Literature, in its broadest sense, is any single body of written works.

More restrictively,
literature is writing that is considered to be an art form, or any single writing deemed to have
artistic or intellectual value, often due to deploying language in ways that differ from ordinary
usage. Its Latin rootliteratura/litteratura (derived itself from littera: letter or handwriting) was
used to refer to all written accounts, though contemporary definitions extend the term to
include texts that are spoken or sung (oral literature). Literature can be classified according to
whether it is fiction or non-fiction and whether it is poetryor prose; it can be further
distinguished according to major forms such as thenovel, short story or drama; and works are
often categorized according to historical periods or their adherence to
certain aesthetic features or expectations (genre).

The concept has changed meaning over time: nowadays it can broaden to have non-written
verbal art forms, and thus it is difficult to agree on its origin, which can be paired with that of
language or writing itself. Developments in print technology have allowed an evergrowing
distribution and proliferation of written works, culminating in electronic literature.

There have been various attempts to define "literature".[1] Simon and Delyse Ryan begin their
attempt to answer the question "What is Literature?" with the observation:

The quest to discover a definition for "literature" is a road that is much travelled, though the
point of arrival, if ever reached, is seldom satisfactory. Most attempted definitions are broad
and vague, and they inevitably change over time. In fact, the only thing that is certain about
defining literature is that the definition will change. Concepts of what is literature change over
time as well. [2]

Definitions of literature have varied over time: it is a "culturally relative

definition".[3] In Western Europe prior to the eighteenth century, literature denoted all books
and writing.[3] A more restricted sense of the term emerged during theRomantic period, in
which it began to demarcate "imaginative" writing.[4][5] Contemporary debates over what
constitutes literature can be seen as returning to older, more inclusive notions; Cultural studies,
for instance, takes as its subject of analysis both popular and minority genres, in addition
to canonical works.

The value judgment definition of literature considers it to cover exclusively those writings that
possess high quality or distinction, forming part of the so-called belles-lettres ('fine writing')
tradition.[6] This sort of definition is that used in theEncyclopdia Britannica Eleventh
Edition (191011) when it classifies literature as "the best expression of the best thought
reduced to writing."[7] Problematic in this view is that there is no objective definition of what
constitutes "literature": anything can be literature, and anything which is universally regarded
as literature has the potential to be excluded, since value judgments can change over time.[6]

The formalist definition is that "literature" foregrounds poetic effects; it is the "literariness" or
"poetic" of literature that distinguishes it from ordinary speech or other kinds of writing
(e.g., journalism).[8][9] Jim Meyer considers this a useful characteristic in explaining the use of
the term to mean published material in a particular field (e.g., "scientific literature"), as such
writing must use language according to particular standards.[1] The problem with the formalist
definition is that in order to say that literature deviates from ordinary uses of language, those
uses must first be identified; this is difficult because "ordinary language" is an unstable
category, differing according to social categories and across history.[10]

Etymologically, the term derives from Latin literatura/litteratura "learning, a writing, grammar,"
originally "writing formed with letters," from litera/littera "letter".[11] In spite of this, the term
has also been applied to spoken or sung texts

Major forms[edit]

Poetry[edit]

Main article: Poetry

A calligram by Guillaume Apollinaire. These are a type of poem in which the written words are
arranged in such a way to produce a visual image.
Poetry is a form of literary art which uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke
meanings in addition to, or in place of, prosaic ostensible meaning.[13] Poetry has traditionally
been distinguished from prose by its being set in verse;[a] prose is cast in sentences, poetry
in lines; the syntax of prose is dictated by meaning, whereas that of poetry is held across metre
or the visual aspects of the poem.[18] Prior to the nineteenth century, poetry was commonly
understood to be something set in metrical lines; accordingly, in 1658 a definition of poetry is
"any kind of subject consisting of Rythm or Verses".[13] Possibly as a result of Aristotle's
influence (his Poetics), "poetry" before the nineteenth century was usually less a technical
designation for verse than a normative category of fictive or rhetorical art.[4] As a form it may
pre-date literacy, with the earliest works being composed within and sustained by an oral
tradition;[19][20] hence it constitutes the earliest example of literature.

Prose[edit]

Main article: Prose

Prose is a form of language that possesses ordinary syntax and natural speechrather than
rhythmic structure; in which regard, along with its measurement in sentences rather than lines,
it differs from poetry.[18][21] On the historical development of prose, Richard Graff notes that
"[In the case of Ancient Greece] recent scholarship has emphasized the fact that formal prose
was a comparatively late development, an "invention" properly associated with the classical
period".[22]

Novel: a long fictional prose narrative. It was the form's close relation to real life that
differentiated it from the chivalric romance;[23][24] in most European languages the equivalent
term is roman, indicating the proximity of the forms.[24] In English, the term emerged from
the Romance languages in the late fifteenth century, with the meaning of "news"; it came to
indicate something new, without a distinction between fact or fiction.[25] Although there are
many historical prototypes, so-called "novels before the novel",[26] the modern novel form
emerges late in cultural history roughly during the eighteenth century.[27] Initially subject to
much criticism, the novel has acquired a dominant position amongst literary forms, both
popularly and critically.[24][28][29]

Novella: in purely quantitative terms, the novella exists between the novel and short story; the
publisher Melville Houseclassifies it as "too short to be a novel, too long to be a short
story".[30] There is no precise definition in terms of word or page count.[31] Literary
prizes and publishing houses often have their own arbitrary limits,[32] which vary according to
their particular intentions. Summarising the variable definitions of the novella, William Giraldi
concludes "[it is a form] whose identity seems destined to be disputed into perpetuity".[33] It
has been suggested that the size restriction of the form produces various stylistic results, both
some that are shared with the novel or short story,[34][35] and others unique to the form.[36]

Short story: a dilemma in defining the "short story" as a literary form is how to, or whether one
should, distinguish it from any short narrative; hence it also has a contested origin,[37] variably
suggested as the earliest short narratives (e.g. theBible), early short story writers (e.g. Edgar
Allan Poe), or the clearly modern short story writers (e.g. Anton Chekhov).[38]Apart from its
distinct size, various theorists have suggested that the short story has a characteristic subject
matter or structure;[39][40] these discussions often position the form in some relation to the
novel.[41]

Drama[edit]

Main article: Drama

Drama is literature intended for performance.[42] The form is often combined with music and
dance, as in opera and musical theatre. A play is a subset of this form, referring to the written
dramatic work of a playwright that is intended for performance in a theatre; it comprises
chiefly dialogue between characters, and usually aims at dramatic or theatrical performance
rather than at reading. A closet drama, by contrast, refers to a play written to be read rather
than to be performed; hence, it is intended that the meaning of such a work can be realized
fully on the page.[43] Nearly all drama took verse form until comparatively recently.

Greek drama exemplifies the earliest form of drama of which we have substantial
knowledge. Tragedy, as a dramatic genre, developed as a performance associated
with religious and civic festivals, typically enacting or developing upon well-
knownhistorical or mythological themes. Tragedies generally presented very serious themes.
With the advent of newer technologies, scripts written for non-stage media have been added to
this form. War of the Worlds (radio) in 1938 saw the advent of literature written for radio
broadcast, and many works of Drama have been adapted for film or television. Conversely,
television, film, and radio literature have been adapted to printed or electronic media.

21st century literature from the philippines and the world

1. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CORE SUBJECT QUARTER ONE 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM
THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD Page 1 of 7 TOPIC / LESSON NAME 21st Century Literature
from the region where the school is based in relation to the literature of other regions in
various genres and forms in consideration of three (3) canonical authors and works of
Philippine National Artists in Literature CONTENT STANDARDS The learner will be able to
understand and appreciate the elements and contexts of 21st century Philippine Literature
from the regions (National Capital Region) PERFORMANCE STANDARDS The learner will be able
to demonstrate understanding and appreciation of 21st Century Philippine Literature from the
regions through a critical interpretation of a literary text in terms of theme. LEARNING
COMPETENCIES Analyzing a literary text and appreciating the contributions of the canonical
Filipino writers to the development of national literature (En12Lit-Ic-24) SPECIFIC LEARNING
OUTCOMES At the end of this lesson, the learners will be able to: 1. Read one poem written by
a Filipino writer using the Historical and Biographical Criticism; and 2. Write a 500-word critical
interpretation of the poem, with a description of its context derived from research. TIME
ALLOTMENT 60 minutes LESSON OUTLINE: 1. Introduction: Communicating learning objectives
and Historical Criticism (13 minutes) 2. Motivation: Reading a Local News Article (7 minutes) 3.
Instruction: Close Reading of A Man Falls to His Death (15 minutes) 4. Practice: Group
Discussion (20 minutes) 5. Evaluation: Essay homework (5 minutes) MATERIALS Copy of the
poem, notebook RESOURCES Bautista, Cirilo. A Man Falls to His Death Galupo, Rey. Man dies
after jumping off NLEX Overpass

2. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CORE SUBJECT QUARTER ONE 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM
THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD Page 2 of 7 PROCEDURE MEETING LEARNERS NEEDS
INTRODUCTION (3 MINUTES) A. Communicate learning objectives 1. Introduce the following
learning objectives using any of the suggested protocols (Verbatim, Own Words, Read-aloud) a.
I can read a poem written by a Filipino writer using the Historical and Biographical Criticism. b. I
can write a 500-word critical interpretation of the poem, with a description of its context
derived from research. 2. Unlock the definitions of the following words. Ask the learners first
and see if the class can derive the definitions based on student responses: a. Historical and
Biographical Criticism b. Context REVIEW (10 MINUTES) 1. Ask the learners what they
remember about Historical and Biographical Criticism. 2. Ask them to cite the different
elements that Historical and Biographical Criticism focuses on (author, context, setting, time) 3.
Write the following phrases on the board: a. The world behind the text b. The life of the author
4. Ask them about some ideas they could think of about the phrases written on the board, as
they relate their ideas to Historical Criticism. Sample responses: 1. Historical criticism looks at
the world behind the text, by understanding the time the text was written and what other
events took place upon the writing of the text. 2. Historical criticism investigates details about
the authors life about his family, birthplace, and educational background that could be used
to better understand the text. 3. Historical criticism also investigates the context and life of the
reader of the text, by understanding current events in relation to the meaning of the text.
Scaffolding: If the learners are having a difficult time in remembering the meaning of Historical
Criticism, you may use these critical interpretations of different texts: From the novel, Noli Me
Tangere, Padre Damaso depicts the friars from the Spanish colonial era and exhibits the
inequities of the Spanish Catholic priests and the ruling government. Amanda Bartolome, the
main character in Lualhati Bautistas Dekada 70 is a woman whos unappreciated by the
people around her, especially her family. The story was set in the 1970s, revealing the unjust
ruling of Martial Law.

3. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CORE SUBJECT QUARTER ONE 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM
THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD Page 3 of 7 MOTIVATION (7 MINUTES) 1. Remind the
learners that todays topic revolves on current events, and that they need to be aware about
the happenings in their environment. 2. Hand out a copy of the news article, distributed as
worksheets. This may also be written on a manila paper; or shown as a news item on-screen. 3.
Let them read the text quietly for 2 minutes. Man dies after jumping off NLEX Overpass By Rey
Galupo, The Philippine Star, April 23, 2015 12:00AM MANILA, Philippines - A man died after
jumping off an overpass along the North Luzon Expressway interchange in Paso de Blas,
Valenzuela City, snarling traffic in the area Tuesday night. Renjie Navarro died instantly after he
fell on passing vehicles along the highway, Valenzuela police chief Senior Superintendent
Rhoderick Armamento said. Reports said barangay watchmen saw Navarro apparently waiting
for vehicles before he jumped off the overpass at around 10:30 p.m. One of the watchmen,
Antonio Ligasan, approached Navarro and tried to persuade him not to jump but to no avail.
Medrano said the victims identification card shows that Navarro was a worker at a factory in
Barangay Parada, Valenzuela. Police checked the closed-circuit television camera installed in
the area but it was not operational when the incident happened. 4. Ask the learners to write
their questions about the given article on their notebooks. Encourage them to write as many
questions as they can for 2 minutes. 5. Gather some questions from the class. 6. Write their
questions on the board. Teacher Tips: On sensitivity: This topic is a bit sensitive, so guide the
learners by reminding them to regularly be aware about the happenings in their surroundings,
and be updated with the local and international news as much as possible. On Inquiry-Based
Learning: The sample questions from the learners do not need to be answered right away. This
is the premise of Inquiry-Based Learning that some questions are broad and are better left
rhetorical. Sample questions from the learners: 1. Why did he jump off NLEX? 2. Was he
suffering from psychological difficulties? 3. Did he suffer problems with the factory hes working
in? 4. What will happen to his family? 5. Why are these incidents very common these days?

4. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CORE SUBJECT QUARTER ONE 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM
THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD Page 4 of 7 INSTRUCTION (15 MINUTES) 1. Remind the
learners that they are living in the 21st Century and that some notable Filipino writers are
already giving their perspective on current events. 2. Inform them that one of these writers is
Dr Cirilo Baustia who is National Artist for Literature. Dr. Cirilo Bautista. We will study one of his
well-known poems which might clarify some perspectives we have about Renjie Navarro, or
answer your questions as to why these events happen. It may help us understand how we, as
viewers, view these events. 3. Post the reading on the board, or hand out as sheets. This may
also be written on a manila paper. 4. Allow them to read the poem quietly for five (5) minutes.
A Man Falls To His Death By Dr Cirilo Bautista Blood is nothing. Space is all. Is. A simple diagram
illustrates this: where A is the tenth floor of steel and glass (He was on the noon shift forging
the dream to a reality fine mean could slumber in, or whores, in antechamber, touch their
bone) and B the level earth (Above the clogged engine a shadow traced the lines on his foot,
while shoot his brain with firelights the money did). Put down an imaginary circle around the
vertical. Compute the square of guilt against an integral his age built when he was young:
wrong, axiomatic: the sum stands thus: Along the curve X (none noticed the leap; what they
saw was the red imprint) by which we know the nothing particular, the momentum Teacher
Tips: A Challenge to the Learners: This poem may present some difficulty for the learners, but
allow them to undergo the necessary reading of the poem despite its complex language.
Characteristics of Poetry: Remind the learners that poetry is intentionally vague to allow a
number of interpretations to surface. Remind them to read the poem in these manners: a.
Continuous reading in a normal pace b. Continuous reading in a slow pace c. Reading in parts
(every five lines) in a slow pace

5. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CORE SUBJECT QUARTER ONE 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM
THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD Page 5 of 7 carried him to the point beyond the dictum Hic
primus geometrosfor a body physical, a Mass, emits energy equal to zero, the stay Necessary
to arrive at a base, as in Bergers Formula for optics. Here we remember the fallacy of inclusive
force if we extend A to the absolute (He was, a day ago, threatened With dismissal for
displeasing a superior) and call it the Cause: heat, hunger, air these were just contingent. To
recapitulate: Bergers law does not apply here, as the late Projections of X show, space being
non-mathematic; from A to B the descent exhibits a quick increase in force, though the exact
ellipsis we know not. (The Blank and Blank Co., Inc., regrets to announce that. . .) 5. Ask them
the following: a. What was your experience in reading the poem? Was it easy or difficult to
read? Why? b. What words make it a difficult poem? c. What is the tone of the poem? How
does it sound like? 6. Ask a learner to read the words outside the parentheses. 7. Instruct the
rest of the class to listen to the one reciting the poem. 8. After reading the words outside the
parentheses, ask for their meaning. 9. Next, ask another learner to read the words inside the
parentheses. 10. After reading the words inside the parentheses, ask the learners to highlight
the words inside the parentheses.

6. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CORE SUBJECT QUARTER ONE 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM
THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD Page 6 of 7 PRACTICE (20 MINUTES) 1. Direct the learners to
look at the words inside the parentheses: a. He was on the noon shift forging the dream to a
reality fine mean could slumber in, or whores, in antechamber, touch their bone b. Above the
clogged engine a shadow traced the lines on his foot, while shoot his brain with firelights the
money did c. None noticed the leap; what they saw was the red imprint d. He was, a day ago,
threatened with dismissal for displeasing a superior e. The Blank and Blank Co., Inc., regrets to
announce that 2. Divide the class into five groups. Enforce the One Voice Rule before
allowing any of the groups to discuss the questions among themselves. 3. Remind the groups to
have a Group Facilitator who will moderate the discussion. 4. Remind the groups to have a
Scribe who will write the key concepts shared by each member. 5. Remind the groups that
the remaining members who are not Group Facilitators or Scribes will take the role of the
Reporters. They will share three group insights after the group discussions. 6. Assign one item
for each group to study. 7. Each group needs to discuss the following questions: a. Who are the
character/s present in this line? b. What do you think happened here? c. This line contributed
to the mans death. How does this affect his decision to fall on his death? 8. Allow them to
discuss for 10 minutes. 9. After the groups have reviewed their answers, instruct each group to
share their findings to the class. Teacher Tips: On Group Dynamics: The teacher may notice that
some groups may experience the following: a. A member dominating the discussion, leaving
other members passive b. Most members stuck with the passage given to them c. Some
members not using the One Voice Rule Sample responses from the learners: a. We believe
this line (A) tells us that he works in a construction site. Maybe, he is a construction worker and
their company is building a hotel or a casino. b. Perhas he is desperate to earn money and that
he is not content with his daily wage. c. Our group thinks he did it when all of the construction
people have finished working. d. We believe that he jumped off the site because he had a fight
with his boss. e. We think this is from an obituary page.

7. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CORE SUBJECT QUARTER ONE 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM
THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD Page 7 of 7 EVALUATION (5 MINUTES) 1. For homework, ask
the learners to write an essay to respond to the following questions: a. What are the details
about Cirilo Bautistas life that tells of his background on scientific studies and humanities? b.
Was there a tragedy that happened during the authors lifetime that motivated him to write
about this topic? c. How do companies treat casualties from their companies these days? 2.
Remind them to write their answers on a sheet of paper to be submitted after a week. 3.
Instruct them to cite references accordingly, following the Modern Language Association (MLA)
Format. Teacher Tips: Allotting Enough Time: To come up with a rich reflection, learners need
enough time to process and express their thoughts in writing. Also, consider their academic
load in the other subjects as well. EVALUATION RUBRICS (For the Group Discussion) 1 (NOT
VISIBLE) 2 (NEEDS IMPROVEMENT) 3 (MEETS EXPECTATIONS) 4 (EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS)
Participation Learners do not know their roles and are not actively performing these roles.
Learners know their roles but are not actively performing these roles. Learners know their roles
and they are actively performing these roles. Learners listen to other groups while other groups
are reporting. Discussion Learners did not try and were not able to give a critical interpretation
of the assigned part of the poem. Learners were able to come up with 1-2 critical
interpretations of their assigned parts. Learners were able to come up with 3-5 critical
interpretations of their assigned parts. Learners were able to come up with critical
interpretations of their assigned parts and were able to link it with other parts in the poem.
EVALUATION RUBRICS (For the Enrichment Paper) 1 (NOT VISIBLE) 2 (NEEDS IMPROVEMENT) 3
(MEETS EXPECTATIONS) 4 (EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS) Meaningfulness The student did not try
answering the questions and did not research data about the poet or about the context of the
poem. The student was able to answer 1-2 answers, but lacking depth (no supporting details
given). The student was able to answer the three questions and was able to create a deep
understanding of the poem. The student was able to create a cohesive and comprehensive
paper, with supporting details to the context of the author, and to current events.