LIT 1 – PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

1ST semester, S.Y. 2019 – 2020

English and Literature Department
College of Arts and Sciences
NEGROS ORIENTAL STATE UNIVERSITY

Course code: LIT 1

Course title: Philippine Literature in English
Credit units: 3 units
Period: 3 hrs. per week/ 54 hrs.
Instructor: TASHA MAXINE FLORES - BULADO
Prepared by: Tasha Maxine Flores - Bulado

Course Requirements:

1. Oral and Written examinations

2. Oral Recitation - Active participation in class and oral discussions (individual/group)
3. Regular Attendance
4. Projects and/or presentations
5. Midterm and Final examinations or performances

CLASSROOM RULES AND REGULATIONS:

The students are expected to:

1. Attend the class regularly, on time, and for the entire scheduled period.
2. Avoid using cellular phones and other gadgets during discussions and examinations
(unless given permission by the instructor).
3. Ask permission when leaving the classroom.
4. Participate in classroom discussions and activities such as oral recitation, lectures, and
group work.
5. Exercise courtesy when dealing with instructors and classmates.
6. Submit projects and assignments on or before the given deadline.
7. Prevent themselves from committing the act of plagiarism and cheating.
8. Inform the instructor ahead of time if there are other activities that would conflict against
their designated class schedule, and provide the necessary papers explaining their
absence.
9. Keep the classroom clean and sanitary by cleaning up after themselves and throwing
trash properly.
10. Turn off the lights, fans, and other electronics within the classroom after every session.

Grading system:

Quizzes------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30%
Oral Participation, Project, Attendance------------------------------------- 30%
Major Examinations---------------------------------------------------------- 40%
100%
½ of the Midterm Grade + ½ of the Finals Grade = Semestral Grade
 Introduction to Literature

Literature – written works (such as poems, plays, and novels) that have excellence in form and expression
- Latin word literature (writing, grammar, learning)

Definition of Literature: The word literature is derived from the Latin term litera which means letter. It
has been defined differently by various writers. Some loosely interpret literature as any printed matter
written within a book, a magazine or a pamphlet. Others define literature as a faithful reproduction of man’s
manifold experiences blended into one harmonious expression. Because literature deals with ideas, thoughts
and emotions of man, literature can be considered as the story of man. Man’s loves, grievances, thoughts,
dreams, and aspirations coached in beautiful language is literature.

In order to know the history of a nation’s spirit, one must read its literature. Brother Azurin, a poet and
essayist from Ilocos Sur, said that “literature expresses the feelings of people to society, to the government,
to his surroundings, to his fellowmen and to his Divine Creator.” The expression of one’s feelings,
according to him, may be through love, sorrow, happiness, hatred, anger, pity, contempt, or revenge.

For Webster, literature is anything that is printed, as long as it is related to the ideas and feelings of people,
whether it is true, or just a product of one’s imagination. In PANITIKING PILIPINO written by Atienza,
Ramos, Salazar and Nazal, it says that “true literature is a piece of written work which is undying. It
expresses the feelings and emotions of people in response to his everyday efforts to live, to be happy n his
environment and, after struggles, to reach his Creator.”

Why We Need to Study Philippine Literature

We can enumerate many reasons for studying literature. Here are but a few: We study literature so
that we can better appreciate our literary heritage. We cannot appreciate something that we do not
understand. Through a study of our literature, we can trace the rich heritage of ideas handed down to us
from our forefathers. Then we can understand ourselves better and take pride in being a Filipino.

Like other races of the world, we need to understand that we have a great and noble tradition which can
serve as the means to assimilate other cultures. Through such a study, we will realize our literary limitations
conditioned by certain historical factors and we can take steps to overcome them.

Above all, as Filipinos, who truly love and take pride in our own culture, we have to manifest our deep
concern for our own literature and this we can do by studying the literature of our country.

The Divisions of Literature

Literature is divided into two major divisions:

Prose – this type of literature uses metaphors and other descriptive language. It does not depend on rhyme
or rhythm and is usually straight to the point. Its main purpose is to convey information, tell a story, or
deliver a clear and concise message.

Poetry – this type of literature is often written in verse. It does not always have to rhyme. However, rhythm
and meter is used to convey meaning. Unlike the prose where it delivers a clear and concise message, poetry
is often cryptic and the reader may need to decipher the message behind it.

The comparison can best be compared through this:

Divisions of Literature PROSE POETRY

Form Mostly in paragraph form Stanza or verse form
Language Expressed in ordinary form Expressed in figurative form
Appeal To the intellect To the emotion
Aim/purpose To convince To stir the imagination and set an
idea of how life should be.
Types of Prose:

1. Prose Drama – a drama but written in prose or paragraph form and is usually meant to be acted
onstage.
2. Essay – short literary composition where the author shares his thoughts, feelings, expectations, or
observations on some aspects of life that have caught his/her interest.
3. Prose Fiction – something solely invented or taken from the imagination of the author and is feigned
to be true. Divided into two parts: novel (long narrative with a complicated plot) and short story
(fictitious narrative usually compressed in one scene and is shorter than the novel).
4. Biography and Autobiography – biography (story of a certain person’s life written by another);
autobiography (story of a certain person’s life written by himself or herself).
5. Letter – a written message by the author and is not apparent in more public writings.
6. Diary – a daily written record of account of the author’s experiences, thoughts, activities, routines,
and observations.
7. Journal – a magazine or periodical especially of serious or learned nature. It is more of a reflection
or opinion of a material read by the author.

Types of Poetry:

1. Narrative Poetry – a poem that tells a story.

a. Epic – long narrative poem that is mainly about a hero and his adventures. This usually
reflects tribal or national significance.
b. Metrical Poem – a narrative poem that talks about love, adventure, and chivalry. The hero
is usually on a quest.
c. Metrical tale – a narrative poem consisting usually a single connective events that are
simple, and generally do not form a plot.
d. Ballad – the simplest type of narrative poetry and is usually sung.
e. Popular Ballad – a ballad of wide workmanship and larger audience.
f. Modern or artistic – created by poet in imitation of the folk ballad.
g. Metrical Allegory- an extended narrative that carries a second meaning along with the
story.
h. Limerick- structured but humorous. Composed of five lines(cinquain) with an aabba
rhyming pattern.

2. Lyric Poetry – poem that is very personal in nature.

a. Ode – a long lyric poem that is usually serious or dignified in style.

b. Elegy – a poem written about the death of the poet’s friend.
c. Song – a lyric poem in regular metrical pattern set to music.
d. Sonnet – lyric poem containing 4 (four) iambic pentameter lines, and with a complicated
rhyming scheme.
e. Haiku – unrhymed verse form having three lines (tercet) and is usually 5,7,5 syllables.
f. Acrostic – the first or last letters in a line spell out a word or a phrase.

Sample of an Acrostic poem:

Of love and loyalty.

Closely we will walk the way

Holding tighter every day.
Only her, I'll give my hand.
She is one who helps me stand.
Ever grateful, I do say
No other is chosen, and I'm her man.

- Chosen; Chanté Walker

Activity: Form a group composed of 2-3 individuals and make an acrostic poem. Choose from the word
pool below:

LITERATURE LIFE FAITH HOPE

TRUTH TRAVEL FRIENDSHIP FAMILY
FEAR SOCIETY MIND NATURE

You will be graded according to:

(Note: additional 2 pts. for words with 6 letters or more)
Creativity - 15 pts.
Grammar - 5 pts.
Length - 10 pts.

Total 30 pts.

Literary Focus: Poetry

Analyzing Poetry

One of the biggest assumptions of people when it comes to analyzing poetry is that it has a hidden
message. However, this is not always the case. There are some types of poem where the message is clearly
there and there is no hidden meaning at all. Undeniably, there are also poems where one’s message needs
to be read between the lines.

To the lazy reader, poetry is something they want to avoid entirely as it demands commitment and
energy. This, of course, is a common misconception. There are poets who like to play around with the sound
of language or use highly descriptive words but their meanings are blatantly obvious.

If you’re one of the individuals who usually give up when something is confusing, calm down!
There are different approaches in dealing with poems that would make it easy for you when it comes to
analysis.

First Approach: Theme

Finding the theme should be your first objective. When reading a poem, you should always keep
in mind to spot its theme. The theme is the central concept or idea of the poem.

When looking for the theme, you need to ask yourself:

What is this poem talking about?

Does this poem involve issues and what are these issues?
What is the general message of this poem?
Are there life realizations that this poem is trying to convey?
What is the conclusion in this poem?

Second Approach: Emotion

What’s interesting with poets is that they love to emanate emotions through their works. Poets are
very expressive in nature and this can be seen in the way that they write. Having the command of words,
they can use these to their advantage to properly reflect what emotions they want their readers to have.

Looking for emotion in poems isn’t hard. The common questions you ask yourself would be:

How does this poem make you feel?

Is there a certain emotion the author is trying to project?
What emotions is the speaker of the poem feeling?
Third Approach: Structure and Form

This is the technical side of literature. Analyzing a poem through its structure and form would need
proper visuals and good knowledge on the type of structure and form each poem has. However, free verse
does not have any of the strict structure the traditional ones have so if you cannot find any structure, you
don’t need to worry.

The three major forms of poetry are:

1. Lyric Poetry – a poem that expresses (strong) thoughts and emotions.

2. Narrative Poetry – a poem that tells a story.
3. Descriptive - a poem that describes the world.

Fourth Approach: Rhyme and Meter

Most traditional poems don’t only have a structure or form but they also have a sense of tone in
them; a rhythm or a beat.

For example:

First, a poem must be magical, (a)

Then musical as a seagull. (a)
It must be a brightness moving (b)
And hold secret a bird’s flowering (b)
- First, A Poem Must Be Magical, Jose Garcia Villa

Fifth Approach: Sound

Some poems are laced with sound devices as there are tons of poets who like playing around with
the words and the syllables. Such sound devices are assonance, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.

Sound devices:
 Alliteration: the repetition of initial sounds on the same line or stanza
- Big bad Bob bounced bravely.

 Assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds (anywhere in the middle or end of a line or
stanza) - Tilting at windmills

 Consonance: the repetition of consonant sounds (anywhere in the middle or end of a line
or stanza) - And all the air a solemn stillness holds. (T. Gray)

 Onomatopoeia: words that sound like that which they describe - Boom! Crash! Pow!
Quack! Moo!

 Repetition: the repetition of entire lines or phrases to emphasize key thematic ideas.

 Parallel Stucture: a form of repetition where the order of verbs and nouns is repeated; it
may involve exact words, but it more importantly repeats sentence structure - "I came, I
saw, I conquered"

Sixth Approach: Meaning

This is where the proverbial “hidden meaning” lies. Poets love using symbols and comparisons in
their poems. This may come in different forms but regardless, it adds more color, life, and emotion to the
literary work.

Such meanings can be analyzed using the following:

 Connotation – this uses symbolism. A word or a phrase may have associations to it or

symbols that would stand as its meaning. E.g. heart = love
  Denotation – this is taking the literal route of the word or phrase. Anything uttered will
mostly focus on the dictionary definition. E.g. heart = a muscular organ that pumps blood
through the circulatory system of a living creature.
 Figurative Devices – aside from connotation, there are more specific figures of speech
that poets more often use. Here are some of those:
o Simile – a comparison of the subject to another and are usually introduced or
connected with like or as. E.g. “My love is like a red, red rose” – Robert Burns

o Metaphor – a comparison between the subject and another but without like or as.
E.g. “Life is a broken-winged bird” – Langston Hughes

o Allegory – a work of literature that has a deeper meaning than what is on the
surface. It is used to reveal a hidden meaning. E.g. The Lion, The Witch, and the
Wardrobe.

o Personification – occurs when an inanimate object is given humanistic qualities.

E.g. “O wind, that sings so loud a song!”- Robert Louis Stevenson

Activity: Using the different ways to analyze and understand a poem, work with a group and find out the
meaning of the poem below. On a whole sheet of paper, assign a member to answer the following questions:

Bonsai
Edith Tiempo

All that I love

I fold over once
And once again
And keep in a box
Or a slit in a hollow post
Or in my shoe.

All that I love?

Why, yes, but for the moment-
And for all time, both.
Something that folds and keeps easy,
Son’s note or Dad’s one gaudy tie,
A roto picture of a queen,
A blue Indian shawl, even
A money bill.

It’s utter sublimation,

A feat, this heart’s control
Moment to moment
To scale all love down
To a cupped hand’s size

Till seashells are broken pieces

From God’s own bright teeth,
And life and love are real
Things you can run and
Breathless hand over
To the merest child.

Questions:
1. What is the central theme of the poem? What lines make this evident? Why?
2. What overall emotion is this poem trying to show? Give out lines to support your answer.
3. What form of poetry is this? Which lines made you say so.
4. Find out the connotations and figures of speech in the poem and label them.
5. Why is this poem entitled “Bonsai”?

Note: Each question is 5 pts. each with a total of 30 pts.

Sources:

https://learn.lexiconic.net/elementsofpoetry.htm
https://learn.lexiconic.net/poetry.htm
https://learn.lexiconic.net/elementsoffiction.htm#theme
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Literature/Poems/Others/First_A_Poem_Must.htm
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/chosen_1171654

Literary Focus: Short Story

Each story can easily be analyzed and understood once you know its elements. For the majority, stories
have the same elements despite differing qualities and explanation.

Elements of the Story:

 Character – an individual or group who takes part in the action of a short story or other literary
works. This certain character may be a person, an animal, or a mythical creature.
 Setting – location, date, time, social conditions, weather conditions, mood or atmosphere. This is
usually where the action of the story occurs.
 Conflict – an internal or external struggle between:
o the character and another character
o the character and a certain occurrence
o the character and society
o the character and himself.
 Plot – composed of:
o Introduction – the beginning of the story
o Rising action – the start of the conflict or the revelation of the conflict
o Climax – the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story
o Falling action – the problems and complications start to be resolved
o Denouement/resolution – final part of the story, the end, and the untangling of events
 Theme – the controlling idea or central insight of the story.
Activity: Read the story below and fill out the chart with the necessary answers based on the short story:

The Origin of the Pineapple

Maria, a rustic girl, lived with her mom as tenants in a fruit plantation. Her mom was the hard-working
type—working almost all the time, and Maria was also hard-working—but not with household chores. She
loved playing all the time.

When her mom told her to do a household chore, she always procrastinated—she started the work but later
laid it aside for tomorrow—a tomorrow which often never came. She often stopped in the middle of her
household chore to play. She usually reasoned she couldn’t find what it was her mom wanted her to do. But
actually, the truth was she didn’t pay attention to any of her mom’s instructions in favor of playing. She felt
confident in the thought of surely finishing a task later or tomorrow. And this to the chagrin of her mom.

The mother, used to being too vocal with her careless ill wishes or curses on people who didn’t delight her,
was liberal on such habit on her only daughter. She reasoned that vehement scolding did some hidden
wonders to juvenile stubbornness.

But one day, Pina’s procrastinations went too far for her mom to tolerate them anymore. Her mother had
told her to get her wooden shoes from the under their hut. She went down their hut and looked under it. But
on seeing her old rag doll, her imagination started working. She was soon playing with it. Her usual
dialogue, saying “I can’t see it,” when actually she wasn’t searching but playing, did it this time. Her mom
shouted invectives plus a curse that, “May you grow dozens of eyes” so Maria would stop ever mentioning
her favorite dialogue. Then suddenly, Maria just disappeared.
A search party looked all over the plantation for Maria, to no avail. And then Maria’s mom saw a curious
new plant species at their backyard. It was covered with eyes. She remembered her latest curse on Maria
and knew the plant was her. From then on, she called the plant, a pineapple, or “Pinya” in Filipino.

https://www.philippinesinsider.com/myths-folklore-superstition/philippine-myth-on-the-origin-of-the-pineapple/

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ___________________________

Class Schedule: ______________________________________ Score: ___________________________

Fill in the chart:

Elements of the story ANSWER

The Origin of the Pineapple
Title
Maria and her mother
Character/s

Setting

Conflict

Theme

Plot of the Story ANSWER

Introduction

Rising Action
 Climax

Falling Action

Denouement/Resolution