WHAT IS LITERATURE?

 A body of written works. The name has traditionally been applied to those
imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their
authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution. Literature may
be classified according to a variety of systems, including language, national
origin, historical period, genre, and subject matter.

 Most generically, is anybody of written works. More restrictively, literature

refers to writing considered to be an art form or any single writing deemed to
have artistic or intellectual value, often due to deploying language in ways that
differ from ordinary usage. writings having excellence of form or expression
and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest.

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE?

Literature is important in everyday life because it connects individuals with larger
truths and ideas in a society. Literature creates a way for people to record their thoughts
and experiences in a way that is accessible to others, through fictionalized accounts of
the experience.
For students, studying literature is a critical component in education, as it teaches
students to see themselves reflected in art. This allows people to learn about life and
truth. Literature also helps people to see life from the perspective of another. Identity-
based literature teaches the reader what life is like for others, helping them to be more
understanding and respectful of those around them.

Here are just a few reasons why literature is important.

1. Expanding horizons

First and foremost, literature opens our eyes and makes us see more than just what the
front door shows. It helps us realize the wide world outside, surrounding us. With this,
we begin to learn, ask questions, and build our intuitions and instincts. We expand our
minds.

2. Building critical thinking skills

Many of us learn what critical thinking is in our language arts classes. When we read,
we learn to look between the lines. We are taught to find symbols, make connections,
find themes, learn about characters. Reading expands these skills, and we begin to look
at a sentence with a larger sense of detail and depth and realize the importance of
hidden meanings so that we may come to a conclusion.
3. A leap into the past

History and literature are entwined with each other. History is not just about power
struggles, wars, names, and dates. It is about people who are products of their time,
with their own lives. Today the world is nothing like it was in the 15th century; people
have changed largely. Without literature, we would not know about our past, our
families, the people who came before and walked on the same ground as us.

4. Appreciation for other cultures and beliefs

Reading about history, anthropology, or religious studies provides a method of learning

about cultures and beliefs other than our own. It allows you to understand and
experience these other systems of living and other worlds. We get a view of the inside
looking out, a personal view and insight into the minds and reasoning of someone else.
We can learn, understand, and appreciate it.

5. Better writing skills

When you open a book, when your eyes read the words and you take in its contents, do
you ask yourself: How did this person imagine and write this? Well, many of those
authors, poets, or playwrights used literature to expand their writing.

6. Addressing humanity

All literature, whether it be poems, essays, novels, or short stories, helps us address
human nature and conditions which affect all people. These may be the need for
growth, doubts and fears of success and failure, the need for friends and family, the
goodness of compassion and empathy, trust, or the realization of imperfection. We
learn that imperfection is not always bad and that normal can be boring. We learn that
life must be lived to the fullest. We need literature in order to connect with our own
humanity.

Literature is important and necessary. It provides growth, strengthens our minds and
gives us the ability to think outside the box.

WHAT ARE GENRES OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE?

Poetry

This is often considered the oldest form of literature. Before writing was invented, oral
stories were commonly put into some sort of poetic form to make them easier to
remember and recite. Poetry today is usually written down but is still sometimes
performed.
A lot of people think of rhymes and counting syllables and lines when they think of
poetry, and some poems certainly follow strict forms. But other types of poetry are so
free-form that they lack any rhymes or common patterns. There are even kinds of
poetry that cross genre lines, such as prose poetry. In general, though, a text is a poem
when it has some sort of meter or rhythm, and when it focuses on the way the syllables,
words, and phrases sound when put together. Poems are heavy in imagery and
metaphor and are often made up of fragments and phrases rather than complete,
grammatically correct sentences. And poetry is nearly always written in stanzas and
lines, creating a unique look on the page.

Poetry, as experienced in the classroom, is usually one of three types. There are the
shorter, more modern poems, spanning anything from a few lines to a few pages. Often
these are collected in books of poems by a single author or by a variety of writers. Edgar
Allen Poe’s “The Raven," is one of the most commonly taught poems of this type. Then
there are the classical, formulaic poems of Shakespeare’s time, such as the blank verse
and the sonnet. And finally, there are the ancient, epic poems transcribed from oral
stories. These long, complex poems resemble novels, such as Homer’s The Iliad and The
Odyssey.

Prose

Once you know what poetry is, it’s easy to define prose. Prose can be defined as any
kind of written text that isn’t poetry (which means drama, discussed below, is
technically a type of prose). The most typical varieties of prose are novels and short
stories, while other types include letters, diaries, journals, and non-fiction (also
discussed below). Prose is written in complete sentences and organized in paragraphs.
Instead of focusing on sound, which is what poetry does, prose tends to focus on plot
and characters.

Prose is the type of literature read most often taught in English classrooms. Any novel
or short story falls into this category, from Jane Eyre to Twilight and from “A Sound of
Thunder" to “The Crucible." Like poetry, prose is broken down into a large number of
other sub-genres. Some of these genres revolve around the structure of the text, such as
novellas, biographies, and memoirs, and others are based on the subject matter, like
romances, fantasies, and mysteries.

Drama

Any text meant to be performed rather than read can be considered drama (unless it’s a
poem meant to be performed, of course). In layman’s terms, dramas are usually called
plays. When written down the bulk of a drama is dialogue, with periodic stage
directions such as “he looks away angrily." Of all the genres of literature discussed in
this article, drama is the one given the least time in most classrooms. And often
when drama is taught, it’s only read the same way you might read a novel. Since
dramas are meant to be acted out in front of an audience, it’s hard to fully appreciate
them when looking only at pages of text. Students respond best to dramas, and grasp
their mechanics more fully when exposed to film or theater versions or encouraged to
read aloud or act out scenes during class.
The dramas most commonly taught in classrooms are definitely those written by the
bard. Shakespeare’s plays are challenging, but rewarding when approached with a little
effort and a critical mindset. Popular choices from his repertoire include Hamlet, Taming
of the Shrew, and Romeo and Juliet, among others. Older Greek plays are also taught fairly
often, especially Sophocles’ Antigone. And any good drama unit should include more
modern plays for comparison, such as Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

Non-Fiction

Poetry and drama both belong to the broader category of fiction—texts that feature
events and characters that have been made up. Then there is non-fiction, a vast category
that is a type of prose and includes many different sub-genres. Non-fiction can be
creative, such as the personal essay, or factual, such as the scientific paper. Sometimes
the purpose of non-fiction is to tell a story (hence the autobiography), but most of the
time the purpose is to pass on information and educate the reader about certain facts,
ideas, and/or issues.
Some genres of non-fiction include histories, textbooks, travel books, newspapers, self-
help books, and literary criticism. A full list of non-fiction types would be at least as
long as this entire article. But the varieties most often used in the classroom are
textbooks, literary criticism, and essays of various sorts. Most of what students practice
writing in the classroom is the non-fiction essay, from factual to personal to persuasive.
And non-fiction is often used to support and expand students’ understanding of fiction
texts—after reading Hamlet students might read critical articles about the play and
historical information about the time period and/or the life of Shakespeare.

Media

The newest type of literature that has been defined as a distinct genre is media. This
categorization was created to encompass the many new and important kinds of texts in
our society today, such as movies and films, websites, commercials, billboards, and
radio programs. Any work that doesn’t exist primarily as a written text can probably be
considered media, particularly if it relies on recently developed technologies. Media
literature can serve a wide variety of purposes—among other things it can educate,
entertain, advertise, and/or persuade.
More and more educators are coming to recognize the importance of teaching media in
the classroom. Students are likely to be exposed to far more of this type of literature
than anything else throughout their lives, so it makes sense to teach them how to be
critical and active consumers of media. Internet literacy is a growing field, for example,
since the skills required to understand and use online information differ in important
ways from the skills required to analyze printed information. Teaching media literacy is
also a great way for educators to help students become participants in their own
culture, through lessons on creating their own websites or home movies or
commercials.
All Fiction
Drama
Stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts
and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action.

Fable
Narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as humans;
legendary, supernatural tale.

Fairy Tale
Story about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children.

Fantasy
Fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites
suspension of reality.

Fiction
Narrative literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not
necessarily based on fact.

Fiction in Verse
Full-length novels with plot, subplot(s), theme(s), major and minor characters, in which
the narrative is presented in (usually blank) verse form.

Folklore
The songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk" as handed down by word
of mouth.

Historical Fiction
Story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting.
Horror
Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader.

Humor
Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain; but can be contained in all
genres

Legend
Story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, which has a basis in fact but also includes
imaginative material.

Mystery
Fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets.

Mythology
Legend or traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events, that reveals
human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the
actions of the gods.

Poetry
Verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses.

Realistic Fiction
Story that can actually happen and is true to life.

Science Fiction
Story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future
or on other planets.

Short Story
Fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots.

Tall Tale
Humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible
with nonchalance.
All Nonfiction
Biography/Autobiography
Narrative of a person's life, a true story about a real person.

Essay
A short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point.

Narrative Nonfiction
Factual information presented in a format which tells a story.

Nonfiction
Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject.

Speech
Public address or discourse.

21ST CENTURY LITERATURE GENRE

ILLUSTRATED NOVEL Story through text and illustrated images

Illustrated Novel • 50 % of the narrative is presented without words. • The reader must
interpret the images in order to comprehend completely the story. • Textual portions
are presented in traditional form. • Some illustrated novels may contain no text at all. •
Span all genres.
DIGI-FICTION Triple Media Literature
Digi-Fiction • Combines three media: book, movie/video, and internet website. • In
order to get the full story, students must engage in navigation, reading, viewing, in all
three formats.
Graphic Novels Narratives in comic Book formats
Graphic Novels • Narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using
comic form. • The term is employed in a broad manner, encompassing non-fiction
works and thematically linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number
of genres.
Manga Japanese word for comics
Manga • It is used in the English-speaking world as a generic term for all comic books
and graphics novels originally published in Japan. • Considered as an artistic and
storytelling style. • Ameri-manga – sometimes used to refer to comics created by
American artists in manga style.
• Shonen - Boy’s Manga (Naruto, Bleach, One Piece) • Shojo – Girl’s Manga (Sailor
Moon) • Seinen – Men’s Manga (Akira) • Josei – Women’s Manga (Loveless, Paradise
Kiss) • Kodomo – Children’s Manga (Doraemon, Hello Kitty)
Doodle Fiction
Doodle Fiction • Literary presentation where the author incorporates doodle writing
and drawings, and handwritten graphics in place of traditional font. • Drawing
enhance the story, often adding humorous elements that would be missing if the
illustrations were omitted.
Text-Talk Novels
Text-Talk Novels • Blog, email, IM format narratives • Stories told almost completely in
dialogue simulating social network exchanges.
Chick Lit or Chick Literature
Chick Literature • Is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often
humorously and lightheartedly. • Chick it typically features a female protagonist
whose womanhood is heavily thermalized in the plot.
Flash Fiction
Flash Fiction • Is a style of fictional literature of extreme brevity • There is no widely
accepted definition of the length of the category. It could range from word to a
thousand
Six-Word Flash Fiction
Flash Fiction • Ernest Hemingway: For sale: baby socks, never worn. • Margaret
Atwood: Longed for him. Got him. Shit.
Science Fiction
Science Fiction • Is a genre of speculative fiction dealing with imaginative concepts
such as futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light
travel, parallel universe and extraterrestrial life. • Often explores the potential
consequences of scientific and other innovations and has been called a “literature of
Ideas”.
Blog • A web log ; a website containing short articles called posts that are changed
regularly. • Same blogs are written by one person containing their own opinions,
interests and experiences, while others are written by many different people.
Creative Non-Fiction
Creative Non-Fiction • Also known as literary non-fiction or narrative non-fiction • A
genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate
narratives. • Contrasts with other non-fiction, such as technical writing or journalism,
which is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service to its craft.
• As a genre, creative non-fiction is still relatively young, and is only beginning to be
scrutinized with the same critical analysis given to fiction and poetry.
Hyper Poetry Digital poetry that uses links using hypertext mark-up
• It can either involved set words, phrases, lines, etc. that are presented in variable
order but sit on the page much as tradition poetry does, or it can contain parts of the
poem that move and/or mutate. • It is usually found online, through CD-ROM and
diskette versions exist. The earliest examples date to no later than the mid 1980s. Hyper
Poetry

PERIODS OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

Pre-Colonial Times

Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists,

we are able to know more and better judge information about our pre-colonial times set
against a bulk of material about early Filipinos as recorded by Spanish, Chinese, Arabic
and other chroniclers of the past.

Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcase a rich past through their folk
speeches, folk songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that
affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.

The most seminal of these folk speeches is the riddle which is tigmo in
Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog, paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol. Central to the
riddle is the talinghaga or metaphor because it "reveals subtle resemblances between two
unlike objects" and one's power of observation and wit are put to the test. While some
riddles are ingenious, others verge on the obscene or are sex-related:

Gaddang:

Gongonan nu usin y amam If you pull your daddy's penis

Maggirawa pay sila y inam. Your mommy's vagina, too,

(Campana) screams. (Bell)

The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs

or they instill values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming verse.

The extended form, tanaga, a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing

insights and lessons on life is "more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and
thus has affinities with the folk lyric." Some examples are the basahanon or extended
didactic sayings from Bukidnon and the daraida and daragilon from Panay.

The folk song, a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the
people's lifestyles as well as their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous,
didactic and naive as in the children's songs or Ida-ida (Maguindanao), tulang
pambata (Tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag).
 A few examples are the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like
the panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade (Cebuano); the bayok (Maranao);
the seven-syllable per line poem, ambahan of the Mangyans that are about human
relationships, social entertainment and also serve as a tool for teaching the young; work
songs that depict the livelihood of the people often sung to go with the movement of
workers such as the kalusan (Ivatan), soliranin (Tagalog rowing song) or the mambayu, a
Kalinga rice-pounding song; the verbal jousts/games like the duplo popular during
wakes.

Other folk songs are the drinking songs sung during carousals like the tagay
(Cebuano and Waray); dirges and lamentations extolling the deeds of the dead like
the kanogon (Cebuano) or the Annako (Bontoc).

A type of narrative song or kissa among the Tausug of Mindanao, the parang sabil,
uses for its subject matter the exploits of historical and legendary heroes. It tells of a
Muslim hero who seeks death at the hands of non-Muslims.

The folk narratives, i.e. epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and magical. They
explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics,
why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna and, in the case
of legends, an explanation of the origins of things. Fables are about animals and these
teach moral lessons.

Our country's epics are considered ethno-epics because unlike, say, Germany's
Niebelunginlied, our epics are not national for they are "histories" of varied groups that
consider themselves "nations."

The epics come in various

names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud (Ifugao);
and Ulahingan (Manobo). These epics revolve around supernatural events or heroic
deeds and they embody or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community.
These are sung or chanted to the accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments
and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals by chanters. The
chanters who were taught by their ancestors are considered "treasures" and/or
repositories of wisdom in their communities.

Examples of these epics are the Lam-

ang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan (Li
vunganen-Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Maiden of the Buhong
Sky from Tuwaang--Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon); and Tudbulol (T'boli).
The Spanish Colonial Tradition

While it is true that Spain subjugated the Philippines for more mundane reasons,
this former European power contributed much in the shaping and recording of our
literature. Religion and institutions that represented European civilization enriched the
languages in the lowlands, introduced theater which we would come to know
as komedya, the sinakulo, the sarswela, the playlets and the drama. Spain also brought to
the country, though at a much later time, liberal ideas and an internationalism that
influenced our own Filipino intellectuals and writers for them to understand the
meanings of "liberty and freedom."

Literature in this period may be classified as religious prose and poetry and secular
prose and poetry.

Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and Tagalog
were included in early catechism and were used to teach Filipinos the Spanish
language. Fernando Bagonbanta's "Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de sin sempiternas"
(Unending thanks) is a fine example that is found in the Memorial de la vida cristiana en
lengua tagala (Guidelines for the Christian life in the Tagalog language) published in
1605.

Another form of religious lyrics are the meditative verses like the dalit appended
to novenas and catechisms. It has no fixed meter nor rime scheme although a number are
written in octosyllabic quatrains and have a solemn tone and spiritual subject matter.

But among the religious poetry of the day, it is the pasyon in octosyllabic quintillas
that became entrenched in the Filipino's commemoration of Christ's agony and
resurrection at Calvary. Gaspar Aquino de Belen's "Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu
Christong Panginoon natin na tola" (Holy Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Verse) put
out in 1704 is the country's earliest known pasyon.

Other known pasyons chanted during the Lenten season are in Ilocano, Pangasinan,
Ibanag, Cebuano, Bicol, Ilongo and Waray.

Aside from religious poetry, there were various kinds of prose narratives written to
prescribe proper decorum. Like the pasyon, these prose narratives were also used for
proselitization. Some forms are: dialogo (dialogue), Manual de Urbanidad (conduct
book); ejemplo (exemplum) and tratado (tratado). The most well-known are Modesto de
Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza" (Correspondence
between the Two Maidens Urbana and Feliza) in 1864 and Joaquin Tuason's "Ang
Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in 1879, an adaptation of Daniel Defoe's novel.
 Secular works appeared alongside historical and economic changes, the emergence
of an opulent class and the middle class who could avail of a European education. This
Filipino elite could now read printed works that used to be the exclusive domain of the
missionaries.

The most notable of the secular lyrics followed the conventions of a romantic
tradition: the languishing but loyal lover, the elusive, often heartless beloved, the rival.
The leading poets were Jose Corazon de Jesus (Huseng Sisiw) and Francisco Balagtas.
Some secular poets who wrote in this same tradition were Leona Florentino, Jacinto
Kawili, Isabelo de los Reyes and Rafael Gandioco.

Another popular secular poetry is the metrical romance, the awit and korido in
Tagalog. The awit is set in dodecasyllabic quatrains while the korido is in octosyllabic
quatrains. These are colorful tales of chivalry from European sources made for singing
and chanting such as Gonzalo de Cordoba (Gonzalo of Cordoba) and Ibong
Adarna (Adarna Bird). There are numerous metrical romances in Tagalog, Bicol, Ilongo,
Pampango, Ilocano and in Pangasinan. The awit as a popular poetic genre reached new
heights in Balagtas' "Florante at Laura" (ca. 1838-1861), the most famous of the country's
metrical romances.

Again, the winds of change began to blow in 19th century Philippines. Filipino
intellectuals educated in Europe called ilustrados began to write about the downside of
colonization. This, coupled with the simmering calls for reforms by the masses gathered
a formidable force of writers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Emilio
Jacinto and Andres Bonifacio.

This led to the formation of the Propaganda Movement where prose works such as
the political essays and Rizal's two political novels, Noli Me Tangere and the El
filibusterismo helped usher in the Philippine revolution resulting in the downfall of the
Spanish regime, and, at the same time planted the seeds of a national consciousness
among Filipinos.

But if Rizal's novels are political, the novel Ninay (1885) by Pedro Paterno is largely
cultural and is considered the first Filipino novel. Although Paterno's Ninay gave
impetus to other novelists like Jesus Balmori and Antonio M. Abad to continue writing
in Spanish, this did not flourish.

Other Filipino writers published the essay and short fiction in Spanish in La
Vanguardia, El Debate, Renacimiento Filipino, and Nueva Era. The more notable essayists
and fictionists were Claro M. Recto, Teodoro M. Kalaw, Epifanio de los Reyes, Vicente
Sotto, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Rafael Palma, Enrique Laygo (Caretas or Masks, 1925)
and Balmori who mastered the prosa romantica or romantic prose.
 But the introduction of English as medium of instruction in the Philippines hastened
the demise of Spanish so that by the 1930s, English writing had overtaken Spanish
writing. During the language's death throes, however, writing in the romantic tradition,
from the awit and korido, would continue in the novels of Magdalena Jalandoni. But
patriotic writing continued under the new colonialists. These appeared in the
vernacular poems and modern adaptations of works during the Spanish period and
which further maintained the Spanish tradition.

Literature Under the Spanish Colonialism and Nationalistic/revolutionary Period

LITERATURE UNDER THE SPANISH COLONIALISM
To serve the dual purpose of territorial expansion and evangelization, literature was
needed.Parish priest was practically the only Spaniards who had direct contact with
the Filipinos. Spain established its first permanent settlement in the Philippines in 1565
and imposed on the Filipinos the Spanish monarchy and the Roman Catholic Religion
WHAT DO WE KNOW?
LADINOS These are bilingual natives who translated some literary works.
Content: MOSTLY RELIGIOUS, LIVES OF SAINTS
PRINTING PRESS came into existence.
Nature of literary works ✣Medium was TRI-LINGUAL (Castillian, Tagalog, Dialects of
various communities) ✣ Ancient literary forms were enriched with literary forms
patterned after the European Metrical Romances ✣Oral Literature was Christianized
INFLUENCES Alibata…but this was latter replaced by Roman alphabet
INFLUENCES CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
INFLUENCES SPANISH LANGUAGE became the literary language
INFLUENCES European legends and traditions
INFLUENCES Ancient literature was collected and translated into TAGALOG
INFLUENCES GRAMMAR BOOKS were printed in Tagalog
INFLUENCES Periodicals gained a RELIGIOUS TONE
Folk songs: Pamulinawen, Leron Leron Sinta, Sarong Banggi, Atin cu pung Singsing,
Dandansoy
CENAKULO
ZARZUELA
TIBAG
PANUNULUYAN
CARILLO
LITERATURE DURING THE NATIONALISTIC/ REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
Addressed the masses instead of the intelligentsia Language shifted form  Literature
planked seeds of nationalism un Filipinos CHARACTERISTICS
Propaganda literature Attacks were mostly directed to friars who were considered
responsible for the oppression of the Filipinos.
kalayaan To stir the masses’ yearning for freedom; because of this advocacy, Katipunan
inevitably grew its rank as a reputable organization fighting for the country’s freedom.
Propaganda Literature- written documents with peaceful means and words.
a. Political Essays- talks about the new articles, newspapers, editorials, or any
written which exposes the anomalies of the Spanish government.
 Diaryong Tagalog- founded by Marcelo H. Del Pilar
 Marcelo H. Del Pilar was a member of SOLIDARIDAD in Madrid and the second
editor of La Solidaridad. He was regarded as the Most Dangerous by the
Spaniards due to his strong words. PLARIDEL was his pen name.

 La Solidaridad-Graceano Lopez Jaena as editor

 He was the first editor of La Solidaridad. He was was regarded as the ORATOR
because of his good works.

b. Political Novels- these are novels which is used to describe the Spanish
government in the Philippines.
 Noli Me Tangere- it's meaning is "touch me not". This was written by Dr. Jose
Rizal. It is a novel aboutbthe story of Crisostomo Ibarra which is also related to
the life of Rizal.
 El Filibusterismo- the continuation of Noli Me Tangere. It means "The Reign of
Greed"

 This 2 novels of Rizal paved the way of the revolution.

The American Colonial Period

A new set of colonizers brought about new changes in Philippine literature. New
literary forms such as free verse [in poetry], the modern short story and the critical
essay were introduced. American influence was deeply entrenched with the firm
establishment of English as the medium of instruction in all schools and with literary
modernism that highlighted the writer's individuality and cultivated consciousness of
craft, sometimes at the expense of social consciousness.

The poet, and later, National Artist for Literature, Jose Garcia Villa used free verse
and espoused the dictum, "Art for art's sake" to the chagrin of other writers more
concerned with the utilitarian aspect of literature. Another maverick in poetry who
used free verse and talked about illicit love in her poetry was Angela Manalang Gloria,
a woman poet described as ahead of her time. Despite the threat of censorship by the
new dispensation, more writers turned up "seditious works" and popular writing in the
native languages bloomed through the weekly outlets like Liwayway and Bisaya.

The Balagtas tradition persisted until the poet Alejandro G. Abadilla advocated
modernism in poetry. Abadilla later influenced young poets who wrote modern verses
in the 1960s such as Virgilio S. Almario, Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S. Tinio.
 While the early Filipino poets grappled with the verities of the new language,
Filipinos seemed to have taken easily to the modern short story as published in
the Philippines Free Press, the College Folio and Philippines Herald. Paz Marquez Benitez's
"Dead Stars" published in 1925 was the first successful short story in English written by
a Filipino. Later on, Arturo B. Rotor and Manuel E. Arguilla showed exceptional skills
with the short story.

Alongside this development, writers in the vernaculars continued to write in the

provinces. Others like Lope K. Santos, Valeriano Hernandez Peña and Patricio Mariano
were writing minimal narratives similar to the early Tagalog short fiction
called dali or pasingaw (sketch).

The romantic tradition was fused with American pop culture or European
influences in the adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan by F. P. Boquecosa who
also penned Ang Palad ni Pepe after Charles Dicken's David Copperfield even as the realist
tradition was kept alive in the novels by Lope K. Santos and Faustino Aguilar, among
others.

It should be noted that if there was a dearth of the Filipino novel in English, the
novel in the vernaculars continued to be written and serialized in weekly magazines
like Liwayway, Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Bannawag.

The essay in English became a potent medium from the 1920's to the present. Some
leading essayists were journalists like Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge Bocobo, Pura Santillan
Castrence, etc. who wrote formal to humorous to informal essays for the delectation by
Filipinos.

Among those who wrote criticism developed during the American period were
Ignacio Manlapaz, Leopoldo Yabes and I.V. Mallari. But it was Salvador P. Lopez's
criticism that grabbed attention when he won the Commonwealth Literay Award for
the essay in 1940 with his "Literature and Society." This essay posited that art must have
substance and that Villa's adherence to "Art for Art's Sake" is decadent.

The last throes of American colonialism saw the flourishing of Philippine literature
in English at the same time, with the introduction of the New Critical aesthetics, made
writers pay close attention to craft and "indirectly engendered a disparaging attitude"
towards vernacular writings -- a tension that would recur in the contemporary period.

The Contemporary Period

 The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially
with the appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence
of committed literature in the 1960s and the 1970s.

Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and essays
whether these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention
or not.

Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the
proliferation of writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available
to him via the mass media including the internet. The various literary awards such as
the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press,
Philippine Graphic, Home Life and Panorama literary awards encourage him to
compete with his peers and hope that his creative efforts will be rewarded in the long
run.

With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher Education of teaching of

Philippine Literature in all tertiary schools in the country emphasizing the teaching of
the vernacular literature or literatures of the regions, the audience for Filipino writers is
virtually assured. And, perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the
literatures of the world will not be far behind.

DIFFERENT PERIODS OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (--BC to 1564) A. Characteristics 1.Based on oral

traditions 2.Crude on ideology and phraseology B. Literary Forms Oral
Literature a. Riddles (bugtong) – battle of wits among participants Tigmo –
Cebu Paktakon – Ilonggo Patotdon – Bicol b. Proverbs (salawikain) – wise
sayings that contain a metaphor used to teach as a food for thought etc. c. Tanaga - a
mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessonson life is "more
emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus hasaffinities with the folk lyric."
2.Folk Songs It is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the
people'slifestyles as well as their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic
andnaivea. Hele or oyayi – lullaby b. Ambahan (Mangyan) – 7-syllable
per line poem that are about humanrelationships and social entertainment c. Kalusan
(Ivatan) - work songs that depict the livelihood of the peopled. d. Tagay (Cebuano and
Waray) – drinking song. e. Kanogan (Cebuano) – song of lamentation for the dead
Folk Tales Myths – explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess
certain characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or
fauna. Legends – explain the origin of things Why the Pineapple Has EyesThe Legend
of Maria Makiling c. Fables – used animal characters and allegoryd.Fantasti stories –
deal with underworld characters such as “tiyanak”,“aswang”, “kapre” and others.
Epics These are “narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition revolving
aroundsupernatural events or heroic deeds” (Arsenio Manuel) Examples: Lam-ang
(Ilocano) Hinilawod (Panay) Kudaman (Palawan) Darangen (Maranao)
II. SPANISH COLONIZATION PERIOD (1565 – 1863) Characteristics 1. It has two
distinct classifications: religious and secular It introduced Spanish as the medium of
communication. B.Literary Forms 1. Religious Literature - Religious lyrics written
by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and Tagalog were included in early
catechism and were used toteach Filipinos the Spanish language. a. Pasyon – long
narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ. The most popular was “Ang
Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Cristong Panignoon Natin” byAguino de Belen b.Senakulo
– dramatization of the pasyon, it shows the passion and death of Christ Secular
(non-religious) Literature a.Awit - colorful tales of chivalry made for singing and
chanting Example: Ibong Adarna b.Korido – metrical tale written in octosyllabic
quatrainsExample: Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar c. Prose Narratives –
written to prescribe proper decorum i. Dialogo iii. Ejemplo ii.Manual de
Urbanidad iv. tratado Examples: Modesto de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang
Binibini na siUrbana at si Feliza" and Joaquin Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The
New Robinson) in 1879. III. NATIONALISTIC / PROPAGANDA AND
REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD(1864 – 1896) Characteristics Planted seeds of
nationalism in Filipinos Language shifted from Spanish to Tagalog3.Addressed the
masses instead of the “intelligentsia” B.Literary Forms 1. Propaganda Literature -
Reformatory in objective a. Political Essays – satires, editorials and news articles were
written to attackand expose the evils of Spanish rule i.Diariong Tagalog – founded by
Marcelo del Pilar ii.La Solidaridad – whose editor-in-chief is Graciano Lopez-Jaena
Political Novels i. Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo – Jose Rizal’s masterpiecesthat
paved the way to the revolution 2.Revolutionary Literature – more propagandistic
than literary as it is moreviolent in nature and demanded complete independence for
the country a.Political Essays – helped inflame the spirit of revolutioni. Kalayaan –
newspaper of the society, edited by Emilio Jacinto b. Poetry True Decalogue –
Apolinario Mabini Katapusang Hibik ng Pilipinas –Andres Bonifacio Liwanag at Dilim
– Emilio Jacinto IV. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1910 – 1945) Period
of Apprenticeship (1910-1930) 1.Filipino Writers imitated English and American
models 2.Poems -- written were amateurish and mushy, which phrasing and diction
is awkward and artificial. a.Short Stories i.Dead Stars – Paz Marquez Benitez ii.The
Key – Paz Latorena iii.Footnote to Youth – Jose Garcia Villa b.Novels i. Childe of
Sorrow – first novel in English, by Zoilo Galang B. Period of Emergence (1920-1930)
Highly influenced by Western literary trends like Romanticism and Realism. a. Short
Stories – most prevalent literary form i. Jose Garcia Villa – earned the international title
“Poet of theCentury” V. JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1942 - 1960)
War Years (1942-1944) 1. Tagalog poets broke away from the Balagtas tradition and
insteadwrote in simple language and free verse 2.Fiction prevailed over poetry a.25
Pinakamabuting Maikling Kthang Pilipino (1943) – compilation of theshort story contest
by the military government. Suyuan sa Tubigan – Macario Pineda Lupang Tinubuan –
Narciso Reyes Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa – Liwayway ArceoB.Period of Maturity and
Originality (1945-1960) 1.Bountiful harvest in poetry, fiction, drama and essay
2.Filipino writers mastered English and familiarized themselves iwhtdiverse techniques
3.Literary “giants” appeared a. Palanca Awards for Literature i.Jose Garcia Villa ii.Nick
Joaquin iii.NVM Gonzales iv.Bienvenido Santos v.Gregorio Brillantes vi.Gilda
CorderoFernando b.National Artist Awards i.Jose Garcia Villa ii.Nick Joaquian
CONTEMPORARY/MODERN PERIOD (1960 – PRESENT) A. Characteristics
1.Martial Law repressed and curtailed human rights, including freedom of thepress
2.Writers used symbolisms and allegories to drive home their message, at theface of
heavy censorship Theater was used as a vehicle for protest, such as the PETA (Phil.
Educational Theater Association) and UP Theater. From the eighties onwards, writers
continue to show dynamism and innovation