Chapter 1

• Defamiliarization


  A term used in literary analysis and criticism, involving exploring differences between literature and reality to make the familiar seem odd and encourage fresh perspectives
• Literature allows a person to step back in time and learn about life on Earth from the ones who walked before us
• Literature gives the reader a fresh perspective on the world by encouraging them to consider it weird
• Literature enhances one's ability to read others' minds, or the theory of mind
• Philippine literature


  Reflects a diverse group of works which are mostly grounded on traditional folktales, socio-political histories, and real-life experiences
• The Philippines stands out for having significant works in numerous languages: Spanish, Tagalog, English, and other Philippine languages
• Literature


  Can refer to any body of written material, but it is also used more precisely to refer to writings that are specifically regarded as artistic genres, including prose fiction, drama, and poetry
• Literature with a capital "L"


  Writing that is inventive, especially literature of recognized artistic value; writing of lasting value that imaginatively expresses ideas of permanent and universal interest
• Literature with a lowercase "l"


  Everyday literature, literature not of lasting value
• Characteristics of literature


  • Enduring
  • Expression
  • Significant
  • Human
  • Experience
  • Words well-chosen and arranged
• Nature of literature


  Language is concentrated and meaningful, its purpose is to give a sense of pleasure in the discovery of a new experience, and it demands intense concentration from the readers
• History and literature


  Are intertwined, as the thoughts, hopes, traditions, and practices of a people are incorporated in the study of a race's history, and literature is the written expression of these
• Literary compositions that have influenced the world

  • The Bible or the Sacred Writings
  • Koran
  • The Iliad and the Odyssey
  • The Mahab-harata
  • Canterbury Tales
  • Uncle Tom's Cabin
  • The Divine Comedy
  • El Cid Compeador
  • The Song of Roland
  • The Book of the Dead
  • The Book of the Days
  • One Thousand and One Nights or The Arabian Nights
• The 4 R's of literature

  • Recreation
  • Recognition
  • Redemption
  • Revelation
• Literature is imaginative, expresses thoughts and feelings, deals with life experiences, uses words in a powerful, effective and yet captivating manner, and promotes recreation and revelation of hidden facts
• Criteria used to demarcate 'literary texts' from 'non-literary texts'

  • Fictionality
  • Specialized language
  • Lack of pragmatic function
  • Ambiguity
• Reasons for studying literature

  • To better appreciate our literary heritage
  • To understand our great and noble tradition which can serve as the means to assimilate other cultures
  • To manifest our deep concern for our own literature
• Philippine literature in English has achieved a stature that is, in a way, phenomenal since the inception of English in our culture
• We have to manifest our deep concern for our own literature by studying the literature of our country
• Main Divisions of Philippine Literature in English

  • Period of Re-orientation: 1898-1910
  • Period of Imitation: 1910-1925
  • Period of Self-Discovery: 1925-1941
  • Japanese Period: 1941-1945
  • The Rebirth of Freedom: 1946-1970
  • Period of Activism: 1970-1972
  • Period of the New Society: 1972-1981
  • Period of the Third Republic: 1981-1985
  • Contemporary Period: 1986
• Our written literature, which is about four hundred years old, is one of slow and evolutionary growth
• Our writers strove to express their sentiments while struggling with a foreign medium
• The great mass of literature in English that we have today is, indeed, attribute to what our writers have achieved in the short span of time
• What they have written can compare with some of the best works in the world
• Time frames may not be necessary in a study of literature, but since literature and history are inescapably related, it has become facilitate to map up a system which will aid us in delineating certain time boundaries
• Precolonial Period


  • Characterized mainly by oral tradition
  • Crude on ideology and phraseology
  • Literature shows our customs and traditions in everyday life
  • Self-expression
• Spanish Period


  • Literature is classified as religious and secular
  • Liberal ideas and internationalism influenced Filipinos minds in understanding "liberty and freedom"
• American Period


  • Firm establishment of English as the medium of instruction in all schools
  • Active arousal in the field of literature started to be felt in the following newspapers
  • Filipino writers went into all forms of literature like news, reporting, poetry, stories, plays, essays, and novels
  • Writings clearly depicted their love of country and their longings for independence
• Japanese Period


  • Philippine literature in English came to a halt - writers in English turned to writing in Filipino
  • Filipino literature was given a break during this period
  • Topics and themes were often about life in the provinces
• Postwar Period Before The Declaration Of Martial Law

  • Philippine writing in vernacular became popular
  • The writers had a better knowledge of their craft and enjoyed political activism
• 1970 – 1972 (Rise of Nationalism and Students Activism)


  • Nationalism was emphasized by young and aspiring writers
  • Revolutionary form of literature attacked the ills of the society
• 1970 – 1972 (Period of New Society)


  • Provided a venue in reviving traditional drama and in creating original plays
• 1981– 1985 (3rd Republic)


  • Continues to reflect on social, political realities
• Contemporary Period


  • 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
• Prose


  Written within the common flow of conversation in sentences and paragraphs
• Poetry


  Expressions in verse, with measure and rhyme, line and stanza and has a more melodious tone
• Types of Prose


  • Novels
  • Short story
  • Plays
  • Legends
  • Fables
  • Anecdotes
  • Essay
  • Biography
  • News
  • Oration
• Types of Poetry


  • Narrative Poetry (Epic, Metrical Tale, Ballads)
  • Lyric Poetry (Folksongs, Sonnets, Elegy, Ode, Psalms, Awit, Corridos)
  • Dramatic Poetry (Comedy, Melodrama, Tragedy, Farce, Social Poems)
• Elements of Poetry


  • Senses
  • Imagery
  • Diction
  • Rhyme Scheme
  • Idea of a Speaker
  • Structure
  • Word Order
• Senses and images are used by writers to describe their impressions of their topic or object of writing