21st CENTURY

QUARTER EXAM NOTES

Introduction to 21st Century Literature

What is literature?
Literature seems too difficult to embrace for people who are indifferent to it. However, it continues to grow and
stay because of its significance and value to man. Literature is an art of self- expression.
Literally, it means “an acquaintance with letters as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary. In
Latin, “littera” means an individual written character. It represents a language or people; culture or tradition,
passion and dignified thoughts. It introduces us to a new world of experience. It records the experiences of man.
It imitates and interprets life through language. Everything that is written is literature.

Importance Of Literature

- Literature molds man as a total human being by being sympathetic, aware and sensitive.
- It educates, entertains and informs.
- It leads us to understand the life of man.

Types Of Literature

- Literature has two major types: oral and written

 Oral Literature includes ballads, myth, jokes, folktales and fables, whereas written source has
drama, novel, poetry and non- fictional literature.

Types of Literature according to Structure:

Poetry- is an artistic piece of philosophical, personal, imaginative or inspirational nature that is laid out
in lines.
Prose- a literary piece that is written without metrical structure.
 Literature can also be classified as either fictional or non- fictional.
 Fictional literature is simply defined as a product of one’s imaginative mind. It can be drama,
short story, novel, myth, folktale and poetry.
 Non- Fictional literature is opposite to fiction as it comes out of one’s personal experiences, a
true and factual account of varying information. This includes biography, essay journals,
newspapers, diary, magazine etc.

LITERARY GENRES (FORMS)

- Poem is a composition written in verses having standard measurements and written with a higher
intensity or artistic beauty.
Poems are classified into three: lyric, narrative and dramatic.
Lyric poem refers to short poems which expresses the personal thoughts or emotions of the poet. This
is intended to be sung.
Narrative poem tells a story. It can be a ballad or an epic.
Dramatic poetry is a theatrical dialogue performed on stage. It can be a tragedy, comedy, melodrama,
or tragicomedy.
Short story is a small commercial fiction, true or imaginary and smaller than a novel. It is a prose that
has one unit of place, time and action. It is “bite size” version of a novel. You can finish reading it in
just one sitting.

Short Story Elements:

Plot and Structure Plot- the sequence of incidents or events through which an author constructs a
story. The plot is not merely the action itself, but the way the author arranges the action toward a
specific end. (structure)
Structure- layout of the work.
Conflict- It is where plot is often created. It is controlling impulse in a connected pattern of causes and
effects. This arouses curiosity, causes doubt, creates tension and produces interest. Great stories do
have a conflict.
Conflict may be external and internal:
External conflict is one between a character and an outside force, another character, nature or fate.
Internal conflict takes place within the mind of a character who is torn between opposing feelings or
between different courses of action; also called as dilemma, a conflict within a person/

Most plots develop in five stages:

1. Exposition- introduces the characters, setting and conflict.
2. Rising Action- complications, twists or intensifications of the conflict occurs.
3. Climax- emotional high point of the story also the most exciting part.
4. Falling Action- logical result of the climax
5. Resolution- the final outcome of the story. It may be happy, unhappy or undetermined.

Character and Characterization

- Character is a verbal representation of a human being. The character is either the protagonist (“the
good guy”) or antagonist (“the bad guy”).
Characterization- is the quality of the character which is disclosed through actions, descriptions both
personal and environmental, dramatic statements and thoughts by the other characters and statements
by the author.
Setting- The setting is the overall context- when, where and in what circumstances the action occurs.
Point of View (POV)- Refers to whoever is telling the story. It is the speaker, the narrator, persona or
voice created by the author to tell the story.
✓ First person= I, we
✓ Second person= you
✓ Third person= He, she, they (most common)
Theme- the central idea or message of the story, often a perception about life or human nature.

Tone and Style

Tone- the attitude and feelings
Style- the manner, in which an author uses words, constructs sentence, incorporates non literal
expressions and handles rhythm timing and tone.
Humor and Irony- are intended to create an emotional impact on the reader. Irony is when things
work out opposite of what they’ re supposed to or expected to.
Nonfiction is the broadest category of literature. Autobiograhies, biographies,
memoirs, letters, essays, speeches and news articles are just a few of the many types of
nonfiction. All of these forms of prose concern real, rather than imaginary subjects.
Books that are made up by the author or not true, are fiction.

NON-FICTION

KINDS OF NONFICTION
Narrative Nonfiction- tells a story as works of fiction do (eg. Autobiographies and Biographies)
Informative Nonfiction- this includes essays, speeches and articles that explain a topic or promote an opinion.
(e.g., essays )
POETRY
Poetry is a “way of feeling life”, according to Daisy Zamora, a Nicaraguan poet.
Poetry captures intense experiences of creative perceptions of the world in a musical language, if prose is like
talking, poetry is like singing.

Types of Poems (Traditional Classification)

✓ Ballad- a narrative poem written in four- line stanza

✓ Ode- long stately form written in various stanzas.
✓ Sonnet- lyric poem of 14 lines
✓ Blank verse- unrhymed 10- syllable poem
✓ Free verse- no regular meter, pattern or rhyme.
✓ Limerick- 5- line rhymed poem that makes fun.
✓ Elegy- a poem expressing grief of subjective and meditative nature
✓ Epic- narrates the life and adventures of a hero
✓ Song- expresses deep thoughts, feelings and emotions.

 Drama is told mainly through words and actions of characters and intended to be performed by actors.
Feature films can be considered as drama as well as any television programs.

Elements of Drama

Characters- can be human, supernatural, divine, mythical personification of abstraction that reflects the
personality of the character.
Setting- geographical location of the play (story), time and period.
Plot- serial arrangement of incidents, events and ideas.
Dialogue- the thoughts of the characters are exhibited. It is the conversation that portrays thoughts,
emotions and feelings
Point of View- serves as an instrument of the playwright to show his actions and words are arranged
where the audience can draw their conclusion.

Summary of Topic/ Section

✓ Literature records the experiences of man. It imitates and interprets life through language. Everything that is
written is literature.
✓ Literature has two major types: oral and written
✓ There are Four Literary Genres: poem, short story, essay and drama; with each having its distinctive features.
✓ Literature is important to us because it speaks and affects human interaction and perception of the world.
✓ It enlivens human interest, enriches and colors our imagination.

Various dimensions of Philippine literary history from precolonial to contemporary

 Pre-Colonial Period (BC-1564)

• This existed before the Spanish occupation in the 1500s.
• It is oral in nature and is full of lessons and ideas about life, its blessings, and its consequences. It
contains ideas from birth to the grave. The oral characteristic of pre-colonial literature gives the
possibility for many alterations. In the Philippine context, no matter how it may be considered as
altered, pre-colonial literature is still revered to by many Filipinos.
Forms: Oral Literature
a. Riddles (Mga Bugtong) These are statements that contain superficial words, but they function
figuratively and as metaphors, and are in the form of questions. These are questions that demand deeper
answers. Deals with everyday life. It usually has mundane things as answers. This is used in the past as
a form of game in small or large gatherings.
b. Proverbs (Mga Salawikain) These are statements that are considered as wise and are usually given
by parents or elders of the community.
c. Folk Songs -These are folk lyrics that are usually chanted and usually contain ideas on
aspirations, hopes, everyday life and expressions of love for loved ones. It is bounded by the learning
of good morals
d. Lullabies- these is locally known as the Hele. These are sung to put to sleep babies. The content
varies, but usually, parents sing these with ideas on how hard life is and how they hope that their child
will not experience the hardships of life. Examples: Lullabies Ilocano Maturog, duduayya
e. Love Songs- to many Filipinos, these are known as the Harana. It can also be called Courtship Songs
and are used by young men to capture the heart of the girl that they love.
f. Religious Songs- are songs or chants that are usually given during exorcisms and thanksgiving
during good harvest. Songs of Death- are lamentations that contain the roll of good deeds that the dead
has usually done to immortalize his or her good image.
g. Folk Tales (Mga Kwentong Bayan) These are stories of native Filipinos that deals with the power
of nature- personified, their submission to a deity- usually Bathala- and how this deity is responsible
for the blessings and calamities.
h. Myths- these tackles the natural to strange occurrences of the earth and how things were created
with an aim to give an explanation to things. -There is Bathala for the Tagalogs and the Gueurang for
the Bikolanos. - Paradise is known as Maca, while Hell is Kasanaaan. Examples: The Story of Bathala
Ang Pag-aaway ng Dagat at Langit
Legends- through legends, the natives understood mysteries around them. These stories usually come
with a moral lesson that give credit to supernatural powers, supernatural occurrences, and other out-of
this-world native imagination. Examples are The Legend of Maria Makiling The Legend of the
Sampaguita
j. Fables- are short or brief stories that cater the children of the native Filipinos and are usually
bounded by good manners and right conduct. These stories use animals as characters that represent a
particular value or characteristic. Examples are Ang Kuneho at and Pagong Si Juan Tamad
k. Epics- are very lengthy narratives that are based on oral traditions. These contain encounters of
fighters, stereotypical princes or heroes that save a damsel in distress. Examples are Hinilawod
Darangen and Indarapatra at Sulayman

 The SPANISH Period (1521-1898)

The start of the Philippine's more colourful history took place in March 6, 1521 when Ferdinand
Magellan docked on the shores of Homonhon. The Filipinos were then called “Ladinos”, meaning they
were latinized. Filipinos were called two things. One is the “Taga-Bayan”, while the other is the “Taga-
bukid” or “Taga-bundok”. A person who is a Taga-bayan is considered urbane and civilized and were
in easy range of the church and state. A person who is a Taga-bundok or Taga-bukid is called a Bruto
Salvage (Savage Brute) or Indio and were the ones who lived far from the centre of the Spanish power.

Forms:
a. Religious Literature- Revolves around the life and the death of Jesus Christ.
Forms of Religious Literature:
Pasyon- it is about the passion (journey and suffering) and the death of Jesus Christ. Senakulo- it is the re-
enctment of the Pasyon.
Komedya- it depicts the European society through love and fame, but can also be a narrative about a journey,
just like Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. It is also considered religous, because it usually depicts the battle
between the Christians and the Saracens or the Moros.
b. Secular or Non- Religious Literature - Revolves around tales of valiance and adventure.
Forms of Secular or Non-Religious Literature:
Awit- these are tales of chivalry where a knight saves a princess. Florante at Laura is a good example.
Korido- is a metrical tale or a tale that follows the struture of a poem. Prose
Narratives- are easy to understand instructional materials that in a literary light that teaches Filipinos on proper
decorum. Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at Feliza (1864) is a good example.
c. Propaganda Literature- These were in the forms of satires, editorials, and news articles that aimed to attack
the Spanish Rule. The propaganda trinity is composed of Dr. Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and
Graciano Lopez Jaena.
Examples:
 Graciano Lopez Jaena
Ang Fray Botod- One of his works written in Jaro, Iloilo in 1876, six years after the Cavite Revolt attacking
the friars in the Philippines. He exposed how some of the friars were greedy, ambitious and immoral.
d. Revolutionary Literature- are exposes that sparked revolution and resistance in the hearts of Filipinos.
Examples:
Andres Bonifacio

Katungkulang Gagawin ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Obligations of our Countrymen) – an outline of obligations
just like the Ten Commandments, hence, it is likewise called Ang Dekalogo. Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga
Tagalog (What the Tagalogs should Know) – an essay outlining the basic tenets of Bonifacio’s ideas on
nationalism.
Examples:
Emilio Jacinto
Liwanag at Dilim (Light and Darkness) – a collection of essays on different subjects like freedom, work,
faith, government and love of country.
 Apolinario Mabini El Desarollo y Caida de la Republica Filipina (The Rise and Fall of the
Philippine
Republic) – this essay highlights the establishment of the Philippine republic and its subsequent doom
due to disunity among the Filipinos.
Examples:
 Dr. Jose Rizal El
Filibusterismo– 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. However, the NOLI has been dubbed the novel
of society while that of FILI is that of politics.

The AMERICAN Period (1900-1942)

The Philippines had a great leap in Education and Culture. The use of English alongside Filipino was
practiced. The Philippines Public School system was introduced. Free public instruction was given to
the Filipinos. The literature during the American period was considered as imitative of American
model. Instead of asking the students to write originals, students ended up following the form of
American poets.

Forms:

a. Poetry under the American rule still followed the style of the old, but had contents that ranged from
free writing to societal concerns under the Americans. Poetry Jose Corazon de Jesus (1832-1896)
popularly known as “Batute,” created his own generation with his first book of poems. Mga Gintong
Dahon (1920)- were poems pre-occupied with such non- traditional themes as passion-slaying, grief-
induced, insanity, and lover’s suicide. Sa Dakong Silangan (1928)- returned to the awit form, retelling
the history of Philippines under Spain, the coming of the U.S under the guise of friendship to take over
from Spain.
b. Drama was usually used in the American period to degrade the Spanish rule and to immortalize the
heroism of the men who fought under the Katipunan. Severino Reyes (1861-1942) – spearheaded a
movement to supplant the komedya with a new type of drama, the sarsuwela, a Filipino adaptation of
the Spanish zarzuela.
Examples: Walang Sugat (1902)- is a sarsuwela (drama in the form singing) drawn from the period of
Revolution, depicting the cruelty and corruption of friars and the heroism of the soldiers of the
Katipunan.
c. Other successful sarsuwelas: Hindi Aco Patay (1903) by Juan Matapang Cruz Kahapon, Ngayon at
Bukas (1903) by Aurelio Tolentino- is an allegorical presentation of the history of the nationalist
struggle and how the U. S. frustrated the Philippine revolution. Tanikalang Guinto (1902) by Juan
Abad (1872-1932)- is about Liwanag and K’Ulayaw, lovers who stand for freedom and the Filipino.
d. Remake Novels- took up Dr. Jose Rizal's portrayal of social conditions by colonial repression.
Gabriel Beato Francisco (1850-1935)- is best known for his trilogy of Fulgencia Galbillo (1907),
Capitan Bensio (1907), Alfaro (1909), depicting the 30 years of colonial repression by the Spanish
rule. Inigo Ed. Regalado (1888-1976)- Madaling Araw (1909) was his first novel showing the
complex interrelations of issues and people in contemporary Philippine society.
Juan Lauro Arsciwals (1889- 1928)- Lalaking Uliran o Tulisan (1914), allusion to the colonial law
that branded Filipino patriots as bandits.
The JAPANESE Period (1941-1945)

During the Japanese period, The Philippine literature came into a halt. The use of the English language
was forbidden, and the use of the Filipino language was mandated under the Japanese rule. For some
this was a problem, but to most writers, it was a blessing in disguise. Almost all newspapers were
stopped except for some. • Filipino literature was given a break during this period. Many wrote plays,
poems, short stories, etc. Topics and themes were often about life in the provinces.

Forms:

a. Drama - The drama experienced a lull during the Japanese period because movie houses showing
American films were closed. The big movie houses were just made to show stage shows. Many of the
plays were reproductions of English plays to Tagalog. Newspapers Writings that came out during this
period were journalistic in nature. Writers felt suppressed but slowly, the spirit of nationalism started to
seep into their consciousness. While some continued to write, the majority waited for a better climate to
publish their works.
b. Poetry- The common theme of most poems during the Japanese occupation was nationalism,
country, love, and life in the barrios, faith, religion and the arts. Fiction The field of the short story
widened during the Japanese Occupation. Many wrote short stories.
c. Essays were composed to glorify the Filipinos and at the same time to figuratively attack the
Japanese.

PERIOD OF ENLIGHTENMENT (1972- 1898)

The Propaganda Movement (1872-1896)

- This movement was spearheaded mostly by the intellectual middle-class like Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar;
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano Ponce, Jose Ma. Panganiban, and Pedro Paterno.

 Some of Rizal’s writings

Noli Me Tangere, Mi Ultimo Adios, Sobre La Indolencia Delos FilipinosFilipinas Dentro De Cien Aňos.

 Some of Del Pilar’s writings:

Pagibig sa Tinubuang Lupa (Love of Country) Kaingat Kayo (Be Careful) Dasalan at Tocsohan
(Prayers and Jokes).

 Some of Jaena’s writings:

Ang Fray Botod, La Hija Del Fraile (The Child of the Friar) Everything Is Hambug (Everything is mere
show) Sa Mga Pilipino...1891) Talumpating Pagunita Kay Kolumbus (An Oration to Commemorate
Columbus).

PERIOD OF ACTIVISM (1970-1972)

According to Pociano Pineda, youth activism in 1970-72 was due to domestic and worldwide causes.
Because of the ills of society, the youth moved to seek reforms.

 The Literary Revolution

-the youth became vocal with their sentiments. They demanded a change in the government. It was
manifested in the bloody demonstrations and the sidewalk expressions and also in literature.

PERIOD OF THE NEW SOCIETY (1972- 1980)

The period of the New Society started on September 21, 1972. The Carlos Palanca Awards continued to
give annual awards. Poems dealt with patience, regard for native culture, customs, and the beauties of nature
and surroundings. Newspapers donned new forms.

PERIOD OF THE THIRD REPUBLIC (1981-1985)

After ten years of military rule and some changes in the life of the Filipino, which started under the New
Society, Martial Rule was at last lifted on January 2, 1981. The Philippines became a new nation, and this,
former President Marcos called “The New Republic of the Philippines.”
POST-EDSA 1 REVOLUTION (1986-1995)

Filipino people regained their independence, which they lost twenty years ago. In four days from February 21-
25, 1986, the so-called People Power (Lakas ng Bayan) prevailed. In the short span of the existence of the real
Republic of the Philippines, several changes already became evident. It was noticed in the new Filipino songs,
newspapers, speeches, and even in the television programs.

LITERATURE OF THE PHILIPPINES TODAY

21st Century Literature In the 21st century Philippines, there are a lot of literary innovations that are
adapted and created by Filipinos. Nowadays, even those who do not have any significant literary
background make their own way using the freedom that they have to write and to express. There are a
lot of new forms from the basic genres of literature; thus, proving how far the literature in the
Philippines has gone and how far it will go on.

Forms:

a. Illustrated Novels – Story through text and illustrated images.

b. Digi-Fiction – It is a literary experience that combines three media: book, movie/video and internet
websites.
c. Graphic Novels – Narrative in comic book formats.
d. Manga – It is used in the English-speaking world as a generic term for all comic books and graphic
novels originally published in Japan.
e. Doodle Fiction – A literary presentation where the author incorporates doodle drawings and hand
written graphics in place of traditional font.
f. Chick-Lit - Genre of fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and
light-heartedly.
g. Flash fiction – A style of fictional literature of extreme brevity.
h. Speculative Fiction – Dystopian, supernatural fiction, weird fiction, superhero fiction, apocalyptic/
post- apocalyptic, fantastical fiction, sci-fi
i. Spoken poetry – Oral art that focuses on the aesthetics of word play and information and voice
inflection.

Summary of topic/section:
Literature during pre-colonial period were oral in nature and is full of lessons and ideas about life, its
blessings, and its consequences. During the Spanish colonization, religious literature became prominent
along with propaganda literature and revolutionary literature. More Filipinos during the American
colonization became literate because public education was introduced. The use of English alongside
Filipino was practiced. Free public instruction was given to the Filipinos. The literature during the
American period was considered as imitative of American model. Instead of asking the students to
write originals, students ended up following the form of American poets. During the Japanese period,
The Philippine literature came into a halt. The use of the English language was forbidden, and the use
of the Filipino language was mandated under the Japanese rule. Contemporary period are literary
innovations that are adapted and created by Filipinos and even those who do not have any significant
literary background make their own way using the freedom that they have to write and to express.
There are a lot of new forms from the basic genres of literature.