PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE POSTWAR AND CONTEMPORARY

PERIOD

Literature changes with time. The Philippines went through war and
revolution, freedom and peace, and its literature evolved with these changes.
With themes and styles ever evolving, Filipino writers continued writing in
whatever language was acceptable at each period. Having a novelist as a
national hero is not a surprise since the Philippines is an archipelago of
courageous writers who never stopped writing for freedom, for appreciation,
and for expression.

Brief History

In 1941 to 1945, Philippine literature was interrupted in its development when

the Philippines were again occupied by another foreign country, Japan.
Philippine literature in English came to halt. It took a while before the writers
could find their bearings after the war. The Japanese prohibited writing in
English, which resulted in the writers’ renewed attention to literature in the
Filipino language.

Postwar Literature

Postwar poetry and fiction was dominated by the writers in English educated
and trained in writers’ workshops in the United States or England. Among
these were the novelists Edilberto and Edith Tiempo (who was also a poet),
short-fictionist Francisco Arcellana, poet-critic Ricaredo Demetillo, poet-
fictionist Amador Daguio, poet Carlos Angeles, fictionists N.V.M. Gonzalez
and Bienvenido N. Santos.

Most of these writers returned to the Philippines to teach. With their

credentials and solid reputations, they influenced the form and direction of the
next generation of writers mainly in accordance with the dominant tenets of the
formalist New Critics of America and England.

Characteristics of Philippine Postwar Literature

Romanticism – This is an 18th century literary, artistic, and philosophical

movement that is a reaction against neoclassicism. It emphasizes the
imagination and emotions. In English literature, it is known for its
sensibility and its use of autobiographical material, emotions of happiness
of the common man, an appreciation of nature, an interest in the remote, a
predilection for melancholy, and the use of older verse forms in poems.
 Nationalism – This means exalting one’s nation above all others and placing
primary emphasis on the promotion of the nation’s culture and welfare
before those of other nations.
Independence –This is the quality or state of having freedom from being
controlled by others.
Nature – In Philippine postwar literature, natural scenery is praised and
described.
Expression of feelings – The characters in Philippine postwar literature
were portrayed as being able to express their feelings through their
thoughts, words, and actions.

Filipino Writers during the Postwar Period

Macario Pineda – He wrote and published Ang Ginto sa Makiling in 1946,

which is the first Philippine literary work after World War II. The writer
employed fantastic elements in the narrative although he was suggesting
something that occured in a realistic sense. The work depicted a quest as
the characters find out the mystery behind the Makiling.
Stevan Javellana – In 1947, he published his work Without Seeing the
Dawn, which is about the experiences of Filipinos before and during World
War II.
N.V.M. Gonzalez – He wrote and published A Season of Grace in 1956. The
author portrayed the lives of the working-class in rural areas. He depicted
the lives of the masses in the province.

Reference: https://pdfcoffee.com/literatureunit-8philippine-literature-in-the-
postwar-and-contemporary-period-pdf-free.html