Survey of Philippine Literature

lesson 2: The
apprenticeship
period
Daphnie P. Lauresta, LPT
Apprenticeship
period
history:
The period 1910-1935 is generally called the period of
apprenticeship or imitation. Virginia R. Moreno, in her
“A Critical Study of the Shorty Story in English
Written by Filipinos”, describes the years 1910-1935
as “a period of novices with their exercises in fiction
making and the rise of the new language”. Pura
Santillan-Castrence calls the early writers “pioneers”.
Amateurish mushy attempts were made in poetry.
Most of the poems were rather mawkish and
sentimental; the diction and phrasing awkward and
sentimental.
 Most important
information during this
period:
1908 1921
The University of the Philippines (UP) The American Folklore The American
was founded. Folklore Society published Filipino
Popular ished Filipino Popular Tales,
Sept. 1910 edited by Dean S. Fansler.

The first issue of the UP Folio came off the

press. 1925
Publication of the Philippine
1920 Education Magazine, later became
The Philippine Herald, the first Philippine Magazine, the most
Filipino daily in English was founded. influential literary magazine in the
country.  Manila Tribune was
established.
 Most important
information during this
period: • Prose and Poetry.  Literary output
1926 was further stimulated by Literary
Jose Garcia Villa began to turn out a output was further stimulated by
stream of short stories and poems. literary literary contests. contests. 
• Philippine Free Press published the
1927 first anthology of Philippine short
stories written in English.
• The UP Writers‟ Club was founded and
began publishing the Literary Apprentice,
which became the most prestigious 1930
college literary publication in the country. Philippine literature, according to Yabes
 entered upon its period of productivity.
• The Bureau of Education also published
Philippines
 Dead Stars Sursum Surda Filipino Poetry
It was written by Paz Marquez- The first known Philippine poem It was edited by Rodolfo Dato.
Benitez. Considered as the most in English which appeared in Known as the first anthology of
significant short story of the Philippine Free Press in 1907. Philippine poems.
period published by the
Philippine Herald on 20
September 1925.
 Thinking of
Ourselves
Compiled and edited by Vicente M.
Hilario and Eliseo M. Quirino.
Named as the first notable collection
of Philippine essays in English. The
essays actually dealt with English.
Dear Devices • The Radiant (1925) by Jorge
C. Bocobo 
It is a book of familiar essays. 
• Daughters for Sale (1924) by
The plays produced during this
Carlos P. Romulo 
period were described as mostly
• The Husband of Mrs. Cruz
highly emotional rather than
(1924) by Vidal A. Tan 
intellectual experiences, either
• The Waves (1924) by
contrived melodrama or broad
Hilarion P. Vibal
comedies.
 Child of Sorrow
Written by Zoilo M. Galang, was
the first Filipino novel in English.
Nadia The Man who Waited
• Written by Luis Serrano
Written by Zoilo M.Galang • All of these novels were simple.
• The relationship relationship
between between the characters
was too simple; it centered around
love and jealousy without any
other problem to complicate the
plot.
Thank you for
listening!
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