Philippine Literature

What is Literature?

  • The word "literature" is derived from the Latin term "litera," which means letter.

  • Literature is a body of written works that express human thoughts, experiences, and emotions in creative and imaginative ways.

  • Philippine literature refers to the body of literary works, both oral and written, produced by Filipino writers and passed on through generations.

Importance of Philippine Literature

  1. To preserve culture and traditions.

  2. To understand Filipino values and identity.

  3. To promote language and creativity.

  4. To develop critical thinking and empathy.

Influential Literary Compositions

  1. The Bible or Sacred Writings

  2. Qur’an

  3. The Iliad and Odyssey

  4. The Mahabharata

  5. Canterbury Tales

  6. Uncle Tom’s Cabin

  7. The Divine Comedy

  8. El Cid Campeador

  9. The Song of Roland

  10. The Book of the Dead

  11. The Book of the Days

  12. 1001 Arabian Nights

Divisions and Forms of Literature

  • Types of Prose

  • Types of Poetry

Types of Literature

Prose

  • Consists of those written in the common flow of conversation in sentences and paragraphs.

Poetry

  • Expressions in verse, with measure and rhyme, line and has a more melodious tone.

Types of Prose

  • Novel: A long narrative divided into chapters.

  • Short Story: A narrative involving one or more characters, one plot, and one single impression.

  • Plays: Presented on stage, divided into acts, and each act has many scenes.

  • Legends: Fictitious narratives, usually about origins.

  • Essay: Expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a certain topic.

  • Fables: Fictitious narratives that deal with animals and inanimate things who speak and talk like people.

  • Biography: Deals with the life of a person which may be about himself (autobiography) or others.

  • News: A report of everyday events in society that deals with facts only.

Types of Poetry (Narrative)

  • Epic: An extended narrative about heroic exploits often under supernatural control.

  • Metrical Tale: A type of narrative poem written in verse form—often involving romance, adventure, or fantasy.

  • Ballads: A type of narrative poem that tells a story in a song-like form.

Types of Poetry (Lyric)

  • Folksongs (Awiting Bayan): These are short poems intended to be sung.

  • Sonnets: A lyric poem of 14 lines dealing with an emotion, a feeling, or an idea.

  • Elegy: A lyric poem which expresses feelings of grief and melancholy and whose theme is death.

  • Ode: An ode is a poem of praise or dedication, written to honor or reflect upon a particular subject.

  • Psalms: A song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a philosophy of life.

  • Awit: An "awit" is a type of narrative poem written in dodecasyllabic (12-syllable) lines, traditionally sung or recited.

  • Corridos: A corrido is a narrative poem that usually deals with heroic deeds, religious themes, or moral lessons, written in octosyllabic (8-syllable) lines and quatrain stanzas (4 lines).

    • Example: Stanza from Ibong Adarna
      O, birheng kaibig-ibig
      ina naming nasa langit
      liwanagin yaring isip
      nang sa layo'y di malihis

Types of Poetry (Dramatic)

  • Tragedy: A serious literary or dramatic work that ends in sorrow or death, often due to a character’s flaw.

  • Comedy: A literary or dramatic work with a light, humorous tone and a happy ending.

  • Melodrama: A dramatic story with exaggerated emotions and clear good vs. evil characters.

  • Farce: A funny story or play with silly, exaggerated situations and characters.

Elements of Each Form

Elements of Prose

  1. Character

  2. Setting

  3. Plot

  4. Conflict

  5. Theme

  6. Point of View (POV)

Elements of Poetry

  1. Mood

  2. Theme

  3. Meter

  4. Line

  5. Stanza

  6. Rhyme

Meter

  • Meter is the structured pattern of rhythm in a poem, determined by the number and type of feet in each line.

    • Iambic: An iamb is a metrical foot consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable (da-DUM).

    • Trochaic: A trochee is a metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable (DA-dum).

    • Anapestic: An anapest is a metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (da-da-DUM).