Filipino Literary Works Quiz

Origin of Literature

• The word "literature" comes from the Latin word "littera," meaning "letters."
• Literature refers to a body of written works from a culture, philosophy, or religion, presented in either prose or poetry.

History of Philippine Literature

Pre-Colonial Period

• All literatures originated from oral traditions.
• Filipinos were referred to as "natives," "ethnic minorities," or "tribal."
• Oral literature includes:
  • Riddles (Bugtong) - use metaphors to convey the answer to the riddle.
  • Proverbs (Salawikain) - express wisdom or beliefs from wise men or elderly.
  • Folk songs:
    • Lullabies (Hele) - sung to put babies to sleep.
    • Drinking Song (Tagay) - sung during drinking sessions.
    • Love Song (Harana) - done by men to court women.
    • Songs of Death - sung to immortalize one's good deeds.
  • Folk Tales - chanted orally at feasts and rituals, often to inspire and entertain.
  • Myths - aim to explain how things were created.
  • Epics - long, supernatural narratives about a hero's adventure, aided by spirits.

The Spanish Period

• The Spanish colonizers first settled in the Philippines in 1565.
• The Roman Catholic religion was one of the major contributions they brought.
• The Philippines was colonized for 333 years.
• Baybayin writing was suppressed as it was considered "blasphemous" by the friars.
• All literature in this period is religious in nature.
• Notable works:
  • Doctrina Christiana - the first book published in the Philippines, written by Fr. Juan de Placencia and Fr. Domingo Nieva.
  • Pasyon - a narrative about the Passion, journey, and death of Jesus Christ.
  • Senakulo (Cenaculo) - a reenactment of the Passion of Christ.
  • Komedya - depicts the battle between Christians and Saracens or Moros.

Non-Secular or Non-Religious Literature

• Revolves around tales, valiance, and adventure.
• Notable works:
  • Awit - tales of chivalry with a knight saving a princess, in 12 syllables or dodecasyllabic.
  • Korido - a metrical tale or poem, in 8 syllables or octasyllabic, recited to a martial beat.

Propaganda Literature

• A way of sharing information to influence public opinion.
• Forms of satires, editorials, and news articles that attacked the Spanish rulers.
• Notable works:
  • Graciano Lopez Jaena's Ang Fray Botod - exposing the friars in the Philippines.
  • Marcelo H. Del Pilar's Ang Cadaquilaan ng Dios (God's Goodness) - a catechism aimed against parish priests.
  • Dr. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere (Latin: Touch Me Not) - a novel that gave spirit to the propaganda movement.

The American Period

• Free Verse and New Criticism became popular among poets.
• Short Stories were the most prevalent literary form.
• Filipino writers transitioned from using regional languages and Spanish to English.
• Notable works:
  • Jose Corazon de Jesus' poetry, popularly known as "Batute."
  • Severino Reyes' Sarsuwela (drama in the form of singing) - a Filipino adaptation of the Spanish Zarzuela.
  • Walang Sugat - a drama depicting the cruelty and corruption of friars and the heroism of Katipunan soldiers.

Genres of Literature

• Genre refers to a type of art, literature, or music characterized by a specific form, content, and style.
• The 5 main genres of literature are:
  • Poetry
  • Drama
  • Fiction
  • Non-Fiction
  • Criticism

Literary Elements

• Plot - the sequence of events that make up a story.
• Exposition - the beginning of the story where characters, setting, and background are introduced.
• Rising - the complication/conflicts begin to unfold.
• Climax - the greatest tension in the story.
• Falling Action - reaching the conclusion where conflicts are resolved.
• Denoument (French: Ending) - where the story reaches finality.
• Theme - the central idea, topic, or point of a story.
• Point of View - the perspective from which the story is told.
  • First Person - seeing the events through the eyes of the characters.
  • Second Person - the narrator is speaking to the reader.
  • Third Person - the narrator is describing what's seen but as a spectator.

Literary Techniques

• Methods used by writers to craft elements of a story.
• Examples include:
  • Allegory - telling a story within a story.
  • Allusion - referencing another work.
  • Analogy - comparing two unrelated objects for their common qualities.
  • Back Story - previous events in the story.
  • Foreshadowing - hinting at something that will happen within the story.
  • Flashback - abrupt interjections that further explain a story or character with background information and memories.
  • Imagery - bringing people, places, and events to life.
  • Juxtaposition - the placement of two things together to highlight their differences.

Rhetorical Devices

• Simile - comparing two fundamentally dissimilar things that have certain qualities in common using "like" or "as."

Test your knowledge on Filipino literary works by authors like Del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Dr. Jose Rizal. Explore themes such as exposing the Friars in the Philippines, tragedies of marrying Spaniards, and critiques on parish priests.