DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Region VI – Western Visayas

DIVISION OF ILOILO CITY
ILOILO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOO

21st Century Literature of the Philippines and the World

Second Semester, Quarter 4, Module 1

What is Literature?

Literature is derived from the Latin term litera which means “letter”. It has
been defined differently by various writers. There are the following:
1. Literature expresses the feelings of people to society, to the government,
to his surroundings, to his fellowmen, and to his Divine Creator. (Brother
Azurin)
2. Literature is anything that is printed as long as it is related to the ideas
and feelings of the people, whether it is true, or just a product of one’s
imaginations. (Webster)

True literature is a piece of written work which is undying. It expresses the

feelings and emotions of people in response to his everyday efforts to live, to be
happy in his environment and, after struggles, to reach his Creator.”

What is World Literature?

It is considered in global context. It suggests to sum total world’s

national Literature and also the circulation of work into the wider world beyond
country’s origin.

World Literature can be defined as works of literature that have been created,
and circulated beyond their country of origin. These works include The
Odyssey, Things Fall Apart, A Doll’s House, and The Recognition of
Sakuntala.

The Odyssey

The Odyssey was beautifully written somewhere around 700 BCE (over 2000
years ago and discusses themes of adventure, heroism, and romance. Through
its discussion of these topics, it pushes readers to consider their own humanity
and the concept of divinity in addition to that of all people. Written as an epic
poem, Odysseus (the hero) is trying to get back to his home and his wife after
the trojan war in Greece.

Things Fall Apart

 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region VI – Western Visayas
DIVISION OF ILOILO CITY
ILOILO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOO

Things fall apart is written by Chinua Archebe and originated in Nigeria. The
book is set in Africa with the main character of Okonkwo living in fear of
becoming just like his father, who is considered lazy and a coward. He
overcompensates for this fear by becoming of his father, which leads to wealth
and prosperity for him in the form of money and wives.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe introduced the

concept of Weltliterature in 1827 to describe the
growing availability of texts from other nations,
including translations from Sanskrit, Islamic and
Serbianepic poetry.

Goethe is the only German literary figure whose

range and international standing equal those of
Germany’s supreme philosophers ( who have
often drawn on his works and ideas) and
composers (who have
often set his works and music).

I. Periods in World Literature

A. Early Periods
a. Classical Period (1200 BCD – 455CE)
Background
 Golden age for literature and arts.
 Home to the great works of ancient Greece and Rome
 A period of primordial peace, harmony, stability, and
properity
Some Significant Works
 The lliad and the Odyssey by Homer
 Works and Days by Heslod
 Theogony by Heslod
Greek Writers and Philosophers During this Period
 Plato
 Socrates
 Aristotle
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region VI – Western Visayas
DIVISION OF ILOILO CITY
ILOILO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOO

B. Medieval Period (455BE – 148-CE)

Background
 Also known as Anglo-Saxon Period
 Old English Period
 Home to the great works English people and the Anglo-
Saxon

The Anglo-Saxons are a people who inhabited Great Britain from the 5 th
Century. They comprise people from Germaic tribes who migrated to the island
from continental Europe, their descendants, and indigenous British groups
who adopted some aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture and language.

 Some Significant Works

o The Canterbury tale
o Beowulf
o The Dark Ages and the Bard
o The Dream of the Holy Rood

 Greek Authors During this Period

o Geofrey Chaucer – known as the Father of English and
Literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of
the Middle Ages
o Thomas Aquinas – was an Italian Dominican friar, Catholic
priest, and Doctor of the Church
o Martin Luther – was a German professor of theology,
composer, priest, monk
o Caedmon – is the earliest English poet whose name is
known. An Anglo-Saxon who cared for the animals.
 Significant Literary Genres
o Elegy
o Religious Liturgy
o Narrative Romance
C. The Renaissance Period (1485 -1660 CE)

 Background
It is considered to be the division between the Middle age and
Modern era. Renaissance came from the French word which means
Rebirth. It refers to European Literature which was influenced by
the intellectual and cultural tendencies associated with the
Renaissance.

Some Significant Works

 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region VI – Western Visayas
DIVISION OF ILOILO CITY
ILOILO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOO

 Romeo and Juliet

 When I was Fair and Young
 Utopia
 The Faerie Queen

Greek Authors During this Period

o William Shakespare
o Sir Thomas Moore
o Queen Elizabeth I
o Edmund Spencer
Later Period of Literature
1. The Enlightenment Period (1660-1790)
 Background
o Referred to as the Age of Reason
o Era of Logic
o Also known as neoclassical period
 Refers to the time of the guiding intellectual movement
 Literary Works
o All for Love
o The Rake of the Lock
o Rights of Man
o Elegy written in a Chuchyard
 Famous Authors
o John Dryden
o Alexander Pope
o Thomas Paine
o Thomas Grey
 Popular types of Literature
o Essay
o Melodrama
o Letters
o Fables

The Romantic Period (1970-1830)

 Background
o Great Age for the Novel
o Emphasize on Emotion, Imagination and Individualism
o An artistic, Literary, musical and intellectual movement that
originated in Europe.
 Literary Works
o I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region VI – Western Visayas
DIVISION OF ILOILO CITY
ILOILO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOO

o Kubla Khan
o Song of Innocence and of Experience
o Mathilda
 Famous Authors
o William Wordsworth
o Samuel Taylor Colerigde
o William Blake
o Mary Shelley

The Victorian Period (1832-1901)

 Background
o The Reign of Queen Victoria.
o Expressed the fusion of pure romance to gross realism
o Victorian produced great poets
 Literary Works
o The Pickwick Papers
o How do I love Thee
o Ulysess
 Famous Authors
o Charles Dickens
o Elizabeth Browing
o Afred Lord Tennyson

The Modern Period (1914-1945)

 Background
o The Reign of Queen Victoria.
o Expressed the fusion of pure romance to gross realism
o Victorian produced great poets
 Literary Works
o The Pickwick Papers
o How do I love Thee
o Ulysess
 Famous Authors
o Robert Frost
o Dylan Thomas
o Wilfred Owen

The Postmodern Period (1945 – Onward)

 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region VI – Western Visayas
DIVISION OF ILOILO CITY
ILOILO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOO

Background
 Characterized by reliance on narrative techniques such as
fragmentation, paradox, and the unreliable narrator
 Postmodern works are seen as a response against dogmatic
following of Enlightenment thinking
and Modernist approaches to literature.
 an emphasis on impressionism and subjectivity in writing
(and
in visual arts as well); an emphasis on HOW seeing (or
reading or perception itself) takes place, rather than on
WHAT is perceived.
An example of this would be stream-of-consciousness writing.
Some Significant Literary work in this period
 Infinite Jest
 The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock
 Waiting for Godot
Famous Author during this period
 David Foster Wallace – was an American novelist, short story
writer,
and essayist, as well as a professor of English and creative
writing.
 Thomas Stearns Eliot - "one of the twentieth century's major
poets
 Samuel Beckett - was an Irish avant-garde novelist,
playwright, theatre director, and poet

I. ACTIVITY PROPER

A. Write True if the statement is correct and False if otherwise.

1. Literature describes the ideas of man but not the feeling.

2. True literature is a piece of written work which is undying.
3. The literature is derived from Greek term litera.
4. World literature refers to sum total of world’s national literature.
5. John Dryden introduced the concept Weltliteraturn
6. Geoffrey Chaucer is known as the father of English literature.
7. Classical period is a period of primordial peace, harmony, stability…
8. The Enlightenment period is also known as Anglo-Saxon period.
9. Thomas Stearns Eliot is one of the twentieth century’s major poets.
10. The Romantic period referred to as The Age of Reason.

B. Choose one period in World Literature and describe it in 3 sentences the

background, some significant work and author.
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region VI – Western Visayas
DIVISION OF ILOILO CITY
ILOILO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOO

II. ASSESSMENT
Match each statement in Column A with what is describes in Column B. Write the
letter of the answer on a separate sheet of paper.
A. B.
1. It is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. A. Matin Luther
2. The best known in the English language. B. Caedmon
3. They are people who have inhabited Great Britain. C. Medieval Period
4. He was a German professor of theology, priest monk. D. William Shakespeare
5. The earliest English poet who cared for the animals. E. Sir Thomas Moore
6. One of the most British poet during Victorian period. F. Romeo and Juliet
7. Also known as Old English period G. The Victorian Period
8. The world’s pre-eminent dramatist. H. Thomas Gray
9. He was an English lawyer and social philosopher. I. Albert Lord Tennyson
10. The reign of Queen Victoria J. Anglo Saxons