UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY

Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

SURVEY OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN

ENGLISH (ENGL 511)
 
SUBJECT CODE: ENGL511
TOPIC OR LESSON: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE
WEEK: 2
SUB-TOPIC/S: DEFINITION, NATURE, IMPORTANCE, TYPES OF
LITETARURE AND HISTORY

 OVERVIEW OF THE TOPIC

Welcome to your learning material on Survey of Philippine Literature in English. This week you
are tasked to learn and accomplish activities on introduction to literature.
In this module, you will explore and understand various definitions, nature, importance, types of
literature and history. You are also expected to perform and complete activities/tasks provided in this
module.

LEARNING
OUTCOMES
On the completion of this module, you are expected to manifest an in-depth understanding on the
definition, nature, importance, types of literature and history. Moreover, you will learn how to appreciate
the beauty of the Philippine Culture and Tradition by understanding the literature of the Philippines and
its development from 1900 to the present.

LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
a. Define and describe literature as an art form;
b. Recognize the main literary form or classification;
c. Distinguish literary genres and subgenres;
d. List down reasons why we study Philippine literature;
e. Connect the relationship of literature to history; and
f. Describe the different literary texts that have influenced the world.
 

ENGAGE

Task 1

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 Directions: Complete the concept map with word/phrase that you can associate with literature
and further explain your answer.

Literature

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Before you proceed with the discussion, complete the KWL table below about your
understanding on Literature. On the first column, write the things that you already knew about it, on the
second column write the things or concepts that you want to know about literature. For the last column,
write the things or concepts that you have learned after finishing the entire module.

LITERATURE
Know Want to Learn Learned

EXPLORE

Task 2
Directions: Watch the link below about literature and answer the following questions. Refer to
the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oarGRayak5o

1. What is literature?
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______________________________________________________________________________

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 2. What is literary genre?
______________________________________________________________________________
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3. What are the four main literary genres?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4. Why do we need to study Philippine Literature? (2 points)

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Identify the genre and subgenres of the following.

____________1. A story about plants that come to life.

____________2. A book about the life of a famous basketball player.
____________3. An encyclopedia that describes Vitamin E.
____________4. The humorous play about ‘The Taming of the Shrew’
____________5. A long poem about a hero named Achilles.
____________6. A weekly newspaper called ‘Manila Bulletin’
____________7. A sad play about the character Oedipus Rex.
____________8. A poem entitled: Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa.
____________9. A history about life of J. Rizal.
____________10. A heroic story of Darna.

EXPLAIN

What is Literature?

Literature is concerned with the content and the form, in other words not only the story but the
way it is written.
Various Definitions of Literature

A body of written works. The name is often applied to those imaginative works of poetry and
prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the excellence of their execution. (Encyclopedia
Britannica, Micropedia)
The collective writings proper to any language or nations. The term literature is site of
ideological conflict; it may refer to those canonical works in the genres, ie., traditional works considered
to be artistic or it may also refer to the total sum of writings, including letters, memoirs, comics, historical
writings, etc. (adapted from the Cambridge Encyclopedia)

An intimate experience of an author carefully expressed in concrete images through the use of
structure, imaginative style and luxurious metaphors. It is not practical or logical communication, but an
aesthetic experience. (Anderson Imbert, Enrique (1992) Teoría y técnica del cuento, Barcelona, Editorial
Ariel)

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 A collection of writings, which reflect the experience of class struggle in a society. The history
of literature is, therefore, a reflection on changing material, economic and social conditions in that
society. “Thus is revealed the total existence of writing: a text is made up of multiple writings, drawn
from many cultures and entering into mutual relations of dialogue, parody, contestation, but there is one
place where this multiplicity is focussed and that place is the reader, not ......... the author.” (From
Barthes, Roland, The death of the author, in Rice, Philip and Waugh Patricia (2001) Modern literary
theory: A reader (4th Ed), London, Arnold)

All writing in prose and poetry having permanent value, excellent format, an imaginative or
critical characteristic, and heightened emotional effect.

Literature is referred to as the entirety of written expression, with the restriction that not every
written document can be categorized as literature in the more exact sense of the word. (Klarer p.1)

Etymologically: the Latin word “litteratura” is derived from “littera” (letter), which is the
smallest element of alphabetical writing.

The word text is related to “textile” and can be translated as “fabric”: just as single threads
form a fabric, so words and sentences form a meaningful and coherent text.

Literature or text as cultural and historical phenomena and to investigate the conditions of their
production and reception.

Nature of Literature

• Literature is mimetic. It is a mirror or a slice of life.

• Literature is language in use, and is therefore not separable from language. However, literature
involves more than language, because meanings go beyond language.
• Literature is a product of a particular culture and is more culture-bound than language.
• Literary competence is the ability to unlock the “grammar” of literature.

General Types of Literature

1. Prose - Consists of those written within the common flow of conversation in sentence and
paragraphs.

Types of Prose

a. Novel. This is a long narrative divided into chapters.

b. Short story. This is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot and one
single impression.
c. Plays. This is presented on a stage, divided into acts and each act has many scenes.
d. Legends. These are fictitious narratives, usually about origins.
e. Fables. These are also fictitious and they deal with animals and inanimate things who
speak and act like people and their purpose is to enlighten the minds of children to
events that can mold their ways and attitudes.
f. Anecdotes. These are merely products of the writer’s imagination and main aim is to
bring out lessons to the reader.
g. Essay. This are expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a particular
problem or event.

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 h. Biography. This deals with the life of a person which be about himself, his
autobiography or that of others.
i. News. This is report of every events in society, government and accidents, happening
nationally or not.
j. Oration. This is a formal treatment of a subject and is intended to be spoken in
public.

2. Poetry - Refers to those expressions in verse, with measure and rhyme, line and stanza and has a
more melodious tone.

Types of Poems

a. Narrative Poetry - this form describes important events in life real either real or
imagination.
i. Epic- is an extended narrative about heroic exploits often under supernatural
control.
ii. Metrical Tale - is narrative which is written in verse and can be classified either
as a ballad or a metrical romance.
iii. Ballads - of narrative poems, this is considered the shorter and simplest. It has a
simple structure and tells of single incident.
b. Lyric Poetry -this refers to that kind of poetry meant to be sung to the accompaniment of
a lyre, but now, this applies to any types of poetry that expresses emotions and feelings of
the poet.
i. Folksong - these are short poems intended to be sung.
ii. Sonnets - this is a lyric poem of 14 lines dealing with an emotion, feeling, or an
idea.
iii. Elegy - this is a lyric poem which expresses feeling of grief and melancholy, and
whose theme is death.
iv. Ode – this is a poem of a noble feeling, expressed with dignity, with no definite
number of syllables or definite number of lines in a stanza.
v. Psalms - this is a song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a
philosophy of life.
vi. Song - these have measures of twelve syllables and slowly sung to the
accompaniment of a guitar or banduria.
vii. Corridos - these have measures of eight syllables and recited to a martial beat.
c. Dramatic Poetry
i. Comedy - this is form usually is light and written with the purpose of amusing,
and usually has a happy ending.
ii. Melodrama - this is usually used in musical plays with the opera.
iii. Tragedy - this involves the hero struggling mightily against dynamic forces; he
meets death or ruin without success and satisfaction obtained by the protagonist
in a comedy.
iv. Farce - this is an exaggerated comedy.
v. Social Poems - this form is either purely comic or tragic and it pictures the life of
today.

Literary Genre

A Genre is a French word meaning “type” or “kind” of literature. The genres of literature are
poetry, drama, fiction and non-fiction (essay).

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 1. Poetry
2. Drama
3. Fiction
4. Non-fiction

Watch the video clip on literary genres and sub-genres: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oarGRayak5o

Task 3
Directions: Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
For items 1-2, refer to the link: http://yopadiya143.blogspot.com/2016/11/importance-of-studying-
philippine.html#:~:text=Studying%20Philippine%20literature%20is%20so,awareness%2C%20peace%20education
%20and%20others.

1. Why do we need to study Philippine Literature? Cite 5 reasons or importance in studying

Philippine Literature.
a. ________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________________
d. ________________________________________________________________________
e. ________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you think understanding Philippine Literature will make you a better Pilipino? Why or
why not?
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___________________________________________________________________________

For items 3-5, refer to the link: https://www.slideshare.net/EileeshaBelarso/world-lit-ppt, and compare

and contrast history and literature.

Point of Reference Literature History

For items 6-17, from the literary compositions that have influenced the world, complete the data
table. Refer to the link: https://pdfslide.net/documents/12-literary-compositions-that-have-influenced-the-world-
56b79bf1c76d0.html

Literary Text Description

The Bible or the Sacred writings

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 Koran
The Iliad and the Odyssey
The Mahabharata
Cantebury
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The Divine Comedy
El' Cid Compeador
The Song of Roland
The Book of the Dead
The Book of the Days
One thousand and One Night of the Arabian
Nights

For items 18-20, what do you think is/are the reason/s why these literary text have influenced the
world?
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ELABORAT
E
Activity 1: Based on your readings and understanding about literature, create a graphic
organizer or infographics showing the basic concepts, types, genre and sub-genres of literature.

You will be assessed using the rubric for Graphic Organizer or Infographic about Introduction to
Literature.

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 Activity 2: Using Venn diagram, compare and contrast history and literature.

EVALUATE

A. Directions: Write the letter of the correct answer before the number.

_____1. Which of the following is not prose?

a. essay b. sonnet c. journal d. diary

_____2. Which of the following is not an example of narrative poem?

a. epic b. metrical tale c. elegy d. metrical romance

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_____3. Which of the following is not an element of poetry?
a. symbol b. sound c. structure d. solution

_____4. What literary terms refer to the vantage point from which everything is known or interpreted?
a. theme b. point of view c. mood d. tone

_____5. The overriding feeling in a work is _______.

a. moodb. tone c. theme d. genre

_____6. A tale of human life told in supernatural proportions.

a. legend b. epic c. myth d. poem

_____7. It refers to the reflection of one’s life, culture and tradition which is either in written or in oral
from.
a. Poem b. Literature c. Prose d. History

_____8. Which is NOT true about the relationship of literature and history?
a. Language-based c. culture-bounded
b. both dependent to each other d. both related to each other

_____9. Why do we need to study Philippine Literature?

a. Understanding the culture and tradition
b. Having deep appreciation of its heritage
c. Being proud of its history and culture
d. All of the above

_____10. Which of the following does not have great influence to the world?
a. Bible b. Quoran c. Noli Me Tangere d. Arabian Nights

B. Directions: Complete each open-ended statement about your experience in the module.

1. Studying Philippine Literature is …

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. The most important things I have learned are …

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. As a future teacher, I will deliver the goals of teaching Philippine Literature through
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4. Go back to the KWL chart and complete the table specifically the third column on what you have
LEARNED.

REFERENC
ES

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 Kahayon, Alicia H., Philippine Literature Through the Years.

Marcos, Lucivilla, Introduction to Literature.

Maramba, Asuncion David, Early Philippine Literature from Ancient Times to 1940.

Sayno, A. S. (2004). Philippines Literature. Bulacan: Trinitas Publishing, Inc.

Tuazon, T. D. (2002). Philippine Literature from Ancient Times to Present. Caloocan City:
Philippine Graphic Arts, Inc.
Eugenio, Damiana L. (1982). Philippine Folk Literature: An Anthology. Quezon City: Folklore
Studies Program at The U.P. Folklorist, Inc.
Tonogbanua, Francisco G. (1977). A Survey of Philippine Literature. Quezon City: U.P.
Filipiniana.
Lacia, Ferdilyn C., et al. (2003). The Literatures of the Philippine. Manila: Rex Book Store.

ADDITIONAL
MATERIALS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oarGRayak5o

http://yopadiya143.blogspot.com/2016/11/importance-of-studying-philippine.html#:~:text=Studying%20Philippine
%20literature%20is%20so,awareness%2C%20peace%20education%20and%20others.

https://www.slideshare.net/EileeshaBelarso/world-lit-ppt

https://pdfslide.net/documents/12-literary-compositions-that-have-influenced-the-world-56b79bf1c76d0.html

PREPARED BY:

Ryan Romnick B. Sanchez

Ruben Ryan C. Fajardo

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