Introduction to Philippine

Literature
WHAT IS LITERATURE?

💡
LITERATURE
— a form of art. EXTRAS

— can be verbal reflects an individual’s

(traditional) or written.
— authors use their
imagination and knowledge.
— portrays and interprets
human experiences.
thoughts, feelings,
dreams, aspirations,
hopes, and even fears.
broadens one’s
perspective about the
world around them.

21st century leaves an imprint into

literature is the lives of people and
it echoes the same sound
described as
from generation to
literature of another.
emerging genres.

PERIODS OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

PRE-COLONIAL
— before Spaniards LITERARY PIECES
— literature were delivered myths
verbally; either sung, recited
legends
or chanted.
epic

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 — alibata - traditional proverbs
writing system.
riddles
— imprinted and preserved on
fragile materials.

COLONIAL
— Filipinos attacked the
Spanish
colonizers’ ruling through
American - English language propaganda literatures.

Japanese - Filipino LITERARY PIECES

language/nationalism
novenas
— printing press emerged.
prayer books
— religious, social, and
doctrines
cultural literary texts.
zarzuela
— an educational system was
introduced to Filipinos. moro-moro

POST-COLONIAL
— focuses on the impact of
imperialism and colonialism. PREVALENT TOPICS

— works of Filipino authors poverty

are getting recognition.
gender inequalities
— authors wrote more fluently
justice system
and creatively.

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 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SEDITION LAW - expressing opinions about the government is
prohibited.

MOTHER TONGUE - dialects such as Tagalog and Cebuano.

DOCTRINA CRISTIANA - book of prayers and doctrines.

LA SOLIDARIDAD - first printed newspaper.

POST-COLONIAL PERIOD - known as CONTEMPORARY literature that

reflects TECHNOLOGICAL culture.

THE DIFFERENCE OF FORM AND GENRE

FORM - physical GENRE - content, concept,
structure style, and theme

📌 examples: poetry,
prose, drama,
📌 examples: romance, mystery,
fantasy, Sci-Fi
essay, short story

CLASSIFICATION OF LITERATURE

PROSE
FORMS
— straightforward
FICTION - not real; imagination
— written in sentences
and creativity
and paragraphs
— gramatically correct

— narrative 📌 novel, myth, fables

— easy to comprehend
NON-FICTION - facts and reality;
— aims to effectively
judgment and opinions
communicate`

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 📌 news, biography, essays

POETRY
FORMS
— from the Greek word
LYRIC - has musical quality and
↳ poeima - something
rhythm.
made or fashioned in

📌
words

— linear verses and sonnet, ode, elegy

stanzas
— can go against rules NARRATIVE - tells a story.
of grammar

— contains deep terms

— creative and
📌 epic, ballad

expressive
DRAMATIC - lines are spoken by
— aims for emotional
one.
effect

📌 monologue, character sketch

POETIC TERMS

SPEAKER - speaks and STANZA - blocks composed of

narrates lines

TONE - attitude of the text RHYME SCHEME - pattern of

(choice of words should rhymes
match the audience)
METER - rhythmic structure
MOOD - overall of a line; counts the
feeling/atmosphere (theme) syllables

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 SOME TYPES OF POETRY

SONNET - 14 lines one stanza poem; about love.

LIMERICK - 5 lines one stanza poem with AABBA rhyme

scheme.

HAIKU - 3 lines one stanza poem from Japan; 5-7-5

syllables per line.

TANAGA - indigineous Filipino poem; 4 lines one stanza

poem with 7 syllables per line.

ACROSTIC - every letter in the word is used to spell out

the message.

EPIC - lengthy narrative poem about heroism.

💡 SPOKEN POETRY is the modern counterpart of BALAGTASAN, a

verbal joust named after 18th century literary writer
Francisco Balagtas (author of Florante and Laura).

DRAMA
— from the Greek word
↳ dran - to do or to
perform
— performed on stage
FORMS
TRAGEDY - serious or somber
theme; weakness,
destruction, and downfall.

💡
exclusive elements
used in drama:
monologue, staging,
stage directions
COMEDY - light and humorous
FARCE - make audience laugh
with rapid exaggerated
actions.
MELODRAMA - a hero saves the
main character from

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 downfall.

EARLY FORMS OF PHILIPPINE DRAMA DURING THE SPANISH COLONIAL

TIMES

MORO-MORO - war between Christians and Muslims. (comedy)

SENAKULO - life, sacrifices, suffering, and death of

Jesus.

DUPLO - poetical debate in the 9th and last night of the

period for the dead.

— 𝓵𝓪𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓮

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