Introduction to Literature

Literature Defined

• Body of written works expressing human experiences in various forms and styles.
• Serves as a reflection of humanity and a means of communication.
• Can be found in both written and oral forms.
• Derives from the Latin word "littera," or "letters."

Literary Forms

• Oral Literature: Traditions passed down through storytelling and song.
• Written Literature: Historical and contemporary works recorded and preserved through writing.

Views on Literature

• Aristotle: Literature imitates life, especially through tragedy.
• Evokes emotions, particularly catharsis, acting as an art mirroring human experiences.
• T.S. Eliot: Tradition shapes literary works, interconnecting them in a vast cultural and historical context.

Importance of Literature

• Enhances critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Fosters empathy and emotional intelligence.
• Explores complex themes and human experiences.
• Broadens cultural and historical understanding.
• Improves communication and language skills.
• Stimulates creativity and imagination.
• Encourages ethical and moral reflection.
• Provides an escape and a source of comfort.
• Preserves and transmits culture.

Genres of Literature

• Poetry: Uses creative, compressed language with symbolism to evoke emotions.
• Verse: Line of poetry, often rhythmic.
• Stanza: Group of verses forming a section.
• Rhyme: Repetition of similar sounds.
• Meter: Pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables.
• Prose: Straightforward writing without structured meter or rhyme.
• Fiction: Imaginative writing, like novels and short stories.
• Nonfiction: Factual writing, such as essays and reports.
• Characters: Individuals driving the story.
• Setting: Time and place of the story.
• Plot: Sequence of events.
• Mood: Emotional atmosphere.
• Point of View: Story's perspective.
• Theme: Central message.
• Drama: Intended for stage performance, using prose and verse.
• Setting: Physical and temporal location.
• Stage Directions: Instructions for actors/crew.
• Dialogue: Spoken words between characters.
• Characters: Figures interacting in the narrative.

Definitions of Literature

• Webster's Definition: Preserved writings belonging to a language or people.
• Henry Van Dyke: Writings interpreting nature and life with charm and power, reflecting the author's personality.
• Teofilo del Castillo and Buenaventura S. Medina: A faithful, artistic reproduction of life.
• Cleanth Brooks, John Thibaut, and Robert Penn Warren: Picture of life with its own truth, including elements that science omits.
• Edilberto K. Tiempo, Miguel A. Bernard, and Edith L. Tiempo: An expression of meaning articulated through form.

Types of Literature

• Oral Literature: Verbal expressions passed down through generations.
• Written Literature: Permanent capture of human thoughts and emotions for study and preservation.

Reasons for Writing

• Self-expression: Expressing emotions and ideas.
• Spread Knowledge and Information: Educating or entertaining.
• Pass on Ideas and Values: Shaping moral standards.
• Impart Truth and Wisdom: Assisting in analysis and decision-making.

Prose Forms

• Fiction: Includes short stories, novels, and plays.
• Short Story: Brief narrative focused on a single character or situation. Example: "Dead Stars" by Paz Marquez Benitez.
• Novel: Extended narrative with multiple characters and plot. Example: "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe.
• Play: Story told through dialogue and action. Example: "Call Me Flory" by Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero.
• Legend: Traditional story explaining origins.
• Fable: Animal-based story imparting a moral lesson.
• Non-Fiction: Includes essays, orations, biographies, and news.
• Essay: Short writing on a viewpoint.
• Oration: Formal speech.
• Biography: Account of someone’s life.
• Autobiography: Self-written life account.
• News: Reports on events.
• Letters, Diaries, and Journals: Personal records conveying thoughts.

Poetry Forms

• Narrative Poetry: Tells a story.
• Epic: Heroic deeds.
• Ballad: Short narrative song.
• Dramatic Poetry: Story through dialogue.
• Dramatic Monologue: Poem revealing personality.
• Lyric Poetry: Expresses emotions or thoughts.
• Haiku: Japanese poem with 17 syllables in a 5-7-5 format.
• Ode: Expresses praise.
• Elegy: Reflective poem on loss.
• Sonnet: 14-line poem with rhyme scheme.
• Song: Meant to be sung.

Imagery and Figurative Language

• Imagery: Descriptive language appealing to senses.
• Figurative Language: Deviating from literal meaning.
• Simile: Comparison using "like" or "as." Example: "She is as cold as ice."
• Metaphor: Direct comparison. Example: "Time is a thief."
• Personification: Giving human qualities. Example: "The wind whispered."
• Synecdoche: Part represents whole. Example: "All hands on deck."
• Metonymy: Related term refers to something. Example: "The White House announced."
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration. Example: "A million things to do!"
• Oxymoron: Contradictory terms. Example: "Bittersweet."
• Paradox: Contradictory statement revealing truth. Example: "Less is more."
• Allusion: Reference to a known figure or event. Example: "He's the Romeo."
• Onomatopoeia: Imitates sounds. Example: "Tick-tocked."
• Litotes: Understatement. Example: "Not bad at all."
• Apostrophe: Addresses absent person/object. Example: "O Death."
• Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds. Example: "Peter Piper."
• Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds. Example: "Rain in Spain."
• Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds at ends of words. Example: "Lumpy bumpy road."

Pre-Spanish Period

• Oral tradition dominated, passed down through generations.
• Early Filipinos expressed themselves through songs, stories, poetry, and proverbs, reflecting the people's values, beliefs, and experiences.
• Literature was maintained by storytellers and poets with excellent memories.
• Written forms were underdeveloped, often destroyed by the Spanish.
• Written on perishable materials such as bamboo and tree bark.

Types of Pre-Spanish Filipino Literature

• Legends (Alamat): Fictional stories about the origin of things. Example: The Legend of Mount Makiling
• Folk Tales (Kwentong Bayan): Depicting love, life, adventure with moral lessons. Example: The Moon and the Sun
• Epics (Epiko): Long narrative poems on heroic deeds, sung or chanted. Example: Biag ni Lam-ang (Ilocano)
• Myths: Stories explaining origins of natural phenomena and customs. Example: The Myth of Malakas and Maganda
• Folk Songs (Kundiman, Harana, etc.): Reflecting hopes and lifestyles.

Types of Folk Songs

• Kundiman: Traditional love song expressing deep emotion. Traditional Filipino love song expressing deep emotion.
• Kumintang: Song conveying valor of warriors.
• Ang Dalit o Imno: Hymns praising deities.
• Oyayi or Hele: Lullabies. Example: Ili-ili
• Soliranin: Work songs.
• Harana: Serenade expressing affection.

Other Forms of Pre-Spanish Poetry

• Epigrams (Salawikain): Rules on good behavior.
• Riddles (Bugtong): Cryptic phrases describing objects.
• Chants (Bulong): Ritualistic, associated with supernatural practices.
• Sayings (Kasabihan): Commentary on actions with moral significance.

Spanish Influences

• Alibata replaced by Roman alphabet.
• Christian Doctrine shaped religious literature.
• Spanish language integrated into Filipino languages.
• First books in the Philippines
• Doctrina Cristiana (1593): First printed book in the Philippines.
• Nuestra Senora del Rosario (1602): Biographies of saints.
• Libro de los Cuatro Post Primeras de Hombre : First book printed using typography.
• Ang Barlaan at Josephat (1720): First Tagalog Bible story.
• Urbana at Felisa (1864): Letters teaching good behavior.
• Ang Mga Dalit Kay Maria (1865): Hymns praising Virgin Mary.

Recreational Plays and Theatrical Forms

• Tibag: Dramatizes Saint Helena’s search for the True Cross.
• Cenaculo : Reenactment of the Passion of Christ.
• Panunuluyan: Depicting Joseph and Mary's search for an inn.
• Salubong: Meeting of the Risen Christ and Mary.
• Carillo: Shadow play.
• Zarzuela: Musical comedy about human passions.
• Sainete: Short comedic play about lower-class characters.
• Moro-Moro: Battle between Christians and Muslims.
• Karagatan: Poetic contest to win a princess's hand.
• Balagtasan: Poetic debate.
• Dung-aw: Chant expressing grief at a wake.

American Period (1898–1946)

• Free public education introduced.
• English as the medium of instruction.
• Literary production reflects national discourse and desire for independence.

Literary Periods During the American Colonization

• Period of Apprenticeship (1910-1930): Imitation of Western forms.
• Period of Emergence (1920-1930): Growth of Filipino literature in English.
• Jose Garcia Villa dubbed "Poet of the Century".

Key Literary Works and Authors

• Short Stories
• Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez: First short story in English by a Filipino.
• The Small Key by Paz Latorena.
• Footnote to Youth by Jose Garcia Villa.
• Novels
• Child of Sorrow by Zoilo Galang: First novel in English by a Filipino.

The Role of Newspapers

• El Nuevo Dia, founded by Sergio Osmena in 1900: Known for its nationalistic articles.

Plays Reflecting Nationalism

• Kahapon, Ngayon, at Bukas by Aurelio Tolentino : Depicts oppression by Americans.
• Tanikalang Ginto by Juan Abad: Explores freedom from colonial domination.
• Walang Sugat by Severino Reyes : Portrayal of Filipino nationalism.

Characteristics of Literature During the American Period

• Shift toward English, varied use of Filipino vernaculars.
• Spanish writers focused on traditional themes.
• Tagalog writers focused on social issues and love for native language.
• English writers reflected Western literary traditions.

Regional Literature

• Ilocano Literature:
• Pedro Bukaneg: "Father of Ilocano Literature."
• Claro Caluya: "Prince of Ilocano Poets."
• Kapampangan Literature:
• Juan Crisostomo Soto: "Father of Kapampangan Literature."
• Aurelio Tolentino: Translated works into Kapampangan.
• Visayan Literature:
• Eriberto Gumban: "Father of Visayan Literature."
• Magdalen Jalandoni: Famous for her novel Tunuksan Isa Ca Bulaklak.

Philippine Literature During the Japanese Occupation (1941–1945)

• Marked by repression, censorship, and hardship.
• English was heavily restricted, promoting Tagalog.

Impact of Japanese Occupation on Philippine Literature

• English Language Restriction: Banned English in newspapers, with exceptions.
• Limited Freedom of Speech: Strict censorship.
• Liwayway Magazine: Managed by a Japanese official.

Theme of Literature During the Period

• Nationalism: Resistance against foreign occupation.
• Love and Life in the Barrios: Everyday lives of Filipinos.
• Faith and Religion: Maintaining hope and resilience.
• Language and Medium of Writing
• Tagalog as the Preferred Language: Promoted by the military government.
• Writers in the United States: Continued to write freely.

Notable Literary Forms

• Poetry
• Haiku: Traditional Japanese poetic form with 17 syllables in three lines (5-7-5).
• Tanaga: 17 syllables arranged in a specific rhyme scheme.
• Short Stories Filipino included Brigido Batungbakal, Macario Pineda, Serafin Guinigundo, Liwayway Arceo, Narciso Ramos, NVM Gonzales, Alicia Lopez Lim, Ligaya Perez, and Gloria Guzman. First Prize: Lupang Tinubuan by Narciso Reyes Second Prize: Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa by Liwayway Arceo Third Prize: Lunsod, Nayon at Dagat-Dagatan by NVM Gonzales

Plays

• Notable plays Panday Pira by Jose Ma. Hernandez, Sa Pula, Sa Puti by Francisco Soc Rodrigo ,Bulaga by Clodualdo del Mundo ,Sino Ba Kayo?, Dahil sa Anak, and Higante ng Patay by Julian Cruz Balmaceda.

Significant Figures in Literature

• Carlos P. Romulo – Won the Pulitzer Prize for books capturing experiences during the war.
• Journalists and Essayists:
• Salvador P. Lopez – Known for his essay Literature and Society.
• Leon Ma Guerrero – A journalist and writer known for his works during this period.
• Raul Manglapuz – A journalist who contributed to the literary scene.
• Carlos Bulosan – A writer known for his works that explored Filipino identity and the experience of Filipinos in America.
• Short Story Writers:
• Nick Joaquin – A key figure in post-World War II literature.
• Bienvenido Santos, Gregorio Brillantes, Gilda Cordero – Important writers of fiction during and after the war.

The Rebirth of Freedom (1946-1970)

• "Recovering Era" after WWII and Japanese rule.
• Independence from American and Japanese colonization.

Philippine Literature during the Post-War Period

• Transitional phase from American style to modern, self-expressive style.
• Writers explored expression, identity, and national psyche.
• Newspapers confirmed more readership for English works.
• Ginto sa Makiling by Macario Pineda significant post-WWII novel.
• Lazaro Francisco leading figure in Tagalog fiction.
• Sugat sa Alaala (1950) – Reflection on war and resilience.
• Maganda Pa ang Daigdig (1956) – Focus on agrarian issue.
• Daluyong (1962) – Critique of American-influenced corruption.
• Amado Hernandez wrote about social justice and oppression.
• Feminism in Literature:
• Lilia Quindoza Santiago contributed with Sa Ngalan ng Ina.

Challenges Faced

• Guerrilla warfare by Hukbalahap neutralized by Ramon Magsaysay

Common Themes in Post-War Philippine Literature

• Romanticism, nationalism, independence, and nature.

Prominent Filipino Writers

• N.V.M. Gonzales (1915-1999) -Known for conveying the Filipino spirit. -Taught at various universities and received literary awards.
• Macario Pineda (1912-1950) -Tagalog writer famous for Filipino themes.
• Stevan Javellana (1918-1977) -Guerrilla fighter known for "Without Seeing the Dawn".