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CORLIT: 21 Century Literature

A. 21st Century literature from the region where the school is based in relation to the literature of other regions
in various genres and forms in consideration of: (20hrs)

1. various DIMENSIONS OF PHILIPPINE LITERARY HISTORY FROM PRE-COLONIAL TO

CONTEMPORARY;
2. canonical authors and works of Philippine National Artists in Literature;
3. names of authors and their works, and backgrounds of the literature from the region where the high
school is located.

I. INTRODUCTION
Literature expression of mans best thoughts, feelings, and emotion in words of truth and beauty.
Life itself
o Truth applies to actuality, or what is reality
o Beauty a quality that delights the senses, or exalts the mind.
o Gives aesthetic pleasure

Literature is a mirror of life. Arsenia Tan

Literature is an art which uses language.- John Henry Cardinal Newman
1. Reveals the secrets of human heart.
2. Carry off the hidden grief.
3. Relieve the pain of the soul.
4. Record experience.
5. Convey sympathy

LITERATURE: comes from the Latin word litera which means an acquaintance with letters
an imaginative or creative writing, passed on from generation from generation to
generation by word of mouth.
valued works of art ( drama, fiction, essays, biography, poetry)
a product of a particular culture
Literature leads to:

Personal Fulfillment Academic Value

1. Enjoyment 1. Reading
( A positive early experience lead to a lifetime of 2. Writing develop their own writing voice,
reading enjoyment) personal writing style
2. Imagination and Inspiration 3. Art Appreciation uses illustrations can be
3. Vicarious experience appreciated for its aesthetic and cognitive value.
4. Understanding and Empathy
5. Moral Reasoning
6. Literary and artistic awareness is to recognize the
style of the author

Literary Standards:
1. Universality 4. Suggestiveness
-appeals to everyone regardless of culture, race, - Literature suggests meanings, symbolisms,
sex images
2. Artistry 5. Spiritual Value
-aesthetic appeal Has the power to motivate, inspires
3. Intellectual Value - Elevates spirits and soul
Stimulates critical thinking
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CORLIT: 21 Century Literature

II. Dimensions of Philippine Literary History from Pre-colonial to Contemporary

DIFFERENT PERIODS OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

1. PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (--BC to 1564)

A. Characteristics
1.Based on oral traditions
2.Crude on ideology and phraseology
B. Literary Forms
1. Oral Literature
a. Riddles (bugtong) battle of wits among participants
Tigmo Cebu
Paktakon Ilonggo
Patotdon Bicol
b. Proverbs (salawikain) wise sayings that contain a metaphor used to teach as a food for
thought etc.
c. Tanaga - a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessons on life is
"more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the folk lyric."
2.Folk Songs It is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people's lifestyles as well as
their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous and didactic .
a. Hele or oyayi lullaby
b. Ambahan (Mangyan) 7-syllable per line poem that are about human relationships and
social entertainment
c. Kalusan (Ivatan) - work songs that depict the livelihood of the peopled.
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CORLIT: 21 Century Literature
d. Tagay (Cebuano and Waray) drinking song.
e. Kanogan (Cebuano) song of lamentation for the dead
3. Folk Tales
a. Myths explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain
characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna.
b. Legends explain the origin of things Why the Pineapple Has EyesThe Legend of Maria Makiling
c. Fables used animal characters and allegory
d.Fantasti stories deal with underworld characters such as tiyanak,aswang, kapre and others.
4. Epics- These are narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition revolving
aroundsupernatural events or heroic deeds (Arsenio Manuel)
Examples: Lam-ang (Ilocano) Hinilawod (Panay) Kudaman (Palawan) Darangen (Maranao)

2. SPANISH COLONIZATION PERIOD (1565 1863)

A. Characteristics
1. It has two distinct classifications: religious and secular
2. It introduced Spanish as the medium of communication.

B.Literary Forms
1b. Religious Literature - Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both
Spanish and Tagalog were included in early catechism and were
used to teach Filipinos the Spanish language.

a. Pasyon long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ.
The most popular was Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Cristong Panignoon
Natin byAguino de Belen
b. Senakulo dramatization of the pasyon, it shows the passion and death of Christ

2.b. Secular (non-religious) Literature

a.Awit - colorful tales of chivalry made for singing and chanting
Example: Ibong Adarna
b.Korido metrical tale written in octosyllabic quatrains
Example: Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar
c. Prose Narratives written to prescribe proper decorum
i. Dialogo ii. Ejemplo i ii.Manual de Urbanidad
iv. tratado
Examples: Modesto de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na siUrbana
at si Feliza"
Joaquin Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in

3. NATIONALISTIC / PROPAGANDA AND REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD (1864 1896)

A. Characteristics
1. Planted seeds of nationalism in Filipinos
2. Language shifted from Spanish to Tagalog
3.Addressed the masses instead of the intelligentsia

B.Literary Forms
1.b Propaganda Literature - Reformatory in objective
a. Political Essays satires, editorials and news articles were written to attack and expose the
evils of Spanish rule
i.Diariong Tagalog founded by Marcelo del Pilar
ii.La Solidaridad whose editor-in-chief is Graciano Lopez-Jaena
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CORLIT: 21 Century Literature
b. Political Novels
i. Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo Jose Rizals masterpieces that paved
the way to the revolution

2.b. Revolutionary Literature more propagandistic than literary as it is more violent in nature
and demanded complete independence for the country
a. Political Essays helped inflame the spirit of revolution
i. Kalayaan newspaper of the society, edited by Emilio Jacinto
b. Poetry True Decalogue Apolinario Mabini Katapusang Hibik ng Pilipinas
Andres Bonifacio Liwanag at Dilim Emilio Jacinto

4. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1910 1945)

a. 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.
Short Stories
i.Dead Stars Paz Marquez Benitez
ii.The Key Paz Latorena
iii.Footnote to Youth Jose Garcia Villa
Novels
i. Child of Sorrow first novel in English, by Zoilo Galang
b. Period of Emergence (1920-1930)- Highly influenced by Western literary trends like
Romanticism and Realism.
Short Stories most prevalent literary form
i. Jose Garcia Villa earned the international title Poet of the Century

5. JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1942 - 1960) - War Years (1942-1944)

1. Tagalog poets broke away from the Balagtas tradition and instead wrote in simple language
and free verse
2.Fiction prevailed over poetry
a.25 Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino (1943) compilation of the short story contest
by the military government.
o Suyuan sa Tubigan Macario Pineda
o Lupang Tinubuan Narciso Reyes
o Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa Liwayway Arceo

6.Period of Maturity and Originality (1945-1960)

1.Bountiful harvest in poetry, fiction, drama and essay
2.Filipino writers mastered English and familiarized themselves with diverse techniques 3.Literary
giants appeared
a. Palanca Awards for Literature
i.Jose Garcia Villa
ii.Nick Joaquin
iii.NVM Gonzales
iv.Bienvenido Santos
v.Gregorio Brillantes
vi.Gilda CorderoFernando

b.National Artist Awards

i.Jose Garcia Villa
ii.Nick Joaquian
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CORLIT: 21 Century Literature
CONTEMPORARY/MODERN PERIOD (1960 PRESENT)
A. Characteristics
1.Martial Law repressed and curtailed human rights, including freedom of the press
2.Writers used symbolisms and allegories to drive home their message, at the face of heavy
censorship
Theater was used as a vehicle for protest, such as the PETA (Phil. Educational Theater Association) and
UP Theater.
From the eighties onwards, writers continue to show dynamism and innovation

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN THE 21st CENTURY

The publishing industry changed, with technological advances giving rise to the dawn of the eBooks.
Characteristics of the New Forms of Literary texts:

1. textula, a poetry genre mastered by Frank Rivera: entire poems are written and read on mobile phones.

2. Graphic novels are becoming as respectable as prose novels among literary critics.

3. Poems meant to be recited in front of large audiences have become more fashionable than poems meant to
be read silently by a single reader (fulfilling one of Cirilo Bautistas prophecies about the future of poetry)

4. hypertextual poems, where readers move from one website to another because of embedded links in the
words, sometimes not returning to the original pages at all.

5. eBooks - readers are treated to audiovisual clips that not only support the narrative in a novel, but actually
are crucial to the development of plot and character.

6. flash fiction- six-word and even one-word short stories.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
RESEARCH WORK AND DATA COLLECTION

The students must embark on a research work individually, focusing on:

A) Philippine Literary Timeline,
B) Notable Filipino Authors, and,
C) Local Literary Forms in the Philippines.

Phase 1: The class must be divided into four groups, and each group must research on the characteristics of the period
assigned to them:
1) Pre-Colonial,
2) Spanish Period,
3) American Period,
4) Contemporary Period.
The findings must be presented in class with a visual aid, detailing the specific and unique characteristics of each period.

References:
http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/literary-arts/the-literary-forms-in-philippine-
literature/
https://infogram.com/different_periodsofphilippine_literature
http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/literary-arts/the-literary-forms-in-philippine-
literature/
http://www.philstar.com/education-and-home/2013/10/24/1248724/21st-century-literature