21st Century Literature (Midterms)

21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

Lesson 1 : Introduction to Literature

WHAT IS LITERATURE?

- Literature is a group of works and arts made up of words. Most are written, but some are passed on  by  word of  mouth. Literature usually means work of poetry and proses that are especially well written. The word literature comes from the Latin word “ learning,writing,grammar”.


MAJOR FORMS : PROSE

- Prose is a type of writing that is written through the use of sentences. These sentences are combined to form paragraphs. This type of writing is broad and includes both fiction and nonfiction.

It applies a natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure, rather than rhythmic structure, such as in the case of traditional poetry. 


Example of Poetry Verse vs. The Prose form:

“ The woods are lovely, dark and deep. 

But i have promises to keep,

And miles to go before i sleep

And miles to go before i sleep.”

( Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening By Robert Frost)


SOME COMMON TYPES OF PROSE

  1. Nonfictional Prose 

  2. Fictional Prose

  3. Heroic Prose 

  4. Prose Poetry


PROSE IN NOVELS 

- This is usually written to the form of narrative, and may be entirely a figment of the author’s imagination.


PROSE IN SPEECHES

- Prose used in speeches often expresses thoughts and ideas of the speaker. 


PROSE IN PLAYS

- Prose written in plays aims to be dramatic and eventful.


PROSE IN SHORT STORY

- A story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel. It has one or more characters,one plot and one single impression.


PROSE IN LEGENDS

- Traditionally, a legend is a narrative that focuses on a historical or geographically specific figure, and describes his exploits. It is fictitious narratives, usually about origins.


PROSE IN FABLES

- Traditionally, a legend is a narrative that focuses on a historical or geographically specific figure, and describes his exploits. It is fictitious narratives, usually about origins.


PROSE IN ANECDOTES 

- a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing,

or biographical incident, writer’s imagination and its

goal is to give lessons to the readers.


PROSE IN ESSAYS 

- an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view/opinion of the writer towards the specific subject.


PROSE IN BIOLOGY 

- is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work,relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events.




PROSE IN NEWS

- is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. It can be everyday events in society and government.


PROSE IN ORATION 

- a formal speech, especially one given on a ceremonial occasion. It is intended to be spoken in public in dignified manner.


MAJOR FORMS : POETRY

-is the first major literary genre. It is a form of text that follows a meter and rhythm,with each line and syllable.


NARRATIVE POETRY

- is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making the voices of a narrator and characters as well; the entire story is usually written in metered verse. It can be real life or imaginary.


EPIC POEM 

-is along ,serious ,poetic narrative about a significant event, often featuring a hero.


METRICAL TALE

- is a narrative poem which is written in verse that relates to real or imaginary events in simple, straight forward language, ballad or metrical romance.


BALLAD

- a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas and considered as the shortest and simplest.


LYRICS

- expresses personal emotions through verse.



FOLKSONG

- a song that originates in traditional popular culture or that is written in such a style. It is also a short poems

intended to be sung in different emotions (love, despair,grief).


SONNETS

- is a one-stanza, 14-line poem, written in iambic pentameter.

The sonnet, which derived from the Italian word sonetto, meaning “a little sound or song,"


- One of sub-genre: The sonnet was originally a love poem which deals with the lover's sufferings and hopes.

- Example: Shakespeare’s Sonnet18


ELEGY

- a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.


ODE

- a lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter.


PSALM

- a sound of praising God and contains Philosophy of life.


PSALM

- a sound of praising God and contains Philosophy of life.


AWIT- (SONG)

- slowly sung accompaniment of a guitar or banduria.


CORRIDO

- traditional Mexican style, typically having lyrics that narrate a historical event and recited to a martial beat(8,

octosyllabic).





21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

Lesson 2 : Elements of FICTION 

WHAT IS FICTION?

- Fiction is the dream of the writer, made visible on the page. It may be the writer's lived experience or it may be entirely imagined.


- Fiction, literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though it may be based on a true story or situation.


ELEMENTS OF FICTION 

  1. CHARACTER-Character-a person, an animal, or an imaginary creature that takes the part in the action of the story.


 Character types:

  • Protagonist - the main character of the story that is most central to the action of the story

  • Antagonist - the person or

thing working against the protagonist, or hero, in the story.

  • Static Characters - characters that stay the same throughout the story.

  • Dynamic Characters - characters that change and learn something during the story

  • Flat - very few personality traits, do not change throughout the story, sometimes can be symbols or stereotypes

  • Round - convincing and true to life, many different personality traits, usually undergo a change during the story


HOW TO WRITE DYNAMIC CHARACTERS?

  • List your character’s traits.

  • Make your character responsible for the conflict.

  • Heighten the conflict.


HOW TO WRITE DYNAMIC CHARACTERS?

  • Focus on motivation.

  • Think about backstory.

  • Play with personality.


WHAT IS A FLAT CHARACTER?

- A good story is never made up of mostly flat characters. A good story needs to have a balance of round and flat characters.


- Flat characters still need to serve a specific purpose to propel the story

forward in some way.


- Flat characters are often confused with static characters, and while they are related, they are different concepts. Where a flat character is one that is two- dimensional, a static character is one that doesn’t change throughout the course of the story.


- Most flat (uncomplex) characters are static (unchanged by the end of the

story), but not all static characters are flat.


WHAT IS A FLAT CHARACTER?

- Round characters are fully realized characters that come into conflict with

each other and other characters in believable ways, spurring character

development.


- One literary term often confused with “round character” is “dynamic character,” and while they both go hand in hand, they are different

concepts. While a round character is a character with a complex personality, a dynamic character is one that changes throughout the course of a story.


- Hence, a character can be both round (interesting) and dynamic (changed).

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN  ROUND AND FLAT CHARACTERS?

- Flat: A man who is a funeral-home director. Round: A man who became a

funeral-home director because his wife’s funeral was ruined, so he wants to make sure others have a better experience.


- Flat: A young girl who loves her teddy bear. Round: A young girl who takes

her teddy bear with her everywhere because it was a gift from her recently- deceased older brother.


- Flat: A high school student who doesn’t know how to swim. Round: A high school student who doesn’t know how to swim because she saw a shark in the ocean when she was young, and now refuses to touch the water.


  1. CHARACTERIZATION 

- the techniques an author uses to

develop the personality of a character in a literary work.

  • physical appearance and personality

  • speech, behavior, and actions

  • Thoughts and feelings

  • interactions with other characters


  1. SETTINGS

-the time and place in which the action occurs. Look for clues in the opening paragraphs of the story or novel.


  1. POINT OF VIEW

- It is refers to who tells the story and how it is told

  • 1st person - It is refers to who tells the story and how it is told

  • 3rd person - the story is told by the narrator who stands outside of the story and observes the events as they unfold. The narrator uses the pronouns she, he, and they.


  1. PLOT

- Plot. the action element in fiction, is the arrangement of events that make up a story. It is based on key conflict.

- There are five basic parts of plot:

  • Exposition - the first part of the story. The author establishes the setting, introduces characters,gives additional background information. 

  • Rising Action/Complication - the series of conflicts or struggles that build a story toward its climax. Tension rises.

  • Climax - the high point,or turning point, of a story. It is the most intense point. A decision is made that will decide the outcome of the conflict.

  • Falling Action - the action that works out the decision arrived at during the climax. The conflict is - or begins to be - settled.

  • Resolution - the ending. It ties up loose ends and brings the story to a close.


  1. THEME

- Theme is the central idea or meaning of a story. 


  1. SYMBOLIZATION

- A symbol is a person,object, image, word, or event that evokes a range of additional meaning beyond and usually more abstract that is literal significance.


  1. TONE

- Tone is the author’s implicit attitude toward the reader, subject, and/or the people, places, and events in a work as revealed by the elements of the author’s style.


FORMS OF NON FICTION 

A. Literary Non- Fiction - is a type of prose that employs the literary techniques usually associated with fiction or poetry to report on persons,places, and events in the real world without altering facts. 


  1. Auto biography - an account of a person’s life written by that person.

  2. Biography - an account of someone’s life written by someone else.

  3. Letters - a written or printed communication addressed to a person or organization and usually transmitted by mail, a symbol or character that is conventionally used in writing and printing to represent a speech sound and that is part of an alphabet.

  4. Essay and Articles - a short piece of writing on a particular subject.

  5. Review - a formal assessment or examination of something with the possibility or intention of instituting change if necessary.

  6. Reports - give a spoken or written account of something that one has observed, heard, done, or investigated


B. Functional Texts - are designed to be used for the purpose of fulfilling a

particular need or to solve a problem


  1. Recipes - a set of instructions telling you how to prepare and cook food, including a list of what food is needed.

  2. Directions - guidance or supervision of action or conduct.

  3. Schedules - a plan for carrying out a process or procedure, giving lists of

  4. intended events and times.

21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

Lesson 3 : INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY AND LITERATURE

PRE COLONIAL PERIOD (-BC-1564)

- This existed before the Spanish occupation in 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.


- The sources are usually the local native town folk.


PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

- is a diverse and rich group of works that has evolved side-by-side with the

country’s history. Literature had started with fables and legends made by the ancient Filipinos long before the arrival of Spanish influence. The main themes of Philippine literature focus on country’s pre-colonial cultural traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions.


THE SPANISH PERIOD (1521-1898)

- The start of the Philippine’s more colorful 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”, wile 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 center of the Spanish power.


THE THE AMERICAN PERIOD (1900-1942)

- The Philippines had a great leap in Education and Culture.

- The use of English along side 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.


THE JAPANESE PERIOD (1941-1945)

- 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 news papers 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. 


THE CONTEMPORARY/MODERN PERIOD (1900-PRESENT)

- Martial Law repressed and curtailed human

rights, including freedom of the press.

- 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.


• THE REBIRTH OF FREEDOM ( 1946-1970)

• THE STATE OF LITERATURE DURING THIS PERIOD

• THE NEW FILIPINO LITERATURE DURING THIS PERIOD

• PERIOD OF ACTIVISM (1970-1972)

• THE LITERARY REVOLUTION

• WRITING DURING THE PERIOD OF ACTIVISM

• PERIOD OF THE NEW SOCIETY (1972- 1980)

• PERIOD OF THE THIRD REPUBLIC (1981- 1985)

• PERIODS (1986-1999)


21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

Lesson 3 : Philippine Oral Lore/ Pre- colonial literature

FILIPINO CULTURE DURING PRE-SPANISH PERIOD

1. CAVES

- early filipinos lived in caves.

- Caves were safer

- Later … he moved to the plains and coastal areas

  • Plains - for farming 

  • Coastal Areas - for fishing 

2. NIPA HUTS

- The main post of the house is called the arigue

3. TREE HOUSES

- To keep safe from enemies and wild animals. Ladders were hoisted in at night. 


DRESS

  • MALE CLOTHING

- - consisted of the upper and lower parts. The upper part was a jacket with short sleeves called "kangan" while the lower part was a strip of cloth wrapped around the waist and in between the legs called "bahag". Males used a piece of cloth or a headgear called "putong".

- Butong symbolized the number of persons the wearer had killed.


  • FEMALE CLOTHING

- They wore “ baro or camisa”, a jacket with levees. The  lower part was called “ saya”.


INSULTS/ REVENGE : RELATIONSHIPS TURN SOUR BECAUSE OF INSULTS

  • VISAYANS:

  • ASWANG

  • ALAKAWAT 

  • BARANGAN 

  • DALONDONGAN


  • TAGALOGS

  • MANGKUKULAM

  • MANGGAGAWAY 


1. ORAL LITERATURE

  • Riddles

  • Proverbs 

2. FOLK SONGS 

  • Lullabies

  • Drinking Songs

  • Love Songs

  • Songs of Death

  • Religious Songs

3. FOLK TALES

  • Myths

  • Legends

  • Fables 

  • Epics


A. RIDDLES (Mga Bugtong)

- These are statements that contain superficial words, but they function figuratively and as metaphors, 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 Sawikain)

● These are statements that are considered as wise.

● These are usually given by parents or elders of the

community.

● There is belief that experience is the best teacher.


C, FOLK SONGS

- Folk songs are one of the oldest forms of Philippine literature that

emerged in the pre-Spanish period. These songs mirrored the early forms of culture.

- A form of folk lyric which expresses the people’s hopes,aspirations, and lifestyle

- repetitive and sonorous, didactic and native 

- Traditional songs and melodies

- Inspired by the reaction of the people of their

 - Forms: 

● LULLABIES      ● DRINKING SONGS

● LOVE SONGS  ● RELIGIOUS SONGS

● SONGS OF DEATH


D. FOLK TALES 

- Folk tales are made up of

stories about life, adventure, love, horror and humor where one can derive lessons about life. These are useful to us because they help us appreciate our environment, evaluate our personalities and improve our perspectives in life.


- USUAL THEMES : 

● Ceremonies needed to appease the deities.

● Pre and Pos apocalypse

● Life and death

● Gods and Goddesses

● Heroes and Heroines

● Supernatural beings

● Animals


- MYTHS:

● These tackle 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 Bikolanos.

Paradise is known as Maca, while Hell is Kasanaaan