Lesson 2

Introduction to Philippine
Literature

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

 The term literature is derived from the Latin word "littera"
which means "a letter of the alphabet". According to the
website Britannica, literature is traditionally defined as body of
written works associated to imaginative and creative works of
poetry and prose and can be classified according to variety of
systems such as language, national origin, historical period,
genre and subject matter.
Literature can either be in oral or written form. The oral
literature handed down from one generation to another, then
later on transformed into written form. The products of written
literature are called literary text. A text can be considered
literary if it has the elements of psychological characterization
and chronology.

Characteristics of Literary Text:

1. it narrates a story
2. it expresses feelings, thoughts, and ideas which can either
be based from the imagination or real life experiences of
the author or other people
3. it delivers significant information and crosses boundaries of
time, places, cultures and languages.

Literary structure refers to the organizational method used

in literature in which the most common type is the narrative.
Parts of the narrative structure (or plot) are the exposition, rising
action, climax, falling action, and resolution (denouement).
Two Major Forms of Literature
1. Poetry
 This literary type is usually written in lines and is
characterized by having the element of rhythm, sound,
imagery, and form. Its main purpose is to express
 feelings, thoughts, and ideas. It can be divided into
three types: narrative, dramatic, and lyrical poetry.

a. Narrative Poetry. This poetry tells a story and has the

elements of a narrative such as characters, setting,
conflict, etc.
b. Dramatic Poetry. This is an emotionally appealing
drama written in verse that tells a story and is intended to
be recited or sung in front of the audience by a character
speaking in poetry.
c. Lyric Poetry. It is the most common type of poetry that
focuses on expressing feelings rather than telling a story.

2. Prose. In contrast to poetry, this literary piece applies a

natural flow of speech and grammatical structures which
are mainly consisting of complete sentences arranged
logically and sequentially in a paragraph form.

a. Fiction. This serves as a product of the writer's wild

imagination and creative thinking where the characters
react to the conflict and various issues central to the
main idea of a literary work. Its three types are: short
story, novel, and novella. The main genres are crime,
fantasy, romance, science fiction, western,
inspirational, historical fiction and horror.

b. Non-fiction. These are stories inspired by real events

where the writers aim to present, interpret, or describe
experiences based on facts. The judgments, opinions,
and commentaries of the writers may be presented in
the form of essays, journals, diaries, feature articles,
editorials, and the like.
 Genre refers to the forms of literature. The general ones
are oral and written. The main types are prose and poetry
Literary elements refer “to particular identifiable
characteristics of a whole text. They are not “used,” per se, by
authors; they represent the elements of storytelling which are
common to all literary and narrative forms. For example, every
story has a theme, a setting, a conflict, and has a particular point-
of-view, etc. In order to be discussed legitimately as part of a
textual analysis, literary elements must be specifically
identified for that particular text.” (Glossary, Curriculum
Guide).

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (before the arrival of Spaniards)

Certain events in the Philippines during pre-colonial
period started to be recorded in the year 1521. Our rich past
was reflected in "folk speeches, folk songs, folk narratives and
indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that affirm our ties with
our Southeast Asian neighbors" (Godinez-Ortega, n.d.).
In terms of government, Filipinos were ruled by chieftains
of different barangay. The Malacañang Palace considered this
as more on "alliance networking rather than territorial"
(malacanang.gov.ph). There was no formal education. Learning
was merely through imitation and practice. In general, the
following were commonly practiced:
 Early Filipinos heavily believed on spirits and
supernatural entities (animism).
 Social ranking and classes were practiced.
 Economic and political dimensions involved trading,
marriage, feasting, and alliance.

Dimensions of Pre-colonial Literature

 Philippine literature during the pre-colonial era is mostly
based on oral traditions passed down from generation to
generation.
 The language used pertains to daily life.
 Common forms of oral literature are riddles, proverbs, and
songs to express a thought or emotion.
 Epic was considered as the most exciting poetic and
narrative form of literature in which the ASEAN-sponsored
study of Filipino asserted that there are more than 100 epics
discovered where majority came from Palawan (as cited by
Quindoza-Santiago, n.d.).
 Majority of proverbs, epigrams, and proverbs collected by
researchers come from Tagalog, Cebuano, and Ilocano
dialects.
 The ancient pre-Spanish form of writing called Baybayin
which was often cited in the work of Pedro Chirino during
the 1500s, was later on approved as the National Writing
System of the Philippines through House Bill No. 1022.
 The experiences of the people during pre-colonial period
such as food hunting, work at home, caring for the children,
and creatures or objects of nature served as the common
subject in oral literature.
  Anyone who knew the language and the convention and
forms could be a poet, singer, or storyteller.
 All important events such as rites and ceremonies reflect
religious observance where people commonly recite, sing,
or utter a chant.

Types of Pre-colonial Literature

1. Folk Tales. These are stories which can be characterized
as anonymous, timeless, and placeless tales circulated
orally among a group of people.
2. Legends. These are a form of prose which deal with the
origin of a thing, location or name.
3. Myths. Unlike legends where the characters have realistic
human qualities, the characters here usually have
supernatural powers where the main purpose is to provide
explanation about the existence of something or someone.
4. Epics. These pertain to a type of a long narrative poem
mainly focusing on the heroic achievements and deeds of
the main character.
5. Folk Songs. These can be considered as the oldest forms of
Philippine literature that mirror the culture which expresses
hopes, aspirations, lifestyles, and emotions of early
Filipinos. Some examples are kundiman, kumintang, oyayi
or hele and some drinking songs.
6. Other Forms. Some examples are proverbs (salawikain),
riddles (bugtong), chant (bulong), maxims or those with
rhyming couplets of 5, 6, or 8 syllables, sayings
(kasabihan), and idiom (sawikain). Tanaga is another
favorite poem consisting of four rhyming lines of 7 syllables
each.