Introduction to Philippine Literature – Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture on Philippine literature, its forms, structures, elements, and historical periods.

Philippine Literature

The rich and diverse body of written and oral works produced across the 7,500+ Philippine islands and 183 living languages.

Literature (origin)

Derived from the Latin word “littera,” meaning a letter of the alphabet.

Literature (definition)

A body of imaginative and creative written works in poetry or prose, classifiable by language, origin, period, genre, or subject.

Oral Literature

Stories, chants, proverbs, and other works transmitted by word of mouth before being written down.

Written Literature

Literary works recorded in written form; their products are called literary texts.

Literary Text

A written work that features psychological characterization, chronology, and literary devices like metaphor or symbolism.

Characteristics of Literary Text

Narrates a story, expresses feelings/thoughts/ideas from imagination or reality, and conveys information across time and cultures.

Literary Structure

The organizational method of a literary work; the most common is the narrative structure.

Narrative Structure (Plot)

The sequence of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution in a story.

Exposition

The part of a narrative that introduces characters, setting, and basic situation.

Rising Action

Events that build tension and develop the conflict in a narrative.

Climax

The turning point or moment of highest tension in a story.

Falling Action

Events following the climax that begin resolving the conflict.

Resolution (Denouement)

The conclusion where conflicts are resolved and loose ends tied up.

Poetry

Literary form written in lines with rhythm, sound, imagery, and form to express feelings, thoughts, and ideas.

Narrative Poetry

Poetry that tells a story and contains narrative elements like characters and setting.

Dramatic Poetry

Emotionally charged verse meant to be spoken or sung by a character before an audience.

Lyric Poetry

The most common poetry type; focuses on expressing personal feelings rather than telling a story.

Prose

Literature with natural flow of speech and grammatical structure, arranged in sentences and paragraphs.

Fiction

Imaginative prose where characters deal with conflicts; includes short stories, novels, and novellas.

Fiction Genres

Main categories: crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction, western, inspirational, historical fiction, horror.

Non-Fiction

Prose based on real events and facts, often in essays, journals, diaries, feature articles, or editorials.

Genre (general)

A form or category of literature determined by technique, tone, content, or length.

General Literary Genres

Epic, tragedy, comedy, and creative nonfiction, possible in prose or poetry.

Literary Elements

Identifiable characteristics that make up a complete text.

Elements of a Story

Theme, plot, setting, conflict, point-of-view, and character.

Elements of Poetry

Form, imagery, rhythm, and sound devices such as rhyme, repetition, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia.

Form (Poetry)

Structural layout of a poem, e.g., free verse, couplet, limerick.

Imagery

Word pictures that appeal to the senses and add color to literature.

Rhythm and Sound

The beat and auditory quality of poetry, including rhyme and sound devices.

Pre-Colonial Period

Time before Spanish colonization; literature was mainly oral (chants, proverbs, songs, folk narratives).

Proverb (Salawikain)

Traditional short saying that imparts wisdom or moral lessons.

Bugtong (Riddle)

A popular pre-colonial pastime posing puzzling questions for amusement and learning.

Epic (Philippine)

Lengthy narrative poem about bravery, magic, and heroism.

Colonial Period Literature

Works produced during Spanish rule; includes corrido, pasyon, cenaculo, and reformist writings like Rizal’s novels.

Corrido

A metrical romance in octosyllabic quatrains introduced during Spanish era.

Pasyon

Epic narrative poem about Christ’s passion, commonly chanted during Lent.

Cenaculo

Religious drama depicting the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

Noli Me Tangere

Jose Rizal’s novel exposing social ills under Spanish rule.

El Filibusterismo

Sequel to Noli Me Tangere, highlighting corruption and oppression in colonial Philippines.

Post-Colonial Period

Era after Philippine independence, including events like Martial Law under Marcos.

Martial Law (Philippines)

1972–1981 period of authoritarian rule under Ferdinand Marcos, influential in contemporary Philippine literature.