21st CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD

(General Introduction)

Welcome to your Philippine Literature (and the World) class!

A well-known Filipino writer once said that “every new book on Philippine literature is a
landmark, especially if it fulfils a certain practical function,”

At best, the literature of a nation mirrors its cultural, economic, and social development.
So it follows that the more familiar we are with the culture of a nation, the better we
understand and appreciate its literature.

I believe that this subject is designed to make you, the students, better Filipinos. For in
Philippine literature, a student may learn much about the ways of living, the traditions,
and the social ideals which his ancestors brought form across the seas, or absorbed from
his contacts with other peoples of the world. The stories, poems, plays, and essays written
by Filipinos usually reflect Filipino idealism and reveal beneath the surface courage and
faith in the mission and destiny of our country. So if a student will read each selection
intelligently, he will surely be impressed with the high idealism with which it is often
marked.

Here, as elsewhere, a contact with good selections usually provides experience,

enjoyment, as well as satisfaction. May this class serve as an instrument to awaken the
interest and to develop your appreciation on the literary works of our country (and the
world).

Philippine literature, like literatures from the other parts of the world, is expressed either
in verbal or written form. It is a depiction of the people’s lives, thoughts, and feelings. It
reflects the country’s social, political, economic, historical, and even moral or spiritual
conditions. Filipino writers are not only those who are residents of the Philippines and its
regions but also those who are writers of diaspora. The corpus of the Filipino writing
includes not only those written in Filipino but also those that are in the vernacular, in
English, or even Spanish, which is an offshoot of the number of centuries Philippines had
become a colony of Spain.

Instructor: Gwyneth Rosciel E. Sarming

Literature and Its Division

Literature is humanity itself. This is perhaps even an understatement considering how

literature has become the key connection to the world as it helps recognize the nature of
humanity in different times and places. Matthew Arnold, an English poet and cultural
critic, even describes literature as a “criticism of life” because connection with it
provides an objective base for understanding of life. Given the all-encompassing mature
and scope of literature, many people find it a tall order to reach a perfect and adequate
definition for literature. However, the attempts of great minds to look into what
comprises literature help to define it more clearly.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language states that “literature must
be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity”. In a manner
so related to this, Oscar Wilde – an Irish author, playwright, and poet – states that
“literature always anticipates life. It does mot copy it, but moulds it to its purpose”.
An American author, educator, and clergyman named Henry Van Dyke, however, gives
an encompassing definition of literature, its scope, and characteristics. He says that
literature “consists of writing which interpret the meanings of nature and life, in
words of charm and power, in artistic forms and of permanent interest”.

Central to the given definitions is life and how this life is given to humankind. It is not
enough to write about life; rather, a writer has to render it imaginatively, such that
literature orients the reader to the beauty of order and arrangement, as in a beautifully
written poem or a well-structured story. It then helps the reader see beauty in the world
around him or her and, therefore, fosters general order.

The definitions given above, however, should not be used in classifying literary
productions as literature and nonliterature. A literary work is subjected to certain literary
standards to be considered literature in the true sense of the word. A literary work must
be aesthetically satisfying, intellectually stimulating, and spiritually uplifting. A
reader should refer to these standards when analysing and evaluating a literary
production.

The collective body of literary productions may be classified in two major divisions,
namely poetry and prose. However, one other type has been included arbitrarily among
these divisions – drama, which may be rendered both in prose and poetry, although its
form is entirely different from the two.

Instructor: Gwyneth Rosciel E. Sarming

 DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE

1. Poetry – literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of

experience or a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged
for its meaning, sound, and rhythm.

a. Lyric Poetry – consists of poems that deal with emotions or feelings.

b. Narrative Poetry – referred to as a storytelling verse

c. Dramatic Poetry – consists of poems in which everything is conveyed

through the words of a single speaker who reveals background circumstances
and conflicts, and provides insight into his or her own character as well as
that of others

d. Prose Poetry – has all the characteristics of poetry such as vivid imagery,
poetic meter, heightened emotion, and language play.

2. Prose – uses a natural form of expression; does not adhere to the rules of rhyme,
rhythm, and meter but employs a language characterized by its close semblance
to the patterns of everyday speech

a. Fiction – a form of narrative that tells about imaginary events and characters

b. Nonfiction – a prose writing that is based on real people and events

Instructor: Gwyneth Rosciel E. Sarming