Philippine Oral Traditions: Riddles, Proverbs & Songs

• PHILIPPINE ORAL TRADITIONS

Riddles

• Short, rhymed verses presenting an object indirectly by stating its characteristics or peculiarities.
• Example: "Its entrails are long and it can fly, but then becomes lazy when no wind goes by" , the answer is "kite".

Proverbs

• Contain advice or state a basic truth.
• Reflect folk wisdom on how to act, live, and relate to others.
• Example: A Bogobo proverb, "A man who does not work becomes a beggar".

Songs

• A set of words or short poems meant to be sung in a certain type of music.

• Examples include "Bahay Kubo", "Leron Leron Sinta", and "Paruparong Bukid".

• STRUCTURAL CONTEXT

Rhyme

• Repetition of similar sounds in two or more words.
• To identify a rhyme scheme: observe the last words of each line, identify the rhyming words, and put a letter beside each line to signify their rhymes.
• Example: The moonlight glows on waves of calm and deep (A);While shadows play where twilight secrets sleep (A); The night unfolds with whispers soft and clear (B); And stars above like ancient guides appear (B); In dreams we find a world of endless peace (C); Where worries drift and all our troubles cease (C); The heart feels light as moonbeams gently fall (D); Embracing night's serene and silent call (D).

Meter

• The number of syllables each line.
• If there is only one number for the meter, it means that is the same meter for the whole literary piece.
• If there are different numbers, it means those are the meters of the different lines.
• Example: Each line has 10 syllables.

Diction

• The linguistic choices the writer uses.

Mood

• The feeling we get when we read a literary piece.

Tone

• Refers to the author's attitude toward a subject.

• TYPES OF POETRY

Lyric Poetry

• Focuses on presenting thoughts, feelings, emotions, and personal experiences of an individual.
• Usually presented from the 1st person view.
• Contains sensory images that appeal to the 5 senses.

Narrative Poetry

• Tells a story.
• Has a plot.
• Usually presented from the 3rd person view.

Dramatic Poetry

• Addresses the poem to someone or something.

• Meant to be spoken or performed.

• BASIC ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY

Setting

• Time and place where the story happens.
• Example: "One stormy evening, in a big and creepy mansion."

Characters

• The people, animals, or creatures that participate in the plot of the story.
• Two types of characters: protagonist (the main character) and antagonist (the opposing side).

Conflict

• The struggle between different forces.
• An issue, problem, or obstacle that drives the character to move forward.
• Three types of conflict: man vs man, man vs nature/society, and man vs himself.

Plot

• A series of events that make up a story.
• Two types of plots: linear (situation > problem > attempted solution > result) and flashback (a type of plot wherein a part in a plot structure goes back to the former event to explain a certain part of the story).

Theme

• The main message about life or human nature that the author wants to convey through the story.
• Example: "Jealousy can lead to bad results."

Moral

• The directive of the story/what one must learn.
• Example: "Always be kind and do not let envy take over you."

Point of View

• The lens through which the story is told.

• Three types of point of view: 1st person (the author/narrator is part of the story, uses pronouns "I", "me", "my", "we", "our"), 2nd person (addresses the reader directly, uses the pronoun "you"), and 3rd person (the author/narrator talks about others, uses pronouns "he", "she", "it", "they", "them").

• THE CYCLE OF THE SUN AND THE MOON

• Folktale can be found in pages 26-27 of your ECAS.

• PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH

Topic Sentence

• Main idea with the writer's attitude.
• Usually the first sentence of a paragraph.

Body

• Supporting details of the topic.
• Helps explain, prove, or enhance the topic sentence.

Concluding Sentence

• Also known as "clinching sentence".

• Reminds the reader of the main goal by rewriting it in a shorter description.

• Usually the last sentence of a paragraph.

• PATTERNS OF PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT

Description

• Provides information about the topic.
• Gives context to help the reader understand the subject better.
• Example: Filipino people are known for their hospitable and warm personalities.

Sequence

• Tells events chronologically.
• Often used in instructions.

Compare and Contrast

• Shows how two things are alike and different.
• Example: Even though scientists and poets strive for perfection, each has a different way of achieving it.

Cause-and-Effect

• Explains why an event happened and its result.
• Example: Colonization impacts the political, social, economic, and cultural environments of the nation.

Problem-Solution

• Presents on issue and suggests a way to fix it.

• Example: Traffic congestion can be lessened if public transportation systems are improved.

• LINEAR AND NON-LINEAR TEXT

Linear Text

• Traditional texts that need to be read from beginning to end.
• Uses the same method of reading the way children are taught.
• Typically includes printed texts: newspaper articles, essays, and news features.

Non-Linear Text

• Texts with visuals/graphs.

• Non-sequential.

• Follows skimming to obtain specific information.

• Typically includes digital texts: infographics, concept maps/graphic organizers and pie or bar charts.

• PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES

What are propaganda techniques?

• Disseminate information - facts, rumours, half-truths, or lies.
• Influence public opinion.
• Sway the opinion of the masses with words.

Testimonials

• Utilize well-known or reputable personalities to strengthen the message.
• Examples include basketball player Kyrie Irving promoting Nike's new Kyrie 1 basketball shoes or Filipino celebrity Vice Ganda advertising McDonald's chicken.

Plain Folks

• Makes use of the power and projects regular people in its ads to demonstrate that they value the service/product.
• Opposite of testimonials.
• Examples include Nescafe using farmers to promote their products and Lucky Me displaying ordinary people to advertise their Pancit Canton.

Stereotyping

• An assumption/idea regarding a group that is applied to specific people.
• Examples include GlutaMAX promoting skin whitening by reinforcing colorism stereotypes and Dove ad giving the impression that a Black woman transforms into a White woman after using the product.

Fear Appeals

• Scares people in either refraining or engaging in a particular activity.
• Insurance ad warning people to wear seatbelts as example.