21 CENTURY

ST

LITERATURE FROM THE

PHILIPPINES AND THE
WORLD
 LITERATURE
•Derived from the Latin word litera meaning “letters.”
•Term used to describe written and sometimes spoken material.
•Represents the culture and tradition of a language or a people.
•The accepted definition of literature is constantly changing or
evolving.
 WHY IS LITERATURE IMPORTANT?

•It provides a kind of blueprint of human society.

•Literature is more than just a historical or cultural
artifact; it can serve as an introduction to a new world of
experience.
•Literature puts the reader into another person’s shoes.
 LITERARY GENRES
• Three main genres of literature:
1. Poetry – comes from the Greek word poiesis meaning “to make’,
written in verses, typically employs a rhythmic and measured approach
to composition. It is symbolic in nature. Ex: ballads, epics.
2. Prose – written texts that aligns with the flow of conversation in
sentence and paragraph form. Ex: news, biographies, short stories.
3. Drama – theatrical dialogue that is performed on stage. Ex: comedy,
melodrama, tragedy, farce.
BIDASARI(A MINDANAO EPIC)
 GUIDE QUESTIONS

•What is epic?
•Based on the above-mentioned epic, what are the
characteristics of an epic?
•How do epic heroes differ from the more
popularly known war heroes?
 EPICS
•Epic is a long, often book-length, narrative in verse form that
retells the heroic journey of a single person, or group of persons.
•Philippine epics narrate the adventures of the hero in
chronological order, many of them beginning with the hero's
birth.
•The epics narrate the hero's life and adventures and end in happy
endings. If the hero dies, he is brought back to life.
• Epics typically begin as oral traditions that are passed down for
generations before being written down. To this end, epics have an
order and repetition of events that made them easier to remember.
Due to their length, these works often took days to tell!
• Epics are mythological histories; they meld together famous
figures from history and historical events. Some characters and
events in epics are historical, like the Trojan War, while other
characters are mostly or purely mythological, like the Olympians,
or Perseus.
 IMPORTANCE OF EPIC

•Epics depict what happened in the past.

•They tell us about the happenings that shaped our
culture.
•Epics are proof of our culture.
•They tell us about our history
 ELEMENTS OF AN EPIC

A Hero of Legendary Proportions

•The epic hero is typically well-known in his time, often
reaching superstar status. In ancient legends, the hero
often is either partially divine or at least protected by
the gods.
 ELEMENTS OF AN EPIC

Adventures of Superhuman Strength and Valor

•The hero accomplishes feats no real human could,
both physically and mentally.
 ELEMENTS OF AN EPIC

Multiple Settings
•The actions of the hero span the continent,
other realms, or even worlds.
 ELEMENTS OF AN EPIC

Involvement of the Supernatural

•Gods, demons, angels, time/space travel,
cheating death, immortality, and other
supernatural elements.
 ELEMENTS OF AN EPIC

Epic Style of Writing

•The style is frequently ornate, drawn out, or exaggerated.
•Common flourishes are epithets, extended similes, and
repeated phrases.
 ELEMENTS OF AN EPIC

Omniscient Narrator
•The narrator sees and knows all.