PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (--BC to 1564)

A. Characteristics 1.Based on oral

traditions 2.Crude on ideology and phraseology
B. Literary Forms Oral
Literature a. Riddles (bugtong) battle of wits among participants Tigmo
Cebu
Paktakon Ilonggo Patotdon Bicol b. Proverbs (salawikain)
wise sayings that contain a metaphor used to teach as a food for thought etc. c.
Tanaga - a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessonson
life is "more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus hasaffinities with
the folk lyric."
2.Folk Songs It is a form of folk lyric which expresses the
hopes and aspirations, the people'slifestyles as well as their loves. These are often
repetitive and sonorous, didactic andnaivea.
Hele or oyayi lullaby
b. Ambahan (Mangyan) 7-syllable per line poem that are about
humanrelationships and social entertainment c. Kalusan (Ivatan) wor k songs
that depict the livelihood of the peopled. d. Tagay (Cebuano and Waray) drinking
song. e. Kanogan (Cebuano) song of lamentation for the dead
Folk Tales
Myths explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain
characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or
fauna. Legends explain the origin of things Why the Pineapple Has EyesThe
Legend of Maria Makiling c. Fables used animal characters and allegoryd.Fantasti
stories deal with underworld characters such as tiyanak,aswang, kapre and
others.
Epics These are narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition
revolving aroundsupernatural events or heroic deeds (Arsenio Manuel) Examples:
Lam-ang (Ilocano) Hinilawod (Panay) Kudaman (Palawan) Darangen (Maranao)
II. SPANISH COLONIZATION PERIOD (1565 1863) Characteristics 1.
It has two distinct classifications: religious and secular
It introduced Spanish as
the medium of communication.
B.Literary Forms 1. Religious Literature Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and Tagalog
were included in early catechism and were used toteach Filipinos the Spanish
language. a. Pasyon long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ.
The most popular was Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Cristong Panignoon Natin
byAguino de Belen
b.Senakulo dramatization of the pasyon, it shows the
passion and death of Christ
Secular (non-religious) Literature a.Awit - colorful
tales of chivalry made for singing and chanting Example: Ibong Adarna b.Korido
metrical tale written in octosyllabic quatrainsExample: Florante at Laura by
Francisco Baltazar c. Prose Narratives written to prescribe proper decorum i.
Dialogo
iii. Ejemplo ii.Manual de Urbanidad iv. tratado Examples: Modesto
de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na siUrbana at si Feliza" and Joaquin
Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in 1879.
III.
NATIONALISTIC / PROPAGANDA AND REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD(1864 1896)
Characteristics
Planted seeds of nationalism in Filipinos
Language shifted
from Spanish to Tagalog3.Addressed the masses instead of the intelligentsia
B.Literary Forms 1. Propaganda Literature - Reformatory in objective a. Political
Essays satires, editorials and news articles were written to attackand expose the
evils of Spanish rule i.Diariong Tagalog founded by Marcelo del Pilar ii.La
Solidaridad whose editor-in-chief is Graciano Lopez-Jaena
Political Novels i. Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo Jose Rizals masterpiecesthat paved the way to
the revolution
2.Revolutionary Literature more propagandistic than literary
as it is moreviolent in nature and demanded complete independence for the country
a.Political Essays helped inflame the spirit of revolutioni. Kalayaan
newspaper of the society, edited by Emilio Jacinto b. Poetry True Decalogue
Apolinario Mabini Katapusang Hibik ng Pilipinas Andres Bonifacio Liwanag at Dilim

Emilio Jacinto
IV. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1910 1945)
Period of
Apprenticeship (1910-1930) 1.Filipino Writers imitated English and American
models
2.Poems -- written were amateurish and mushy, which phrasing and
diction is awkward and artificial. a.Short Stories i.Dead Stars Paz Marquez Benitez
ii.The Key Paz Latorena iii.Footnote to Youth Jose Garcia Villa
b.Novels i. Childe
of Sorrow first novel in English, by Zoilo Galang
B. Period of Emergence
(1920-1930)
Highly influenced by Western literary trends like Romanticism and
Realism. a. Short Stories most prevalent literary form i. Jose Garcia Villa
earned the international title Poet of theCentury
V. JAPANESE
OCCUPATION (1942 - 1960) War Years (1942-1944) 1. Tagalog poets broke away
from the Balagtas tradition and insteadwrote in simple language and free verse
2.Fiction prevailed over poetry a.25 Pinakamabuting Maikling Kthang Pilipino
(1943) compilation of theshort story contest by the military government. Suyuan
sa Tubigan Macario Pineda Lupang Tinubuan Narciso Reyes Uhaw ang Tigang na
Lupa Liwayway ArceoB.Period of Maturity and Originality (1945-1960) 1.Bountiful
harvest in poetry, fiction, drama and essay 2.Filipino writers mastered English and
familiarized themselves iwhtdiverse techniques 3.Literary giants appeared a.
Palanca Awards for Literature i.Jose Garcia Villa ii.Nick Joaquin iii.NVM Gonzales
iv.Bienvenido Santos v.Gregorio Brillantes vi.Gilda CorderoFernando b.National
Artist Awards i.Jose Garcia Villa ii.Nick Joaquian CONTEMPORARY/MODERN PERIOD
(1960 PRESENT)
A. Characteristics 1.Martial Law repressed and curtailed
human rights, including freedom of thepress
2.Writers used symbolisms and
allegories to drive home their message, at theface of heavy censorship
Theater
was used as a vehicle for protest, such as the PETA (Phil. Educational Theater
Association) and UP Theater.
From the eighties onwards, writers continue to show
dynamism and innovation