Introduction to Philippine Literature PDF

INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE LITERATURE OBJECTIVE: Identify literature and its various genres, forms, elements, and traditions; ANSWER ME! If you were to write about something that pertains to the current condition of the Philippines, what would be your topic or subject about? Discus...

INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE LITERATURE OBJECTIVE: Identify literature and its various genres, forms, elements, and traditions; ANSWER ME! If you were to write about something that pertains to the current condition of the Philippines, what would be your topic or subject about? Discuss your inspirations for choosing your topic. WHAT IS IT? 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. CHARACTERISTICS OF LITERARY TEXT (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. 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) the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution (denouement) TAKE NOTE: 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 1. 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  TWO MAJOR FORMS OF LITERATURE 2. 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 SHORT QUIZ! 1. It is derived from the Latin word "littera" which means "a letter of the alphabet". SHORT QUIZ 2. According to the website Britannica, literature is traditionally defined as ____________________ associated to imaginative and creative works of poetry and prose SHORT QUIZ 3. The products of written literature is called_______________ SHORT QUIZ 4. It refers to the organizational method used in literature in which the most common type is the narrative. SHORT QUIZ 5. This literary type is usually written in lines and is characterized by having the element of rhythm, sound, imagery, and form. SHORT QUIZ 6. This poetry tells a story and has the elements of a narrative such as characters, setting, conflict, etc. SHORT QUIZ 7. 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. SHORT QUIZ 8. It is the most common type of poetry that focuses on expressing feelings rather than telling a story SHORT QUIZ 9. The main purpose of this type of literary is to express feelings, thoughts, and ideas SHORT QUIZ 10. The sequence of events within a story ANSWER: 1. literature 2. body of written works 3. literary text 4. literary structure 5. poetry 6. Narrative Poetry 7. Dramatic Poetry 8. Lyric Poetry 9. Poetry 10. plot LET’S TRY Some famous literary works in the Philippines are listed below. Identify to which type or genre each literary work belongs MYTH ESSAY NOVEL EPIC DRAMA SHORT STORY 1. "Biag ni Lam-ang" anonymous 2. "Noli me Tangere" by Jose Rizal 3. "What Is an Educated Filipino" by Francisco Benitez 4. "Footnote to Youth" by Jose Garcia Villa 5. "How the World Began" anonymous ASSIGNMENT: As a result of colonization, it is common in almost all countries who experienced oppression and inequality to reflect their rich experiences in literature. If social media already existed from pre-colonial period up to Marcos time and you lived in each era, what would be your social media status in each period of history? Post your status in each period. ASSIGNMENT:  PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING THE PRECOLONIAL PERIOD The precolonial literature includes all literature produced before the Spanish colonization like : 1. chants: Bari-bari Apo, makidalan ti tao(Iloko chant) 2. salawikain: “Ang gawa sa pagkabata, dala hanggang pagtanda.” 4. bugtong: Dala mo, dala ka, dala ka ng iyong dala. 5. songs such as the Oyayi or Hele: “Manang Biday”, “Pamulinawen”, and “Naraniag a Bulan” 6: folk narratives  These were all passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Philippine folk narratives are varied and distinct. They depict the people’s livelihood, customs, and traditions. 1. FOLKTALE – This is a characteristically anonymous, timeless, and placeless tale circulated orally among people. Folktales about Juan are very popular. Some emphasize certain virtues, and some serve as warning about behavior. Also, some are for the reader’s amusement. EXAMPLE: Juan Gathers Guavas (Tagalog) Juan Pusong and His Father’s Cows (Visayan) 2. FABLE – This features animal characters or inanimate objects that behave like people. The monkey is a common animal character in Philippine fables. It is often depicted as a cunning animal EXAMPLE: The Monkey and the Crocodile (Tagalog) 3. LEGEND – This is presented as history but is unlikely to be true. There are different Filipino legends of the great flood. The story of Bukidnon, for instance, tells that a huge crab caused the water to rise by going into the sea. On the other hand, the Igorot story tells that the sons of Lumawig the Great Spirit caused the flood. EXAMPLE: The Flood Story (A Legend of Bukidnon) The Flood Story (A Legend of the Igorot) 4. MYTH – This is told to explain a belief, a practice, or a natural phenomenon. There are Philippine versions of the creation myth. The Igorot’s story tells that Lumawig the Great Spirit created people. On the other hand, the Tagalog story tells that the first man and woman came from a bamboo. EXAMPLE: The Creation (An Igorot Myth) The Creation (A Tagalog Myth) 5. EPIC – This narrative poem celebrates the adventures and achievements of a hero. The Philippine epics are sung or chanted in episodes. They feature supernatural characters and reflect the society where they originated.Also, there are different versions of a story. Example: Biag ni Lam-ang (Iloco) Hinilawod (Panay) EXAMPLE: Biag ni Lam-ang (Iloco) Hinilawod (Panay)  PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING THE SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD The works during this time are imitative of the Spanish theme, forms, and traditions. The corrido, awit, dalit, cenaculo, moro-moro, duplo and karagatan, and zarzuela are reflective of the said characteristics. Religious matters were in prose as novenas and prayer books, biographies of the saints, tales and novels. The Filipinos were able to retain their native traditions and poems in the field of poetry reflected as lyrical folksongs and riddles. Some examples of songs are Bahay Kubo, kundiman, and tapat. Francisco Baltazar also was popular during this time because of his“Florante at Laura”  The corrido: a poem narrating historical or legendary events awit: dalit: a type of short Filipino poem, consisting of four lines with eight syllables each. cenaculo:The Senakulo (or cenaculo) is the staged re- enactment of Christ's passion and death  moro-moro: a form of theater premised on battles between Christians and Moors performed in village fiestas in the Philippines from the Spanish colonial period to the present. duplo and karagatan: tulang padula zarzuela: a type of theatrical play with songs and dance.  The Spanish missionaries taught the gospel through the native language, so they hired natives to translate Spanish religious instructional materials. Eventually, the natives became fluent in Spanish and became known as ladinos. Ladinos mainly wrote devotional poetry. Two of them were Fernando Bagongbanta and Gaspar Aquino de Belen. Bagongbanta wrote “Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de sin sempiternas,” which appeared in Memorial de la vida cristiana en lengua tagala (1605), a book containing basic Catholic doctrines. On the other hand, de Belen wrote “Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon natin na tola” (1704), the earliest version of pasyon. FRANCISCO BALTAZAR (1788-1862), the master of traditional Tagalog poetry, became well-known for his work Florante at Laura (1838–1861), the most famous metrical romance of the country. PEDRO PATERNO (1857–1911) wrote Sampaguitas y poesias varias (1880), the first poetry collection in Spanish by a Filipino; and the novel in Spanish Ninay (1885), considered to be the first Filipino novel. J JOSE RIZAL (1861–1896) a prominent ilustrado and the country’s national hero, is famous for the novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. These novels portray the corruption and abuse of the Spanish officials and the clergy. ANDRES BONIFACIO (1863–1897) the founder of the Katipunan, wrote the poem “Pagibig sa Tinubuang Lupa.” This poem appeared in the Kalayaan, the official newspaper of the Katipunan, in March 1896 LEONA FLORENTINO (1849–1884) known as the “mother of Philippine women’s literature,” was a poet in both Ilocano and Spanish. Twenty of her poems were preserved and exhibited in Europe. The poems were included in the Encyclopedia International des Oeuvres des Femme in 1889. PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING THE AMERICAN PERIOD (1898–1940) The US established a civil government in 1901. Free public education was introduced. Also, English was the medium of instruction. The production of literary works in English is the direct result of the American colonization of the Philippines. The first collection of poetry in English is Filipino Poetry (1924), edited by Rodolfo Dato.  The short story “Dead Stars” (1925) by Paz Marquez Benitez is considered as the first Filipino modern short story in English. A Child of Sorrow (1921) by Zoilo M. Galang is the first Filipino novel in English. The novel His Native Soil (1940) by Juan C. Laya won first prize in the First Commonwealth Literary Awards in 1940. Filipino writers in English during the apprenticeship period (1900–1930) imitated American writing.  The poet Fernando Maramag writes in the Romantic tradition in his sonnet “Moonlight on Manila Bay” (1912). Filipino fictionists copied Sherwood Anderson, William Saroyan, and Ernest Hemingway. Jose Garcia Villa used the Anderson pattern. Manuel Arguilla and N. V. M. Gonzalez were influenced by Anderson and Hemingway. In his writings, Arguilla used local color, a literary technique that features the unique regional traditions of people and emphasizes the ordinary events in their lives. Francisco Arcellana was influenced by Saroyan PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING THE JAPANESE PERIOD (1941-1945) During the occupation, publications were censored by the military. Also, Tagalog was declared an official language (together with Nihonggo). In effect, Philippine literature in English came to a halt. Some Filipino writers then turned to writing in Filipino.  The Tagalog short story reached its maturity during the period. The best works were compiled by the Liwayway magazine editors in Ang Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino ng 1943, which came out in 1944. It is a collection of stories that won a contest sponsored by the Japanese. The top four stories were “Lupang Tinubuan” by Narciso G. Reyes, “Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa” by Liwayway Arceo, “Nayon at Dagat-dagatan” by N. V. M. Gonzalez, and “Suyuan sa Tubigan” by Macario Pineda. PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE POST WAR AND CONTEMPORARY PERIOD Post war and contemporary literature include all literary works written and published in the Philippines from 1946. After World War II, the Philippines had to deal with the economy and the need for rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructures. There was political, economic, and social confusion, as well as great poverty, and these issues found their way into the short stories and novels during that time.  During the post war period, Filipino writers got their inspiration from American teachers and were able to learn their techniques, which also helped in mastering the English language. Writers wrote fiction that focused on courageous deeds as well as the sacrifices and suffering in the lives of Filipinos. It was also common for writers to write about the experiences of the Filipino people under the Spanish and American rule and the Japanese Occupation. ‘ Other subjects and themes include religious faith, superstitious, fantasy, social problems, poverty, politics, nationalism and morality  Philippine literature flourished even more during the postwar and contemporary period. Writers were able to produce short stories, novels, essays, and poems that continue to be read by Filipinos today. Nick Joaquin, a National Artist for Literature awardee, wrote articles under the name of Quijano de Manila. His short story "May Day Eve," published in 1947, is about love in a patriarchal society. It also made use of magic realism. F. Sionil Jose, one of the most widely read Filipino writers in English, wrote the short story "Waywaya," which is about pre-Hispanic society and the people’s struggle for moral order. Francisco Sionil Jose was born on December 3, 1924 in Rosales, Pangasinan.  Alejandro Roces, a Filipino author, essayist, and dramatist, wrote the short story "We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers." This story focuses on the drinking habits and culture of Filipinos and Americans. Edith L. Tiempo's poem "The Return" is a sentimental piece that talks about life in old age. Horacio de la Costa wrote the essay "History and Philippine Culture," which emphasizes the importance of understanding and presenting a nation’s culture. Stevan Javellana wrote the first post war Filipino novel in English, Without Seeing the Dawn. This novel narrate what people experienced during World War II under the Japanese rule in the Philippines.  In addition Ilocano literature was also popular even during the precolonial period up to the present. Ilocano literature, next to the Tagalog, is believed by scholars to be the richest and most highly developed in the Philippines. Ilocano literature can be traced back at least to the early 17th century. There are a large number of religious documents, poems, riddles (burburcha), proverbs, epic stories, folksongs, and other literary works that belong to this tradition. There is a sizable body of Ilocano literature, including newspapers and periodicals like the Bannawag.  Some of the most notable Ilocano fictionists include Manuel Arguilla of La Union (author of “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” and “Morning in Nagrebcan”); Carlos Bulosan of Pangasinan (author of “America is in the Heart”, “My Father’s Tragedy”, and “Father Goes to Court”); Amador T. Daguio of Ilocos Norte (author of “A Wedding Dance”); Francisco Sionil José of Pangasinan (author of “The God Stealer” and “My Brother, My Executioner”); Pedro Bukaneg of Bantay, Ilocos Sur (Father of Ilocano Literature and the acknowledged author of the “Epic of Biag ni Lam-ang”). SHORT QUIZ! Read each item carefully, choose the letter of the best answer. Use CAPITAL letter.  1. Period which includes all literature produced before the Spanish colonization like chants, proverbs, songs, and folk narratives. A. American B. Contemporary C. Japanese D.Pre-colonial  2. It is considered as the first Filipino modern short story in English. A. Breaking the Silence B. Dead Stars C.Man of Earth D. May Day Eve  3. How was precolonial literature passed down from generation to generation? A. by printing B. by reading C. by writing D. by word of mouth  4. It is a native drama that depicted the war between Christians and Muslims. A. Fliptop B. moro-moro C. talumpati D. Sarzuela 5. He is the master of traditional poetry and author of Florante at Laura. A. Francisco Baltazar B. Jose Rizal C.Gaspar Aquino de Belen D. Pedro Paterno  6. It was during this period when literary works were censored yet contributed to the maturity of Tagalog short story A. American period B. Japanese period C.Pre-colonial period D. Spanish period 7. Who is the Ilocano fictionist who wrote “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife”? A. Amador Daguio B. Francisco Sionel Jose C.Carlos Bulosan D. Manuel Arguilla IDENTIFICATION 8.) This is a characteristically anonymous, timeless, and placeless tale circulated orally among people. Some emphasize certain virtues, and some serve as warning about behavior. Also, some are for the reader’s amusement. 9.) This narrative poem celebrates the adventures and achievements of a hero. 10.) This is told to explain a belief, a practice, or a natural phenomenon.  1. D ANSWER 2. B 3. D 4. B 5. A 6. B 7. D 8. FOLKTALE 9. EPIC 10. MYTH