Reviewer in Literature

Literature
➢ is a term used to describe written and sometimes spoken material. Derived from
the Latin word literatura meaning "writing formed with letters" , literature most
commonly refers to works of the creative imagination, including poetry, drama,
fiction, nonfiction, and in some instances, journalism, and song.
➢ Written works especially those considered superior or lasting artistic merit.
➢ books and writings published on a particular subject.
➢ Leaflets and other printed materials used to give advertisement or advices.

Philippines
➢ contains representative literary pieces of the eighteen (18) different regions
in the Philippines
➢ This preliminary expositions introduce the representative texts from the regions
which are clustered into three major island divisions in the Philippines.
➢ In terms of medium of expression, some selections are in English, others in
Filipino, while some are in the vernacular, the language of the region, presented
with translations either in English or in Filipino.
➢ The Filipino speakers, naturally are expected to teach the literary pieces from
the other regions using the language the students understand, that is, either in
English or in Filipino.

18 Different Regions in the Philippines

1. CAR – Cordillera Administrative Region
2. Region 1 – Ilocos Region
3. Region 2 – Cagayan Valley
4. Region 3 – Central Luzon
5. Region 4A – CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon)
6. Region 4B – MIMAROPA (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon
and Palawan)
7. NCR – National Capital Region
8. Region V – Bicol Region
9. Region VI – Western Visayas
10. Region VII – Central Visayas
11. Region VIII – Eastern Visayas
12. Region IX – Western Mindanao
13. Region X – Northern Mindanao
14. Region XI – Southern Mindanao
15. Region XII – Central Mindanao
16. ARMM – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
17. Region XIII – CARAGA Region
18. NIR – Negros Island Region
Poetry
➢ a : metrical writing : verse. B : the productions of a poet : poems. 2 : writing
that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language
chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound,
and rhythm.
Lyric Poetry
➢ Lyric, a verse or poem that is, or supposedly is, susceptible of being sung to
the accompaniment of a musical instrument (in ancient times, usually a lyre) or
that expresses intense personal emotion in a manner suggestive of a song.
Sonnet
➢ The word sonnet is derived from the Italian word “sonetto” , which means a
“little song” or small lyric. In poetry, a sonnet has 14 lines, and is written in
iambic pentameter. Each line has 10 syllables. Generally, sonnets are divided into
different groups based on the rhyme scheme they follow.
2 Types of Sonnet
1.) Italian Sonnet
➢ An Italian sonnet (14 lines, 4 stanza, 2S-4Lines,2S3Lines) (ABBAABBA, CDECDE) is
composed of an octet (eight lines - abbaabba) and a sestet (six lines - either
abcabc or ababab).
2.) Shakespearean Sonnet
➢ The Shakespearean sonnet comprises three quatrains (four line - abab) and one
couplet at the end (two lines - aa). All sonnets have 14 lines.

Examples of Sonnet
Italian SonnetShakespearean Sonnet
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur’d like him, like him with friends possess’d,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Song
➢ A song is a musical composition intended to be sung by the human voice. This is
often done at distinct and fixed pitches using patterns of sound and silence.

Different Types of Songs

1. Classical

A Classical music concert with violins

As the name suggests, classical songs are those in which traditional music plays a
main role. These songs were first composed by artists like Johann Sebastian Bach,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, to name a few. These songs have had
a substantial impact on the music we hear today. Every country has a culture, which
is clearly apparent in its classical and folk songs.
Examples:
~ Canon in D major - Johann Pachelbel
~ Symphony No. 9: Ode To Joy - Ludwig van Beethoven
~ The Four Seasons - Antonio Vivaldi
~ Hallelujah - Katherine Jenkins
~ Heart of Courage - Two Steps From Hell

2. Pop

Pop music star at a concert

Pop songs are those which have contemporary lyrics and an upbeat rhythm, basically
meant for the youth culture. Some of the most popular artists of this genre are
Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, and
Cher. The composition of pop songs concentrates more on music technology and
recording than on live performances. Rhythm and effects are two important elements
in pop songs.
Examples:
~ Bye Bye Bye - N Sync
~ Beat It - Michael Jackson
~ I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
~ Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
~ Every Breath You Take - The Police

3. Rock

Crowds at a huge rock concert

Rock songs are the most popular among teenagers and youngsters. They consist of
clear pieces of lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and keyboards as some of the main
instruments. When the instruments are played in sync, they sound energetic along
with the vocals. Most popular rock artists are Europe, Creed, Def Leppard, Van
Halen, Bon Jovi, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bryan Adams and many other good ones.
Examples:
~ The Final Countdown - Europe
~ Jump - Van Halen
~ Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
~ Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
~ Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses

4. Metal

Singer singing a metal song with guitar

Metal songs are a bit more hard-sounding than rock songs. These songs have high
pitches and screaming vocals, heavy guitar leads, and solid drum work. In a
majority of metal songs, power chords and riffs are used. They may consist of
random lyrics, as the primary focus is on the music. Some of the metal music
legends are Whitesnake, Metallica, Dokken, Winger, Dio, Yngwie Malmsteen,
Scorpions, etc.
Examples:
~ Fear of the Dark - Iron Maiden
~ Rainbow in the Dark - Dio
~ Still of the Night - Whitesnake
~ Enter Sandman - Metallica
~ Rock You Like A Hurricane – Scorpions

5. Country

Playing soulful country music on a guitar

Country songs are suitable for easy listening. They mainly consist of clean lyrics
with music pieces using classical guitars and other traditional instruments.
Occasionally, solos of instruments like the banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and harmonica
can also be heard in country songs. You can listen to songs by Keith Urban, Taylor
Swift, Chris Young, Garth Brooks, and Shania Twain for a better idea.
Examples:
~ Mean - Taylor Swift
~ If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away - Justin Moore
~ Somewhere Else - Toby Keith
~ Without You - Keith Urban
~ Just Fishin' - Trace Adkins

6. Hip-Hop

Rappers at a hip hop music concert

In hip-hop or rap songs, the singer recites lyrics in an off-beat manner but with
the continuity of the rhythm. These songs primarily include solid rhythmic beats
and synth, with a focus on the way the lyrics are sung. Hip-hop songs have become
popular not only in the USA, but all over the world. The most popular stars in hip-
hop music are Eminem, Nelly, Akon, Flo Rida, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Kanye West.
Examples:
~ In Da Club - 50 Cent
~ Lose Yourself - Eminem
~ California Love - 2Pac and Dr. Dre
~ Low - Flo Rida
~ The Real Slim Shady – Eminem

7. Ballads

A woman recording a beautiful ballad at a studio

Ballads are songs which include a narration of a story in a musical way. These are
basically slow songs, but may contain heavy components as well. Generally, ballads
have an emotional touch to them, owing to the lyrical content. This is why they are
a great hit during live shows. Ballads can be composed by artists from any genre of
music. Power ballads are those which combine heavy music with emotional lyrics.
Examples:
~ Is This Love - Whitesnake
~ Carrie - Europe
~ Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
~ In Your Eyes - John Norum
~ Please Forgive Me - Bryan Adams

8. Dance

Playing dance songs at a discotheque

Dance songs are fast and have a thumping rhythmic pattern. Lyrics are not given
much importance here. Nowadays, dance songs accompany synth, drum machines, and
electronic music, and are played in dance parties and discotheques. Most notable
artists of this genre are Vengaboys, Madonna, Lady Gaga, and many other electronica
artists. Nowadays, you will find most traditional songs rerecorded to dance numbers
by adding beats and effects.
Examples:
~ Into the Groove - Madonna
~ Heaven - DJ Sammy
~ Can't Get You Out of My Head - Kylie Minogue
~ What Is Love - Haddaway
~ Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!

9. Love

Man playing romantic love tune on the guitar

Love songs are slow songs whose lyrics concentrate on the feelings of love and
relationships. These songs are largely played in marriages. There are sad love
songs whose lyrics relate to breakups, too. They are mostly composed by pop and
rock artists. Some of the artists who have composed the best love songs are Elton
John, Bryan Adams, Richard Marx, Mariah Carey, and George Michael.
Examples:
~ (Everything I Do) I Do It for You - Bryan Adams
~ I Just Called to Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
~ Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx
~ My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
~ It Must Have Been Love - Roxette
10. Gospel

Church group singing a gospel

Gospel songs contain lyrics taken from Bible verses or are just written out of
Christian belief. Usually, the lyrics are made out of a personal experience with
God. They are sung in churches all around the globe. Gospel songs may be from any
music genre such as country, rock, rap, or metal. World-renowned artists to compose
gospel songs are Don Moen, Petra, Sonicflood, Michael W. Smith, and Hillsong.
Examples:
~ God is Good - Don Moen
~ Awesome God - Michael W. Smith
~ We Want To See Jesus Lifted High - Petra
~ How Great Is Our God - Chris Tomlin
~ Mighty to Save - Hillsong
This is just a random list of the most common types of songs sung and played in the
music industry along with some examples. Remember, one song can even belong to two
or more categories, which is why the classification becomes difficult. However, it
is commonly considered that song types can be classified as per the genre of music.

Elegy
➢ An elegy is a sad poem, usually written to praise and express sorrow for someone
who is dead. Although a speech at a funeral is a eulogy, you might later compose
an elegy to someone you have loved and lost to the grave. The purpose of this kind
of poem is to express feelings rather than tell a story.
Examples:
Sentence
“Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over
the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity, a standard-bearer for the rights
of the truly downtrodden, a truly British girl who transcended nationality, someone
with a natural nobility who was classless, who proved in the last year that she
needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic.”—
Charles Spencer for Princess Di.

Poem
Ode
➢ An ode is a kind of poem, usually praising something. An ode is a form of lyric
poetry — expressing emotion — and it's usually addressed to someone or something,
or it represents the poet's musings on that person or thing.
Example:
#9 ODE TO DUTY
Poet: William Wordsworth
Type: Horatian
Published: 1807
"I am no longer good through deliberate intent, but by long habit have reached a
point where I am not only able to do right, but am unable to do anything but what
is right."
(Seneca, Letters 120.10)
Stern Daughter of the Voice of God!
O Duty! if that name thou love
Who art a light to guide, a rod
To check the erring, and reprove;
Thou, who art victory and law
When empty terrors overawe;
From vain temptations dost set free;
And calm'st the weary strife of frail humanity!

There are who ask not if thine eye

Be on them; who, in love and truth,
Where no misgiving is, rely
Upon the genial sense of youth:
Glad Hearts! without reproach or blot;
Who do thy work, and know it not:
Oh! if through confidence misplaced
They fail, thy saving arms, dread Power! around them cast.

Serene will be our days and bright,

And happy will our nature be,
When love is an unerring light,
And joy its own security.
And they a blissful course may hold
Even now, who, not unwisely bold,
Live in the spirit of this creed;
Yet seek thy firm support, according to their need.

I, loving freedom, and untried;

No sport of every random gust,
Yet being to myself a guide,
Too blindly have reposed my trust:
And oft, when in my heart was heard
Thy timely mandate, I deferred
The task, in smoother walks to stray;
But thee I now would serve more strictly, if I may.
Through no disturbance of my soul,
Or strong compunction in me wrought,
I supplicate for thy control;
But in the quietness of thought:
Me this unchartered freedom tires;
I feel the weight of chance-desires:
My hopes no more must change their name,
I long for a repose that ever is the same.

Stern Lawgiver! yet thou dost wear

The Godhead's most benignant grace;
Nor know we anything so fair
As is the smile upon thy face:
Flowers laugh before thee on their beds
And fragrance in thy footing treads;
Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong;
And the most ancient heavens, through Thee, are fresh and strong.

To humbler functions, awful Power!

I call thee: I myself commend
Unto thy guidance from this hour;
Oh, let my weakness have an end!
Give unto me, made lowly wise,
The spirit of self-sacrifice;
The confidence of reason give;
And in the light of truth thy Bondman let me live!

Simple Lyric
➢ Lyric is a collection of verses and choruses, making up a complete song, or a
short and non-narrative poem.

Narrative Poetry
➢ Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making the voices
of a narrator and characters as well; the entire story is usually written in
metered verse. Narrative poems do not need rhyme. The poems that make up this genre
may be short or long, and the story it relates to may be complex.
Ballad
➢ is a type of poem that is sometimes set to music. Ballads have a long history and
are found in many cultures. The ballad actually began as a folk song and continues
today in popular music. Many love songs today can be considered ballads.
Ballads Written as Songs
Examples: Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers
"I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" by Elvis Presley
God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You" by Nsync.

Metrical Tale
➢ It deals with any emotion or phase of life and its story is told in a simple,
straightforward, and realistic manner. o The characters are ordinary people,
concerned with ordinary events.
– What Are Some Examples of a Metrical Tale? A metrical tale is a form of poetry
that relays a story in a number of verses. Two famous examples are "Evangeline," by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Sir Walter Scott's "The Lady of the Lake."

Metrical Romance
➢ is otherwise known as romantic poetry. The poem tells a story in verse form and
depicts the adventures of romantic poetry. Popular among the nobility and upper
crust during the Renaissance, metrical romances are non-rhyming prose poems that
tell a story, usually concluding with a happy ending.
Some of the finest example among metrical romance are:
-- Paradise Lost, by John Milton
– The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Coleridge
– Sonnets From the Portuguese, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
– The Emigrants, by Charlotte Turner Smith
– The Corsair, by George Gordon Byron (or Lord Byron)
– Lady of Shallot, by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Epic
➢ The word epic is derived from the Ancient Greek adjective, “epikos”, which means
a poetic story. In literature, an epic is a long narrative poem, which is usually
related to heroic deeds of a person of an unusual courage and unparalleled bravery.

The most prominent examples of epic poetry are:

– Ancient Greek Iliad and odyssey,
– Virgil's Aeneid,
– The ancient Indian Ramayana and Mahabharata,
– Dante's divine comedy,
– The Portuguese Lusiads and John Milton's paradise lost.

Dramatic Poetry
Dramatic Monologue
➢ refers to a speech, given solo, by a charater in a movie, play or performance.
The monologue is a means of expressing thoughts and emotions. Monologues are often
used by comedians and by people auditioning for acting positions or college
entrance. It is a long speech delievered to other characters.

Love at First Sight?

When Romeo and his buddies crash the Capulet party,
beautiful young Juliet. He is instantly smitten.
Here's what he has to say while he gazes from afar.
What lady is that, which doth
enrich the hand
Of yonder knight?
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

Soliloquy
➢ is a long speech where a characters talks to himself or herself or voices his/ or
her thoughts aloud for the benefit of the audience.

From Hamlet-Hamlet muses on life and death.

To be, or not to be? That is the question-
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep-
No more-and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to-'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
Prose Poetry
➢ Prose poetry is written like prose, in paragraphs rather than verse, but contains
the characteristics of poetry, such as poetic meter, language play, and a focus on
images rather than narrative, plot, and character. Meter is the rhythm of a poem,
including syllables per line and which syllables are emphasized.

vivid imagery

➢ is a literary technique that effective writers use. It means to include all of

the senses when describing something in a piece of writing. These senses are
seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching.
Examples of Imagery:
1. I could hear the popping and crackling as mom dropped the bacon into
the frying pan, and soon the salty, greasy smell wafted toward me.
poetic meter
➢ Meter is a unit of rhythm in poetry, the pattern of the beats. It is also called
a foot. Each foot has a certain number of syllables in it, usually two or three
syllables. The difference in types of meteris which syllables are accented and
which are not.
heightened emotion
➢ to increase or make something increase, especially an emotion or effect: The
strong police presence only heightened the tension among the crowd. Increasing and
intensifying.
language play
➢ A literary language is the form of a language used in its literary writing. ...
It can sometimes differ noticeably from the various spoken lects, but difference
betweenliterary and non-literary forms is greater in some languages than in others.

Prose
➢ written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.
➢ is a form or technique of language that exhibits a natural flow of speech and
grammatical structure. Novels, textbooks and newspaper articles are all examples
of prose.
Fiction
➢ literature in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that
describes imaginary events and people.
➢ invention or fabrication as opposed to fact.
➢ a belief or statement that is false, but that is often held to be true because it
is expedient to do so.
Short Story
➢ A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one
sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents,
with the intent of evoking a "single effect" or mood, however there are many
exceptions to this.
Example: The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
Novel
➢ a fictitious prose narrative of book length, typically representing character and
action with some degree of realism
Example: Anna Karenina, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, 100 years of
Solitude,
Non Fiction
Essay - An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own
argument — but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a paper, an
article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have traditionally been sub-
classified as formal and informal.
Oration – Oration definition, a formal public speech, especially one delivered on a
special occasion, as on an anniversary, at a funeral, or at academic matters.
Example: I am the Youth of Today by Lovella Palma, Two Standards by Horacio de La
Costa, Capital Punishment by Julius Caesar
Biography – A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's
life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work,
relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events.
Autobiography – (from the Greek, αὐτός-autos self + βίος-bios life + γράφειν-
graphein to write) is a self-written account of the life of oneself.
Memoir – A memoir (US: /ˈmemwɑːr/; from French: mémoire: memoria, meaning memory or
reminiscence) is a collection of memories that an individual writes about moments
or events, both public or private, that took place in the subject's/person's life.
The assertions made in the work are understood to be factual.
Ex: Another Night in Sulk City, Giving Up the Ghost
Letter – is a written message conveyed from one person to another person through a
medium. Letters can be formal and informal. A means of communication and a store of
information.
Parts: The Heading, The Inside Adddress, The Greeting, The Body, The Complimentary
Close, The Signature
Epistles – an epistle is a letter in the form of prose or poetry to a particular
person or group. Probably a religious sermon. Example: epistles of paul

Drama – a piece of story that tells a story and is performed on stage.

Tragedy – deals with serious subjects and involves persons of significance.
Comedy – treats themes and characters with humors and typically has a happy ending.

Jeremiah 29:11