Introduction to Literature Concepts

Definition of Literature

• Literature is a deliberate manifestation of the mind's ability to create and imagine according to Matthew Arnold.
• Literature is a criticism of life.
• Literature is an analysis of experience and a synthesis of findings into a unity.
• Literature anticipates life rather than copying it.
• Literature serves a purpose to teach about individuals, society, and culture.
• Literature can be a tool for self-improvement.

Characters

• Antagonist is a person actively opposed to or hostile to someone or something, working against the protagonist.
• Static Character does not significantly change throughout a story.
• Dynamic Character undergoes changes in personality and perspective throughout a story.
• Flat Character does not change significantly from the beginning of the narrative to the end.

Setting

• Setting provides a physical and societal description of the context of a story, including period, location, and social milieu that frame the characters.
• Setting is used to establish atmosphere or mood.

Story Themes

• Story themes are communicated through characters, setting, dialogue, narrative, or a combination.
• Common themes include good vs evil, love, redemption, courage, and perseverance.

Style

• Each writer has a unique writing style.
• A story's style includes not only word choice (diction) but also how words are strung together in phrases (syntax), how sentences build up and reflect the writer's views.

Literary Non-Fiction

• Autobiography is a detailed narrative of a person's life written by that person.
• Biography is a written narrative of someone's life, typically written by someone else.

Poetry

• Poetry emphasizes how words and rhythm work together.
• Dramatic Poetry: Consists of poems in which everything is conveyed through the words of a single speaker.

Philippine Literature

• Expressed in verbal or written forms and categorized into prose and poetry.
• Influenced by the West
• Depicts the people's lives, thoughts, and feelings.
• Hele or Oyayi: A Philippine lullaby sung to put a baby or child to sleep.

Literary Forms of Contemporary Literature

• Protest Literature: A form of literature that challenges or criticizes existing social, political, or economic systems.
• Proletarian Literature: Literature that focuses on the lives and struggles of the working class.
• Prison Literature: Literature written by people who have been incarcerated, often exploring themes of imprisonment, isolation, and hope

Philippine Literary Periods

• Pre-Colonial Period: Time before the arrival of Spanish colonization.
• Spanish Colonial Period: Time period when the Philippines was under Spanish rule.
• American Colonial Period: Time period when Philippines was ruled by the United States.
• Japanese Colonial Period: Time period when the Philippines was occupied by Japan.
• Contemporary Period : Period after the Philippines gained independence from American colonization.

Japanese Colonial Period

• Improvement and originality of writing style in English became evident.
• Themes of nationalism, love, barrio life, and the arts were common in poems.
• Literary works during this time reflected themes of resistance.
• Notable incorporation of Japanese cultural elements into Filipino literature.

Period of Self-Discovery

• Filipino Writers became fluent in English.
• Noli Me Tangere (Jose Rizal): Criticized Spanish colonization.
• El Filibusterismo (Jose Rizal): A sequel to Noli Me Tangere that continues the fight against Spanish rule.

Forms of Literature During the Japanese Colonial Period

• Short Stories:
  • "Footnote To Youth" (Jose Garcia Villa)
  • "How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife" (Manuel Arguilla)
• Poems:
  • "Manila: A Collection of Verses" (Luis Dato)
  • "Bamboo Flute" (Marcelo De Gracia Concepcion)
  • "Moon Shadows on the Water" (Aurelio S. Alvero)

Forms of Literature During the Contemporary Period

• Graphic Novels
• Blogs
• Spoken Poetry
• Flip Top Battles:
  • A battle of wits among participants played by asking questions or statements purposefully phrased to necessitate deductive reasoning to determine its answer.
• Rap: A genre of popular music developed in the 1970s by inner-city African Americans in the Bronx borough of New York City.
• Hugot Lines/Pickup Lines: A phrase or sentence that conveys a personal emotion, feeling, or thought.

Forms of Oral Literature

• Proverbs (Salawikain): Wise sayings that hold metaphors to teach life lessons and values.
• Tanaga: A mono-rhyming heptasyllabic quatrain with one rhyme offer wisdom and lessons from life.
• Folk Songs (Awiting Bayan): Songs passed down orally from generation to generation and depict people's lives and struggles.

This quiz explores the fundamental concepts of literature, including definitions, character types, and the significance of setting. Understand how literature reflects and critiques life while enhancing knowledge about individuals and society. Test your understanding of these essential literary elements!