Senior High School

NOT

st
21 Century
Literature from the
Philippines and
the World
Quarter 2 – Week 1
Literature Around the World

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

Pre-Test
Multiple Choice. Answer the questions that follow. Choose the best answer from among
the given choices.

1. Confucius is a famous ______________ in ancient Chinese history.

A. writer B. narrator C. philosopher D. poet

2. The oldest collection of Chinese poetry is called ___________.

A. Book of Poetry B. Book of Songs C. Book of Changes D. Book of Olds

3. Who was the first writer in Chinese to win Nobel Prize for literature?
A. Kung Fu Tzu B. Mo Yan C. Lu Xun D. Lao Tzu

4. Who is commonly considered the greatest Chinese writer of the 20th century?
A. Lu Xun B. Lao Tzu C. Confucius D. Mo Yan

5. The theme of the The Taximan’s Story is

A. how hardworker the taximan is
B. how the passenger appreciates the taximan
C. how the taximan’s daughter is different compared to other girls.
D. how teenagers nowadays are different compared to older generations

6. The Taximan’s Story is written in ___________ point of view

A. first person point of view C. Second person point of view
B. third person point of view D. Omniscient point of view

7. The literature of Singapore comprises a collection of literary works by Singaporeans in any of

the country’s _______ languages.
A. two B. three C. four D. five

8. It is something that shows how two things are alike, but with the ultimate goal of making a
point about this comparison.
A. simile B. metaphor C. analogy D. allegory

9. A figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things
that are unrelated but which share some common characteristics.
A. analogy B. allegory C. allusion D. metaphor

10. A figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or
literary work by way of a passing reference.
A. allegory B. analogy C. allusion D. metaphor

11. The sequence of series of events in a story

A. setting B. plot C. theme D. conflict

12. The underlying message that the writer would like to get across.
A. plot B. theme C. conflict D. setting
13. The locale or period in which the action of a story takes place
A. conflict B. setting C. plot D. mood

14. ___________ is considered the world’s first novel.

A. Tale of Genji B. Book of Songs C. Tale of Yasunari D.Book of Poetry

15. The country which has much influence on Japanese literature was ___________.
A. Singaporean B. Chinese C. Mongolian D. Vietnamese

16. It consists of one or two pages of written critique that will succinctly discuss your idea,
realization, or concept regarding a literary selection.
A. essay B. short paper C. narrative D. analysis

17. In the movie The Hunger Games why does the Capitol hold the Hunger Games?
A. To keep the districts happy
B. because they are part of a religious festival
C. as a way to control the size of the population
D. To remind the districts that they are powerless against it

18. Under what circumstances did Katniss first meet Peeta in Hunger Games?
A. They did a project at school together
B. They were both in the woods hunting
C. Peeta was injured and Katniss’ mother helped him.
D. Katniss was looking for food and Peeta gave her bread.

19. How do Katniss and Peeta force the Capitol to declare them both winners?
A. They threatened to run away
B. They threaten to commit suicide.
C. They threaten to cause a rebellion against the Capitol.
D. They threaten that the winner will tell about everything.

20. The bottle fizzed then popped is an example of _________.

A. onomatopoeia B. simile C. repetition D. metaphor

21. The mouse beneath the stone is still as death is an example of _____________.
A. simile B. metaphor C. onomatopoeia D. personification

22. When the word at the end of a line rhymes with another word at the end of another line, it is
called
A. internal rhyme B. end rhyme C. rhythm D. repetition

23. A poem with songlike feel; it focuses on adventure or romance and tells a story it is called
A. figurative language B. lyric C. narrative D. rhythm

24. The author of a poem is called ___________.

A. narrator B. poet C. author D. writer

25. The movement that opened the avenue for writers to celebrate what is truly African
A. nationalistic B. Negritude C. Africanism D. patriotism
26. Though African writers wrote in European language, they nevertheless embodied the spirit
of __________.
A. patriotism B. nationalism C. truth D. bayanihan

27. He took credit for developing magical realism

A. Mario Vargas Llosa
B. Gabriel Garcia Marquez
C. Julio Cortazar
D. Jose Garcia Villa

28.Which of the following is TRUE about magical realism?

A. It follows the traditional time structure.
B. It occurs because of the use of devices not similar to poetry.
C. The elements of the magical and the ordinary are interwoven seamlessly.
D. Magic realism is like science fiction.

29. Who said that immature poets imitate; mature poets steal?
A. Thomas Hardy C. T.S. Eliot
B. Thomas Babington Macaulay D. William Wordsworth

30. It is imaginative response to an experience reflecting a keen awareness of

language.
A. narrative C. poetry
B. figurative language D. words

31. Poetry uses two kinds of language. What are they?

A. long and short C. lyric and narrative
B. literal and figurative D. emotional and comparative

32. It is the spontaneous overflow of powerful words collected in moments of

tranquillity. This refers to what kind of poetry?
A. lyric C. narrative
B. poetry D. figurative

33. What kind of poetry gives a verbal representation, in verse, of a sequence of

connected events, it propels characters through a plot?
A. narrative C. literal
B. lyric D. figurative

34. In "Death" by Emily Dickinson, the three things that Death's carriage holds are...
A. hope, superstition, and truth
B. clarity, despair, and triumph
C. death, the speaker, and immortality
D. a way out, acceptance, and understanding

35. What does ‘setting sun’ indicate in the poem “Death” by Emily Dickinson?
A. death C. life
B. sun D. sunset

36. Which of the following statements about Emily Dickinson’s poem “Death” is TRUE?
A. It portrays death as something that should be feared.
B. It portrays death as something that should not be feared.
C. It highlights how everyone interprets death in the same way.
D. It highlights how everyone’s interpretation of death is unique.

37. As a literary device, persona refers to what three things:

A. character, voice, and role
B. drama, poetry and prose
C. music, movies, and audiobooks
D. fiction, non-fiction and historical fiction
38. What is a thing that represents something else?
A. symptom B. theme C. symbol D. thesis

39. What is symbolism?

A. Any story that attempts to explain how the world was created
B. A pattern of sound that includes the repetition of consonant sounds
C. An actor’s speech, directed to the audience, that is not supposed to be heard by other actors.
D. The use of an object, person, situation, or word to represent something else (an
idea) in literature

40. Which of the following is an example of symbolism in literature?

A. Fall representing growing old
B. water symbolizing rebirth
C. The color black to symbolize evil
D. All of these are correct

41. Identify what stage symbolizes.

“All the world’s a stage.
And all the men and women merely players;
they have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
A. world B. participants C. play D. theatre

42. What is central idea?

A. tone of the passage
B. theme of the passage
C. a summarized sentence
D. central point that ties everything together.

43. Where could you find central idea?

A. first sentence
B. last sentence
C. not stated by implied
D. all of the above

44. Why would you need to know what the central idea of a paragraph/poem is?
A. I don’t know.
B. So you can find the theme.
C. So you could find the main idea.
D. so you can understand what the article/poem is about

45. In Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda, who is the persona talking to?
A. his mother
B. his sister
C. his other woman
D. a woman that he loves

46. What does rose of salt symbolize in Sonnet XVII?

A. something near the ocean
B. a rose made of salt
C. sand in the ocean
D. flower that grows near the ocean

47. What is the meaning of the 3rd stanza of Sonnet XVII?

A. he simply loves her no matter what happens
B. he is telling his lover about a few things that don’t represent his love
C. he is telling how it is that he does love his partner.
D. he re-emphasizes the fact that his love is not based on beauty

48. To what sense does the second stanza appeal to?

A. smell B. taste C. sight D. touch

49. What is the central idea of the sonnet?

A. one should not fear death
B. growth and decay evident in the battle against time
C. immortality can be reached through the poet's "engrafting
D. to love completely and honestly is the most beautiful thing of all

50. What is literature?

A. It refers to writing considered to be an art form or any single writing deemed to have artistic or
intellectual value.
B. It is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a
specific topic.
C. It is the comparison, analysis, interpretation, and/or evaluation of works of literature.
D. It is subjective writing because it expresses the writer's opinion or evaluation of a text
 Lesson

8 Asian Literature: Chinese

Grade 11, First Semester, Q2 – Week 1

What I Need to Know

In this module, you are going to write a close analysis and critical
interpretation of literary texts and doing an adaptation of these which require you
the ability to:

In this lesson, you are going to:

a. Identify representative texts and authors from Asia, North America,
Europe, Latin America, and Africa; (EN12Lit-IIa-22)
b. Produce a creative representation of a literary text by applying
multimedia and ICT skills; (EN12Lit-IIij-31.1)
c. Do self- and/or peer-assessment of the creative adaptation of a
literary text, based on rationalized criteria, prior to presentation.
(EN12Lit-IIij-31.3)

What I Know
Try your hand on the crossword puzzle. Which ones do you know
about Chinese literature?

Across
1. Confucius is a famous ____ in
ancient Chinese history.
2. The mystic philosophy inspired
by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu
3. oldest collection of Chinese
poetry
5. Chinese literature has very
_____beginnings.
6. It is a series of rulers from the
same family
9. The poet who centers his works
on war and bitter experience.

Down
2. The great poets Li Po and Tu Fu
became popular during this dynasty.
4. He is Kung Fu Tzu, and he founded
Confucianism.
7. Who was the first writer in Chinese to
win Nobel Prize for literature?
8. Who is commonly considered the
greatest Chinese writer of the 20th
century?
 What’s In

Having probed the diversity and vast richness of Philippine literature – from
the country’s pre-colonial oral traditions to the literature at contemporary times, let us now
explore the literature of other countries across the globe and discover the uniqueness,
distinction, and complexity of their literary traditions. We will have a tour from one
continent to another for us to appreciate the literature of each region. Our exploration will
start with our neighboring countries in Asia.
Asian regions that have produced literature through the ages include: East Asia
(China, Japan, Korea); South Asia (which includes India); Central Asia (Afghanistan,
Kazakshtan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Tibet, and Nepal); the Middle East;
and Southeast Asia (which includes the Philippines).
Modern influences on Asian literature include cultural movements, war and
colonization, and influence from the West. (Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, Brilliant Creations
Publishing, Inc., 2017, 102-105)

Before we take the tour, let’s look back at what you’ve learned from our own
Philippine literature.
Read carefully each statement. Choose the correct answer, and write the letter of the
correct answer in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1. What poetry is written and read on a mobile phone?

A. rhyme B. hypertext C. lyric poetry D. textual

2. Which of these statements is NOT TRUE about creative nonfiction?

A. It tells a real story. C. It is a major genre of literature.
B. It tells a realistic story. D. It uses a literary style of writing

3. All of these kinds of electronic literature are of the same genre EXCEPT one.
Which one is it?
A. hyperfiction B. hyperpoetry C. photo poem D. textual

4. Characterized by beauty of expression and form and by the universality of

intellectual and emotional appeal is ____________.
A. literature B. poem C. prose D. story

5. It covers all stories from fantasy to science fiction to slipstream to magic realism to
urban fantasy.
A. Chick lit C. hyper poetry
B. flash fiction D. speculative fiction

6. What is 21st century literature?

A. anything written and published in the year 1900
B. anything written and published in 1990 onwards
 C. anything written and published in the year 2000s.
D. anything written and published in the year 2010 onwards

7. “Manananggal Terrorizes Manila and Other Stories” is an example of this 21st

century literature genre. What is it?
A. Chick lit
B. Creative Nonfiction
C. Flash fiction
D. Graphic novels.

8. It is consists of heroine-centered narratives that focus on the trials and tribulations

of their individual protagonists.
A. speculative fiction
B. chick lit
C. creative nonfiction
D. flash fiction

9. Flash fiction goes by many names, and they include the following EXCEPT
A. microfiction
B. microstories
C. short-short stories
D. story card fiction

10. It is an online journal or informational website displaying information in the

reverse chronological order, with latest posts appearing first.
A. graphic novels B. blog C. text tula D. hyperpoetry

What’s New
At this point in our study of world literature, we are going to take a look at
Chinese culture. Take a minute or two to remember the things you already know about
China. You will give three(3) of each category that will be asked. Write your answers in
your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

A. Entertainment C. History
Name 3 types of Chinese Art Name 3 dynasties in China
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

B. Food D. Religion
Name 3 crops grown in China Name 3 religions in China
1. 1.
2. 2.
3.
 \What Is It
Chinese literature began more than two thousand years ago, with The Book of
Poetry (Shijing) as its first anthology. This book, compiled sometime after 600 B.C. by
Confucius (551–479 B.C.), is a collection of 305 poems that date back to a period between
approximately 800 and 600 B.C.
Among the rhetorical devices employed in this first poem of The Book of Poetry is
the use of metaphor — crying ospreys compared to the lord and lady, for instance.
Following The Book of Poetry, highlights of traditional Chinese literature include
The Songs of the South (Chuci); the prose writings in history and philosophy of the Qin
and Han dynasties; Tang poetry; the Song lyric; the prose of the Tang and Song
dynasties; and the short stories, novels, and dramas from the Tang to the Qing dynasties.
The modern period of Chinese literature, which began in the 1910s, is even more
multifarious and voluminous. Running the risk of abstraction and oversimplification,
Chinese literature is characterized as the expression of both the heart and the mind, as
concerning the individual and society, as variously sublime and graceful, and as blending
reality and the imagination.
Traditional Chinese literature developed under the intellectual influences of
Confucianism, Daoism (Taoism), and Buddhism. Confucianism preaches benevolence,
righteousness, individual effort, commitment to society, and harmony among people.
Traditional Chinese literature came under the influence of Christianity in the Ming
dynasty (1368 – 1644), when Western missionaries made their way to China. As music
is related to poetry, traditional Chinese poetry was inevitably influenced by the music of
the non-Chinese ethnic groups who resided mostly on the Chinese borders. In general,
traditional Chinese literature, though mainly a product of Chinese civilization, has
absorbed, in its course of development, certain elements from cultures other than the
Chinese.
Chinese literature in the twentieth century made a dramatic turn to the West. This
change affected not just literature but virtually all aspects of Chinese culture.
To be sure, twentieth-century Chinese literature has been receptive to the literary
works of such Eastern countries as India and Japan, but the presence of the West is quite
overwhelming.
In Modern times, Chinese writers have remained prolific. Though the social impact
of literature may be as monumental as it was in the past, the Chinese literary tradition is
nevertheless prosperous. Notable names include Mo Yan, a fictionist who won the 2012
Nobel Prize for Literature. Remarkable too were the novels of Yu Hua, Wang Shuo and
Shi Tiesheng, and the stories of Gao Xiaosheng, Wang Zengqi, and Zhang Chenzhi. (
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/46722071.pdf & Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, Brilliant Creations
Publishing, Inc., 2017), 104)
 https://www.slideshare.net/geumjen2/the-literature-of-china
As religion, war, and politics shaped Asian societies, literature prospered to mirror
these developments. As children of this continent, we need to appreciate the literary
outputs of our Asian neighbors.(Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, (Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc.,
2017), 102.

Now, be ready to read one of Arthur Waley’s works. Arthur Waley was a 20th
century scholar who translated numerous Chinese and Japanese classics.

Battle
Chu’ü Yüan
translated by Arthur Waley

“We grasp our battle-spears: we don our breast-plates of hide.

The axles of our chariots touch: our short swords meet.
Standards obscure the sun: the foe roll up like clouds.
Arrows fall thick: the warriors press forward.
They menace our ranks: they break our line.
The left-hand trace-horse is dead: the one on the right is smitten.
The fallen horses block our wheels: they impede the yoke-horses!”

They grasp their jade drum-sticks: they beat the sounding drums.
Heaven decrees their fall: the dread Powers are angry.

The warriors are all dead: they lie on the moor-field.

They issued but shall not enter: they went but shall not return.
The plains are flat and wide: the way home is long.

Their swords lie beside them: their blacks bows, in their hand.
Though their limbs were torn, their hearts could not be repressed.
They were more than brave: they were inspired with the spirit of “Wu.”
Steadfast to the end, they could not be daunted.
Their bodies were stricken, but their souls have taken Immortality –
Captains among the ghosts, heroes among the dead.
https://doina-touchingheartsblogspot.com/2019/01/battle-by-chu-yuan-332-295-bc-
from.html
 Source: https://mongolempirewhap.weebly.com/conquest.html

Read another poem written by a modern Chinese poet, Yu Xiuhua, who became
well known in 2014 with her online poem “Crossing Half of China to Sleep with You.”
Explore one of her poems.

On the Threshing Floor, I Chase Chickens Away

Yu Xiuhua
translated by Ming Di

And I see sparrows fly over. They look around

as if it’s inappropriate to stop for just any grain of rice.
They have clear eyes, with light from inside.
Starlings also fly over, in flocks, bewildered.
They flutter and make a sound that seems to flash.
When they’re gone, the sky gets lower, in dark blue.
In this village deep in the central plain
the sky is always low, forcing us to look at its blue,
the way our ancestors make us look inside ourselves,
narrow and empty, so we look out again
at the full September –
we’re comforted by its insignificance but hurt by its smallness.
Living our life this way, we feel secure.
So much rice. Where does it come from?
So much gold color. Where does it come from?
Year after year I’ve been blessed, and then deserted.
When happiness and sadness come in the same color code,
I’m happy
to be forgotten. But who am I separated from?
I don’t know. I stay close to my own hours.
https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2018/july/two-poems-yu-xiuhua
 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pirosmani._Threshing-floor._1916,_Oil_on_cardboard,_72X100.jpg

What’s More

Compare the work of Chu’ü Yüan with the work of Yu Xiuhua. Consider the
similarities and differences in subject matter, imagery, and style in your comparison. Copy
the diagram in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK. Then, Fill in the Venn
Diagram with the similarities and differences of the two poems.

Battle
Chu’ü Yüan On the Threshing Floor, I Chase
Battle Chickens Away
Similarities
Yu Xiuhua
Subject Chu’ü Yüan Battle
matter: Battle
Chu’ü Yüan Chu’ü Yüan
imagery:

style:
 What I Have Learned

Answer the following questions. Write your answers in your LITERATURE

ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1. What emotions do you feel after reading the poem? Why did you feel that way?
___________________________________________________________________

2. How would you compare the two poems? Which elements do they share, and what
differences do they have?
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. What message does each poem convey?

______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do

Your task is to create a beautiful multimedia presentation that showcases one of

the best Chinese short stories written. Your multimedia must not exceed five (5) minutes.
It must have the complete elements of the story. Be creative and be visually appealing.
Criteria Description Score
10 points 7 points 4 points
The The The
Visual appeal presentation is presentation is presentation
visually moderately has poor visual
appealing, with appealing appeal, with
harmonious visually, with unbalanced
colors, shapes, generally color
and sizes of harmonious combinations,
figures in the colors, shapes, shapes, and
presentation. and sizes of sizes of figures
figures in the in the
presentation presentation
Cohesion The The The
presentation presentation presentation is
shows all the shows some of confusing; it
elements of the the elements of does not show
short story and the short story all the
 blends it well in and blends it in elements of the
the narrative the narrative. short story and
these do not
blend well in
the narrative
Creativity The The The
presentation is presentation is presentation is
unique, somewhat unoriginal, and
interesting, and unique and fun it is not
innovative. It is to watch. pleasant to
a pleasure to watch.
watch.

Score /30
Adopted: DIWA Senior High School Series, DIWA Textbooks, 2016, p. 67

Post Assessment

Read carefully each statement. Choose the correct answer, and write the
letter of the correct answer in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1. Confucius is a famous ____ in ancient Chinese history.

A. historian B. poet C. philosopher D. emperor

2. Name the mystic philosophy inspired by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.

A. Daoism B. Confucianism C. Taoism D. Buddhism

3. The great poets Li Po and Tu Fu became popular during this dynasty.

A. Shang Dynasty B. Ming Dynasty C. Tang Dynasty D. Hang Dynasty

4. What is the subject matter of the poem “Battle” by Chu’ü Yüan?

A. nationalism B. patriotism C. independence D. loyalty

5. Chinese literature has very _____beginnings.

A. new B. ancient C. recent D. contemporary

6. Which of the following is the oldest collection of Chinese poetry?

A. Book of Psals B. Book of Songs C. Book of poetry D. Book of old

7. Who was the first writer in Chinese to win Nobel Prize for literature?
A. Li Po B. Du Fu C. Lu Xhun D. Mo Yan
8. Which of the following imagery is used in “On the Threshing Floor, I Chase
Chickens Away?
. A. arrows fall thick
B. the virtual spring in the flowering
C. starlings also fly over, in flocks, bewildered
D.the axles of our chariots touch: our short swords meet

9. The poet who centers his works on war and bitter experience.
A. Du Fu B. Lu Xhun C. Mo Yan D. Chu’ü Yüan

10. Who is commonly considered the greatest Chinese writer of the 20 th century?
A. Mo Yan B. Du Fu C. Yu Xiuhua D. Lu Xhun

Lesson

9 Asian Literature: Singaporean

Grade 11, First Semester, Q2 – Week 1

What I Need to Know

You will continue your journey in discovering Asian literature. This time you
will learn about Singaporean literature. Be ready to experience different activities that are
designed to help deepen your understanding about the country’s literature.

In this Lesson, you are going to:

a. Compare and contrast the various 21st century literary genres and
their elements, structures, and traditions from across the globe;
(EN12Lit-IId-25)
b. Produce a creative representation of a literary text by applying
multimedia and ICT skills; (EN12Lit-IIij-31.1)
c. Do self- and/or peer-assessment of the creative adaptation of a
literary text, based on rationalized criteria, prior to presentation.
(EN12Lit-IIij-31.3)
 What I Know

Congratulations! You finished exploring Chinese literature. You were

able to compare and contrast two poems written by calibre poets. Now, it’s time for you
to move to another destination - a country which is just a neighbour to us in Southeast
Asia, but before we move on, let’s check what you now know about Singapore’s literature.
. Read carefully each statement. Choose the correct answer, and write the letter of the
correct answer in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1. The literature of Singapore comprises a collection of literary works by Singaporeans in

any of the country’s four main languages namely, English, _______, Malay and Tamil.
A. Singaporean B. Chinese C. Malaysian D. Indonesian
2. The poetry of this Singaporean younger generation is often politically aware,
____________ and cosmopolitan.
A. global B. transnational C. national D. hierarchical

3. What is the predominant mode of expression in Singaporean literature?

A. novel B. drama C. poetry D. song
4. _____________ writing in English did not start in earnest until after independence.
A. Poetry B. Narrative C. Fiction D. Novel
5. Who remains a pioneer in writing novels?
A. Catherine Lim B. Goh Poh Seng C. Kuo Pao Kun D. Robert Yeo
6. At what point of view is The Taximan’s Story is written?
A. first person B. third person C. second person D. omniscient
7. The passenger of the taximan in the story is a ____________________.
A. woman B. teacher C. doctor D. tourist
8. In the Singaporean story The Taximan’s Story, what is the irony?
A. The taximan picks up young girls and their foreign boyfriends in his taxi to make
more money, but his son also hangs out with his foreign friends to make money.
B. The taximan stated that he must sweat a lot, so he could support his family while
he just lets his daughter stay in the house.
C. The taximan talks to his passenger about his life as a taxi man, where he had
been driving the taxi for 20 years, but he said that his life has no improvement.
D. The taximan picks up young girls and their foreign boyfriends in his taxi to make
more money, but his daughter also hangs out with foreign men for money.
9. The passenger of the taximan wants him to take her to the ________________.
A. National hotel of Singapore
B. National University of Singapore
C. National museum of Singapore
D. National airport of Singapore
10. What is the theme of The Taximan’s Story?
A. lack of moral values among teenagers these days
B. the problem of the taximan about his daughter
C. the financial struggle of the taximan
D. the dishonesty of some students towards their parents

What’s In
Before we move on, let’s check what you’ve learned about Chinese
literature.

Fill in the blanks with word/s that will complete each statement about Chinese literature.
Write your answer in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1-3. Modern influences on Asian literature include ___________ movements, war

and ________________, and influence from the ____________.
4-5. Asian regions that have produced literature through the ages include East Asia,
____________, Central Asia, the Middle East, and ______________.
6. __________________ wrote the poem Battle.
7. On the Threshing Floor, I Chase Chickens Away was written by ______________.
8. The theme of the poem Battle is ______________________.
9. ____________________ was a 20th century scholar who translated numerous Chinese
and Japanese classics.
10. On the Threshing Floor, I Chase Chickens Away was originally written in Chinese, but
it was translated by _________________ to English.

What’s New
Create a semantic map about everything you know about Singapore and
its literature. An example of a semantic map is given below. You may create your own.
Write your answer in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.
 Singapore

What Is it
The literature of Singapore comprises a collection of literary works by
Singaporeans in any of the country’s four main languages: English, Chinese, Malay and
Tamil. A number of Singaporean writers such as Tan Swie Hian and Kuo Pao Kun have
contributed work in more than one language.
There were varying levels of activity in succeeding decades, with poets in the late
1980s and early 1990s including Simon Tay, Leong Liew Geok, Koh Buck Song, Heng
Siok Tian and Ho Poh Fun. In the late 1990s poetry in English in Singapore found a new
momentum with a whole new generation of poets born around or after 1965 now actively
writing and publishing, not only in Singapore but also internationally. The poetry of this
younger generation is often politically aware, transnational and cosmopolitan, yet
frequently presents their intensely focused, self-questioning and highly individualised
perspectives of Singaporean life, society and culture. Some poets have been labelled
Confessional for their personalised writing, often dealing with intimate issues such as
sexuality.
With the independence of Singapore in 1965, a new wave of Singapore writing
emerged, led by Edwin Thumboo, Arthur Yap, Robert Yeo, Goh Poh Seng, Lee Tzu
Pheng and Chandran Nair. Poetry is the predominant mode of expression; it has a small
but respectable following since independence, and most published works of Singapore
writing in English have been in poetry.
Drama in English found expression in Goh Poh Seng, who was also a notable poet
and novelist, in Robert Yeo, author of 6 plays, and in Kuo Pao Kun, who also wrote in
Chinese. The late Kuo was a vital force in the local threatre rrenaissance in the 1980s
and1990s.
Fiction writing in English did not start in earnest until after independence. Short
stories flourished as a literary form, the novel arrived much later. Goh Poh Seng remains
a pioneer in writing novels well before many of the later generation, with titles like If We
Dream Too Long (1972) – widely recognised as the first true Singaporean novel – and A
Dance of Moths (1995). (https://www.scribd.com/document/412634387/21st-Century-Literature-of-
the-Philippines-and-of-the-World-1)

Below is the text “The Taximan’s Story.” Read the text and identify the points in
which Singaporean literature is similar with Philippine literature and the points in which
they differ.

The Taximan’s Story

By Catherine Lim “Little Ironies” : Stories of Singapore

Take me to National University of Singapore, please make it fast cause I got a

meeting to attend and I need to be there on time. Very good, Madam. Sure I will take you
there in plenty good time for your meeting, Madam. This way better, less traffic, less car
jams. Half hour should make it, Madam, so not to worry.
Have you been taxi man for a long time? What did you say, Madam? I said have
you been taxi man for a long time? Ha, ha, Yes, yes. I’ve been taxi man for 20 years now,
Madam. A long time ago, Singapore not like this – so crowded, so busy. Last time, more
peaceful, not so much taxi men or so much cars and buses.

Oh, you must been working so hard! Yes,Madam, I can make a living. So so. What
to do? I must work hard if wants to success in Singapore. People like us, no education,
no capital for business, we must sweat to earn money for wife and children.

Do you have a big family? Yes, Madam,quite big family–eight children,six sons,two
daughters.Big family! Ha!ha! No good, Madam. In those days, where got Family Planning
in Singapore? People born many, many children, every year, one childs.Is no good at all.
Two children, three children, enough, stop. Our goverment say stop.

Lucky for me, all my children big now. Four of my sons working–one a
businessman, two clerks, one a teacher in Primary school, one in National Service, one
still schooling. My eldest daughter, she is twenty plus, stay at home, help the mother.
Is your daughter already married? No,not married yet–very shy, and her health not
so good, but a good, obedient girl. My other girl– Oh, Madam! Very hard for father when
daughter is no good and go against her parents. Very sad, like punishment from God
Today, young people not like us when we are young. We obey. Our parents say
don’t do this, we never do. Otherwise, the cane. My father cane me, I was big enough to
be married, and still got caning. My father he was very strict, and that is good thing for
parents to be strict. If not, young boys and girls become very useless. Do not want to
study, but run away, and go to night clubs and take drugs and make love. You agree with
me, Madam?

Yes! I absolutely agree with you. Today, young people they are very trouble to
their parents. Madam, you see this young girl over there, outside the coffee house? See
what I mean, Madam? Yes. they are only schoolboys and schoolgirls, but they act as big
shots, spending money, smoking, wearing latest fashion, and making love. Yes, that’s
true. Even though you’re just a taxi man you are aware about the behaviour of the
teenagers today. Ah, madam, I know! As taxi man, I know them and their habits.

Madam, you are a teacher, you say? Yes. You know or not that young schoolgirls,
fifteen, sixteen year old, they go to school in the morning in their uniforms and then
afterschool, they don’t go home, they have clothes in their schoolbag, and they go to
public lavatory or hotel and change into these clothes, and they put make-up on their
face. Their parents never know. They tell their Mom go school meeting, got sports and
games, this, that, but they really come out and play the fool.

Ah, Madam, I see you surprise but I know, I know all their tricks a lot. as I take
them in my taxi. they usual is wait in bowling alley or coffee house or hotel, and they walk
up, and friend, the European and American tourists, and this is how they make fun and
also extra money.
Madam, you believe or not when I tell you how much money they got? I say! Last
night, Madam, this young girl, very pretty and make-up and wear sexy dress. She told me
take her to orchid mansions – this place famous, Madam, fourth floor flat – and she open
her purse to pay me, and I say! All American notes – ten dollar notes all, and she pull one
out and say keep change! As she has no time already.
Madam, I tell you this, every month, I got more money from these young girls and
their American and European boyfriends in my taxi, more than I get from other people
who bargain and say don’t want go by meter and wait even for ten cents change. Phui!!
Some of them really make me mad. But these young girls and their boyfriends don’t
bargain, they just pay, pay, and they make love in taxi so much they don’t know if you go
round and round and charge them by meter!
I tell you, Madam, some of them don’t care how much they spend on taxi. It is like
this: after 1 a.m. taxi fare double, and I prefer working this time, because naturally, much
more money. I go and wait outside Elroy Hotel or Tung Court or Orchid Mansions, and
such enough, Madam, will have plenty business. Last Saturday, Madam, no joking, on
one day alone I make nearly one hundred and fifty dollars! Some of it for services. Some
of tourists don’t know where, so I tell them and take them there, and that’s extra money.
You surely know a lot of things. Ah Madam, if I tell you all, no end to the story. But
I will tell you this, Madam. If you have young daughter and she say Mummy I got meeting
today in school and will not come home, you must not say, Yes, yes, but you must go and
ask her where and why and who, and you find out. Today young people not to trust, like
young people in many years ago.
Why are you telling this? Oh, Madam, I tell you because I myself have a daughter
– oh, Madam, a daughter I love very much, and she is so good and study hard. And I see
her report cards and her teacher write ‘Good work’ and ‘Excellent’ so on, so on. Oh,
Madam, she my favourite child, and I ask her what she want to be after left school, and
she says go to University.

None of my other children could go to University, but this one, she is very smart
and intelligent – no boasting, Madam – her teachers write ‘Good’ and ‘Excellent, and so
on, so on, in her report cards. She study at home, and help the mother, but sometimes
a little lazy, and she say teacher want her to go back to school to do extra work, extra
coaching, in her weak subject, which is math, Madam.

So I let her stay back in school and day after day she come home in evening, then
she do her studies and go to sleep. Then one day, oh Madam, it makes me so angry even
now – one day, I in my taxi driving, driving along and hey! I see a girl looking like my Lay
Choo, with other girls and some Europeans outside a coffee-house but I think, it cannot
be Lay Choo, how can, Lay Choo is in school, and this girl is all dressed up and mak-up,
and very bold in her behaviour, and this is not like my daughter at all.

Then they go inside the coffee-house, and my heart is very, very – how you
describe it, Madam, my heart is very susah hati’ and I say to myself, I will watch that Lay
Choo and see her monkey tricks. The very next day she is there again I stop my taxi,
Madam, and I am so angry. I rush up to this wicked daughter and I catch her by the
shoulders and neck, and slap her and she scream, but I don’t care. Then I drag her to my
taxi and drive all the way home, and at home I thrash the stupid food and I
beat her and slap her till like hell. My wife and some neighbors they pull me away, and I
think they not pull me away, I sure to kill that girl.

I lock her up in her room for three days, and I ashamed to tell her teacher, so I just
tell the teacher that Lay Choo is sick, so please to excuse her. Oh, Madam, how you feel
in my place? Make herself so cheap, when her father drive taxi all day to save money for
her University.

Is everything between you and your daughter okay now? What is it, Madam? I said
is everything between you and your daughter okay now? Yes, yes, everything okay now,
thank you. she cannot leave the house except to go to school, and I tell her mother always
check, check in everything she do, and her friends – what sort of people they are…
Can you wait for me until my meeting is done? What, Madam? Oh, so sorry,
Madam, cannot wait for you to finish your meeting. Must go off, please to excuse me. In
a hurry, Madam. Must go off to Hotel Elroy –there plenty people to pick up. So very sorry,
Madam, and thank you very much. Oh, that’s ok. Here’s the payment. Thank you for
sharing your story to me.

My youngest daughter have a similar behavior. Similar like the other schoolgirls
that act like gangster since you’re a teacher, did you know something strange about the
girls? After school time, they don’t really go home but they go to hotels and other places
for sure.
 If you have a daughter, don’t accept her trust. But you only do that when she wants
to go out just like my naughty daughter who really got caught. For that, I scolded her so
loud that I don’t even care so I just shout. ----end----
(https://www.scribd.com/document/412634387/21st-Century-Literature-of-the-Philippines-and-of-the-
World-1)

source: https://www.piqsels.com/sv/search?q=singapore%2C+stad&page=12

What’s more
Answer the questions below. Write your answers in your LITERATURE
ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1. Who are the characters presented in the story? Can you describe them?

2. What is the irony in the story?

3. What themes are discussed in the story?

What I Have Learned

Answer the following questions about the story you’ve read. Write your
answers in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1. How do you like “The Taximan’s Story?”

______________________________________________________________

2. Do you think the characteristics and personality of the taxi driver is true for
all taxi drivers? Explain your answer.
______________________________________________________________
 3. How realistic is this story? _______________________________________
______________________________________________________________

4. What do you think of the taximan? Do you feel sympathy for him?
______________________________________________________________

What I Can Do

Write a comparative analysis of the Singaporean story The Taximan and a

literary work from the Philippines. Your aim is to use defamiliarization which means that
your focus should be on the form and technique used in literature rather than in its content.
Write your analysis in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

Rubric:
Criteria Description Score
10 points 7 points 4 points
The analysis is The analysis may be The analysis needs
Analysis comprehensive, given more thorough editing for
exhaustive, and comprehension and comprehension and
logical. must be edited for logic.
brevity.
Cohesion The paper is The paper is slightly The paper needs
cohesive and all cohesive and may thorough editing for
ideas relate with need to rid of some cohesion and logic.
one another. ideas that do not
relate to the
wholeness of the
paper.
Research The paper is well- The paper needs The research
researched. further research. presented in the
paper does not
suffice at all.
Score /30
Adopted: DIWA Senior High School Series, DIWA Textbooks, 2016, p. 187

Post assessment
Let’s recall our lesson about Singapore literature. Read carefully each
statement. Choose the correct answer, and write the letter of the correct answer in your
LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1. Poetry writing in English did not start in earnest until after _____________.
A. war B. independence C. World War 1 D. holocaust
2. The __________of this Singaporean younger generation is often politically aware,
transnational and cosmopolitan.
A. novel B. drama C. poetry D. song
3. The literature of Singapore comprises a collection of literary works by Singaporeans in
any of the country’s _________ main languages .
A. two B. three C. four D. five
4. What is the predominant mode of expression in Singaporean literature?
A. novel B. drama C. poetry D. song
5. Who remains a pioneer in writing novels?
A. Catherine Lim B. Goh Poh Seng C. Kuo Pao Kun D. Robert Yeo

6. The passenger of the taximan in the story is a ____________________.

A. woman B. teacher C. doctor D. tourist

7. The passenger of the taximan wants him to take her to the ________________.
A. National hotel of Singapore
B. National University of Singapore
C. National museum of Singapore
D. National airport of Singapore
8. What is the theme of The Taximan’s Story?
A. lack of moral values among teenagers these days
B. the problem of the taximan about his daughter
C. the financial struggle of the taximan
D. the dishonesty of some students towards their parents

9. At what point of view is The Taximan’s Story is written?

A. first person B. third person C. second person D. omniscient

10. In the Singaporean story The Taximan’s Story, what is the irony?
A. The taximan picks up young girls and their foreign boyfriends in his taxi to make
more money, but his son also hangs out with his foreign friends to make money.
B. The taximan stated that he must sweat a lot, so he could support his family while
he just lets his daughter stay in the house.
C. The taximan talks to his passenger about his life as a taxi man, where he had
been driving the taxi for 20 years, but he said that his life has no improvement.
D. The taximan picks up young girls and their foreign boyfriends in his taxi to make
more money, but his daughter also hangs out with foreign men for money.