ROTCHELYN R.

BINARAO OLTAN3

This is a primaryactivity administeredto determineyour baseline

knowledge and preparednessthe for lesson.
Activity: Historical Background of Philippine Literature
I. Direction: Read in advance the history of Philippine Literature and tell us how our
literature evolves in the following periods.

1. Pre-colonial Period
Literary Forms
Oral Literature - Riddles (Bugtong) Proverbs (Salawikain) and Tanaga
Folk songs – it is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations the
people’s lifestyles as well as their loved ones.
Folk tales – Myths, Legend, Fables, and Fantastic stories. Epics.
2. Spanish Colonization Period
Literary Forms
Religious Literature
Pasyon - long narrative poemabout the passion and death of Christ. Senakulo -
dramatization of the pasyon.
Secular Literature
Awit - colorful tales of chivalry made for singing and chanting. Korido - metrical tale. Prose
narratives – written to prescribe proper decorum.

3. Nationalistic/Propaganda and Revolutionary Period

Literary Forms
Propaganda Literature
a. Political essays - satires, editorials and news articles were written to attack and
expose the evils of Spanish rule.
b. Political novels
Revolutionary Literature
a. Political essays – helped inflame the spirit of revolution.

4. American Colonial Period

Filipino Writers imitated English and American models. Poems written were amatureurish
and mushy, which phrasing and diction is awkward and artificial.

Chapter II: Historical Background of Philippine Literature 1

 5. Japanese Occupation
Tagalog poets broke away from the Balagtas tradition and instead wrote in simple
language and free verse. Fiction prevailed over poetry. Bountiful harvest in poetry, fiction,
drama and essay.

6. Contemporary/Modern Period
Works of contemporary literature reflect a society's social and/or political viewpoints,
shown through realistic characters, connections to current events and socioeconomic
messages. The writers are looking for trends that illuminate societal strengths and
weaknesses to remind society of lessons they should learn and questions they should ask.
So when we think of contemporary literature, we cannot simply look at a few themes or
settings. Since society changes over time, so do the content and messages of this writing.

Chapter II: Historical Background of Philippine Literature 2