Filipino Literature During the Japanese Occupation

Filipino Literature during the Japanese Occupation

• Common themes in poems during this period include nationalism, country, love, and life in the barrios, faith, religion, and the arts.
• Three types of poems emerged during this period:
  • Haiku: a poem of free verse with 17 syllables divided into three lines, allegorical in meaning, and short in scope.
  • Tanaga: a short poem with 17 syllables, rhyme, and allegorical meaning.
  • Karaniwang Anyo (Usual Form): a common form of poetry, similar to those mentioned in earlier chapters.

Filipino Drama during the Japanese Period

• The drama experienced a lull during this period due to the closure of movie houses showing American films.
• Movie houses were converted to stage shows.
• Karagatan: a poetic vehicle of a socio-religious nature celebrated during the death of a person.
• Duplo: a poetic joust in speaking and reasoning, replaced Karagatan.
• Balagtasan: a poetic joust or contest of skills in debate on a particular topic or issue, replaced Duplo.
• Dung-aw: a chant in free verse by a bereaved person beside the corpse of the dead.
• Awit and Corrido: narrative poetry forms, with Awit referring to chanting and Corrido referring to narration.

The Period of Enlightenment (1872-1898)

• Started with the execution of the GOMBURZA (Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, Jacinto Zamora) on February 17, 1872, at Bagumbayan.
• The Propaganda Movement aimed to achieve equal treatment for Filipinos and Spaniards under the law.

Early Literary Works

• Nuestra Señora del Rosario: the second book printed in the Philippines, written by Fr. Blancas de San Jose in 1602.
• Libro de los Cuatro Postprimeras de Hombre: the first book printed in typography.
• Ang Barlaan at Josephat: a Biblical story translated to Tagalog from Greek, believed to be the first Tagalog novel published in the Philippines.
• The Pasion: a book about the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ, with four versions in Filipino.
• Urbana at Felisa: a book by Modesto de Castro, influencing the behavior of people in society.
• Ang Mga Dalit kay Maria (Psalms for Mary): a collection of songs praising the Virgin Mary, written by Fr. Mariano Sevilla in 1865.

Literary Compositions

• Artes y reglas de la lengua tagala (Arts and rules of the Tagalog language): written by Fr. Blancas de San Jose and translated into Tagalog by Tomas Pinpin in 1610.
• Comprendio de la lengua tagala (Understanding the Tagalog language): written by Fr. Gaspar de San Agustin in 1703.

Explore the topics and themes of Filipino literature during the Japanese occupation, focusing on poetry, drama, and short stories. Discover the common themes found in poems from this period, such as nationalism, love, and life in the provinces.