21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

3rd Quarter

Topic 1 – Introduction to Philippine Literature

Literature - anything that is printed, as long as it is related to the ideas and feelings of people,
whether it is true or just a product of one’s imagination.
Litera - is a Latin word which literally means an “acquaintance with letters.”
Literary standard
1. Universality - Great literature is timeless and timely
-Forever relevant, it appeals to one and all, anytime, anywhere, because it deals with
elemental feelings, fundamental truths, and universal conditions.
2. Artistry - this is the quality that appeals to our sense of beauty.
3. Intellectual value - A literary work stimulates thought. It enriches our mental life by making
us realize fundamental truths about life and human nature.
4. Permanence - it can be read again and again as each reading gives fresh delight and new
insights and opens a new world of meaning and experience.
5. Style - the peculiar way in which writers see life, forms his ideas, and express them.
6. Spiritual Value - Literature elevates the spirit by bringing out moral values which makes a
better person.
2 General Divisions of Literature
1. Prose - a discourse that uses sentences and paragraphs to express ideas, feelings, and
actions.
 Short story – It focuses on a single main event, involving one or more characters.
 Novel – It is a long narrative divided into chapters
 Legend – This is a fictitious narrative usually about origins, sometimes based on
historical people or events, handed from the past
 Myth – It deals with the stories about gods and goddesses or mythological creatures.
 Fable – It is a fictitious story where characters are anthropomorphized or given human
qualities.
 Parable – It refers to stories that are usually biblical in nature
 Folktale – It refers to a prose narrative primarily told for amusement and instructional
value
 Biography – It records the facts and events of a person’s life written by another person.
 Autobiography – It deals with facts and events of a person’s life written by the person
himself.
 Diary – It is a daily record of events and experiences in the author’s life.
 Play - It is intended to be presented on stage and is divided into acts and scenes
 Essay – It is an analytical and interpretative composition about a topic or subject.
 News – It is an account of everyday events in the society
2. Poetry - refers to writings in verse with rhythm and rhyme and is characterized by a
melodious tone
- captures intense experiences or creative perceptions of the world in a musical language
 Narrative poetry - is poetry that tells a story
 Epic – This is an extended narrative of heroic adventures
 Ballad – This is the shortest narrative poem which used to be a song accompanying
a dance
 Lyric poetry - is any type of poetry that expresses the feelings and emotions of a writer
  Folk songs– These are short poems intended to be sung.
 Sonnet – It consists of 14 iambic pentameter lines with a formal rhyme scheme or
pattern.
 Ode – It expresses lofty praise for some person, place, or event.
 Psalm – This is a song that praises God.
 Elegy – This expresses lamentation for a dead loved one.

Topic 2 – Literary Periods

Pre-Colonial Period
- Based on oral traditions
- Crude on ideology and phraseology
- Oral tradition - Most literary works during the pre-colonial period were passed down by
word of mouth or oral language
- Writing system - Our ancestors were able to make use of a writing system to pen down
some works of literature
Literary Forms
1. Oral Literature
 Riddles - battle of wits among participants
 Proverbs (salawikain) – wise sayings
 Tanaga - expresses insights and lessons on life
2. Folk song
- It is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people's
lifestyles, as well as their loved ones.
- These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naïve.
3. Folk Tales
 Myths – explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain
characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or
fauna
 Legends – explain the origin of things. “Why the Pineapple Has Eyes” “The Legend
of Maria Makiling”
 Fables – used animal characters
4. Epics
- These are “narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition revolving around
supernatural events or heroic deeds”.
5. Poetry
- It is written in verse or prose and uses words and rhythm to express feelings, ideas or
emotions
 Tanaga - A short poem of 4 lines with 7-8 syllables
 Ambahan – traditional poetry of Hanunoo Mangyans of Oriental Mindoro which
consist of seven – syllable metric lines

Spanish Period
- 16th century is considered as deprivation of indigenous Philippine Literature
- 3 main theme: European, Spanish Culture, Roman Catholic Religion
- It has two distinct classifications: religious and secular.
- It introduced Spanish as the medium of communication.
Literary Forms
First Books
 1. Ang Doctrina Christiana - This was the first book printed in the Philippines in 1593 in
xylography
2. Nestra Seniora del Rosario - The second book printed in the Philippines was written by
Fr. Blancas de San Jose in 1602
3. Libro de los Cuatro Postprimeras de Hombre - This is the first book printed in
typography
4. Ang Barlaan at Josephat - It is believed to be the first Tagalog novel published in the
Philippines even if it is only a translation
5. Urbana at Felisa - A book by Modesto de Castro, the so called Father of Classic Prose in
Tagalog
Religious Literature
1. Pasyon – long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ
2. Senakulo – dramatization of the pasyon.
3. Ang mga Dalit kay Maria - A collection of songs praising the Virgin Mary.
4. Tibag – This ritual was brought here by the Spaniard to remind the people about the
search of St. Helena for the Cross on which Jesus died
5. Panuluyan - This is a presentation of the search of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph for an
inn wherein to deliver the baby Jesus
6. The Salubong - The Salubong is an Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the Risen
Christ and his Mother. It is still presented in many Philippine towns
Secular (non-religious) Literature
1. Awit - colorful tales of chivalry made for singing and chanting. Eg. Ibong Adarna
2. Korido – metrical tale. Eg. Florante at Laura
3. Prose Narratives – written to prescribe proper decorum.
Recreational Plays
1. Carillo (Shadow Play) – this is a form of dramatic entertainment performed on a
moonless night during a town fiesta or on dark nights after a harvest
2. The Zarzuela – considered the father of the drama; it is a musical comedy or
melodrama
3. The Sainete – They were exaggerated comedies shown between acts of long plays and
were mostly performed by characters from the lower classes

Nationalistic/ Propaganda Movement/ Revolutionary Period

- Planted seeds of nationalism in Filipinos
- Language shifted from Spanish to Tagalog
- Addressed the masses instead of the “intelligencia”
- 3 Principal Leaders of Propaganda Movement: JOSE P. RIZAL, MARCELO H. DEL PILAR,
GRACIANO LOPEZ JAENA
Literary Forms
Propaganda Literature-reformatory in objective
1. Political Essays – satires, editorials and news articles were written to attack and expose
the evils of Spanish rule.
2. Political Novels
- Noli Me Tangere (Jose Rizal) - This was the novel that gave spirit to the propaganda
movement and paved the way to the revolution against Spain.
- El Filibusterismo (Jose Rizal) - This is a sequel to the NOLI while the NOLI exposed
the evils in society, the FILI exposed those in the government and in the church
Revolutionary Literature
3. Political Essays – helped inflame the spirit of revolution
 American Colonial Period
- During the first year of the American period, the languages used in writing were Spanish
and Tagalog and the dialects of the different regions, but Spanish and Tagalog
predominated
Literature in Spanish
 Cecilio Apostol - Cecilio Apostol wrote poems dedicated to Rizal, Jacinto, Mabini and all
other heroes but his poem dedicated to Rizal is considered the best poem in praise of the
hero of Bagumbayan
 Fernando Ma. Guerrero - It is believed that Fernando Ma. Guerrero shared with Apostol
the reign in the balagtasan in Spanish during their time
 Claro M. Recto - He collected his poems in a book entitled BAJO LOS COCOTEROS (Under
The Coconut Trees
Filipino Literature
 Jose Garcia Villa - He is one of the contributors in the American Colonial Period who
wrote “Footnote to Youth”and was awarded as Poet of the Century
 Francisco Balagtas – Florante at Laura
 Modesto de Castro – Urbana at Felisa
 Lope K. Santos - novelist, poet and author, and grammarian covered three periods of
Tagalog literature
 Amado V. Hernandez - was dubbed Makata ng mga Manggagawa (Poet of the Laborers)
in our literature because he pictures in his poem the intense love for the poor worker or
laborer
 Severino Reyes - Father of the Tagalog drama and author of the immortal Walang Sugat
 Aurelio Tolentino - Kahapon, Ngayong At Bukas
 Pedro Bukaneg - Father of Ilocano Literature
 Claro Caluya - Prince of Ilocano Poets
 Juan Crisostomo Soto - Father of Kapampangan Literature
Period of Apprenticeship (1910-1930)
- Filipino Writers imitated English and American models.
- Poems written were amateurish and mushy, which phrasing and diction is awkward and
artificial.
Period of Emergence (1920-1930)
- Highly influenced by Western literary trends like Romanticism and Realism
- Short Stories – most prevalent literary form

Philippine Literature in English

 The Period of Re-orientation: 1898-1910

 The Period of Imitation: 1910-1925
 The Period of Self-Discovery: 1925-1941

Japanese Occupation
- Between 1941-1945, the development of Philippine literature was interrupted due to the
Japanese colonization
- There was no freedom of speech and of the press
- Newspapers in English were banned by the Japanese. This became a blessing in disguise as
writers started writing in Filipino
War Years
 - Tagalog poets broke away from the Balagtas tradition and instead wrote in simple language
and free verse
- Fiction prevailed over poetry
- 25 Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino (1943) – compilation of the short story
contest by the military government.
Period of Maturity and Originality (1945-1960)
- Bountiful harvest in poetry, fiction, drama and essay.
- Filipino writers mastered English and familiarized themselves with diverse techniques.
- Literary “giants” appeared

Contemporary Period
- In this period, writers used symbolisms and allegories to drive home their message, in the face
of heavy censorship.
- Theater was used as a vehicle for protest, such as the PETA (Phil. Educational Theater
Association) and UP Theater

Topic 3 – Canonical Authors and Literatures from the Regions

National Artists of the Philippines
- an order bestowed to Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the development of
Philippine art

Literatures from the Regions

LUZON Region 1 – Ilocos Region Pedro Bukaneg - blind since childhood
- Father of Ilokano Poetry and
Literature
- authored the popular epic known as
Biag ni Lam-ang
Region 2 –Cagayan Valley Florentino Hornedo - He is a recipient of the Palanca
Awards for Literature in 1898 and
wrote, “Art out of Crisis” which
focused on social issues of decreasing
economic and social appeal.
Edith Tiempo - This author received the Elizabeth
Luce Moore Distinguished Asian
Professor Award; held the L.T. Ruiz
Professorial Chair in English from 1981
to 1989.
Region 3 – Central Luzon Francisco Balagtas - The famous epic, Florante at Laura, is
regarded as his defining work
- considered one of the greatest
Filipino literary laureates for his
impact on Filipino literature
Region 4A - CALABARZON Jose Rizal - Rizal was a prolific writer and was
anti-violence
 - Rizal's two books "Noli Me Tangere"
(Touch Me Not)
- "El Filibusterismo" (The Rebel)
Region 4B - MIMAROPA Malou Leviste - Is a playwright
Jacob - resident playwright of PETA
Region 5 – Bicol Region Estelito Baylon Jacob - one of the editors of Bangraw, A
bikol magazine
- currently the president of kabulig,
bikol writers association.
National Capital Region Nick Joaquin - best known for his short stories and
novels in the English language
- He also wrote using the pen name
Quijano de Manila. Joaquín was
conferred the rank and title of
National Artist of the Philippines for
Literature
Cordillera Administrative Fernando Mamuri - In 1917, he became the editor of
Region Maramág Rising Philippines, a daily read by
almost every literate Filipino because
of its nationalistic contests. The
Philippines Herald and the National
Weekly also benefited from his
editorship.
VISAYAS Region 6 – Western Alice Tan Gonzales - Ilonggo story writer
Visayas
Region 7 – Central Michael Obenieta - He writes poetry and prose in both
Visayas Cebuano and English
- famous work of him are “New
writers speak up and mantala” ,
“Likhaan” , “Fiction(1996 to 1997)”
Region 8 – Eastern Iluminado Lucente - He is considered to be one of the
Visayas finest writers in the Waray language
- he was elected as a mayor in
Tacloban
MINDANAO Region 9 – Zamboanga Emigdio Alvarez - He is a novelist, & story writer
Peninsula Enriquez - The White Horse Of Alih
Region 10 – Northern Emmanuel Agapito - Popularly known as Eman Lacaba,
Mindanao Flores Lacaba was a Filipino writer, poet, essayist,
playwright, short story writer,
scriptwriter, songwriter and activist
- "poet warrior" of the Philippines
Region 11 - Davao Ricardo De Ungria - Is a Filipino poet
- He received writing residency
fellowships at the Hawthornden
Castle International Retreat for
Writers in 1991
Region 12 - Guillermo - Is a Spanish Filipino multilingual
SOCCSKSARGEN Gómez Rivera author, historian, educator and
linguistic scholar whose lifelong work
has been devoted to the movement to
preserve Spanish culture as an
important element of the Filipino
 identity
Region 13 - CARAGA Joey Ayala - Is a Filipino singer, songwriter and
former chairman of the music
committee of the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts
- combines the sounds of Filipino
ethnic instruments with modern pop
music
Autonomous Region in Imelda Morales - poetry and essays. She also writes
Muslim Mindanao Aznar poems and stories for children.

Topic 4 – Major and 21st Century Literary Genres

21st Century Literature - refers to new literary work created within the last decade. It is written by
contemporary authors which may deal with current themes/ issues and reflects a technological culture.
It often breaks traditional writing rules

Major Literary Genres

1. POETRY - is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound and

rhythmic language choices to evoke an emotional response. It has been known to employ meter
and rhyme. The very nature of poetry as an authentic and individual mode of expression makes
it nearly impossible to define.
2. DRAMA - is a composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue or pantomime a story
involving conflict more contrast of character, especially on intended to be acted on a stage: a
play. It may be any situation or series of events having vivid, emotional, conflicting or striking
interest.
3. FICTION - is literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though it may be
based on a true story or situation. Types of literature in the fiction include the novel, short story
and novella.
4. NON-FICTION - is based on facts and the author’s opinion about a subject. The purpose of non-
fiction writing is to inform and sometimes to persuade. Its examples are biographies, articles
from textbooks and magazines and newspapers.

21st Century Literary Genres

1. ILLUSTRATED NOVEL
- Story through text and illustrated images
- 50% of the narrative is presented without words
- The reader must interpret the images to comprehend the story completely.
- Textual portions are presented in traditional form.
- Some illustrated novels may contain no text at all.
- Span all genres.
- Examples include The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick and The Arrival by Shaun Tan.
2. DIGI-FICTION
- Triple Media Literature
- Combines three media: book, movie/video and internet website. To get the full story, students
must engage in navigation, reading, and viewing in all three forms.
- Examples : Patrick Carman’s Skeleton Creek and Anthony Zuiker’s Level 26 are exmples
3. GRAPHIC NOVEL
- Narrative in comic book formats
- Narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using a comic form.
- The term is employed in broadly manner, encompassing non-fiction works and thematically
linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number of genres.
- Archie Comics by John Goldwater and illustrator, Bob Montana, is a good example.
4. MANGA
- Japanese word for comics
- It is used in the English-speaking world as a generic term for all comic books and graphic novels
originally published in Japan.
- Considered as an artistic and storytelling style.
- Ameri-manga- sometimes used to refer to comics created by American artists in manga style.
- Shonen- Boy’s Manga (Naruto, Bleach, One Piece)
- Shojo- Girl’s Manga (Sailormoon)
- Seinen- Men’s Manga (Akira)
- Josei- Women’s Manga (Loveless, Paradise Kiss)
- Kodomo- Children’s Manga (Doraemon, Hello Kitty)
5. DOODLE FICTION
- Literary presentation where the author incorporates doodle writing, drawings and handwritten
graphics in place of the traditional font.
- Drawing enhances the story, often adding humorous elements
- Examples include The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney and Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis.
6. TEXT-TALK NOVELS
- Blogs, email and IM format narratives
- Stories told almost entirely in dialogue simulating social network exchanges.
7. CHICK LIT or CHICK LITERATURE
- Is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and
lightheartedly.
- Chick Lit typically features a female protagonist whose femininity is heavily thermalizing in the
plot.
- Scarlet Bailey’s the night before Christmas and Miranda Dickinson’s It started with a Kiss are
examples of this.
8. FLASH FICTION
- Is a style of fictional literature of extreme brevity
- There is no widely accepted definition of the length and category. It could range from word to a
thousand.
9. SIX-WORD FLASH FICTION
- Ernest Hemingway: For sale: baby socks, never worn.
- Margaret Atwood: Longed for him. Got him, Shit.
10. CREATIVE NON-FICTION
- Also known as literary non-fiction or narrative non-fiction
- A genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives.
- Contrasts with other non-fiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in
accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service to its craft.
- As a genre, creative non-fiction is still relatively young and is only beginning to be scrutinized
with the same critical analysis given to fiction and poetry.
- 1000 Gifts by Ann Voscamp and Wind, Sand, and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery are
examples.
11. SCIENCE FICTION
 - Is a genre of speculative fiction dealing with imaginative concepts such as futuristic science and
technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, a parallel universe and extra-
terrestrial life.
- Often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations and has been
called a “literature of ideas”.
- Examples include Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay and Sarah Maas’ Kingdom of Ash.
12. BLOG
- A weblog, a website containing short articles called posts that are changed regularly.
- Some blogs are written by one person containing his or her own opinions, interests and
experiences, while others are written by different people.
13. HYPER POETRY
- Digital poetry that uses links and hypertext mark-up
- It can either involved set words, phrases, lines, etc. that are presented in variable order but sit
on the page much as traditional poetry does, or it can contain parts of the poem that move and
transform.
- It is usually found online, through CD-ROM and diskette versions exist. The earliest examples
date to no later than the mid-1980’s.

Topic 5 – Anecdotes and Its Purposes

Topic 6 – Context, Text, Imagery and its Types
Topic 7 – CREATIVE REPRESENTATION OF TEXT including:
 APO ON THE WALL by BJ PATINO
 PRELUDES by Daryll Delgado
 LENGUA PARA DIABLO by MERINDA BOBIS
 US CITIZEN BY RENE ESTELLA AMPER by Rene Estella Amper