DIVINE WORD COLLEGE OF BANGUED

COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
School of Arts, Sciences, and Education
A.Y 2023 – 2024

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

Literature from the Latin word “Littera” meaning “Letters” and referring to an
acquaintance with the written word. It is the “written work” of a specific culture, sub-culture,
religion, philosophy, or the study of such written work which may appear in poetry or in prose.
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.”
Brother Azurin, said that “literature expresses the feelings of people to society, to the
government, to his surroundings, to his fellowmen and to his Divine Creator.” The expression of
one’s feelings, according to him, may be through love, sorrow, happiness, hatred, anger, pity,
contempt, or revenge.
In PANITIKANG PILIPINO written by Atienza, Ramos, Salazar and Nazal, it says that
“true literature is a piece of written work which is undying. It expresses the feelings and
emotions of people in response to his everyday efforts to live, to be happy in his environment
and, after struggles, to reach his Creator.”
Why do we need to study Philippine Literature?
 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 forefathers.
 Then we can understand ourselves better and take pride in being a Filipino.

Our writers have yet to write their OPUS MAGNUMS(Great Works). Meanwhile,
history and literature are slowly unfolding before us and we are as witnesses in the assembly
lines to an evolving literary life. Time frames may not be necessary in a study of literature, but
since literature and
history are The Period of Re-Orientation 1898-1910 inescapably
related it has become
facilitative The Period of Imitation 1910-1925 to map up a
system The Period of Self-Discovery 1925-1941 which will aid
us in delineating
certain Japanese Period 1941-1945 time.

The Rebirth of Freedom 1946-1970

Period of Activism 1970-1972

Period of the New Society 1972-1981

Philippine LiteraturePeriod of the Third Republic 1981-1985

Contemporary Period 1986

 DIVINE WORD COLLEGE OF BANGUED
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
School of Arts, Sciences, and Education
A.Y 2023 – 2024

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.
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.

Literary Compositions that Have Influenced the World:

1. The Bible or the Sacred Writings
2. Koran
3. The Iliad and the Odyssey
4. The Mahab-harata
5. Canterbury Tales
6. Uncle Tom’s Cabin
7. The Divine Comedy
8. El Cid Compeador
9. The Song of Roland
10. The Book of the Dead
11. The Book of the Days
12. Arabian Nights (1001 Nights)
General Types of Literature
Poetry Prose
Definition It is defined as the form of art in It is defined as the most general
which language is used for its form of written language that is
evocative and aesthetic qualities not used for formal patterns of a
in addition to its apparent verse.
meaning.
Origin It originates from the Latin word The word “Prose” comes from the
“Poeta” that means “Poet”. Latin term which mean “Straight
Forward”.
Primary Goal  It has the primary goal of  It has the primary goal of
selling the language itself sharing information.
as music.  It is words in their best
 It is best words in the best order.
order.

Philippine Literature
 DIVINE WORD COLLEGE OF BANGUED
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
School of Arts, Sciences, and Education
A.Y 2023 – 2024
Lines and Sentences Lines are considered to be basic Sentences are considered to be
units of poetry. basics unit of prose.
Characteristics  It is a lyrical form of  It is the typical form of
writing. writing.
 It has structure, format and  It has no structure, format
rhyming in the sentences. and rhyming in the
 It is usually divided into sentences.
lines or phrases.  It is not usually divided
 It is more expensive and into sentences.
attractive.  It is dull.
 It serves to excite the  It is simple and common.
readers.  It is quite ordinary.
 It is imaginative.
Used It is used in writing songs and It is used in different articles,
poems. stories, and letters, etc.

Prose consists of those written within the common flow of conversation in sentences and
paragraphs. While poetry refers to those expressions in verse, with measure and rhyme, line and
stanza and has a more melodious tone.

I. Types of Prose
a. Novels – a long narrative divided into chapters and events are taken from true-to-life
stories.
EXAMPLE: WITHOUT SEEING THE DAWN by Stevan Javellana
b. Short Story – this is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot and one
single impression.
EXAMPLE: THE LAUGHTER OF MY FTHER by Carlos Bulosan
c. Plays – this is presented on a stage. It is divided into acts and each act has many scenes.
EXAMPLE: THIRTEEN PLAYS by Wilfredo M. Guerrero
d. Legends – these are fictitious narratives, usually about origins.
EXAMPLE: THE BIKOL LEGEND by PIO DURAN
e. Fables – these are fictitious and they deal with animals and inanimate things who speak
and act like people and their purpose is to enlighten the minds of children to events that
can mold their ways and attitudes.
EXAMPLE: THE MONKEY AND THE TURTLE
f. Anecdotes – these are merely products of the writer’s imagination and the main aim is to
bring out lessons to the reader.
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.
EXAMPLE: OF STUDIES by FRANCIS BACON

Philippine Literature
 DIVINE WORD COLLEGE OF BANGUED
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
School of Arts, Sciences, and Education
A.Y 2023 – 2024
h. Biography – this deals with the life of a person which may be about himself, his
autobiography or that of others.
EXAMPLE: CAYETANO ARELLANO by SOCORRO O. ALBERT
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.

II. Types of Poetry

 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.
EXAMPLE: THE HARVEST OF ALIGUYON translated in English by AMADOR T.
DAGUIO
2. Metrical Tale – this is narrative which is written in verse and can be classified either as a
ballad or a metrical romance.
EXAMPLE: BAYANI NG BUKID by AL PEREZ
HERO OF THE FIELDS by AL PEREZ
3. Ballads – of the narrative poems, this is considered the shortest and simplest. It has a
simple structure and tells of a single incident.

There are also variations of these: love ballads, war ballads, and sea ballads, humorous,
moral, and historical or mythical ballads. In the early time, this referred to a song accompanying
a dance.

 Lyric Poetry – originally this refers to that 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, simple and easy to understand.
1. Folksongs (Awiting Bayan) – these are short poems intended to be sung. The common
theme is love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope and sorrow.
EXAMPLE: CHIT-CHIRIT-CHIT
2. Sonnets – this is a lyric poem of 14 lines dealing with an emotion, a feeling, or an idea.
There are two types: The Italian and Shakespearean.
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 RICAREDO DEMETILLO
4. 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.

Philippine Literature
 DIVINE WORD COLLEGE OF BANGUED
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
School of Arts, Sciences, and Education
A.Y 2023 – 2024
5. Psalms (Dalit) – this is a song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a
philosophy of life.
6. Awit (Song) – these have measures of twelve syllables (dodecasyllabic) and slowly sung
to the accompaniment of a guitar or banduria.
EXAMPLE: FLORANTE AT LAURA by FRANCISCO BALAGTAS
7. Corridos (Kuridos) –these have measures of eight syllables (octosyllabic) and recited to
a martial beat.
EXAMPLE: IBONG ADARNA

 Dramatic Poetry
1. Comedy – the word comedy comes from the Greek term “komos” meaning festivity or
revelry. This form usually is light and written with the purpose of amusing, and usually is
light and written with the purpose of amusing, and usually has a happy ending.
2. Melodrama – this is usually used in musical plays with the opera. Today, this is related
to tragedy just as the farce is to comedy. It arouses immediate and intense emotion and is
usually sad but there is a happy ending for the principal character.
3. Tragedy – this involves the hero struggling mightily against dynamic forces. He meets
death or ruin without success and satisfaction obtained by the protagonist in a comedy.
4. Farce – this is an exaggerated comedy. It seeks to arouse mirth by laughable lines.
Situations are too ridiculous to be true. The characters also seem to be caricatures and the
motives undignified and absurd.
5. Social Poems – this form is either purely comic or tragic and it pictures the life today. It
may aim to bring about changes in the social conditions.

Philippine Literature