About the Course

Contemporary, Popular, and Emergent Literature is a three-unit course focuses on

critical issues in contemporary and popular literature and genres as students explore
issues of political, racial, ethnic and gender identity in contemporary literary works.
There will be intensive reading and evaluation of the said literatures. Designed for
students majoring in English, the knowledge and skills gained will be applied in their
academic and professional endeavors.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
1. Define the meaning of literature and popular literature, popular literature in
relation to popular culture, various genre in popular literature classification.
2. Identify the characteristics of popular literature, its forms, and emerging
themes in popular literary works.
3. Evaluate a variety of literary themes or a specific theme in depth – using
comparisons between works and/or particular author.
4. Analyze historical, social, political, and cultural influences used to explain the
literary dynamics in developing the genre.
5. Explore issues of political, racial, ethnic and gender identity in contemporary
literary works.
6. Discuss how genres affect the mainstream literature.
7. Synthesize literary perspectives into a coherent, well-reasoned interpretation
of selected works.

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 Module 1: Nature, Essence, and Significance of
Module No. & Title Contemporary and Popular Literature
Focus on Genres of Popular Fiction

Welcome to Module 1 of EL 116! In this

module, you will be introduced to a
comprehensive background of emergent and
popular literature along with intensive reading
Module Overview and evaluation of literary pieces from the poetry
genre. One of the most essential tasks is being
able to explore issues of political, racial, ethnic
and gender identity in contemporary literary
works.

At the end of the module, the students are expected to:

• recap the division and elements of
literature;
• explain the literary context of
modernism.
• define in context common poetic devices.
• analyze several modernist poems,
Module Objectives/ including T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of
Outcomes J. Alfred Prufrock."
• evaluate the historical, social, and
cultural context of modernism at large.
• describe the origin and history of slam
poetry.
• identify the specific components of a slam
poem.
• write and perform their own slam poem.
This module contains the following lessons:

Genres of Popular Fiction:

Lessons in the
Lesson 1: Nature, Essence, and Significance
Module
of Contemporary and Popular Literature
Lesson 2: Poetry and Slam Poetry

2
 : Module 1: Nature, Essence, and Significance of
Module No. and
Contemporary and Popular Literature
Title
Focus on Genres of Popular Fiction
Lesson No. and : LESSON 1: Introduction to Modern
Title Literature

: At the end of the lesson, the students will be

able to:
• explain the literary context of modernism.
• define in context common poetic devices.
• analyze several modernist poems, including T.S.
Learning
Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
Outcomes
• evaluate the historical, social, and cultural
context of modernism at large.
• describe the origin and history of slam poetry.
• identify the specific components of a slam poem.
• write and perform their own slam poem.

Time Frame : 1 week

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to I the first lesson of Module 1, entitled, “Nature, Essence, and
Significance of Contemporary and Popular Literature Focus on Genres of Popular
Fiction”. In this lesson, you will be able to learn about the emergence of modern
literature and be introduced to the genres of popular fiction.

ACTIVITY
Activity No. 1
I
“You Then and Now”

I. Directions: Think of your habits or manners you used to have when you were
still a kid and compare it to your habits now that you are grown up. List and
describe them briefly.

THEN NOW

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 ANALYSIS

In two to three sentences, write an idea about the quotation given

below.

“But this wealth of information

produced little or no insight.”
-Stephen King, The Gunslinger

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Now, reflect on the following questions:

As a young person living in the 21st century

majoring in English, how does modernism in
literature appeal to you?
Does modernism’s credibility lessen compared
of those classics? Why and Why not?

Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are thought to be the mother and father of
the modernist movement because they had the most direct influence on early
Modernists. Sometime after their deaths, the Imagist poets began to gain importance.
Imagist poets generally wrote shorter poems and they chose their words carefully
so that their work would be rich and direct. The movement started in London, where a
group of poets met and discussed changes that were happening in poetry. Ezra Pound
soon met these individuals, and he eventually introduced them to H.D. and Richard
Aldington in 1911. In 1912, Pound submitted their work to Poetry magazine. After
H.D.’s name, he signed the word "Imagiste" and that was when Imagism was publicly
launched. Two months later, Poetry published an essay which discusses three points

4
that the London group agreed upon. They felt that the following rules should apply
when writing poetry:
1. Direct treatment of the "thing," whether subjective or objective.
2. To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation.
3. As regarding rhythm: to compose in the sequence of the musical phrase, not in
sequence of a metronome.

World War I broke out soon after the height of Imagism. Some poets, like
Aldington, were called to serve the country, and this made the spread of Imagism
difficult—as did paper shortages as a result of the war. Eventually, war poets like
Wilfred Owen grew in popularity as people shifted their attention to the state of the
world.

After the war ended, a sense of disillusionment grew, and poems like T. S. Eliot’s
“The Waste Land” showed the way poetry had shifted. This infamous poem contains
various narratives and voices that change quickly from one topic to another. This style
of poetry differed greatly from the slow and focused poetry of the Imagists. Visit this
link to read the poem in its entirety.

Within a few years, many Modernist writers moved overseas. There was an
exciting expatriate scene in Paris which included Pound, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein,
and Mina Loy. These writers held and attended literary salons. Poets such as E.E.
Cummings, Hart Crane, and William Carlos Williams also attended these salons at
times.

Not all Modernist poets followed the writers who were making revolutionary
changes to the world of poetics. Marianne Moore, for example, wrote some form poetry,
and Robert Frost once said that writing free verse was "like playing tennis without a
net." Additionally, writers who had gained popularity toward the end of the Modernist
era were inspired by less experimental poets such as Thomas Hardy and W.B. Yeats.

By the 1950s, a new generation of Postmodern poets came to the forefront.

Adding “post” in front of the word "Modern" showed that this new period was different
than the one before it, yet was influenced by it.

ABSTRACTION

Literature scholars differ over the years that encompass the Modernist period, however
most generally agree that modernist authors published as early as the 1880s and into
the mid-1940s. During this period, society at every level underwent profound changes.
War and industrialization seemed to devalue the individual. Global communication
made the world a smaller place. The pace of change was dizzying. Writers responded
to this new world in a variety of ways.

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What is Contemporary Literature?
The word contemporary means living, belonging to or occurring in the present. When
we talk about contemporary literature, we are talking about literature that is being
written in the now about the now. But what does the now encompass?

Contemporary literature is defined as literature written after World War II through

the current day. While this is a vague definition, there is not a clear-cut explanation of
this concept -- only interpretation by scholars and academics. While there is some
disagreement, most agree that contemporary literature is writing completed after 1940.
Works of contemporary literature reflect a society's social and/or political viewpoints,
shown through realistic characters, connections to current events and socioeconomic
messages. The writers are looking for trends that illuminate societal strengths and
weaknesses to remind society of lessons they should learn and questions they should
ask. When we think of contemporary literature, we cannot simply look at a few themes
or settings. Since society changes over time, so do the content and messages of this
writing.

When we talk about contemporary literature and the start date of this label, we have to
acknowledge World War II and the surrounding events. The horrors of the war,
including bombs, ground wars, genocide and corruption, are the pathways to this type
of literature. It is from these real-life themes that we find the beginning of a new period
of writing.

Classifying Contemporary Literature

While there is not one type of contemporary work, each piece sends a message from a
person living through and after World War II. However, this does not mean all works
will center around the Holocaust or war narratives. These works aim to speak to the
injustices in the world and the search for civil rights, the topics and questions that were
raised during this traumatic time in world history. The war serves as a catalyst for this
shift in mindset, and the authors writing in this period consciously and unconsciously
illuminate this shift in thinking through their writing.

6
 APPLICATION

Activity No. 2
“Fill-it-in-the-Box”

Directions: Fill in the matrix below about classical and modernism in literature insights
you have gained about their emergence and difference.

Classical/Old Forms of Literature Modernism

You have finished the lesson! You may now proceed to

Lesson 2: Poetry and Slam Poetry

7
 : Module 1: Nature, Essence, and Significance of
Module No. and
Contemporary and Popular Literature
Title
Focus on Genres of Popular Fiction
Lesson No. and
: LESSON 2: Poetry and Slam Poetry
Title

: At the end of the lesson, the students will be able

to:
• explain the literary context of modernism.
• define in context common poetic devices.
• analyze several modernist poems, including T.S.
Learning
Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
Outcomes
• evaluate the historical, social, and cultural context
of modernism at large.
• describe the origin and history of slam poetry.
• identify the specific components of a slam poem.
• write and perform their own slam poem.

Time Frame : 1 week

INTRODUCTION
I
Welcome to the second lesson of Module 1, entitled, “Poetry and Slam Poetry”. In this
lesson, you will focus first on Poetry and Slam Poetry and evaluate and criticize pieces under
this genre.

ACTIVITY
I
Activity No. 1

“Write This Symbol”

II. Directions: Think of what the following objects symbolized and use them in sentence.

Example

Red rose – Love

I kept that red rose you gave me on the night of July to remind me of the feeling of flying
and falling.

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 1.

White candle-

2.

Pencil-

3.

Water-

ANALYSIS

In two to three sentences, write an idea about the quotation given below.

“A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a

sense of wrong, a homesickness, a
lovesickness.”
- Robert Frost

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___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________

Now, read and reflect on the following poems:

The Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot

The Applicant by Sylvia Plath

The Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

by T. S. Eliot

S’io credesse che mia risposta fosse The muttering retreats

A persona che mai tornasse al Of restless nights in one-night cheap

mondo, hotels

Questa fiamma staria senza piu And sawdust restaurants with

scosse. oyster-shells:

Ma percioche giammai di questo Streets that follow like a tedious

fondo argument

Non torno vivo alcun, s’i’odo il vero, Of insidious intent

Senza tema d’infamia ti rispondo. To lead you to an overwhelming

question ...
Let us go then, you and I,
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
When the evening is spread out
against the sky Let us go and make our visit.

Like a patient etherized upon a In the room the women come and go
table;
Talking of Michelangelo.
Let us go, through certain half-
deserted streets, The yellow fog that rubs its back
upon the window-panes,

10
The yellow smoke that rubs its Talking of Michelangelo.
muzzle on the window-panes,
And indeed there will be time
Licked its tongue into the corners of
the evening, To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I
dare?”
Lingered upon the pools that stand
in drains, Time to turn back and descend the
stair,
Let fall upon its back the soot that
falls from chimneys, With a bald spot in the middle of my
hair —
Slipped by the terrace, made a
sudden leap, (They will say: “How his hair is
growing thin!”)
And seeing that it was a soft October
night, My morning coat, my collar
mounting firmly to the chin,
Curled once about the house, and fell
asleep. My necktie rich and modest, but
asserted by a simple pin —
And indeed there will be time
(They will say: “But how his arms
For the yellow smoke that slides and legs are thin!”)
along the street,
Do I dare
Rubbing its back upon the window-
panes; Disturb the universe?

There will be time, there will be time In a minute there is time

To prepare a face to meet the faces For decisions and revisions which a
that you meet; minute will reverse.

There will be time to murder and For I have known them all already,
create, known them all:

And time for all the works and days Have known the evenings, mornings,
of hands afternoons,

That lift and drop a question on your I have measured out my life with
plate; coffee spoons;

Time for you and time for me, I know the voices dying with a dying
fall
And time yet for a hundred
indecisions, Beneath the music from a farther
room.
And for a hundred visions and
revisions, So how should I presume?

Before the taking of a toast and tea. And I have known the eyes already,
known them all—
In the room the women come and go

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The eyes that fix you in a formulated Smoothed by long fingers,
phrase,
Asleep ... tired ... or it malingers,
And when I am formulated,
sprawling on a pin, Stretched on the floor, here beside
you and me.
When I am pinned and wriggling on
the wall, Should I, after tea and cakes and
ices,
Then how should I begin
Have the strength to force the
To spit out all the butt-ends of my moment to its crisis?
days and ways?
But though I have wept and fasted,
And how should I presume? wept and prayed,

And I have known the arms already, Though I have seen my head (grown
known them all— slightly bald) brought in upon a

Arms that are braceleted and white platter,

and bare
I am no prophet — and here’s no
(But in the lamplight, downed with great matter;
light brown hair!)
I have seen the moment of my
Is it perfume from a dress greatness flicker,

That makes me so digress? And I have seen the eternal Footman

hold my coat, and snicker,
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap
about a shawl. And in short, I was afraid.

And should I then presume? And would it have been worth it,
after all,
And how should I begin?
After the cups, the marmalade, the
Shall I say, I have gone at dusk tea,
through narrow streets
Among the porcelain, among some
And watched the smoke that rises talk of you and me,
from the pipes
Would it have been worth while,
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves,
leaning out of windows? ... To have bitten off the matter with a
smile,
I should have been a pair of ragged
claws To have squeezed the universe into a
ball
Scuttling across the floors of silent
seas. To roll it towards some
overwhelming question,
And the afternoon, the evening,
sleeps so peacefully! To say: “I am Lazarus, come from the
dead,

12
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy
you all”— tool,

If one, settling a pillow by her head Deferential, glad to be of use,

Should say: “That is not what I Politic, cautious, and meticulous;

meant at all;
Full of high sentence, but a bit
That is not it, at all.” obtuse;

And would it have been worth it, At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—
after all,
Almost, at times, the Fool.
Would it have been worth while,
I grow old ... I grow old ...
After the sunsets and the dooryards
and the sprinkled streets, I shall wear the bottoms of my
trousers rolled.
After the novels, after the teacups,
after the skirts that trail along the Shall I part my hair behind? Do I
dare to eat a peach?
floor—
I shall wear white flannel trousers,
And this, and so much more?— and walk upon the beach.

It is impossible to say just what I I have heard the mermaids singing,

mean! each to each.

But as if a magic lantern threw the I do not think that they will sing to
nerves in patterns on a screen: me.

Would it have been worth while I have seen them riding seaward on
the waves
If one, settling a pillow or throwing
off a shawl, Combing the white hair of the waves
blown back
And turning toward the window,
should say: When the wind blows the water
white and black.
“That is not it at all,
We have lingered in the chambers of
That is not what I meant, at all.” the sea
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed
meant to be; red and brown
Am an attendant lord, one that will Till human voices wake us, and we
do drown.
To swell a progress, start a scene or
two,

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 The Applicant

by Sylvia Plath

First, are you our sort To thumb shut your Come here, sweetie,
of a person? eyes at the end out of the closet.

Do you wear And dissolve of Well, what do you

sorrow. think of that?
A glass eye, false
teeth or a crutch, We make new stock Naked as paper to
from the salt. start
A brace or a hook,
I notice you are stark But in twenty-five
Rubber breasts or a naked. years she'll be silver,
rubber crotch,
How about this suit— In fifty, gold.
Stitches to show —
something's missing? A living doll,
No, no? Then Black and stiff, but everywhere you look.
not a bad fit.
How can we give you a It can sew, it can cook,
thing? Will you marry it?
It can talk, talk, talk.
Stop crying. It is waterproof,
shatterproof, proof It works, there is
Open your hand. nothing wrong with it.
Against fire and
Empty? Empty. Here bombs through the You have a hole, it's a
is a hand roof. poultice.

To fill it and willing Believe me, they'll You have an eye, it's
bury you in it. an image.
To bring teacups and
roll away headaches Now your head, My boy, it's your last
excuse me, is empty. resort.
And do whatever you
tell it. I have the ticket for Will you marry it,
that. marry it, marry it.
Will you marry it?

It is guaranteed

Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of words and rhythm. It often employs
rhyme and meter (a set of rules governing the number and arrangement of syllables in
each line). In poetry, words are strung together to form sounds, images, and ideas that
might be too complex or abstract to describe directly.

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Poetry was once written according to fairly strict rules of meter and rhyme, and each
culture had its own rules. For example, Anglo-Saxon poets had their own rhyme schemes
and meters, while Greek poets and Arabic poets had others. Although these classical
forms are still widely used today, modern poets frequently do away with rules altogether
– their poems generally do not rhyme, and do not fit any particular meter. These poems,
however, still have a rhythmic quality and seek to create beauty through their words.

The opposite of poetry is “prose” – that is, normal text that runs without line breaks or
rhythm.

The Five Most Important Elements of Poetry:

Imagery

The only thing that will make your poetry powerful and enticing is great imagery. This
goes along with the line you always hear “show don’t tell.” Only with poetry, it’s ALL
show and NO tell. For the love of god, don’t just say that love hurts, give us a metaphor.
Show us a weapon, maybe draw some blood. Make it appeal to the five senses.

Rhythm
Yes, rhythm can include rhyme. No, it doesn’t have to. It’s not even recommended. In
fact, the further away you can get from Dr. Seuss, the better. (Of course, not all poems
that rhyme are obnoxious.)

There are other ways to make a poem rhythmic without rhyme. Stringing words with
similar sounds together in a line works very well.

(this is an example of assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words)

Simultaneous hate came with the pain
(this is an example of consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds at the end or middle
of words)

the same rhymes are momentously timed

Sound

The rhythm of a poem goes along with the general sound of it as well as making it easier
to remember. There are two sound patterns to know here. One is soft and harmonious, I
like to think of it like the sound of angels humming. This is euphony.
In euphony, words are chosen for their soft consonant sounds and melodious quality.

(euphonious letters/sounds: L, O, S, SH, M, N, Y, W, U, PH, A)

Lulled minds like sunny lakes in summertime

The other sounds more like large metal machines clanging about in an empty warehouse.
It’s much harsher and the sounds kind of rattle off your tongue. This is cacophony.

In cacophony, words are chosen for their hard sounds and general obnoxiousness.
(cacophonic letters/sounds: K, J, T, Q, V, C, X, G, Z, CH)

15
 Childish tales of gung-ho attitudes never results in progress
Density

Density is what sets poetry apart from prose (normal speech patterns/ the way fiction and
nonfiction books are written) Density is how much is said in how little of space. The
ability to use metaphors, not conform to traditional grammar styles, and incorporate
sounds and rhythms is unique to poetry. All of these allow for greater density.

As you describe an image, you are actually underlying a metaphor, which expresses an
idea about the human condition, while simultaneously persuading the reader to feel a
certain way through the sound and rhythm of the words, and all of this is done in the same
space. Pros can’t, and never will, be able to do that.

Line
In traditional poetry, you’re a prisoner to the line. The line owns you, telling you “Four
lines there, five there, then four again.” So as a poet in the hipster age, of course you do
not want to conform. Unless you’re so against the grain that you actually want to write
traditional poetry. But whatever the case may be, the line is a very important part of
poetry. In fact, that’s another thing that makes it unique to pros. In prose, you can format
the lines however you want and it has no impact on the writing. However, in poetry, that’s
not the case.

In poetry, the line is like one sentence. And since poetry does not conform to grammar
rules, and no one is obliged to use a period, the end of a line is like a period would be in
pros. It creates a natural pause, making a break in the flow. This is a tool you can use to
control the rhythm of your poetry. Keeping the way you break your lines up in mind is
crucial to writing great poems.

ABSTRACTION

Slam poetry, a form of performance poetry that combines the elements of performance,
writing, competition, and audience participation. It is performed at events called poetry slams,
or simply slams. The name slam came from how the audience has the power to praise or,
sometimes, destroy a poem and from the high-energy performance style of the poets.

The concept of slam poetry originated in the 1980s in Chicago, Illinois, when a local poet and
construction worker, Marc Kelly Smith, feeling that poetry readings and poetry in general had
lost their true passion, had an idea to bring poetry back to the people. He created a weekly
poetry event—the poetry slam—where anyone could participate. Poets would perform their
work and then be judged by five random audience members on a scale of 0 to 10. Out of the
five, the highest and lowest scores were dropped and the three remaining scores were added to
give the poet an overall score. Whoever had the highest score at the end of the competition was
deemed the winner.

Poetry slams are held in any venue that welcomes them, such as parks, bookstores,
coffeehouses, and bars. Although the rules associated with poetry slams may vary by venue or
event, there are general guidelines that are often adhered to:

16
 1. Anyone, regardless of age, race, sex, education, class, disability, gender, or sexuality,
can compete.
2. Poems can be about any subject but typically are supposed to be the creation of the
performing poet.
3. Poems are not to exceed a three-minute limit (with 10-second grace period); if they do,
points are deducted.
4. No props may be used when performing the poem.
5. No musical accompaniment or musical instruments may be used when performing, but
the poet is allowed to sing, clap, hum, or make noise with the mouth or other body parts.
6. Poets may perform on their own or in groups with other poets.

Now, watch and learn on the following videos about Slam Poetry in Youtube:

Alex Dang: What Kind of Asian Are You?

Become a Slam Poet in Five Steps by Gayle
Danley

Today slam poetry is considered an artistic movement as well as a genre of poetry and spoken
word. The slam poetry movement inspired hundreds of poetry slams across the United States,
Canada, parts of Europe, and Japan, and slam poets influenced many aspects of modern culture,
such as political movements, art, media, literature, and entertainment. Smith’s vision also
spawned the National Poetry Slam, an annual five-day poetry slam held in a different American
city each year, where teams of poets compete from cities all over the United States and Canada
to determine who is the best in the genre. Though a number of poets find the competitive nature
associated with slam to be unfair and the nature of the poems to be too informal and
unconventional, slam poetry has become one of the most-accessible forms of poetry available.

APPLICATION
Activity No. 2
“Fill-it-in-the-Box”

Directions: Fill in the matrix below about Poetry and Slam Poetry insights you have gained
about their emergence and difference.

Poetry Slam Poetry

17
 You have finished the lesson and this module! Please make sure to submit the Module
Assessment.

MODULE ASSESSMENT

I. Literary Criticism Essay

Directions: Write critical analyses about three literary pieces of your own choice but it should
be from our listed pieces under poetry, slam poetry and short stories. (This will be your
submissions for Prelims both Modules 1 and 2.)

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