Philippine Literature

Historical Development of Philippine Literature

• Pre-Spanish literature was spontaneous, instinctive, and expressed in its dialect with crude ideology and phraseology.
• Common literary forms of pre-colonial literature were folk epics, lyric poetry, folklore, myths, songs, proverbs, and riddles.
• Literature during Spanish colonization focused on Christian faith and imitated Spanish themes, forms, and traditions with repetitious plots.
• The rise of the printing press in the 19th century enabled faster dissemination of works during Spanish colonization.
• Common literary types during Spanish colonization were Pasyon, Komedya, Awit, Korido, and Prose.
• The Propaganda movement and the Revolution were important in relation to works during Spanish colonization.
• Literature under American colonization saw Spanish continuing to dominate the elite and English becoming the official language of communication.
• Important writers and works during American colonization were Lope K. Santos, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Jose Garcia Villa, and Severino Reyes.
• Some writers turned to Filipino during the Japanese occupation, and there was an underground movement in nationalist literature.
• Famous writers who started their careers during WWII include Macario Pineda, Liwayway Arceo, and NVM Gonzales.
• Literature after Edsa saw the entry of New Criticism and resurgence of the nationalist movement with students as core during the Martial Law years.
• Filipino literature flourished in various languages, and the emergence of creative nonfiction widened the span of prose during the contemporary period.

Test your knowledge of Philippine literature with this quiz on its historical development! From pre-Spanish literature to contemporary works, learn about the different literary forms, themes, and movements that have shaped Philippine literature. Discover the important writers and works during different periods of colonization and the emergence of new forms of prose during the contemporary period. Challenge yourself and see how much you know about the rich literary heritage of the Philippines.