21ST LITERATURE REVIEWER WEEK 1

The Literary Forms in Philippine Literature

-Etymologically, literature means writings having excellence of form or expression. It envelopes
the major literary genres such as poetry, drama, and fiction. It entails distinctive use of the language in
creative and artistic ways.
Pre-Colonial Literature (Early Times – 1564)
-Philippine’s Pre-Colonial Literature is heavily rooted to our ancestors’ heritage, beliefs, and culture.
It was marked during the arrival of the Philippines Archipelago’s first inhabitants with which
considered as the forefathers of the Filipino today.
Here are the forms of literature that continue to exist:
 Proverbs- are simple and traditional sayings that give us nuggets of wisdom. It delivers
significant truths about life in a form of little entertainment. In Filipino, these are called
salawikain.
 Riddles- are playful statements or questions having an obscure meaning intended to be
answered or solved. The statement may sound like humorous but it has a deeper meaning. In
Filipino, these are called bugtong.
 Folksongs- are traditional songs of our ancestors that have been passed down from one
generation to another. These local songs are considered part of the rich culture of the Filipinos.
It may be in the form of courtship song or harana, harvest songs, war songs, lullabies and the
likes.
 Tales- are creative stories that generally talk about how one thing came to be. It speaks of the
origin of a particular thing. These are also called as myths and legends.

 Epics- are long-narrative poems about the heroic deeds, adventures, and even misfortunes of a
hero. The hero in the story is characterized as brave and courageous and is well-represented with
good values.

Spanish - Colonial Literature (1565-1898)

-There was a great change on the form of literature during the Spanish regime. It was focused on
Christianity and religion. The happenings in the environment was set aside and it is now pointed to
Catholic faith reflecting the society, culture, and tradition.
The following are the kinds of Philippine literature during the Spanish- Colonial Period:
 Cenaculo - a play depicting the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ. Cenaculo is a Spanish term
which means “cenacle” the place where Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper with His
disciples.
 Pasyon – a narrative poem about the life of Jesus Christ which is usually sung during Lenten
season.
 Awit – a form of Filipino poetry about a hero, that is a bit closer to a narrative.
 Zarzuela – a form of musical comedy that is usually comic and presents sarcastic look at
society.
 Corrido - a narrative song which is often about oppression, history and other topics about
society.
 Moro-moro or Comedia de Capa y Espada - a blood-and-thunder melodrama depicting the
conflict of Christians and Muslims. It is usually about battles to the death and the proofs of faith.
 Carillo - a play using shadows to project the animated figures made from cardboards.
 Tibag - a drama that reenacts the search of St. Helena for the Holy Cross. St. Helena is the
mother of Constantine the Great, who was recognized in her discovery of the Cross and the
Tomb of Jesus Christ in Golgotha.
 Duplo or Karagatan – a drama that is connected to mourning rituals of the Catholics and
harvest celebrations.
American - Colonial Literature (1899-1945)
 21ST LITERATURE REVIEWER WEEK 1
-It was during this period when Filipino enjoyed freedom and independence in writing literary pieces.
Some of the literary genres that prosper during this period were poetry, short story, and novel. It was
also during the American occupation when Public School was created. The “Thomasites” were
American soldiers who came to our country to become teachers. They introduced free public
instruction for all children of school age.
Contemporary Period (1946- Present)
-The Contemporary Period of Philippine Literature is an avenue for new literary publications and
incomparable writers equipped with knowledge and skills of the present era.
Francisco Baltazar, a prominent Filipino poet was born on April 2, 1788 in Barrio Panginay,
Bigaa, Bulacan as the youngest of the four children of Juan Baltazar, a blacksmith, and Juana de la
Cruz. Balagtas learned to write poetry from José de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw), one of the most famous
poets of Tondo. It was de la Cruz himself who personally challenged Balagtas to improve his writing.
The popular Filipino debate form Balagtasan is named after Balagtas. Balagtas also won an
award during his schooldays and graduated valedictorian in Madrid. He was recognized by the
Pahayagang Kastilyano (Spanish Declaration) and became the front cover for two weeks.
GLOSSARY
21st Century literature- all literary works written and published at the latter part of the 21st
century (from 2001 onwards). These works are often characterized as gender-sensitive, technologically
alluding, culturally pluralistic, operates on the extreme reality or extreme fiction, and questions
conventions and supposedly absolute norms.
Literature – written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit
Literary genre- a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined by literary technique,
tone, content, or even (as in the case of fiction) length.
Literary history- the historical development of writings in prose or poetry which attempts to provide
entertainment, enlightenment, or instruction to the reader/hearer/observer, as well as the development
of the literary techniques used in the communication of these pieces.
Literary techniques- refers to any specific, deliberate constructions or choices of language which an
author uses to convey meaning in a particular way.
Oral Literature – refers to the language of life of the Philippine Literature where stories of myths,
folks and narratives are meant to be sung and passed orally generations to generation.