Module 1: Basic Knowledge of the Study of Literature

Chapter 1 Introduction to the Study of Literature

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
a. Define the term literature
b. Examine the significance of literature
c. Distinguish between the terms literature and history
d. Determine the general types of literature
INPUT
The word literature is derived from the Latin term litera which means letter. It has
been defined differently by various writers.
Some loosely interpret literature as any printed matter written within a book, a
magazine or a pamphlet. Others define literature as a faithful reproduction of man's
manifold experiences blended into one harmonious expression.
Because literature deals with ideas, thoughts and emotions of man, literature can be
said to be the story of man. Man's loves, griefs, thoughts, dreams and aspirations
coached in beautiful language is literature.
In order to know the history of a nation's spirit, one must read its literature. Hence it
is, that to understand the real spirit of a nation, one must "trace the little rills as they
course along down the ages, broadening and deepening into the great ocean of
thought which men of the present source are presently exploring."
What is the importance of studying literature?
1. LITERATURE HELPS US GROW BOTH PERSONALLY AND
INTELLECTUALLY.
2. LITERATURE LINKS US WITH THE WORLD OF WHICH WE ARE A PART.
3. LITERATURE ENABLES US TOTRANSCEND OUR IMMEDIATE TIME,
PLACE, AND CULTURE AND TO MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER
HUMAN BEINGS AND THEIR CONCERNS.
4. LITERATURE ENCOURAGES US TO DEVELOP MATURE EMPATHY WITH
ALL FORMS OF LIFE – HUMAN, ANIMAL, AND PLANT.
5. LITERATURE SHARPENS OUR SENSE OF MORAL JUDGMENT.
6. LITERATURE STIMULATES OUR IMAGINATION AND INGENUITY.
7. LITERATURE SHOWS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IRONY, PARADOX,
OXYMORON, AND AMBIVALENCE.
8. LITERATURE ALLOWS US TO SEE THE WORLD IN DIFFERENT
VANTAGE POINTS.
9. LITERATURE RELIVES HISTORY.
10. LITERATURE REMINDS US THAT WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS.
The 7 – literary standards
How do you know if a work of art is excellent or not? A work of art is excellent if it
possesses the following characteristics:
1. ARTISTRY – it is a quality that appeals to the readers’ standard of beauty. In
terms of painting or literature, its elements work together its express its
intended meaning.
2. INTELLECTUAL VALUE – It appeals to our intellect. An artwork inflames
critical thinking.
3. SUGGESTIVENESS – It appeals to our emotion.
4. SPRITUAL VALUE – It appeals to our sense of morality by making us
undergo self – realization that makes us a better person.
5. PERMANENCE – An excellent artwork lasts. It stands the test of time.
6. UNIVERSALITY – A superb artwork is timeless and timely; it is forever
relevant; it appeals to all regardless of one’s background.
7. STYLE – An artwork manifests the artists’ ingenuity and originality. He
deviates from the usual convention, but he is able to showcase his talent
beyond mediocrity.
Why we need to study Philippine Literature?
Here are but a few:
 We study literature so that we can better appreciate our literary heritage. We
cannot appreciate something that we do not understand. Through a study of
our literature, we can trace the rich heritage of ideas handed down to us from
our forefather. Then we can understand ourselves better and take pride in
being a Filipino.
 Like other races of the world, we need to understand that we have a great and
noble tradition which can serve as the means to assimilate other cultures.
 Above all, as Filipinos, who truly love and take pride in our own culture, we
have to manifest our deep concern for our own literature and this we can do
by studying the literature of our country.
Literature and History
Literature and history are closely interrelated. In discovering the history of a
race, the feelings, aspirations, customs and traditions of a people are sure to be
included. . . and these feelings, aspirations, customs, and traditions that are written
is literature. History can also be written and this too, is literature. Events that can be
written down are part of true literature. Literature, therefore, is part of history.
Literature and history, however, also have differences. Literature may be
figments of the imagination or events devoid of truth, that have been written down,
while history is made up of events that really happened.
GENERAL TYPES OF LITERATURE
Literature can generally be divided into two types; prose and poetry. Prose consists
of those written the common flow of conversation in sentences and paragraphs,
while poetryrefers to those expressions in verse, with measure and rhyme, line and
stanza and has a more melodious tone.
I. PROSE
There are many types of prose.
a. Novel. This is a long narrative divided into chapters. There are many characters
involved.
Example: Noli Me Tangere
b. Short story. This is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot and one
single impression.
c. Plays. This is presented on a stage, is divided into acts and each act has many
scenes.
d. Legends. These are fictitious narratives, usually about origins.
e. Fables. These are also fictitious and they deal with animals and inanimate things
who speak and act like people.
f. Anecdotes. It is a brief, revealing account of an individual person or an incident:
"a story with a point," such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person,
place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize
by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Example, The Moth and the Lamp
g. Essay. This expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a particular
problem or event. The best example of this is the Editorial page of a newspaper.
h. Biography. This deals with the life of a person which may be about himself, his
autobiography or that of others.
i. News. This is a report of everyday events in society, government, science and
industry, and accidents, happening nationally or not.
j. Oration. This is a formal treatment of a subject and is intended to be spoken in
public. It appeals to the intellect, to the will or to the emotions of the audience.
k. Myth. It is often the story of origins, how the worlds and everything in it came to
be.
l. Parable. It is a simple story illustrating a moral religious lesson.
m. Fairy tale. It is a kind of folktale or fable. In this story, we meet witches and
queens, giants and elves, dragons, princes, princesses, and sometimes even
fairies.
n. Novella. A fictional prose narrative that is longer that of short of story, but shorter
than a novel.

II. POETRY
There are three types of poetry: narrative, lyric, and dramatic.
A. Narrative Poetry. This form describes important events in life either real or
imaginary. The different varieties are:
1. Epic. This is an extended narrative about heroic exploits often under
supernatural control. It may deal with heroes and gods.
2. Metrical tale. This is a narrative which is written in verse that involves real
or imaginary events with the use of simple and straightforward language.
Example. Florante at Laura, BayanisaBukid by Al Perez
 (An excerpt) BAYANI NG BUKID
By Al Perez

Ako’ymagsasakangbayaningbukid
Sandata’yararomatapangsainit
Hindi natatakotkahi’tnasalamig
Sa buongmaghapongumagawangpilit

Angkaibiganko ay sikalakian
Lagingnakahandamagingaraw – araw
Sa pag – aararo at sapaglilinang
Upangmaihandaanglupangmayaman.

Below is a longer excerpt of Florante at Laura in its original orthography.

Sa loob at labás, n~gbayancongsauî
caliluha,i, siyangnangyayaringharî
cagalin~ga,t, bait ay nalulugamî
ininíssahucaynangdusa,t, pighatî.

Angmagandangasal ay ipinupucól
saláotn~gdagatn~g cut-ya,t, lingatong
balangmagagalíng ay ibinabaón
at inalilibingnaualángcabaong.

N~guni, ay anglilo,t, masasamangloób

satronon~gpuri ay inalulucloc
at sabalangsucábna may asalhayop
maban~gong _incienso_ angisinusuob.

3. Ballads. Of the narrative poems, this is considered the shortest and

simplest. It has a simple structure and tells a single incident. In the early
times, this referred to a song accompanying a dance.
 Tell a Story - They generally tell a story in a very direct manner, and
they do not have to be about love at all.
 Use Imagery - Ballads often use vivid and expressive imagery in a
detached manner to relay the tale.
 Put to Music - A prominent characteristic of ballads is that they can
often easily be put to music.

Let us take a look to the lyric of PasensyaKana song by Silent

Sanctuary

Hindi monamapipilit, walangbabalikan

Sa liwanagmongnang-aakit, ayokongmasaktan
Nakikiusapsayo, patawarinmonalangako
Patawarin
 Pasensyakana at 'di konarinmadama
Kay tagalkitanghinihintay
Pasensyakana kaya kong mag-isa
Kalayaansakamaynglumbay
Ikawnarinang nag-sabi, taposnaanglahat
Uunahinnaangsarili, makuhalangangsapat
'Wag kasanangmagtampo, mas mabutinaako'ylumayo
Lumayo

B. LYRIC POETRY – Is comparatively non – narrative poem in which a single

speaker presents a state of mind or an emotional state. It retains some of the
elements of song which is said to be its origin. Originally, this kind of poetry
meant to be sung to the accompaniment of a lyre, but now this applies to any
type of poetry that expresses emotions and feelings of the poet. They are usually
short and simple and easy to understand.
There are different types of lyric poetry. These are:

1. Folksongs (Awiting Bayan). These are short poems intended to be sung. The
common theme is love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope and sorrow. An
example of this is CHIT – CHIRIT – CHIT
CHITCHIRITCHIT alibangbang
Salagintosalagubang
Angbabaesalansangan
Kung gumiri’yparangtandang.

Santo NiṅosaPandacan
Putosekosatindahan
Kung ayawkangmagpautang
Uubusinkananglanggam.

Mama, mama, namamangka

Pasakayinyaringbata
PagdatingsaMaynila
Ipagpalitnamanika.

Ale, ale, namamayong

Pasukubinyaringsanggol
PagdatingsaMalabonIpagpalit ng bagoong.

2. Sonnets. This a lyric poem of 14 lines dealing with an emotion, a feeling, or an

idea. Example, SANTANG BUDS by Alfonso P. Santos
3. Elegy. This is a lyric poem which expresses feelings of grief and melancholy,
and whose theme is death. Example, THE LOVER’S DEATH by Ricardo
Demetillo
4. Psalms. This is a song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a
philosophy of life.
5. Ode. This is a poem of a noble feeling, expressed with dignity, with no definite
number of syllables or definite number of lines in a stanza. Example, Ode To
 My Pearl Of The Orient Seas(Philippines) by Jett Franco (retrieved at poem
hunters.com)
(An excerpt)

Traveling miles to the desert coast-

free golden Arabia.
I felt the snowy humid air,
her dusty wind.
Encircled with her thousand luxury cars,

I begun to miss thee;

motherland.

O thy palms so sturdy and luster green

That smiled at me,
sited in a warm cushioned floor.
Let thy beauties drive me home,
To the breeze of summer wind
and her marvelous rains.

To thy tallest structures of concrete sandstone

That keep the dust
out my breathe.
Let me sleep unconsciously and free,
as if I'm inside
the safety of the hut of my dearest ancestors.

C. DRAMATIC POETRY. like narrative poetry, tells stories. But in dramatic poetry,
the poet lets one or more of the story’s characters act out the story.
a. Dramatic monologue. It is the combination of the words dramatic and
monologue. The dramatic says that it could be acted out and is a form of a
drama, while the monologue defines it as a speech that one person
makes, either to himself or to another. It is written to reveal both the
situation at hand and the character himself. Speaker reveals his
temperament and character only through his speech.
b. Soliloquy. It is a long speech in which a character who is alone on a stage
expresses his or her private thoughts or feelings. It is intended to give the
illusion of unspoken reflections.
 MODULE 2: THE PRECOLONIAL SOCIETY
Chapter 2: The Pre-Spanish Period
Historical Background
Filipinos already had their own literature before the Spaniards and other foreigners
landed on Philippine shores. Our ancient literature shows our customs and traditions in
everyday life as traced in our folk stories, old plays and short stories. The Spaniards who
came to the Philippines tried to prove that our ancestors were really fond of poetry, songs,
stories, riddles, and proverbs which we still enjoy today.

The literature of this period is ...

1. Oral in form
2. Discusses the way of life of our ancestors
3. Prove that the natives of the Philippines had a civilization before the arrival of the
Spaniards
4. Also found in pots, jars, bamboo, and so on
BAYBAYIN

It is equivalent to 17 letters in the old alphabet and all symbols are pronounced with
the phoneme / a / at the end. Meanwhile, a dot is placed above the symbol when
pronounced with the phoneme/e/or/i/at the end and a dot below when/o/or/u/.
The Pre-Spanish Literature is characterized by
A. Folksongs. A poem sung that expresses the feelings, customs, beliefs,
experiences, activities, or occupations of the people living in a place or area.
1. Oyayi o Hele (Lullaby)
Example. Matulogkanabunso
Angtataymo ay malayo
Hindi niyatayomasundo
Pagkatangdaa’ymaputik at mabalaho.

2. Kalusan o paggawa
Example. Likassa Pilipino angpagtutulungan
Sama-samangtumutulong para sabayan
Mayaman man o mahirap, nadiyanangpagkakaisa
Kapit-bisigitongpinaglabanan
 3. Kundiman (Song of Love)
Example. Noongunangpanahonako ay bata pa,
Natisodmona ay di pa alintana,
Nang ako ay lumaki at magingdalaga, Tilasako ay may pagbabanta pa.

4. Kumintang o Tagumpay (War Song)

Example. Angnunonatinglahat
Sa kulog di nasisindak,
Sa labanan di naaawat,
Pinuhunanbuhay, hirap,
Upangtayongmgaanak,
Mabuhay nangmapanatag

5. Diona (Wedding Song)

Example. Umawittayo at ipagdiwang
Angdalawangpusongngayon ay ikakasal
Angdaraanannilanglandas
Sabuyannatinngbigas.

6. Dalit/himno (Song to the God of the Visayans)

Example. Pumanaog, pumanaogsiMansilatan
SakasiBadla ay bababa,
Mamimigayngolakas,
PagsayawinangmgaBaylan,
PagligiranngmgaBaylan.

7. Soliranin (Song of the Laborer)

Example. Halagaodtayo, pagod ay tiisin
Anglahatnghirappag-aralangbathin
Kahitmalayo man, kung atingibigin,
Daigangmalapitnaayawlakbayin

8. Talindaw (Boatman’s Song)

Example. Sagwan, tayo ay sumagwa,
Angbuong kaya ay ibigay,
Malakasanghangin,
Bakatayo ay tanghaliin
Pagsagwa’ypagbutihin

B. Riddles.A question or statement that is purposefully phrased to require logical

thinking to determine its answer or meaning, usually presented as a game. It's
frequently played in wakefulness to comfort and ease tiredness in grief for the
departed. Later, this custom was carried out during festivals and other
gatherings.
Example. Bungbong kung liwanag (Bamboo stem during the day)
Kung gabi ay dagat. (At night, a sea)
Answer: Mat

May binti, walanghita (Has leg, no thigh,)

May tuktok, walangmukha. (Has top, no face)
Answer: Mushroom or kabute

C. Salawikain.These are pearls of wisdom gleaned from the experience of our

forefathers in the fields of law and etiquette.
Examples.
1. Anghipongpalatulog
Inaanodngagos.

2. Angmaniwalasasabi-sabi,
Walang bait sasarili.

3. Kung may isinuksok,

May madudukot.

D. Sawikain.It is like a Salawikain that conveys a good thought or message in life.

The only difference, it is precise and easy to identify the message. These are
also called kawikaan or sayings with no hidden meaning.
Examples.
1. Angtunaynakaibigansagipitnasusubukan.
2. NasaDiyosangawa, nasataoanggawa.
3. Daigngmaagapangtaongmasikap.

E. Palaisipan(Puzzle or brain teaser). It is a way of arousing and sharpening the

human mind. It is entertaining as well as informative.
Examples:
1. There is a ball on the table. It was covered with a hat. How can you get the
ball without even moving the hat?
Answer: The top of the hat has a hole
2. There is a princess who lives in the tower, there is news in the kingdom, that
she is extraordinarily beautiful. It's against the rules to glance up to see her.
What will the infatuated young man do?
Answer: Pretend to glance up and see the princess by drinking some water.
3. A hunter was travelling through the forest when he came across a fruit-laden
guava tree. He intended to collect the fruit, but it was guarded by vicious
monkeys. How can a hunter obtain guava without hurting the monkeys?
Answer: He enraged the monkeys, which responded by throwing guava at
him.

F. MgaTugmaangPambata (Children's Matching Poems). These are matching

languages commonly used to tease or criticize a person's actions or behavior.
Examples.
1. Tiriritngmaya
 Tiriritngibon,
Ibig mag-asawa,
Walangipalamon.

2. Putak, putak
Batangduwag
Matapangka’t,
Nasapugad.

3. Bata, batuta
Nagsuotsalungga,
Hinabolngpalaka.

G. Chant (Bulong). Used in witchcraft or enchantment.

Example:
Ikawangnagnanakawngbigasko
Lumuwasanaangmgamatamo
Mamagasanaangkatawanmo
Patayinkangmgaanito.

You stole my rice. May your eyes bulge; and your body swell; be killed by the
anitos.

H. Epic (Epiko). These are long narrative poems in which a series of heroic
achievements or events, usually of a hero, are dealt with at length.
Examples.
1. Bidasari – Moro epic
2. Biagni Lam-ang – Ilokano epic
3. Maragtas – Visayan epic
4. Haraya – Visayan epic
5. Tatuang, Tulalang, Tuwaang – Bagobo epic
6. ParangSabir – Moro/Tausog epic
7. Kumintang – Tagalog epic