21st Century Literature

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE FROM REGIONS

Literature presents life. Long before we were colonized by the Spaniards, the Philippines
already had forms of literature.

OVERVIEW OF THE PHILIPPINE LITERATURE FROM THE REGIONS

The Philippines is home to different ethnic groups from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Each
group has its own culture, beliefs, and practices, which are embodied in the kinds of literature
the writers in each region produce.

LITERARY GENRES COMMON IN THE REGIONS

1. Etiological Legends
- It explains how things came to be or why things are as they are.

Ex: “The Origin of the Hundred Islands”

“Ang Alamat ng Batangas”

2. Epics
- Written in stanzas and lines
- It narrates the adventures of tribal heroes who embody the ideals and values of
the tribe.

Ex: “Biag ni Lam-ang” (Ilocos) - represents Ilocanos

“Ibalon” (Luzon)

3. Folktales/Folklore
- Umbrella term
- These are narrative prose. These mirror the early forms of our culture, and they
are traditional stories passed on from generation by word of mouth.

Ex: “Juan Tamad” - is one of the most popular folktales in the country.

4. Myths
- These explain a belief, custom, or strange natural phenomenon.

Ex: “Why the Sky is High”

LITERATURE FROM LUZON

Luzon is the largest island group in the Philippines. It is divided into each regions:

Ilocos Region Bicol Region

Cagayan Valley Region Central Luzon
CAR MIMAROPA
NCR CALABARZON

MAJOR RELATED LANGUAGES IN LUZON

Bikolano Tagalog
Ilokano Pangasinense
Kapampangan

ETHNIC GROUPS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN LUZON

Aetas Mangyans
Igorots Apayaos
Ibalois Kalingas
Itnegs

MAJOR LITERARY WORKS FROM LUZON

– “Biag ni Lam-ang” (Ilocos Region)

– “The Legend of Magat River” (Cagayan Valley)
- Magat saves a girl from a Phyton
- Tells why the river was called “Magat River”
– “Aliguyon” (CAR)
- Tribal feud
- Epic
– “Footnote to Youth” (NCR)
– “Ibalon” or Ibalong (Bicol Region)
- Baltog, Bantong, Handiong [3 brothers who needs to kill a monster]
– “Atin Cu Pung Singsing” (Central Luzon)
– “Tagbanua Myth” (MIMAROPA)
- Si malakas at si maganda
– “The Legend of Maria Makiling” (CALABARZON)
LITERATURE FROM VISAYAS

Visayas is the smallest island group in the Philippines. It is divided into three regions:

Western Visayas
Central Visayas
Eastern Visayas

MAIN ISLANDS IN VISAYAS

Bohol Negros
Cebu Leyte
Panay Masbate
Samar

MAJOR REGIONAL LANGUAGES IN VISAYAS

Cebuano Kinaray-a
Hiligaynon Waray
Ilonggo

LITERARY FORMS IN VISAYAS

1. Poems are called binalaybay

2. Stories are called asoy or sugilanon
3. Riddles are called paktakon
4. Proverbs are translated to hurubaton
5. Lullabies are called ili-ili
6. Ambahan is a long song alternately sung by a soloist and a chorus.
7. Siday is a long poetic battle between two pail poets representing the two families in the
pursuit of marriage.
8. Balitaw is a love song sung by a man and a woman in a debating manner.

MAJOR LITERARY WORKS FROM VISAYAS

– Western Visayas
● Hinilawod - epic
● The Fall of Polobulac (island of flowers)
- legends
- 7 deadly sins
- 7 stones that represents the 7 deadly sins
– Eastern Visayas
● “Bowaon and Totoon”
Lies Truth
- good and bad karma
● “Si Amomongo at si Iput-iput”
Gorilla Firefly

– Central Visayas
● “Sicalac and Sicavay”
Boy Girl
● Catalina of Dumaguete - legend
- 16 yr old girl with supernatural ability

LITERATURE FROM MINDANAO

Mindanao is the second largest island group in the Philippines. It is divided into six regions:

Davao Region Soccsksargen

Zamboanga Peninsula ARMM
Northern Mindanao Caraga Region

MAJOR REGIONAL LANGUAGES IN MINDANAO

Chavacano Maranao
Maguindanao Tausug

The region is generally inhabited by Muslims. Although they are no longer a majority, the Islamic
culture is still evident.

Large groups of ethnic minorities can be found in Mindanao, such as Maranao, Maguindanao,
Ilanun, and Sangit. These groups are also referred to as Moro (groups found in lowland)

Meanwhile, the following groups are found in the uplands: The Bagobo, Bukidnon, Manadaya,
Manobo, Subanon.

Every ethnic minority has a number of raconteurs who deliver a story in a creative way, bearing
two or three or more folktales.
1. The Origin of davao (Davao Region)
- This is an account of the beginning of Davao.
- It is about the natives of Davao called Kalagans (first people who inhabited Davao)

2. Ag Tobig Nog Keboklagan (Zamboanga Peninsula)

- It is considered as one of the oldest epics in Zamboanga.
- It is chanted or performed during their week-long buklog festival, and it tells the life and
adventures hindi ko natapos sa notes : (( – Crys : <

3. How Cagayan de Oro Got Its Name (Northern Mindanao)

- This is a legend explaining the origin of the name of the province, which means
“Shameful peace”.

4. Ulahingan (SOCCSKSARGEN)
- This is an epic about the adventures of Agyu and his relatives who had a conflict with
their rulers. As they flee from their place, they were guided by a diwata.

5. The Maguindanao Tale of the Faithful Wife (ARMM)

- This folktale is about an aged man’s last words to his son, telling him that he should
never marry a widow and only choose a young lady.

6. Tulalang (Caraga Region)

- This folktale is about Tulalang, the first born of a poor couple.

MAJOR LITERARY GENRES

Genre- is a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular

style, form, or content.

THREE MAIN SUB GENRES OF LITERARY GENRE

Poetry
- Stanza, lines
- Shortest but meaningful
- Is the most compact form of literature. The ideas, feelings, rhythm, and sound are
packed into carefully chosen words, working to convey meaning to the readers.
- A poem has a tone, follows a form, and uses figurative language to create an
impression.
 Three types of Poetry

a. Narrative Poetry
- These are poems that tell a story. (ex: epics)
- Narrative poems began as oral tradition

Ex: The Iliad and The Odyssey - Homer

Beowulf - which is the oldest known English epic poem
Biag ni Lam-ang (Ilocos Region)

b. Lyric Poetry
- These are poems that are supposedly sung with musical accompaniment.
- They express the poet’s or the persona’s feelings and emotions.

Ex: Sonnets
Psalms
Elegies - for death
Songs
Odes

William Shakespeare is known for having written over a hundred sonnets.

c. Dramatic Poetry
- These are poems that are usually performed on stage, and they can be sung or
spoken.

Ex: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

- Narrative poetry but can be dramatic once it is performed.
Oedipus the King by Sophocles

Common Elements of Poetry

1. Persona
- A persona is a dramatic character who is the speaker in the poem.
- A persona is not always the poet.
2. Form
- Poetry is written in lines, and oftentimes the lines are divided into groups called
stanzas.

Foot - each line can be measured in foot

- one foot is equivalent to two or more stressed and/or unstressed syllables.
Iambic 1 unstressed syllable followed by Complete
1 stressed syllable (com-PLETE)

Trochaic 1 stressed syllable followed by Garland

1 unstressed syllable (GAR-land)

Anapestic 2 unstressed syllables followed by On the road interrupt

1 stressed syllable (in-ter-RUPT)

Dactylic 1 stressed syllable followed by Happiness

2 unstressed syllables (HAP-pi-ness)

Spondaic All syllables have equal stress heartbreak

Meter - the measurement of syllables in a line is called meter

Monometer - one feet

Dimeter - two feet
Trimeter - three feet
Tetrameter - four feet
Pentameter - five feet
Hexameter - six meter
Heptameter - seven meter
Octameter - eight meter

3. Imagery
- It is the use language that appeals to the five senses:

Visual - sight
Auditory - hear
Gustatory - taste
Tactile - touch
Olfactory - smell

4. Sound Patterns
- It include rhyme, rhythm, and other literary devices that pertain to sounds, such
as:

Onomatopoeia - formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named

(ex. meow of a cat)
Alliteration - the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of
adjacent or closely connected words
 ● Janie read a book by the babbling brook.
● The child bounced the ball at the backyard barbeque.
● The barbarians broke through the barricade.
Assonance - repetition of the sound of a vowel
(ex: rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain)
Consonance - literary device that occurs when two words have the same
consonant sound following different vowel sounds
(ex: - the words same and home have the same 'm' sound, but
the vowel sounds before it are different.
- dry, gym, sh, hmm, ply, shy, why, try, myth, crypt)

5. Rhyme
- It is the repetition of similar or identical sounds at the end of poetic lines,
- The rhyme scheme is the pattern of the rhyme placed at the end of each line or
stanza in a poem.
(ex: AABA BBCB CCDC DDDD)

6. Figurative Language
- Poets use words or phrases that are put together to help readers picture ordinary
things in new ways. These words and phrases are called figures of speech.
 7. Theme
- It is the central idea of a poem.
- It is usually stated as a philosophical truth in life.

Ex:
1. Love
2. Death
3. Religion/Spirituality
4. Nature
5. Beauty

Goodluck sa exam!

Nagmamahal,
Crys : )
PROSE - is any writing that does not have a metrical
structure and rhythmical pattern like poetry. It is
composed op sentences and paragraph.
TYPES OF PROSE.
Fiction (written because of authors imagination) *
Non Fiction.
*FICTION - Story that is made up ar invented by an
author. This means that The events in the story are
not real they are products of the authors imagination.
EX. novels and short stories.
* SHORT STORIES - According to Edgar Allan Poe,
short stories should be read in one sitting and should
strive for unity and effect. It has to begin with the first
sentehe (thesis statement) and it most have nothing in
it.
* NOVELS. - is longer and more complex frand short
story. A novels charanters, setting, - Plot , and theme
are usually written in detailed. - It has over 40,000
words. (shorter version 11,500 -39,999 - novella is
called a novella) 7,500 - 17, 499 - novelette
5 basie elements of fiction
* Plot.
* Characters
* Setting.
* Point of view.
* theme both exist in povels and short stories.
PLOT - sequence of events that madhe up a story
Linear Formal (called Freytag’s Pyramid (beginning,
middle, end format). (Exposition, rising action, climax ,
Falling action, denouement )
PLOT PARIN Non linear CStart in the middle or the
end) *
Episodic plat * Cumulative Plot •Frame namative
/embedded plat
EPISODIC PLOT - made up of episodes - Features
distinct episodes that are related to ome another but
that also ann. be read individualy, dmast as stories by
Yumselves. EX. Huckleberry Find by Mark Twain
CUMULATIVE PLOT - contains repetition of phoses,
sentences or events with one new. aspect added with
each repetition EX. The Great, Big, Enormous Turnip
FRAME NARRATIVE /EMBEDDED PLOT. - Inside
another story. - a story in which another story or other
multiple story Ex. The canterbury tales -by Geoffrey
Chaucer Lo the passenger was telling Stores. Arabia
nights. (1.001 stories).
CHARALTERS. ,
Protagonist Vs. antagonist.
* Static vs. dynamic - connected w.
round + Flat character. * Round vs- Flat. (complex
(overlaying Story)
SETTING
- refers to time periods , geographical locations,
cultural contents, immediate surroundings , weather,
time of day, or times of year employed in the story
POINT OF VIEW - identify of the narrative voice
(Persona in Poem)
THEME - main idea or message conveyed by the piece
*NON FICTION - deals with real People, places event. -
informative non fiction + literary non fiction
INFORMATIVE NON FICTION. - gives facts to inform. -
Ex. sciente and history Books, encyclopedias,
dictionaries, and Periodicals.
LITERARY NON FICTION - written like fistion, but the
prople. - Ex autobiographies, biographies and personal
essay.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY - Story op a person's life, told by the
same person. shorter types Of this writing are journal,
diaries, and memoir. Ex. The Diary op Anne Frank

BIOGRAPHY - a story of a person's life told by another

person Ex Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar. ESSAY -
plece of writing that centers on one topie or subject

FATHERS OF ESSAY * Michel de Montaigne (French

Essay) * Francis Bacon (English Essay)