21ST LITERATURE

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
Four Periods of Philippine Literature

1. Pre-Colonialial Period
2. Spanish Colonial Period
3. American Colonial Period
4. Contemporary Period

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD

 The Philippines was already brimming with a rich tradition of oral literature even before colonization. o Early
Filipinos weaved together countless myths and legends to explain certain phenomena in life.
 Most of what has been transcribed now is taken from oral literature (epics and folklores).
 Literature during the Precolonial Period:
o Proverbs
o Riddles
o Folk Songs
o Tales
o Epics

SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD

 There was an immediate shift of focus in literature. They revolved around Christian faith, lives of saints, and
religious hymns.
 Literature emulated the traditional Spanish ways of themes and forms of writing (repetitive plots and obviously
shadowy characters)
 Literature during the Spanish Colonial Period:
o Corrido
o Cenaculo
o Awit
o Pasyon
o Moro-moro
o Carillo
o Tibag
o Zarzuela
o Duplo or Karagatan

AMERICAN PERIOD

 Philippine literary production during the American Period in the Philippines was spurred by two significant
developments in education and culture
 One is the introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of English as
medium of instruction in all levels of education in public schools.
 Free public education made knowledge and information accessible to a greater number of Filipinos. Those who
availed of this education through college were able to improve their social status and joined a good number of
educated masses who became part of the country’s middle class.
 The use of English as medium of instruction introduced Filipinos to Anglo-American modes of thought, culture
and life ways that would be embedded not only in the literature produced but also in the psyche of the
country’s educated class.
  It was this educated class that would be the wellspring of a vibrant Philippine Literature in English.
 Philippine literature in English, as a direct result of American colonization of the country, could not escape being
imitative of American models of writing especially during its period of apprenticeship.
 During the American Period:
o Philippine literature during the American rule was influenced by two factors, the first of which is,
education.
o With the Americans providing free education, many were given the chance to study, and English was
used as the language of instruction.
o The downfall of Spanish colonialism freed the printing industry from religious censorship.
o With the printing industry in the hands of patriotic investors, the printing press was used to block
American culture from entering the Philippine lifestyle.
o Newspapers in our different dialects flourished all over the archipelago. With some newspapers having
a space for literary pieces, writers were given the chance to show and prove the true talent of the
Filipinos.
o Writers during the American Period drew ideas from the Propaganda Movement and the Revolutionary
Movement to encourage the Filipinos to continue to fight against U.S. Colonialism.
o The demand for independence was supported by a campaign to make the Americans aware of Filipino
culture. Some writers who use the Spanish language began to shift to the American language for the fact
that a larger population can now comprehend the said language.
 Literature during the American Colonial Period:
o Poetry
o Short Story
o Novel
o Zarzuela

Contemporary Period

 The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially with the appearance of new
publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence of committed literature in the 1960s and the 1970s.
 Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels, and essays whether these are socially
committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention or not.
 The Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the proliferation of writer’s workshops here and
abroad and the bulk of literature available to him via the mass media including the internet.
 The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines
Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and Panorama literary awards encourage writers to compete with
peers and hope that their creative efforts will be rewarded in the long run.
 With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher Education of teaching of Philippine Literature in all
tertiary schools in the country emphasizing the teaching of the vernacular literature or literatures of the regions,
the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured.
 to flourish following the end of the martial-law dictatorship in 1986.
 Published in 1946, Ginto Sa Makiling – a novel by Macario Pineda, is the first work of note that appeared after
the second world war. In plot, it hews close to the mode of romantic fantasy traceable to the awits, koridos and
komedyas of the Balagtas tradition.
 The poet Amado Hernandez, who was also a union leader and social activist, also wrote novels advocating social
change.
 Representative Texts and Authors from Regions
 The Filipinos speak about the collective experiences of the people who have gone through difficulties, triumphs,
struggles, successes, armed conflicts, bloodless revolutions. It is because of these reasons why the masterpieces
resonated loud and clear in the Philippine archipelago.
 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
 It refers to a language that intends to create an image, association, or other effect in the mind of the listener or
reader that goes beyond the literal meaning or expected use of the words involved.

Imagery in analysis of Texts

 Imagery is a poetic element that tries to create a mental image in the mind of a reader using figurative language.
 It represents objects, places, ideas, or even actions that appeal to the senses of the readers.
 It is a language used by poets, novelists, and other writers to create images in the mind of the reader to improve
their experience through their senses.

Ways of how to use figurative language:

It is a language used by poets, novelists, and other writers to create images in the mind of the reader to improve their
experience through their senses.

 Simile - A simile compares two things that are unlike each other by using “as” or “like” to establish equivalency.
You are saying that the two things are similar.
o Simile examples: She was like a fish out of water at the prom. He slept like a dog. Her eyes sparkled like
diamonds.
 Metaphor - A metaphor takes figurative language a step further. There is no comparison; the item described is
the image of the metaphor even though it is not literally the object. The figure represents the thing described.
o Metaphor examples from everyday speech: The valley is covered in a blanket of snow. She has a heart of
stone. He’s the black sheep of the family.
 Synecdoche - A synecdoche uses a part of something to represent the whole. It keeps you from overusing a
particular word. You’ll expand your reader’s understanding of your topic.
o Examples of synecdoche: Green thumb: a talent for raising plants. Stars and stripes: the American flag.
Suit: signifying someone who is in business
 Personification - Personification attributes human qualities to inanimate objects or the representation of an
abstract quality in human form. The best way to understand is to look at some examples.
o Examples of personification: Jim heard the last piece of pie calling his name. The door protested on its
rusty hinges. The headlights winked as the truck drove through the forest
 Oxymoron - You’ve heard it said that opposites attract. Oxymoron is figurative language that connects two
opposite feelings. The words are self-contradicting but build sensory response in your reader by enhancing the
concept.
o Examples of oxymoron: Managing the conference was controlled chaos. One job qualification for our
team is serious fun. After the party, Kendra found the kitchen in a fine mess.
 Irony - Irony is a contradictory statement that expresses a reality different from what appears as truth. It points
at a different perspective. In literature, it can be an unforeseen event that changes a character’s expectation or
some unanticipated behavior different from what was expected.
o Irony examples: Telling a silent group, “don’t everyone speak at once.” (Verbal irony.) Marriage
counsellor divorcing her third husband. (Situational irony.) Burglarized police station. (Situational
irony.)
o Irony also works as a plot device. Hansel and Gretel (oral tradition): the witch burns in her own oven
Oedipus Rex, Sophocles: Oedipus searches for the murderer, who is himself.
 Understatement - Understatement intentionally makes a statement less important than it seems or is. It
functions as the opposite of hyperbole.
o Examples of understatement: “I have to have this operation. It isn’t very serious. I have this tiny little
tumor on the brain.” not too bad. (When your borrowed jacket is returned with an indelible stain.) It’s
O.K. I guess. (Describing an incredible result.)
  Hyperbole - Hyperbolic figurative language goes over the top as an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis,
humor, or effect. People use hyperbole often in casual speech.
o Examples of hyperbole: If I hear that one more time, I’m going to die. After that hike, I am so hungry I
could eat a horse.

REPRESENTATIVE TEXTS FROM REGIONS

Texts from the Ilocos Region (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan)

 Most of the inhabitants of the Ilocano homeland are concentrated along a narrow coastal plain. Due to
geographical boundaries, people experience heavy rains, hurricanes, and violent typhoons.
 The Region takes pride in long stretches of white sand and clear waters alongside its cultural heritage.
 The poem Gabu depicts a coastline in Ilocos that is constantly experiencing the battering restlessness of the sea.
The water that comes back to the shore seems furious and ruthless with its daylong bashing, which havocs the
wasteland. As an archipelago, the Filipinos know the importance of water and the sea.

Texts from CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon)

 Region IV-A is home to Tagalog-speaking people in the Philippines, recognized all over the country for their
bravery and fearlessness in battles.
 CALABARZON has participated actively in the country’s fight for freedom and democracy. It is home to many
Filipino heroes. Foremost and among them are Jose Rizal from Laguna, Apolinario Mabini of Batangas, and
Emilio Aguinaldo of Cavite.
 Representative Texts:
o “El Amor Patrio” (The Love of Country) by Jose Rizal
o The Philippine Revolution by Apolinario Mabini.
o True Version of the Philippine Revolution by Emilio Aguinaldo.

Texts from the Visayas region

 The island of Visayas is one of the major geographical divisions in the Philippines. It is
 The Visayas region comprises several islands circling the Visayan Sea. Its people, therefore, share a sea-based
culture and tradition that may be rooted in a strong religious foundation.
 The dwelling place of many festivals such as the Ati-Atihan, Dinagyang, Sinulog, and Masskara, the Visayas may
indeed be considered as one of the cradles of Philippine civilization.
 Representative Texts:
o Modern East Visayan literature (Waray) revolves around poetry and drama from the 1900s and the
present. Local publications started in 1901 with the publication of An Kaadlawon, the first Waray
newspaper.
o In Samar, Eco de Samar y Leyte, a long running magazine in the 1900s, published articles and literary
works in Spanish, Waray, and English. A noteworthy feature of this publication was its poetry section, An
Tadtaran.

21st Century Literary Genres

According to Aristotle, metaphor is giving a thing a name that belongs to something else. Just like how dreams recreate
our reality, the scenes in our dreams are the metaphorical versions of the things we imagine. Through this, countless
pieces of literature in different forms were born.

What do we mean by 21st Century Literary Genres? These refer to new literary works created within the last decade.
These are written by contemporary authors which may deal with current themes or issues and reflect a technological
culture. They often break traditional writing rules.
Emerging Genres in Literature

 Illustrated Novel
o is a story through text and illustrated images.
o 50% of its narrative is presented without words.
o Readers must interpret images to comprehend the story.
o Illustrated Novel - Textual portions are presented in traditional form; some may contain no text at all.
o Examples:
 The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Seiznick
 The Arrival by Shaun Tan
 Digi-Fiction
o is a triple media literature; combines book, move/video, and internet/website.
o To get the full story, students should engage in navigation, reading, and viewing in all three forms.
o Examples
 Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman Level 26 by Anthony Zuiker
 Graphic Novel
o The term is employed in a broad manner encompassing non-fiction works and thematically-linked short
stories as well as fictional stories across number of genres.
o Example
 Archie Comics by John Goldwater and illustrator, Bob Montana
 Doodle Fiction
o is when an author incorporates doodle writing, drawings, and handwritten graphics in place of the
traditional font.
o Drawing enhances the story, often adding numerous elements.
o Examples
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis.
 Text-Talk Novels
o are narratives written in blogs, e-mails, IMs, and messaging formats.
o These stories are told almost entirely in dialogue, simulating social network exchanges.
 Six-Word Flash Fiction
o allows the reader to consume an entire narrative in just a moment's time
o Bite-size narratives that are short but challenging, yet fast and fun.
o Example
 “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” - Ernest Hemingway
BIG SCOOP

 Literature reflects human nature and, in that way, we can learn and relate to others. By reading through a first-
person perspective, we can fully immerse ourselves into a different mindset and figure out how others think and
feel.
 This is important within today’s society as we’re becoming increasingly detached from human interaction
through smartphones, video chatting applications, and social media. Literature is something that will never
change in the way it makes you feel, regardless of whether that’s on paper, or e-book.

MANGA
 Manga
o is a Japanese word for “comics”. - It is used in the English-speaking world as a generic term for all comic
books and graphic novels originally published in Japan. - is considered as an artistic storytelling style.
o Ameri-manga is sometimes referred to comics created by American artists in manga style.
 o Examples:
 Shonen-Boy’s Manga: Naruto, Bleach, One Piece
 Shojo-Girl’s Manga: Sailor Moon Seinen-Men’s Manga: Akira
 Josei-Women’s Manga: Loveless, Paradise Kiss
 Kodomo-Children’s Manga: Doraemon, Hello Kitty
 Chick Literature
o is a fiction genre which addresses issues of modern womanhood often humorously and lightheartedly.
o Typically features a female protagonist whose femininity is heavily thermalizing in the plot.
o Examples:
 The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey
 It Started with a Kiss by Miranda Dickinson
 Creative Nonfiction
o also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction.
o A genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives.
o Contrasts with other nonfiction such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate
fact but it's not primarily written in service to its craft.
o As a genre, it is still relatively young and is only beginning to be scrutinized with the same critical
analysis given to fiction and poetry.
o Examples: 1000 Gifts by Ann Voscamp Wind, Sand, and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
 Narrative History
 Biography
 Travel writing
 Cultural Criticism
 Personal Essays
 Memoirs
 Literary Journalism
 Science writing
 Science Fiction
o a genre of speculative fiction dealing with imaginative concepts such as futuristic science and technology
space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, parallel universe, and extra-terrestrial life.
o Often explores the potential of consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has been called a
literature of ideas.
o Examples:
 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
 Kingdom of Ash by Sarah Maas
 Blog
o also known as a web log or a website containing short articles called “posts” that are changed regularly.
o Some blogs are written by one person containing his or her own opinions, interests and experiences,
while others are written by different people.

BIG SCOOP

Literature reflects human nature and, in that way, we can learn and relate to others. By reading through a first-person
perspective, we can fully immerse ourselves into a different mindset and figure out how others think and feel.

This is important within today’s society as we’re becoming increasingly detached from human interaction through
smartphones, video chatting applications, and social media. Literature is something that will never change in the way it
makes you feel, regardless of whether that’s on paper, or e-book.