Literature and Bagay Poetry in the Contemporary Period

Literature

• Literature refers to writing considered to be an art form or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value.
• It sometimes deploys language in ways that differ from ordinary usage.

Contemporary Period

• The contemporary period oscillated between personal expression and social commentary.
• The "Bagay" movement emerged during this period, characterized by the use of colloquial language and concrete images.
• Notable poets of the "Bagay" movement include Jose F. Lacaba, Rolando Tinio, Bienvenido Lumbera, Antonio Samsaon, and Edmundo Martinez.

Notable Literary Works

• "Valediction sa Hillcrest" by Rolando S. Tinio is a poem about a person's dilemma between two places, Tondo and New York, and its effect on their whole being.
• "Ang Bayang Malaya" by Amado V. Hernandez is a long narrative piece about a peasant leader, focusing on oppression and fighting for human rights.

National Artists for Literature

• Jose Garcia Villa is a Filipino poet, literary critic, short story writer, and painter who focuses on current events and social problems, often with historical themes.
• Edith L. Tiempo is a poet, fictionist, and literary critic, and the only woman to be honored as National Artist for Literature.

Decorative Arts

• Decorative arts include interior design, but not architecture, and focus on the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional.
• Examples of decorative arts include cloth weaving, such as T'nalak and Inabel, and papercut designs, like those used in San Miguel Bulacan fiestas.

Folk Art

• Pabalat is a folk art that originated among the townsfolk, reflecting their traditional culture.
• The Giant Lantern Festival in City of San Fernando, Pampanga, showcases giant lanterns designed with different colors and lights.

Spoken Poetry

• Spoken poetry is a poetic performance art that focuses on the aesthetics of word play, such as intonation and voice inflection.

Music

• Music combines vocal and instrumental sounds to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.
• During the early American period, music was mostly classical, due to European influence, while in the 1960s, avant-garde music emerged, combining classical, traditional, and ethnic music.