Introduction To Philippine Literature PDF

INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE LITERATURE WHAT IS LITERATURE?  The term literature is derived from the Latin word "littera" which means "a letter of the alphabet". According to the website Britannica, literature is traditionally defined as body of written works associated to imaginative and cre...

INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE LITERATURE WHAT IS LITERATURE?  The term literature is derived from the Latin word "littera" which means "a letter of the alphabet". According to the website Britannica, literature is traditionally defined as body of written works associated to imaginative and creative works of poetry and prose and can be classified according to variety of systems such as language, national origin, historical period, genre and subject matter.  Literature can either be in oral or written form. The oral literature handed down from one generation to another, then later on transformed into written form. The products of written literature are called literary text. A text can be considered literary if it has the elements of psychological characterization and chronology. Also, literature uses literary devices such as metaphor and symbolism. Reading for entertainment and learning is the most common reason why people read literature.  Simply, the best way to describe the characteristics of literary text is that (1) it narrates a story; (2) it expresses feelings, thoughts, and ideas which can either be based from the imagination or real-life experiences of the author or other people; and (3) it delivers significant information and crosses boundaries of time, places, cultures and languages.  Also, literature contains specific structure. Literary structure refers to the organizational method used in literature in which the most common type is the narrative. Parts of the narrative structure (or plot) are the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution (denouement). In a much broader context, literary structure is not only limited to content and form but this may also refer to "the general features or characteristic of genre, style, a specific literary trend, literature as an art form, and finally, art as a whole" (The Great Soviet Encyclopedia). For Murphy (n.d.), literary structure may involve arrangement of various elements according to purpose, style, and genre to effectively convey the intended meaning for the audience. TWO MAJOR FORMS OF LITERATURE Poetry. This literary type is usually written in lines and is characterized by having the element of rhythm, sound, imagery, and form. Its main purpose is to express feelings, thoughts, and ideas. It can be divided into three types: narrative, dramatic, and lyrical poetry. a.Narrative Poetry. This poetry tells a story and has the elements of a narrative such as characters, setting, conflict, etc. b.Dramatic Poetry. This is an emotionally appealing drama written in verse that tells a story and is intended to be recited or sung in front of the audience by a character speaking in poetry. c.Lyric Poetry. It is the most common type of poetry that focuses on expressing feelings rather than telling a story.  Prose. In contrast to poetry, this literary piece applies a natural flow of speech and grammatical structures which are mainly consisting of complete sentences arranged logically and sequentially in a paragraph form. a.Fiction. This serves as a product of the writer's wild imagination and creative thinking where the characters react to the conflict and various issues central to the main idea of a literary work. Its three types are: short story, novel, and novella. The main genres are crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction, western, inspirational, historical fiction and horror. b.Non-fiction. These are stories inspired by real events where the writers aim to present, interpret, or describe experiences based on facts. The judgments, opinions, and commentaries of the writers may be presented in the form of essays, journals, diaries, feature articles, editorials, and the like.  SOME EXAMPLES OF MAJOR FORMS OF LITERATURE POETRY PROSE NARRATIVE DRAMATIC LYRIC FICTION NON - FICTION Epic Dramatic Haiku Short Story Biography/ Ballad Monologue Ode Novel Autobiography Metrical Soliloquy Elegy Play Narrative Essay Tales Sonnet Legend Memoir Song Fable Diaries and Journal  PRE-SPANISH PERIOD All literary works produced before the Spanish colonization such as chants, proverbs, songs, and folk narratives are considered under pre-colonial period which are mostly of oral traditions. This is not because early Filipinos did not have system of writing yet but due to the unavailability of printing materials. Life was simple and so is literature during this period. If we have phones and other forms of technology to entertain us, our ancestors had literature for recreation who were noted for being music lover as more than 10 types of songs in various Philippine languages were discovered. Our forefathers also valued words of wisdom for teaching values as evidenced by numerous proverbs or salawikain. Story telling was used to explain phenomenon and to teach lessons as well. Having bugtong or riddles was also a favorite past time and listening to narratives of bravery, magic, and heroism in epics was a box office hit.  SPANISH PERIOD The focus of literature suddenly changed upon the arrival of Spaniards. An emphasis on morality and religion was common in literary forms such as Corrido, Pasyon, and Cenaculo. The production of printed materials started but it was mostly of religious purposes and themes. It was made in an attempt to instill traditional Spanish ways and cultures among the native Filipinos. Despite this indoctrination, native tradition still survived and flourished especially for areas where the colonial power was less popular. Literacy paved the way to develop sense of nationalism among Filipinos during the latter part of Spanish colonization. Filipinos started to write about oppression, corruption, and other social ills such as in the works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal entitled Noli Me Tangere and its sequel El Filibusterismo. AMERICAN PERIOD The literary production during the American Period was inspired by the developments in education and culture. Knowledge and information became accessible to all Filipinos because of the free public education. During the apprenticeship period, the Filipino writers imitated English and American models. All forms of literature were explored by Filipino writers. During this period, short stories were the most prevalent literary form. With the new knowledge of English language, many writers started to gain recognition both locally and internationally like Jose Garcia Villa who earned the International title, “Poet of the Century" as an example.  JAPANESE PERIOD Philippine Literature was interrupted in its development when we were conquered by Japan between 1941-1945 since freedom of expression was uncommon back then. Filipino writers in the Philippines were forbidden to write anything against the government and only those who were in exile had the privilege to do so. As a result of banning the English language, short stories written in the vernaculars flourished in the country.  The three most influential foreign invaders to the types of literature produced during colonial periods are Spanish, American, and Japanese wherein the common themes and subject mostly tackle about oppression, religion, freedom, or anything that reflects the experiences of Filipino people under the colonizers. The influences brought to us by colonial periods are said to have been extended up to the postcolonial periods especially in social and cultural dimensions. Post-colonial is the period after the rebirth of freedom in the Philippines up to the present. One of the most unforgotten and controversial periods during this era is having Martial Law during the Marcos regime. All of the periods mentioned are essential towards understanding the types of literature being produced in the Philippines. 1.Why is it important to learn about the pre-colonial literature of the Philippines? 2.How does the literature during the Spanish era differ from the literature during the pre-colonial era? 3.Which era do you think has been able to exert its influences the most? Why?  As a part of their learning portfolio, movie adaptation: the students’ will task to make a short skit, a modern retelling of a traditional story, or a multimedia presentation that will incorporate themes from the contemporary literature and reflect current issues  Students are divided into new groups. Each group is assigned an excerpt from colonial literature. They analyze themes, symbolism, and colonial influence.  Groups prepare a brief summary of their analysis and how it relates to the period's historical context.  Groups share their findings with the class.  Discuss the ways colonial literature reflects the political and social issues of its time.  SPANISH- FLORANTE AT LAURA by FRANCISCO BALAGTAS  AMERICAN- FOOTNOTE TO YOUTH by JOSE GARCIA VILLA  JAPANESE- LUPANG TINUBUAN by NARCISO G. REYES