The Literary Forms in Philippine Literature By: Christine F.

Godinez- Ortega The diversity and richness of Philippine literature evolved side by side with the country's history. This can best be appreciated in the context of the country's pre-colonial cultural traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions. The average Filipino's unfamiliarity with his indigenous literature was largely due to what has been impressed upon him: that his country was "discovered" and, hence, Philippine "history" started only in 1521. So successful were the efforts of colonialists to blot out the memory of the country's largely oral past that present-day Filipino writers, artists and journalists are trying to correct this inequity by recognizing the country's wealth of ethnic traditions and disseminating them in schools and in the mass media. The rousing of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also helped bring about this change of attitude among a new breed of Filipinos concerned about the "Filipino identity."

Pre-Colonial Times Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists, we are able to know more and better judge information about our pre-colonial times set against a bulk of material about early Filipinos as recorded by Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and other chroniclers of the past. Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcased a rich past through their folk speeches, folk songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.

The most seminal of these folk speeches is the riddle which is tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog, paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol. Central to the riddle is the talinghaga or metaphor because it "reveals subtle resemblances between two unlike objects" and one's power of observation and wit are put to the test. While some riddles are ingenious, others verge on the obscene or are sex-related: Gaddang: Gongonan nu usin y amam If you pull your daddy's penis Maggirawa pay sila y inam. Your mommy's vagina, too, (Campana) screams. (Bell) The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs or they instill values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming verse. The extended form, tanaga, a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessons on life is "more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the folk lyric." Some examples are the basahanon or extended didactic sayings from Bukidnon and the daraida and daragilon from Panay. The folk song, a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people's lifestyles as well as their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naive as in the children's songs or Ida-ida (Maguindanao), tulang pambata (Tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag). A few examples are the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like the panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade (Cebuano); the bayok(Maranao); the seven-syllable per line poem, ambahan of the Mangyans that are about human relationships, social entertainment and also serve as a tool for teaching the young; work songs that depict the livelihood of the people often sung to go with the movement of workers such as the kalusan (Ivatan), soliranin (Tagalog rowing song) or the mambayu, a Kalinga rice-pounding song; the verbal jousts/games like the duplo popular during wakes.

Other folk songs are the drinking songs sung during carousals like the tagay (Cebuano and Waray); dirges and lamentations extolling the deeds of the dead like the kanogon (Cebuano) or the Annako (Bontoc). A type of narrative song or kissa among the Tausug of Mindanao, the parang sabil, uses for its subject matter the exploits of historical and legendary heroes. It tells of a Muslim hero who seeks death at the hands of non-Muslims. The folk narratives, i.e. epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and magical. They explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna and, in the case of legends, an explanation of the origins of things. Fables are about animals and these teach moral lessons. Our country's epics are considered ethno-epics because unlike, say, Germany's Niebelunginlied, our epics are not national for they are "histories" of varied groups that consider themselves "nations." The epics come in various names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud (Ifugao); and Ulahingan (Manobo). These epics revolve around supernatural events or heroic deeds and they embody or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community. These are sung or chanted to the accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals by chanters. The chanters who were taught by their ancestors are considered "treasures" and/or repositories of wisdom in their communities. Examples of these epics are the Lamang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan (Livun ganen-Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Maiden of the Buhong Sky from Tuwaang--Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon); and Tudbulol(T'boli).

The Spanish Colonial Tradition

While it is true that Spain subjugated the Philippines for more mundane reasons, this former European power contributed much in the shaping and recording of our literature. Religion and institutions that represented European civilization enriched the languages in the lowlands, introduced theater which we would come to know as komedya, the sinakulo, the sarswela, the playlets and the drama. Spain also brought to the country, though at a much later time, liberal ideas and an internationalism that influenced our own Filipino intellectuals and writers for them to understand the meanings of "liberty and freedom." Literature in this period may be classified as religious prose and poetry and secular prose and poetry. Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and Tagalog were included in early catechism and were used to teach Filipinos the Spanish language. Fernando Bagonbanta's "Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de sin sempiternas" (Unending thanks) is a fine example that is found in theMemorial de la vida cristiana en lengua tagala (Guidelines for the Christian life in the Tagalog language) published in 1605. Another form of religious lyrics are the meditative verses like the dalit appended to novenas and catechisms. It has no fixed meter nor rime scheme although a number are written in octosyllabic quatrains and have a solemn tone and spiritual subject matter. But among the religious poetry of the day, it is the pasyon in octosyllabic quintillas that became entrenched in the Filipino's commemoration of Christ's agony and resurrection at Calvary. Gaspar Aquino de Belen's "Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon natin na tola" (Holy Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Verse) put out in 1704 is the country's earliest known pasyon. Other known pasyons chanted during the Lenten season are in Ilocano, Pangasinan, Ibanag, Cebuano, Bicol, Ilongo and Waray. Aside from religious poetry, there were various kinds of prose narratives written to prescribe proper decorum. Like the pasyon, these prose narratives were also used for proselitization. Some forms are: dialogo (dialogue), Manual de Urbanidad (conduct book); ejemplo (exemplum)

and tratado (tratado). The most well-known are Modesto de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza" (Correspondence between the Two Maidens Urbana and Feliza) in 1864 and Joaquin Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in 1879, an adaptation of Daniel Defoe's novel. Secular works appeared alongside historical and economic changes, the emergence of an opulent class and the middle class who could avail of a European education. This Filipino elite could now read printed works that used to be the exclusive domain of the missionaries. The most notable of the secular lyrics followed the conventions of a romantic tradition: the languishing but loyal lover, the elusive, often heartless beloved, the rival. The leading poets were Jose Corazon de Jesus (Huseng Sisiw) and Francisco Balagtas. Some secular poets who wrote in this same tradition were Leona Florentino, Jacinto Kawili, Isabelo de los Reyes and Rafael Gandioco. Another popular secular poetry is the metrical romance, the awit and korido in Tagalog. The awit is set in dodecasyllabic quatrains while the korido is in octosyllabic quatrains. These are colorful tales of chivalry from European sources made for singing and chanting such as Gonzalo de Cordoba (Gonzalo of Cordoba) and Ibong Adarna (Adarna Bird). There are numerous metrical romances in Tagalog, Bicol, Ilongo, Pampango, Ilocano and in Pangasinan. The awit as a popular poetic genre reached new heights in Balagtas' "Florante at Laura" (ca. 1838-1861), the most famous of the country's metrical romances. Again, the winds of change began to blow in 19th century Philippines. Filipino intellectuals educated in Europe called ilustrados began to write about the downside of colonization. This, coupled with the simmering calls for reforms by the masses gathered a formidable force of writers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Emilio Jacinto and Andres Bonifacio. This led to the formation of the Propaganda Movement where prose works such as the political essays and Rizal's two political novels, Noli Me Tangere and the El filibusterismo helped usher in the Philippine revolution resulting in the downfall of the Spanish regime, and, at the same time planted the seeds of a national consciousness among Filipinos.

But if Rizal's novels are political, the novel Ninay (1885) by Pedro Paterno is largely cultural and is considered the first Filipino novel. Although Paterno's Ninaygave impetus to other novelists like Jesus Balmori and Antonio M. Abad to continue writing in Spanish, this did not flourish. Other Filipino writers published the essay and short fiction in Spanish in La Vanguardia, El Debate, Renacimiento Filipino, and Nueva Era. The more notable essayists and fictionists were Claro M. Recto, Teodoro M. Kalaw, Epifanio de los Reyes, Vicente Sotto, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Rafael Palma, Enrique Laygo (Caretas or Masks, 1925) and Balmori who mastered the prosa romantica or romantic prose. But the introduction of English as medium of instruction in the Philippines hastened the demise of Spanish so that by the 1930s, English writing had overtaken Spanish writing. During the language's death throes, however, writing in the romantic tradition, from the awit and korido, would continue in the novels of Magdalena Jalandoni. But patriotic writing continued under the new colonialists. These appeared in the vernacular poems and modern adaptations of works during the Spanish period and which further maintained the Spanish tradition.

The American Colonial Period A new set of colonizers brought about new changes in Philippine literature. New literary forms such as free verse [in poetry], the modern short story and the critical essay were introduced. American influence was deeply entrenched with the firm establishment of English as the medium of instruction in all schools and with literary modernism that highlighted the writer's individuality and cultivated consciousness of craft, sometimes at the expense of social consciousness. The poet, and later, National Artist for Literature, Jose Garcia Villa used free verse and espoused the dictum, "Art for art's sake" to the chagrin of other writers more concerned with the utilitarian aspect of literature. Another maverick in poetry who used free verse and talked about illicit love in her poetry was Angela Manalang Gloria, a woman poet described as ahead of her

time. Despite the threat of censorship by the new dispensation, more writers turned up "seditious works" and popular writing in the native languages bloomed through the weekly outlets like Liwayway and Bisaya. The Balagtas tradition persisted until the poet Alejandro G. Abadilla advocated modernism in poetry. Abadilla later influenced young poets who wrote modern verses in the 1960s such as Virgilio S. Almario, Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S. Tinio. While the early Filipino poets grappled with the verities of the new language, Filipinos seemed to have taken easily to the modern short story as published in thePhilippines Free Press, the College Folio and Philippines Herald. Paz Marquez Benitez's "Dead Stars" published in 1925 was the first successful short story in English written by a Filipino. Later on, Arturo B. Rotor and Manuel E. Arguilla showed exceptional skills with the short story. Alongside this development, writers in the vernaculars continued to write in the provinces. Others like Lope K. Santos, Valeriano Hernandez Pea and Patricio Mariano were writing minimal narratives similar to the early Tagalog short fiction called dali or pasingaw (sketch). The romantic tradition was fused with American pop culture or European influences in the adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan by F. P. Boquecosa who also penned Ang Palad ni Pepe after Charles Dicken's David Copperfield even as the realist tradition was kept alive in the novels by Lope K. Santos and Faustino Aguilar, among others. It should be noted that if there was a dearth of the Filipino novel in English, the novel in the vernaculars continued to be written and serialized in weekly magazines like Liwayway, Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Bannawag. The essay in English became a potent medium from the 1920's to the present. Some leading essayists were journalists like Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge Bocobo, Pura Santillan Castrence, etc. who wrote formal to humorous to informal essays for the delectation by Filipinos. Among those who wrote criticism developed during the American period were Ignacio Manlapaz, Leopoldo Yabes and I.V. Mallari. But it was Salvador P. Lopez's criticism that

grabbed attention when he won the Commonwealth Literay Award for the essay in 1940 with his "Literature and Society." This essay posited that art must have substance and that Villa's adherence to "Art for Art's Sake" is decadent. The last throes of American colonialism saw the flourishing of Philippine literature in English at the same time, with the introduction of the New Critical aesthetics, made writers pay close attention to craft and "indirectly engendered a disparaging attitude" towards vernacular writings -- a tension that would recur in the contemporary period.

The Contemporary Period The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially with the appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence of committed literature in the 1960s and the 1970s. Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and essays whether these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention or not. Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the proliferation of writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available to him via the mass media including the internet. The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and Panorama literary awards encourage him to compete with his peers and hope that his creative efforts will be rewarded in the long run. With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher Education of teaching of Philippine Literature in all tertiary schools in the country emphasizing the teaching of the vernacular literature or literatures of the regions, the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured. And, perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the literatures of the world will not be far behind.

Philippine Literature during the American Period DR. LILIA QUINDOZA-SANTIAGO Philippine literary production during the American Period in the Philippines was spurred by two significant developments in education and culture. One is the introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of English as medium of instruction in all levels of education in public schools. Free public education made knowledge and information accessible to a greater number of Filipinos. Those who availed of this education through college were able to improve their social status and joined a good number of educated masses who became part of the countr ys middle class. The use of English as medium of instruction introduced Filipinos to Anglo-American modes of thought, culture and life ways that would be embedded not only in the literature produced but also in the psyche of the countrys educated class. It was this educated class that would be the wellspring of a vibrant Philippine Literature in English. Philippine literature in English, as a direct result of American colonization of the country, could not escape being imitative of American models of writing especially during its period of apprenticeship. The poetry written by early poets manifested studied attempts at versification as in the following poem which is proof of the poets rather elementary exercise in the English language: Vacation days at last are here, And we have time for fun so dear, All boys and girls do gladly cheer, This welcomed season of the year. In early June in school well meet; A harder task shall we complete And if we fail we must repeat That self same task without retreat. We simply rest to come again

To school where boys and girls obtain The Creators gift to men Whose sanguine hopes in us remain. Vacation means a time for play For young and old in night and day My wish for all is to be gay, And evil none lead you astray - Juan F. Salazar Philippines

Free Press, May 9, 1909 The poem was anthologized in the first collection of poetry in English, Filipino Poetry, edited by Rodolfo Dato (1909 1924). Among the poets featured in this anthology were Proceso Sebastian Maximo Kalaw, Fernando Maramag, Leopoldo Uichanco, Jose Ledesma, Vicente Callao, Santiago Sevilla, Bernardo Garcia, Francisco Africa, Pablo Anzures, Carlos P. Romulo, Francisco Tonogbanua, Juan Pastrana, Maria Agoncillo, Paz Marquez Benitez, Luis Dato and many others. Another anthology, The English German Anthology of Poetsedited by Pablo Laslo was published and covered poets published from 1924-1934 among whom were Teofilo D. Agcaoili, Aurelio Alvero, Horacio de la Costa, Amador T. Daguio, Salvador P. Lopez, Angela Manalang Gloria, Trinidad Tarrosa, Abelardo Subido and Jose Garcia Villa, among others. A third pre-war collection of poetry was edited by Carlos Bulosan, Chorus for America: Six Philippine Poets. The six poets in this collection were Jose Garcia Villa, Rafael Zulueta da Costa, Rodrigo T. Feria, C.B. Rigor, Cecilio Baroga and Carlos Bulosan. In fiction, the period of apprenticeship in literary writing in English is marked by imitation of the style of storytelling and strict adherence to the craft of the short story as practiced by popular American fictionists. Early short story writers in English were often dubbed as the Andersons or Saroyans or the Hemingways of Philippine letters. Leopoldo Yabes in his study of the Philippine short story in English from 1925 to 1955 points to these models of American fiction exerting profound influence on the early writings of story writers like Francisco Arcellana, A.E. Litiatco, Paz Latorena. .

When the University of the Philippines was founded in 1908, an elite group of writers in English began to exert influence among the culturati. The U.P. Writers Club founded in 1926, had stated that one of its aims was to enhance and propagate the "language of Shakespeare." In 1925, Paz Marquez Benitez short story, "Dead Stars" was published and was made the landmark of the maturity of the Filipino writer in English. Soon after Benitez, short story writers began publishing stories no longer imitative of American models. Thus, story writers like Icasiano Calalang, A.E. Litiatco, Arturo Rotor, Lydia Villanueva, Paz Latorena , Manuel Arguilla began publishing stories manifesting both skilled use of the language and a keen Filipino sensibility. This combination of writing in a borrowed tongue while dwelling on Filipino customs and traditions earmarked the literary output of major Filipino fictionists in English during the American period. Thus, the major novels of the period, such as the Filipino Rebel, by Maximo Kalaw, and His Native Soil by Juan C. Laya, are discourses on cultural identity, nationhood and being Filipino done in the English language. Stories such as "How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife" by Manuel Arguilla scanned the scenery as well as the folkways of Ilocandia while N.V. M. Gonzaless novels and stories such as "Children of the Ash Covered Loam," present the panorama of Mindoro, in all its customs and traditions while configuring its characters in the human dilemma of nostalgia and poverty. Apart from Arguilla and Gonzales, noted fictionists during the period included Francisco Arcellana, whom Jose Garcia Villa lauded as a "genius" storyteller, Consorcio Borje, Aida Rivera, Conrado Pedroche, Amador Daguio, Sinai Hamada, Hernando Ocampo, Fernando Maria Guerrero. Jose Garcia Villa himself wrote several short stories but devoted most of his time to poetry. In 1936, when the Philippine Writers League was organized, Filipino writers in English began discussing the value of literature in society. Initiated and led by Salvador P. Lopez, whose essays on Literature and Societyprovoked debates, the discussion centered on proletarian literature, i.e., engaged or committed literature versus the art for arts sake literary orientation. But this discussion curiously left out the issue of colonialism and colonial literature and the whole place of literary writing in English under a colonial set-up that was the Philippines then. With Salvador P. Lopez, the essay in English gained the upper hand in day to day discourse

on politics and governance. Polemicists who used to write in Spanish like Claro M. Recto, slowly started using English in the discussion of current events even as newspaper dailies moved away from Spanish reporting into English. Among the essayists, Federico Mangahas had an easy facility with the language and the essay as genre. Other noted essayists during the period were Fernando Maramag, Carlos P. Romulo , Conrado Ramirez. On the other hand, the flowering of a vibrant literary tradition due to historical events did not altogether hamper literary production in the native or indigenous languages. In fact, the early period of the 20th century was remarkable for the significant literary output of all major languages in the various literary genre. It was during the early American period that seditious plays, using the form of the zarsuwela, were mounted. Zarsuwelistas Juan Abad, Aurelio Tolentino ,Juan Matapang Cruz. Juan Crisostomo Sotto mounted the classics like Tanikalang Ginto, Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas and Hindi Ako Patay, all directed against the American imperialists. Patricio Marianos Anak ng Dagat and Severino Reyess Walang Sugat are equally remarkable zarsuwelas staged during the period. On the eve of World War II, Wilfredo Maria Guerrero would gain dominance in theatre through his one-act plays which he toured through his "mobile theatre". Thus, Wanted a Chaperone and The Forsaken Housebecame very popular in campuses throughout the archipelago. The novel in Tagalog, Iloko, Hiligaynon and Sugbuanon also developed during the period aided largely by the steady publication of weekly magazines like

the Liwayway, Bannawag and Bisaya which serialized the novels. Among the early Tagalog novelists of the 20th century were Ishmael Amado, Valeriano Hernandez Pea, Faustino Aguilar, Lope K. Santos and Lazaro Francisco. Ishmael Amados Bulalakaw ng Pag-asa published in 1909 was one of the earliest novels that dealt with the theme of American imperialism in the Philippines. The novel, however, was not released from the printing press until 1916, at which time, the author, by his own admission

and after having been sent as a pensionado to the U.S., had other ideas apart from those he wrote in the novel. Valeriano Hernandez Peas Nena at Neneng narrates the story of two women who happened to be best of friends as they cope with their relationships with the men in their lives. Nena succeeds in her married life while Neneng suffers from a stormy marriage because of her jealous husband. Faustino Aguilar published Pinaglahuan, a love triangle set in the early years of the century when the worker's movement was being formed. The novels hero, Luis Gatbuhay, is a worker in a printery who isimprisoned for a false accusation and loses his love, Danding, to his rival Rojalde, son of a wealthy capitalist. Lope K. Santos, Banaag at Sikat has almost the same theme and motif as the hero of the novel, Delfin, also falls in love with a rich woman, daughter of a wealthy landlord. The love story of course is set also within the background of development of the workers trade union movement and throughout the novel, Santos engages the readers in lengthy treatises and discourses on socialism and capitalism. Many other Tagalog novelists wrote on variations of the same theme, i.e., the interplay of fate, love and social justice. Among these writers are Inigo Ed Regalado, Roman Reyes, Fausto J. Galauran, Susana de Guzman, Rosario de Guzman-Lingat, Lazaro Francisco, Hilaria Labog, Rosalia Aguinaldo, Amado V. Hernandez. Many of these writers were able to produce three or more novels as Soledad Reyes would bear out in her book which is the result of her dissertation, Ang Nobelang Tagalog (1979). Among the Iloko writers, noted novelists were Leon Pichay, who was also the regions poet laureate then, Hermogenes Belen, and Mena Pecson Crisologo whose Mining wenno Ayat ti Kararwa is considered to be the Iloko version of a Noli me Tangere. In the Visayas, Magdalena Jalandoni and Ramon Muzones would lead most writers in writing the novels that dwelt on the themes of love, courtship, life in the farmlands, and other social upheavals of the period. Marcel Navarra wrote stories and novels in Sugbuhanon. Poetry in all languages continued to flourish in all regions of the country during the American period. The Tagalogs, hailing Francisco F. Balagtas as the nations foremost poet invented the balagtasan in his honor. Thebalagtasan is a debate in verse, a poetical joust done

almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the pros and cons of an issue. The first balagtasan was held in March 1924 at the Instituto de Mujeres, with Jose Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes as rivals, bubuyog (bee) and paru-paro (butterfly) aiming for the love of kampupot (jasmine). It was during this balagtasan that Jose Corazon de Jesus, known as Huseng Batute, emerged triumphant to become the first king of the Balagtasan. Jose Corazon de Jesus was the finest master of the genre. He was later followed by balagtasistas, Emilio Mar Antonio and Crescenciano Marquez, who also became King of the Balagtasan in their own time. As Huseng Batute, de Jesus also produced the finest poems and lyrics during the period. His debates with Amado V. Hernandez on the political issue of independence from America and nationhood were mostly done in verse and are testament to the vitality of Tagalog poetry during the era. Lope K. Santos, epic poem, Ang Panggingera is also proof of how poets of the period have come to master the language to be able to translate it into effective poetry. The balagtasan would be echoed as a poetical fiesta and would be duplicated in the Ilocos as thebukanegan, in honor of Pedro Bukaneg, the supposed transcriber of the epic, Biag ni Lamang; and theCrissottan, in Pampanga, in honor of the esteemed poet of the Pampango, Juan Crisostomo Sotto. In 1932, Alejandro G. Abadilla , armed with new criticism and an orientation on modernist poetry would taunt traditional Tagalog poetics with the publication of his poem, "Ako ang Daigdig." Abadillas poetry began the era of modernism in Tagalog poetry, a departure from the traditional rhymed, measured and orally recited poems. Modernist poetry which utilized free or blank verses was intended more for silent reading than oral delivery. Noted poets in Tagalog during the American period were Julian Cruz Balmaceda, Florentino Collantes, Pedro Gatmaitan, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Benigno Ramos, Inigo Ed. Regalado, Ildefonso Santos, Lope K. Santos, Aniceto Silvestre, Emilio Mar. Antonio , Alejandro Abadilla and Teodoro Agoncillo. Like the writers in English who formed themselves into organizations, Tagalog writers also formed the Ilaw at Panitik, and held discussions and workshops on the value of literature in

society. Benigno Ramos, was one of the most politicized poets of the period as he aligned himself with the peasants of the Sakdal Movement. Fiction in Tagalog as well as in the other languages of the regions developed alongside the novel. Most fictionists are also novelists. Brigido Batungbakal , Macario Pineda and other writers chose to dwell on the vicissitudes of life in a changing rural landscape. Deogracias Del Rosario on the other hand, chose the city and the emerging social elite as subjects of his stories. He is considered the father of the modern short story in Tagalog Among the more popular fictionists who emerged during the period are two women writers, Liwayway Arceo and Genoveva Edroza Matute, considered forerunners in the use of "light" fiction, a kind of story telling that uses language through poignant rendition. Genoveva Edroza Matutes "Akoy Isang Tinig" and Liwayway Arceos "Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa" have been used as models of fine writing in Filipino by teachers of composition throughout the school system. Teodoro Agoncillos anthology 25 Pinakamahusay na Maiikling Kuwento (1945) included the foremost writers of fiction in the pre-war era. The separate, yet parallel developments of Philippine literature in English and those in Tagalog and other languages of the archipelago during the American period only prove that literature and writing in whatever language and in whatever climate are able to survive mainly through the active imagination of writers. Apparently, what was lacking during the period was for the writers in the various languages to come together, share experiences and come to a conclusion on the elements that constitute good writing in the Philippines.

PHILIPPINE LITERARTURE DURING PRE-COLONIAL PERIODPresentation Transcript

1. Philippine LiteratuMidterm Group 2. SpaniSh Colonial period

3. Spanish occupied Philippinesin early 15th century. The FirstFilipino alphabet is Alibata when Spanish colonizedPhilippines they changedalibatas into Roman alphabet. Spanish banned the use ofAlibata because they believedthat it is a work of evil. SoSpanish fully introduced theSpanish literary language usingmany Spanish terms.

4. The European literature wasbrought by the Spaniardsand are assimilated inFilipino songs andindigenous themes.The early printing press inthe Philippine is run andmonopolized by theSpaniards friars.

5. During Spanish colonizationFilipinos felt that they beingharassed by the Spaniards.Then the Birth of thePropaganda movement andLa Solidaridad.Then Filipino fought andintroduced Tagalog to be thelanguage of revolution of thenationalist movement.

6. SpaniSh Colonial periodliteratureunderSpaniSh Colonial periodliteratureunder

7. ORALLITERATUREDRAMASONGSRELIGIOUSDRAMA 8. SONGSA song is a composition for voice or voices,performed by singing. Achoral or vocal song maybe accompaniedby musical instruments,or it may beunaccompanied, as in thecase of a cappella songs.The lyrics (words) ofsongs are typically ofa poetic, rhyming nature,though they maybe religious verses orfree prose.

9. SONGSThis song depictshumbleness. Its thestory of a man who triesto show what he got towin the heart of hisbeloved one. LERONLERONSINTA

10. SONGSa Kundiman whichmeans one night orone evening in Bicol.A kundiman is aFilipino love songtraditionally sung by aman wooing the womanof his dreams.SARUMBANGGI

11. reliGiouS draMaThe religious drama, as settingforth events recorded in the Bible ormoral lessons to be drawn fromreligious teaching, is distinctivelymedieval in character, and in originis closely connected with theservices of theChurch.

12. RELIGIOUS DRAMAPanunuluyan (Tagalog for "asking for lodgings")is a Philippine Christmas dramaticritual narrating the Holy Familyssearch for a place to stay inBethlehem forJesus Christs birth through song.

13. DRAMADrama is thespecific mode of fiction represented in performance. The enactment ofdrama in theatre, performedby actors on a stage beforean audience, presupposes collaborative modes ofproduction and a collective form ofreception.

14. DRAMAWhy Women Wash the Dishes is a playthat depicts a betting game between couplewhom either one would not like to wash thedishes. The play is filled withhumor and antiques.Bakit Babae ang Naghuhugas ng Pinggan

15. WRITTENLITERATURESHORTSTORIESPOETRY 16. POETRYPoetry is an imaginative awareness ofexperience expressed through meaning, sound,and rhythmic language choices so as to evokean emotional response. Poetry has been knownto employ meter and rhyme, but this is by nomeans necessary. The very nature of poetry asan authentic and individual mode of expressionmakes it nearly impossible to define.

17. The story is about the love anddetermination of the Duke Floranteand the Princess Laura of Albaniawhile being pursued by the usurperCount Adolfo.POETRYFLORANTE ATLAURA

18. A short story is a briefwork of literature,usually writtenin narrative prose.A classic definition ofa short story is thatone should be able toread it in one sittingSHORTSTORIES

19. The short story revolvesaround one thing Freedom. Or moreclearly, it seeks todefine what is freedom,and what sense it makesto those who are notfree; slaved for theatonement of their sins.SHORTSTORIESCONVICTSTWILIGHT

20. RIZAL AND HISCONTEMPORARIESJOSERIZALMARCELODEL PILARANDRESBONIFACIO

21. SELECTEDWORKS OFHe is considered oneof the national heroes ofthe Philippines. Studying inEurope, he was the most prominentadvocate for reform in thePhilippines during the Spanishcolonial era. He was wronglyimplicated as the leader of theKatipunan Revolution, and that ledto his execution on December 30,1896, now celebrated as Rizal Day,a national holiday in the country.JOSE RIZAL

22. SELECTEDWORKS OFMI ULTIMOADIOSA poem written by Philippine nationalhero Dr Jos Rizal on the eve ofhis execution on 30 December 1896.This poem was one of the last noteshe wrote before his death; anotherthat he had written was found in hisshoe but because the text wasillegible, its contents remains amystery.

23. SELECTEDWORKS OFMARCELO H.DEL PILARHe was a celebrated figurein the Philippine Revolutionand a leading propagandistfor reforms in thePhilippines. Popularlyknown as

Plaridel, he wasthe editor and co-publisherof La Solidaridad(The Solidarity).

24. SELECTEDWORKS OFMARCELO H.DEL PILARThis is a satire on thefriars hypocrisy,licentiousness and greed,which consists of parodiesof the Sign of the Cross, theAct of Contrition, theLords Prayer, the HailMary, and the catechism.Rizal considers this as amodel of classical proseand an excellent example ofTagalog humor, wit, andDASALAN ATTOCSOHAN

25. SELECTEDWORKS OFHe was a founder and laterSupremo of the Katipunanmovement which sought theindependence of the Philippinesfrom Spanish colonial rule andstarted thePhilippineRevolution.ANDRESBONIFACIOFather ofthe PhilippineRevolution,"

26. SELECTEDWORKS OFANDRESBONIFACIOThis poem whichwas first published in theDiariong Tagalog. As the titleindicates, the theme is directed tothe Filipinos in order to arousetheir spirit ofnationalismandself-dependence.PAG-IBIG SATINUBUANGLUPA

27. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD 28. Philippine literaryproduction during theAmerican Period in thePhilippines was spurred bytwo significantdevelopments in educationand culture. One is theintroduction of free publicinstruction for all children ofschool age and two, theuse of English as mediumof instruction in all levels ofeducation in public schools.

29. Free public educationmade knowledge andinformation accessible to agreater number ofFilipinos. Those whoavailed of this educationthrough college were ableto improve their socialstatus and

joined a goodnumber of educatedmasses who became partof the countrys middleclass.

30. The use of English asmedium of instructionintroduced Filipinos toAnglo-American modes ofthought, culture and lifeways that would beembedded not only in theliterature produced but alsoin the psyche of thecountrys educated class. Itwas this educated classthat would be thewellspring of a vibrant

31. Philippine literature inEnglish, as a direct resultof American colonization ofthe country, could notescape being imitative ofAmerican models of writingespecially during its periodof apprenticeship.

32. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIODLITERATUREunder 33. RomanticPoetryShortStoriesLITERATUREUNDERAMERICAN COLONIAL PERIODTagalogNovelBeginning ofPhil Litin English

34. TAGALOGNOVELA novel is along prose narrative that describesfictionalcharacters andevents in the formof a sequentialstory, usually. ATagalog novel is anovel written in,of course, Tagalog.

35. TAGALOGNOVEL is one of the first literarynovels writtenby Filipino author LopeK. Santos inthe Tagalog language in1906. As a book thatwas considered as the"Bible of working classFilipinos", the pages ofthe novel revolvesaround the life of Delfin,his love for a daughterof a rich landlord, whileLope K.Banaag at Sikat

36. Romantic PoetryThe dominant theme ofRomantic poetry: the filteringof natural emotion throughthe human mind in order tocreate

art, coupled with anawareness of the dualitycreatedby such a process.

37. Romantic PoetryPAG-IBIGJose Corazon DeJesusJos Corazn de Jess , wasa Filipino poet who used Tagalog poetry to expressthe Filipinos desire for independenceduring the American occupation ofthe Philippines,a period that lasted from 1901 to 1946.He is best known for being the lyricist of the Filipino song yan Ko.

38. SHORTSTORIESA short story is a brief work of literature, usually written in narrative prose. A classic definition of a short story is that one should be able to read it in one sitting

39. SHORTSTORIES This is a short story written by Alejandro Roces during his freshman year in Arizona State University. He was well known for his humoro us stories and whit in writing. We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers is da ted back to the 1940s.We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers

40. BeginningofPhilippineLiteratureinEnglishPhilippine literature inEnglish By 1901, publiceducation wasinstitutionalized in thePhilippines, with Englishserving as the medium ofinstruction. That year,around 600 educators inthe S.S. Thomas toreplace the soldiers whohad been serving as thefirst teachers.

41. BeginningofPhilippineLiteratureinEnglish"How My Brother LeonBrought Home a Wife"A story about an occasionthat would be a big day inthe life of any family, theday one of the sons ofthe family brings hopethe woman he intends tomarry. The story is toldin the first person byLeons younger brother.

Category:Philippine Short Stories Philippine short stories, written in Filipino, English and other indigenious languages of the country, have varieties of themes that mark from the period of colonization to contemporary social issues. In the midst of the American colonial period, Filipino short story writers found their way to publish their works through the magazines such as Liwayway (1922, Tagalog), Bisaya (1930, Cebuano), Hiligaynon (1934, Ilongo) and Bannawag (1934, Iloko). Below are some of the acclaimed short stories of famous Philippine writers. White Devils Vein

Articles in category "Philippine Short Stories" There are 34 articles in this category.

S A Son is Born

T cont. Stranger in An Asian City

The Other Side The Outsider The Painting The Perpetual Monday Morning in the Life of Jose Sakay

D T

Dead Stars Death in a Sawmill

The Bird Lover of City Hall

The Reprieve The Sky Is Always Blue The Summer Solstice The Tangerine Gumamela The Three Juans And How They Joined the Revolution

The Body The Bread of Salt The Doubters The Flood in Tarlac The Fruit of the Vine The Hand of God The Judge The Little Wars of Filemon Sayre

Heartland How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife

May Day Eve Merlie Midsummer My Father Goes to Court

The Virgin The Witch

The Mats The Nobel Prize of Jorge Luis Borges

Oldtimer

Pulse of the Land

Philippine literature From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(August 2013)

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Map of usage of Filipino languages Philippine literature is the literature associated with the Philippines and includes the legends of prehistory, and the colonial legacy of the Philippines. Most of the notable literature of the Philippines was written during the Spanish period and the first half of the 20th century in Spanish language. Philippine literature is written in Spanish, English,Tagalog, or other native Philippine languages.

Contents [hide]

1 Early works 2 Classical literature in Spanish during the 19th Century

o o o o o

2.1 Poetry and metrical romances 2.2 Prose 2.3 Dramas 2.4 Religious drama 2.5 Secular dramas

3 Modern literature (20th and 21st century) 4 Notable Philippine literary authors 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Early works[edit source]

Doctrina Christiana, Manila, 1593, is the first book printed in the Philippines. Tomas Pinpin wrote and printed in 1610 Librong Pagaaralan nang mga Tagalog nang Uicang Castilla, 119 pages designed to help fellow Filipinos to learn the Spanish language in a simple way. He is also with the first news publication made in the Philippines, "Successos Felices".

Classical literature in Spanish during the 19th Century[edit source] Main article: Philippine literature in Spanish On December 1, 1846, the first daily newspaper, La Esperanza, was published in the country. Other early newspapers were La Estrella (1847), Diario de Manila (1848) and Boletin Oficial de Filipinas (1852). The first provincial newspaper was El Eco de Vigan (1884), which was issued in Ilocos. In Cebu City "El Boletn de Ceb" (The Bulletin of Cebu), was published in 1890.

On 1863, the Spanish government introduced a system of free public education that increased the population's ability to read Spanish and thereby furthered the rise of an educated class called the Ilustrado(meaning, well-informed). Spanish became the social language of urban places and the true lingua franca of the archipelago. A good number of Spanish newspapers were published until the end of the 1940s, the most influential of them being El Renacimiento, printed in Manila by members of the Guerrero de Ermita family. Some members of the ilustrado group, while in Spain, decided to start a Spanish publication with the aim of promoting the autonomy and independence projects. Members of this group included Pedro Alejandro Paterno, who wrote the novel Nnay (first novel written by a Filipino) ((cn)) and the Philippine national hero,Jos Rizal, who wrote excellent poetry and two famous novels in Spanish: Noli Me Tangere(Touch Me Not), and El Filibusterismo. Especially potent was La Solidaridad, more fondly called La Sol by the members of the propaganda movement, founded in 15 February 1885.[citation needed] With the help of this paper, Filipino national heroes like Jos Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Marcelo H. del Pilar were able to voice out their sentiments. Poetry and metrical romances[edit source]

Ladino Poems Were natives of first Tagalog versifiers who saw print: highly literate in both Spanish and the vernacular. Corridos Were widely read during the Spanish period that filled the populace's need for entertainment as well as edifying reading matter in their leisure moments. Awit like corridos, these were also widely read during the Spanish period as entertaining, edifying, reading manner in their leisure time. It is also a fabrication of the writers imagination although the characters and the setting may be European. The structure is rendered dodecasyllabic quatrains.

Prose[edit source] This section requires expansion. (August 2013)

The prose works of the Spanish Period consisted mostly of didactic pieces and translations of religious writings in foreign languages. Dramas[edit source] This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (August 2013) Religious drama[edit source]

The Panunuluyan Literally, seeking entrance, the Tagalog version of the Mexican Las Posadas. Held on the eve of Christmas, it dramatizes Joseph's and Mary's search for Bethlehem.

Cenaculo Was the dramatization of the passion and death of Jesus Christ. Salubong An Easter play that dramatizes the meeting of the Risen Christ and His Mother. Moriones Refers to the participants dressed roman soldiers, their identities hidden behind colorful, sometimes grotesque, wooden masks. The Santacruzan Performed during the month of May which have the devotion for the Holy Cross. It depicts St. Elena's search for the cross on which Christ died. Pangangaluwa An interesting socio-religious practice on All Saint's Day which literally means for The Soul.

Secular dramas[edit source] These were generally held during the nine nights of vigil and prayers after someone's death, on the first death anniversary when the family members put away their mourning clothes.

The Karagatan comes from the legendary practice of testing the mettle of young men vying for a maiden's hand. The maiden's ring would be dropped into sea and whoever retrieves it would have the girl's hand in marriage.

The Duplo A forerunner of the balagtasan. The performances consist of two teams; One composed of young women calledDupleras or Belyakas; and the other, of young men called Dupleros or Belyakos.

The Comedia It is about a courtly love between, a prince and a princess of different religions. It is about a Christian-Muslim relationship

Modern literature (20th and 21st century)[edit source] The greatest portion of Spanish literature was written during the American period, most often as an expression of pro-Hispanic nationalism, by those who had been educated in Spanish or had lived in the Spanish-speaking society of the big cities, and whose principles entered in conflict with the American cultural trends.[citation needed] Such period of Spanish literary productioni.e., between the independence of Spain in 1898 and well ahead into the decade of the 1940sis known as Edad de Oro del Castellano en Filipinas. Some prominent writers of this era were Wenceslao Retana and Claro Mayo Recto, both in drama and essay; Antonio M. Abad andGuillermo Gomez Wyndham, in the narrative; Fernando Mara Guerrero and Manuel Bernab, both in poetry. The predominant literary style was the so-called "Modernismo", a mixture of elements from the French Parnassien and Symboliste schools, as promoted by some Latin American and Peninsular Spanish writers (e.g. the Nicaraguan Rubn Daro, the Mexican Amado Nervo, the SpaniardFrancisco Villaespesa, and the Peruvian Jos Santos Chocano as major models). Notable Philippine literary authors[edit source]

Estrella Alfon Francisco Arcellana Carlos Bulosan Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Linda Ty Casper Gilda Cordero-Fernando N. V. M. Gonzalez Nick Joaquin F. Sionil Jos Ambeth R. Ocampo Alejandro R. Roces Bienvenido Santos

Edilberto K. Tiempo Kerima Polotan Tuvera Jos Rizal Francisco Balagtas Zoilo Galang Lualhati Bautista Genoveva Edroza-Matute Nicanor Abelardo Kris Astudillo

See also[edit source] Philippines portal

Cebuano literature Ilokano literature Pangasinan literature Philippine folk literature Philippine literature in English Philippine literature in Spanish Philippine Literature in Filipino Waray literature Ninay, first Philippine novel Languages of the Philippines