ACTIVITY 2

Name : Mike Joshua C. Tidalgo

Course & Year BSREM
Instructor : Levanta, Tolentino

1. What are:
a. Legends are a stories about human events or actions that has not been proved nor documented in
real history. Legends are retold as if they are real events and were believed to be historical accounts.
They usually tell stories about things that could be possible, so both the storyteller and the audience
may believe they are true.

b. Folktales are stories originating and traditional among a people or folk, especially one forming part of
the oral tradition of the common people.

c. Epics are long poems, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and
adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation.

d. Folk songs are  songs originating among the people of a country or area, passed by oral tradition from
one singer or generation to the next, often existing in several versions, and marked generally by
simple, modal melody and stanzaic, narrative verse.

e. Epigrams are short, often satirical poems dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending
with a witty or ingenious turn of thought.

f. Riddles are questions or statements so framed as to exercise one's ingenuity in answering it or

discovering its meaning
a
g. Chants are a repeated rhythmic phrases, typically one shouted or sung in unison by a crowd.

h. Proverbs are short well-known sayings containing a wise thought

i. Sayings are short, pithy expressions that generally contains advice or wisdom.

2. Explain the statement:

WE STUDY PHILIPPINE LITERATURE SO THAT WE CAN BETTER
APPRECIATE OUR LITERARY HERITAGE.

We need to first understand something for us to appreciate it. By studying Philippine literature, we can trace
the rich heritage of ideas handed down to us from our ancestors. Having to understand and know these ideas
helps us understand ourselves more and take pride as a Filipino.
Like other races that exist, we need to understand that we have a great and noble tradition that is distinct from
other traditions. By studying our literature, we will realize that there were factors to consider that affected the
literary limitations that we had and knowing these limitations will help us progress even more in the field of
literature.

As a Filipino, we must take pride of our own culture and focus ourselves more in our own literature. We can
do this by constantly studying the literature of the Philippines as a priority compared to other countries’
literature.

3. Why is Philippine literature during pre-colonial period called folk literature?

Our country has been colonized by many countries and it really influenced the literature that we have. But even
before we were colonized by the Spaniards, our ancestors already had their own form of ancient literature. This
ancient literature shows our customs and traditions in everyday life as traced in our folk stories, old plays, and short
stories.

The Philippine literature was called a folk literature during the pre-colonial period because all literary pieces made
that time were all about the way of life of the people and to the things that they believed in. The main idea was more
about the people in general. During pre-colonial period, Folklore was really famous. Folklore refers to oral
knowledge preserved among the illiterate masses elsewhere or the oral literature of all people whether they have
written knowledge or not.