ang bunga.”
“Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga.”
RIDDLES
These are statements that contain superficial words, but they function figuratively and as
metaphors, and are in the form of questions. They demand an answer and are used to test the wits
of those who are listening to them.
Examples:
“Heto na si Kaka, bubuka-bukaka.”
“Sa araw ay bungbong, sa gabi ay dahon.”

FOLKSONGS
Folksongs are beautiful songs that are informal expressions of our ancestors’ experiences in
life. These range from courtship, to lullabies, harvests, funerals, and others. Magtanim ay Di Biro is
an example of a folksong.
TALES
Tales are stories of origin for certain places, their names, and their creation. Our ancestors
were lacking of scientific knowledge that they find no scientific explanation about the phenomena
happening in the world, so they made tales to explain the said phenomena. The famous story of the
story of Piña is an example of a tale.

PHILIPPINE SPANISH COLONIAL LITERATURE (1521-1898)

The literature during this time centered on Christian faith. Stories about natural phenomena

EPICS
Epics are extended narratives about a hero and his adventures. An example of this is Biag ni Lam-ang.

became all about lives of saints and other religious hymns.

CORRIDO
A legendary religious narrative form about the lives of saints or history of a tradition.
AWIT
A chivalric poem about a hero, usually about a saint.
PASYON
A narrative poem about the life of Jesus Christ.
This is usually sung during Lenten Season.
CENACULO
It is the dramatization of the passion of Christ. It
highlights the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
MORO-MORO
It is also called as Comedia de Capa y Espada. It is a blood-and-thunder melodrama depicting
the conflict of Christians and Muslims.
CARILLO
A play that uses shadows.
TIBAG
It is a dramatic reenactment of St. Helen’s search for the Holy Cross.
DUPLO or KARAGATAN
Native dramas that are connected to Catholic mourning rituals and harvest celebrations.
ZARZUELA
It is one of the most famous forms of entertainment back in the Spanish era. It refers to
musical comedies or melodramas that deal with the elemental passions of human beings.
PHILIPPINE AMERICAN COLONIAL LITERATURE (1900-1942)
The literature during the American period was considered as imitative of American model.
Instead of asking the students to write originals, students ended up following the form of American
poets.
POETRY
Poetry under the American rule still followed the style of the old, but had contents that
ranged from free writing to societal concerns under the Americans.
DRAMA
Drama was usually used in the American period to degrade the Spanish rule and to
immortalize the heroism of the men who fought under the Katipunan.

REMAKE NOVELS
This form took up Dr. Jose Rizal's
portrayal of social conditions by colonial
repression.

THREE PERIODS EMERGED DURING

AMERICAN PERIOD
The Period of Re-orientation (1898-1910)
The word “reorientation” came into existence during this period. English as a literary vehicle came
with the American occupation in August 13, 1898. By 1900, English came to be used as a medium of
instruction in the public schools.
The Period of Imitation (1910-1924)
By 1919, schools particularly the UP College Folio published the literary compositions of the first
Filipino writers in English. They were the pioneers in short story writing. They were then examining
their way into imitating American and British models which resulted in a mannered, artificial and
unnatural style, lacking vigor and spontaneity. Their models included Longfellow and Hawthorne,
Emerson and Thoreau, Wordsworth and Tennyson, Thackeray and Macaulay, Longfellow, Allan Poe,
Irving and other American writers of the Romantic School.
The Period of Self-Discovery and Growth (1925-1941)
By this time, Filipino writers had acquired the mastery of English writing. They now confidently and
competently wrote on a lot of subjects although the old-time favorites of love and youth persisted.
They went into all forms of writing like the novel and the drama.

PHILIPPINE JAPANESE COLONIAL

LITERATURE (1942-1945)
In this period, writing in Filipino was encouraged.
Many of the works that focused on everyday life were
seen and untouched by war. Literature was performed by
the guerillas through satirical skills, and by the people
who are fighting against Japanese movement.
The war years, 1942-1945 set back the
development of Philippine literature in English. The
Japanese conquerors discouraged the use of English; moreover, freedom of speech and freedom of
the press was denied. Such an atmosphere did not provide the impetus for writing. Primarily,
however, the writers were concerned more with survival in the face of war, famine, and disease than
with writing. The post-war reorientation period was marked by a rapid rise in journalistic writing.
Most of the books published in the years immediately after the wars were collections, anthologies, or
second editions of pre-war or wartime works. Recently, however, our contemporary writers have
been prolific in producing quality literature in English. The Filipino author has at last mastered not
only the language but also the form and standards of English literature.

THE CONTEMPORARY PERIOD (THE REBIRTH OF FREEDOM) (1946-1970)

The early post-liberation period was marked by a kind of “struggle of mind and spirit” posed
by the sudden emancipation from the enemy, and the wild desire to see print. Filipinos had, by this
time, learned to express themselves more confidently but post-war problems beyond language and
print-like economic stability, the threat of new ideas and mortality –had to be grappled with side by
side.
There was a proliferation of newspapers like the FREE PRESS, MORNING SUN, of Sergio
Osmeña Sr., DAILY MIRROR of Joaquin Roces, EVENING NEWS of Ramon Lopezes and the BULLETIN
of Menzi. This only proved that there were more readers in English than in any other vernaculars like
Tagalog, Ilocano or Hiligaynon. Journalists had their day. They indulged in more militant attitude in
their reporting which bordered on the libellous. Gradually, as normality was restored, the tones and
themes of the writings turned to the less pressing problems of economic survival. Some Filipino
writers who had gone abroad and had written during the interims came back to publish their works.
Not all the books published during the period reflected the war year; some were compilations or
second editions of what have been written before.

1.2 CANONICAL AUTHORS AND WORKS OF PHILIPPINE

NATIONAL ARTISTS IN LITERATURE
EDITH L. TIEMPO
She is a poet, fictionist, teacher and literary critic. Her
works are characterized by a remarkable fusion of style and
substance, of craftsmanship and insight. Her poems are intricate
verbal transfigurations of significant experiences as revealed, in
two of her much anthologized pieces, “The Little Marmoset” and
“Bonsai”.
Tiempo’s published works include the novel A Blade of
Fern (1978), The Native Coast (1979), and The Alien Corn
(1992); the poetry collections, The Tracks of Babylon and Other
Poems (1966), and The Charmer’s Box and Other Poems(1993).

BIENVENIDO LUMBERA

He is a poet, librettist, and scholar. As a poet, he introduced to Tagalog

literature what is now known as Bagay poetry, a landmark aesthetic
tendency that has helped to change the vernacular poetic tradition. He
is the author of the following works: Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa
(poems in Filipino and English), 1993; Balaybay, Mga Tulang Lunot at
Manibalang, 2002; Sa Sariling Bayan, Apat na Dulang May Musika,
2004; “Agunyas sa Hacienda Luisita,” Pakikiramay, 2004.
NESTOR VICENTE MADALI GONZALEZ
Better known as N.V.M. Gonzalez, he is a fictionist, essayist,
poet, and teacher, who articulated the Filipino spirit in rural, urban
landscapes.
Major works of N.V.M Gonzalez include the following: The
Winds of April, Seven Hills Away, Children of the Ash-Covered
Loam and Other Stories, The Bamboo Dancers, Look Stranger, on
this Island Now, Mindoro and Beyond: Twenty -One Stories, The
Bread of Salt and Other Stories, Work on the Mountain, The Novel
of Justice: Selected Essays 1968-1994, A Grammar of Dreams and
Other Stories.

NICK JOAQUIN
Nick Joaquin, is regarded by many as the most distinguished Filipino
writer in English writing so variedly and so well about so many
aspects of the Filipino. Nick Joaquin has also enriched the English
language with critics coining “Joaquinesque” to describe his
baroque Spanish-flavored English or his reinventions of English
based on Filipinisms. Among his voluminous works are The Woman
Who Had Two Navels, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, Manila, My
Manila: A History for the Young, The Ballad of the Five Battles, Rizal
in Saga, Almanac for Manileños, Cave and Shadows. Nick Joaquin died
on April 29, 2004.

JOSE GARCIA VILLA

Jose Garcia Villa is considered as one of the finest
contemporary poets regardless of race or language. He introduced
the reversed consonance rime scheme, including the comma
poems that made full use of the punctuation mark in an innovative,
poetic way. The first of his poems “Have Come, Am Here” received
critical recognition when it appeared in New York in 1942. He
used Doveglion (Dove, Eagle, Lion) as penname, the very
characters he attributed to himself. Villa is also known for the
tartness of his tongue.

ROLANDO S. TINIO
Rolando S. Tinio, playwright, thespian, poet, teacher, critic and
translator, marked his career with prolific artistic productions. Tinio’s
chief distinction is as a stage director whose original insights into the
scripts he handled brought forth productions notable for their visual
impact and intellectual cogency.
Aside from his collections of poetry (Sitsit sa Kuliglig, Dunung –
Dunungan, Kristal na Uniberso, A Trick of Mirrors) among his works
were the following: film scripts for Now and Forever, Gamitin Mo Ako,
Bayad Puri and Milagros; Sarswelas Ang Mestisa, Ako, Ang Kiri, Ana
Maria; the komedya Orosman at Zafira; and Larawan, the musical.

FRANCISCO ARCELLANA
Francisco Arcellana, writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist and teacher, is one of the most
important progenitors of the modern Filipino short story in English. He pioneered the development
of the short story as a lyrical prose-poetic form. For
Arcellana, the pride of fiction is “that it is able to render
truth, that is able to present reality”. Arcellana kept alive
the experimental tradition in fiction, and had been most
daring in exploring new literary forms to express the
sensibility of the Filipino people. Arcellana’s published
books are Selected Stories (1962), Poetry and Politics:
The State of Original Writing in English in the Philippines
Today (1977), The Francisco Arcellana Sampler(1990).
Some of his short stories are Frankie, The Man
Who Would Be Poe, Death in a Factory, Lina, A Clown
Remembers, Divided by Two, The Mats, and his poems
being The Other Woman, This Being the Third Poem This
Poem is for Mathilda, To Touch You and I Touched Her,
among others.

1.3 LITERATURE IN REGION VIII

Region VIII, also known as Eastern Visayas Region, lies in the easternmost border
of the Philippine Archipelago. Its two main islands: Leyte and Samar are connected by San Juanico
Bridge, the second longest bridge in Southeast Asia. The region consists of six provinces: Leyte,
Biliran, Southern Leyte, Western Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.
Eastern Visayas has become a favorite destination of tourists and investors because of its
abundant economic resources, natural beauty and improved transportation and telecommunication
facilities.
The region figured prominently in the Philippine history. The first catholic mass was celebrated
in Limasawa, Southern Leyte on March 31, 1951.; General Douglas MacArthur led the fleet of transport
and warships that first landed in Leyte which concluded the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines.
The discovery of the Philippines by Western voyagers was led by Magellan in 1521 in Homonhon
Island, Eastern Samar.
THE LITERATURE
The literature of Eastern Visayas refers to the literature written in Waray and Cebuano by
writers from the region. Of the two, it is Waray literature that has been collected, recorded, and
documented by scholars and researchers, a movement largely spurred by the interest of German
priests, managing a university in Tacloban City, who saw the necessity
of gathering and preserving the literary heritage of the region. It is in
this light that whenever East Visayan literature is written about, it is
usually Waray literature that is being described.
Earliest accounts of East Visayan literature date back to 1668
when a Spanish Jesuit by the name of Fr. Ignatio Francisco Alzina
documented the poetic forms such as the candu, haya, ambahan,
canogon, bical, balac, siday and awit. He also described the susumaton
and posong, early forms of narratives. Theater tradition was very
much in place – in the performance of poetry, rituals, and mimetic
dances. Dances mimed the joys
and activities of the ancient Waray.
Modern East Visayan literature, particularly Waray,
revolves around poetry and drama produced between the 1900s
and the present. The flourishing economy of the region and the
appearance of local publications starting in 1901 with the
publication of An Kaadlawon, the first Waray newspaper, saw
the flourishing of poetry in Waray.
EASTERN VISAYAN WRITERS AND THEIR WORKS, AND BACKGROUNDS
OF THE LITERATURE FROM REGION 8

TIMOTHY R. MONTES
Timothy R. Montes was a natural born Filipino who grew up in
Borongan, Eastern Samar. He managed to create a collection of
various short stories which was published by Anvil in 1994 named
"The Black Men", he also co-edited (with Louis Cesar Aquino) Tribute
to create a memorial anthology of stories in honor of his mentor
Edilberto K. Tiempo.
Mr. Montes has been a recipient of the national literary awards
like the Palanca, Graphic, Free Press, and the Writers Prize from the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
His numerous written works have been published in various
magazines and anthologies. One of his known works is the "Turtle
Season". This short story is about the peacekeepers in a remote island
named Captain Raul Daza was facing a problem with his wife Daisy because he cannot bestow such
precious time with her due to his job of keeping the peace in the island of Kalayasan.
Mr. Montes’ literary works was a huge contribution to the cotemporary Literature. Mr. Montes’
Literary works are: "A Sense of Place," "Land off the Morning," "Love Sermon and Disputation," "Of
Fish, Flies, Dogs, and Women," "On the Stories and Essays," "Philosophical Analysis," "The Assassin's
Tale," "The Fish," "The Turtle Season," “Under the Waves,” and “Young Writers and the Tradition in
the Philippine Folk Literature in English ".

FRANCISCO ALVARADO
Francisco Alvarado is a noted playwright of zarzuela in Lineyte-Samarnon (Waray). He was a
member and literary luminary of the Sanghiran san Binisaya organization which was founded in 1909
to cultivate the Waray language.
His works are the following:
 Panhayhay hin  Kaadlawon, 1925, Araw
Bungtohanon, 1921  Kagab-ihon, 1925, Gabi
 Hinagpis ng Isang Taga-  Nihaga, 1930
Bayan  Pilipinas, 1931
 An Marol, 1925, Ang  Panulaan at Dulaang
Sampagita Leytenhon-Samarnon

ILUMINADO LUCENTE
Iluminado Lucente (May 14, 1883 - February 14, 1960) was a Filipino writer, primarily writing poetry
and drama in the Waray language. He is considered to be one
of the finest writers in the Waray language. He was a member
of the Sanghiran san Binisaya ha Samar ug Leyte (Academy of
the Visayan Language of Samar and Leyte). His most famous
work is the poem An Iroy Nga Tuna (The Motherland).
In 1906, Lucente established the periodical An
Kaadlawon ("The Day Break"), becoming responsible for the
proliferation of Waray literature in the years to come. He wrote
about 30 plays, and was known for both satire using character
stereotypes and linguistic humor, which often took the form of
plays on language, combining the sounds of Spanish, English
and Waray.
His works are the following:
 An Iroy Nga Tuna (1945)
 Baga Durogas Ngan Baga
Tinuod (1939)
 Hangin Gad La (1960)
 Pilipinas (1904)
 Gugma (1939)
 Panhayhay (Ginsa-aran)
 Bumangon Ka, Pepe! (1909)
 Debelopmental Nga Istorya
 It's Just the Wind
 Abugho (1924)
 An Duha nga Sportsmen
(1926)
 Diri Daraga, Diri Balo, Diri
Inasaw-an ("Not a Maiden,
Not a Widow, Not a Married
Woman", 1929)
 Up Limit Pati An Gugma ("Even
Love Is Off Limits", 1945
DR. DOMINADOR “DOMS” PAGLIAWAN
Dr. Dominador “Doms” Pagliawan is an educator, a journalist, a composer, a poet, an
essayist, a painter, a cartoonist, and a fictionist from Tacloban City.
As a student, he received prestigious honors and awards such as Valedictorian, Cum
Laude, Ten Outstanding Graduate Award (TOGA ’92), and Ten Outstanding Students of the
Philippines (TOSP ’92) national finalist. He took up BS Education major in English, Master of
Arts in Literature (MA Lit.), and Doctor of Arts in Literature and Communication (DA
LitCom).
A tri-media practitioner, he first joined Samar College, then the Leyte Normal University
where he taught as college and graduate professor. His writings have been published in
various publications worldwide, and he is multi-awarded as an artist.
His major works are Tabsik hin Kagamhanan (novel),
Kuraramag (collectionaa of short stories and poetry in Waray),
Magsighot nga Dalan (upcoming novelette), and Mga Baga han
Dughan (collection of love poems in Waray.)

WHAT IS A LITERARY ANALYSIS?

Literary analysis involves examining all the parts of a novel, play,
short story, or poem—elements such as character, setting, tone,
and imagery—and thinking about how the author uses those
elements to create certain effects.

HOW DO WE ANALYZE A SHORT STORY?

Here are easy steps that you may follow to achieve a good literary analysis!
Identify the setting of the story.
Setting is a description of where and when the story takes place. Ask yourself the
following questions: How is the setting created? Consider geography, weather, time of day,
social conditions, etc. What role does setting play in the story? Is it an important part of the
plot or theme? Or is it just a backdrop against which the action takes place?
Study the time period, which is also part of the setting, and ask yourself the following:
When was the story written? Does it take place in the present, the past, or the future? How
does the time period affect the language, atmosphere or social circumstances of the short
story?
Identify the characters.
Characterization deals with how the characters in the story are described. Ask
yourself the following: Who is the main character? Are the main character and other
characters described through dialogue – by the way they speak (dialect or slang for
instance)? Has the author described the characters by physical appearance, thoughts and
feelings, and interaction (the way they act towards others)? Are they static/flat characters
who do not change? Are they dynamic/round characters who DO change? What type of
characters are they? What qualities stand out? Are they stereotypes? Are the characters
believable?
Identify the plot and structure of the story.
The plot is the main sequence of events that make up the story. In short stories the
plot is usually centered around one experience or significant moment. Consider the following
questions: What is the most important event? How is the plot structured?
Also, identify the parts of the plot as follows: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling
Action, and Resolution.
Identify the conflict in the story.
Conflict or tension is usually the heart of the short story and is related to the main character.
Consider the following questions: How would you describe the main conflict? Is it an internal
conflict within the character? Is it an external conflict caused by the surroundings or
environment the main character finds himself/herself in?
Identify the theme of the story.
The theme is the main idea, lesson, or message in the short story. It may be an abstract idea
about the human condition, society, or life. Ask yourself: How is the theme expressed? Are any
elements repeated and therefore suggest a theme? Is there more than one theme?
*Your literary analysis of a short story will often be in the form of an essay where you may
be asked to give your opinions of the short story at the end. Choose the elements that made
the greatest impression on you. Point out which character/characters you liked best or
least and always support your arguments.