What Is Literature MODULE
What Is Literature MODULE
▪ On a stricter sense, however, and across cultures and ages, literature is associated with a poem, or a fiction
article, or a stage play, a book or a classroom lesson.
▪ Literature, as the body of written works of a language, period or culture, and produced by scholars and
researchers, reminds us of stories, epics, sacred scriptures and classical works of the ancient and modern
times. Literary works are portrayals of the thinking patterns and social norms prevalent in society. Classical
literary works serve as a food for thought, imagination and creativity.
1. Narrative fiction or prose fiction. . Narration, or retelling past events, is what makes fiction what it is.
b. Parable. This is a short narrative about some ordinary experiences of a group of people and is
meant to connect to the teaching of a certain moral, or the hammering home of a philosophical,
social, religious, or political teaching.
c. Romance. This refers to lengthy Spanish and French stories of the 16th and 17th centuries,
especially about the adventures and ordeals of the royalty and the members of their court. .
d. Short story. Owing to its comparative brevity, this is the most popular type of narrative fiction.
The plot may revolve around one or two main characters facing a difficulty.
2. Poetry. A poem is a literary form that “expresses a monologue or a conversation grounded on the
most deeply felt experiences of human beings” (Kirszner & Mandell 522).
Classifications of Poetry
a. Narrative poetry. This is a story in verse, of which there are two familiar forms:
i. Epic. Apparently the more familiar of the two, an epic is a narrative account in verse
of the accomplishments of a heroic figure, a folk hero who exhibits extraordinary
physical powers and superhuman dispositions, of gods, and other supernatural
entities.
Of worldwide renown are The Iliad of Homer, The Aeneid of Virgil, Beowulf of the
Anglo-Saxons, and Mahabharata of the Hindus.
ii. Ballad. Like the epic, the ballad traces its origin to oral tradition. Originally intended to
be sung, this narrative poem carries one outstanding characteristic--its use of
repetition of words and phrases, including a refrain.
b. Lyric Poetry. This poem does not attempt to tell a story. Possessing a very personal and
subjective nature, it conveys the speaker’s feelings, biases and aspirations, state of mind,
and perceptions in a melodious mood. Lyric poetry sub-types include the following (Kirzsner &
Mandell 525-526):
i. Ode. This is a long lyric poem which is, generally, on a serious subject, such as an
important concept (for example, freedom), person, or any other entity in nature (for
example, the sun) and with a formal poetic diction and meditative mood
ii. Elegy. This lyric sub-type is meant to mourn the passing of a specific person. As such, it
is characterized by a melancholy and plaintive mood and an ending that offers
consolation.
iii. Pastoral. In contrast to the elegy, the pastoral has a light, happy, even romantic mood
as it celebrates the simplicity and idyll of country life.
c. Satirical Poetry. As far back as the days of the Roman empire, poetry was already used as a
powerful vehicle for political purposes..
Drama. This literary genre is meant to be presented on stage. Actors portray the events in the story as though
these were happening in the present.
d. Tragedy. Often associated with the bizarre and the disastrous, and in keeping with Greek
tradition, this type of drama is focused on “treating serious subjects and involving persons of
significance” (Kirszner & Mandell 917, citing Aristotle’s Poetics).
e. Comedy. It is designed to “treat themes and characters with humor and typically has a happy
ending” (Kirszner & Mandell 917).
3. Nonfiction Prose. Any literary form not falling under any of the categories just mentioned is classified
as nonfiction prose.
Hannah Grace Fabros
ABM 12 Keynes
1. The statements that follow are supported by the foregoing discussions except one. Find
that sentence.
a. Literature is a potent vehicle to convey a personal longing.
b. The most extreme of human experiences are the only ones considered as worthy
literary materials.
c. Man’s freedom of self-expression can be best exemplified by the almost limitless
breadth of possibilities in literature.
d. Reading a literary text is experiencing the writer’s unspoken regret or praise.
3. Imaginative literature differs from other literary forms in the following ways except one.
a. Imaginative literature builds on a writer’s personal experience and shares it factually with the
reader.
b. Mundane and extraordinary human experiences are vividly recreated and accented with some
of the writer’s imaginative thoughts.
c. Imaginative literature is everything that transports the reader to a different world, stimulates his
creative mind, and appeals to his sense of values.
d. Man’s most profound thoughts and feelings are expressed in symbols and images.
4. Which three (3) statements are not supported by the discussions on the value of literature?
a. Every literary text has its own place in the arena of values.
b. Longer texts, such as the novel and the drama, have a more profound reader-impact than
shorter ones, such as proverbs and haikus.
c. One of the added values of literature is that it requires interpretation and analysis of
meaning.
d. Literature has to be historical for it to be prized.
e. A song expressing a prisoner’s longing for immediate freedom is an ethnicity-inspired
literary piece.
5. C. S. Lewis is quoted to have said: “Literature enriches the necessary competencies that daily life
requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the desert that our lives have already
become.” This quote supports the idea that:
a. Basically, literature is based on world knowledge.
b. Literature brings entertainment to its audience.
c. Available in every literary text are several insights about meaningful living.
d. Literature enables the reader to grasp the meaning of his experiences and those of the
people around him.
7. Although sometimes classified as poetry, romance is proprietarily a type of narrative fiction _____:
a. owing to its length.
b. because it is basically intended to give an account of past incidents in story format.
c. since it is situated at a definite past time and space.
d. because it is about adventure.
8. The following is an English translation of a Bilaan poem attributed to pre-colonial times. [Bilaan is a
tribal group of southern Mindanao, which is the second biggest island in the Philippines and is
situated in the southernmost part of the archipelago. The early people were renowned hunters and
food gatherers (blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/aliawan/1/1262268183/tpod.html)]. The
language of the people is also called Bilaan.) Read the poem carefully to be able to answer the
question below.
LAMGE
9. Which of the following work values were prized by the early Bilaans as evidenced by the poem
LAMGE?
a. creativity and leisure
b. individual recognition and prestige
c. collaboration and achievement
d. autonomy and compensation
10. Study the following excerpts then identify that which is not taken from imaginative literature.
a. “EDSA’ (the name of the highway in Metro Manila that runs north to south from Caloocan to
Baclaran) has become the popular designation of the revolt which began as a military
mutiny on February 21 [1986] and developed into a popular uprising in Manila that
culminated in the flight of the dictator and his family to Hawaii, U.S.A. on February 24, 1986.
The revolt established the presidency of Corazon Aquino which was marked by the
“restoration” of pre-Martial Law society” (Lumbera & Lumbera 364).
b. “It was raining the morning of the execution. I remember how brackish and crimson was the
sky. God has sliced open the sun, spilling its innards, carving out its heart. That sun had
never seemed the same to me ever since. The cold air scraped the insides of my lungs and
chilled my nape. It was the first dawn I had awakened to. The first time to witness the pained
violent birthing of light” (Lumbera & Lumbera 377).
c. “And so we talk/ our words trying to capture/pain caroming/like the balls of ivory/ Our voices
rise/and fall/ as we sit in a circle/ racing our other lives/ the beginnings/ of love/ rich and red/
as the felt on the board” (Lumbera & Lumbera 422).
d. “Matumal ang pasada nang buong umagang iyon at naipasiya kong igarahe muna sa bahay
and minamanehong taksi kesa magsayang ng gasolina. Pababa na ako nang sa paglingon
ko’y nasulyapan ko ang clutch bag na iyon sa may paanan ng likurang-upuan. Kinabahan
ako at patawarin ako ng mga anak kong gusto kong lumaking matitino, lumabo sabi nga ang
tingin ko sa tama’t mali, sa masama’t mabuti. Paano kung limpak-limpak na pera ang laman
ng clutch bag? Kung bara-barang ginto o alahas kaya? Isosoli ko pa ba? Managot kaya ako
kung saka-sakali?” (Lumbera & Lumbera 422).
14. The sub-genres of narrative fiction meet on the following common grounds except on one.
a. Action extends over a long period and in a wide expanse of locale.
b. Characters struggle to overcome a difficult position.
c. Events revolve around familiar or remotely possible human experiences.
d. The interplay of events, circumstances, and characters is meant to drive home a valuable
lesson.
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Pre-Colonial Times.
It was basically oral.
o It reflected community life, i.e., subject was ordinary day-to-day experiences such as
household chores and food gathering.
o It used common day-to-day language.
o It carried the conventions of common oral literary forms, i.e., “repetition, stereotyping of
characters, regular rhythmic and musical devices”
Spain conquered the Philippines using the sword and the cross. Not only did the locals surrender their
political sovereignty to the conqueror; in the main, they also embraced the religious beliefs, principles and
values of Catholicism. The more than three hundred years of Spanish domination of the country impressed a
significant mark on every aspect of the Filipino people’s way of life. Under a politico-economic system
propelled jointly by the church and the state, a new religion, a wave of western-inspired philosophical thoughts,
and a social structure which was rooted on skin color and theistic orientation, the people’s ideals, hopes,
beliefs, values, and general perspective of things changed dramatically. So did the content and form of their
literature. It might have been inevitable that the ways of the colonizers flowed spontaneously into the societal
stream. It is a fact, however, that some of our own people deliberately traded their indigenous traditions with
the ways of the colonizers. This, too, is evident in the literature of the period.
○ Publication was under the joint control of the church and the state.
○ Literature began to see print but oral literature continued among the masses.
○ Published works took a strong religious orientation up until the early years of
the 19th century.
○ Works published by the missionaries were in the vernacular.
○ Those published by Filipinos in the latter part of Spanish rule were in Spanish.
○ Earlier poetry reflected the use of pre-colonial forms but later works showed
Euro-Hispanic influences. Works exuded a strong patriotic tone and a deep
personal feeling.
○ Filipino-authored prose came into print only in the 19th century
○ Realism began to be seen in Philippine literature, particularly through the novel, in the latter part of
the 19th century.
○ Political ideas, specifically protests against colonial abuses, the clamor for
reforms, and, eventually, the outcry for independence dominated the latter
years of Spanish rule. Reforms in other aspects of life eventually became a
recurrent theme across all genres.
1. Which of the following statements are true about literature, culture, and history based on the readings
above? Put a check mark before the sentence.
_____ a. History is a tapestry made out of the fine fibers of man’s cultural experiences.
_____ b. Certain forms of literature can express emotions and ideas more meaningfully than others.
_____ c. Man’s thoughts and feelings are the same across cultures since man is a universal being.
_____ d. Literature, history and culture are at their best as isolated entities.
_____ e. Literary genres develop on their own independent of external forces.
_____ f. Types and themes of literature evolve from changes in man’s needs and aspirations.
_____ g. Earlier forms of literature are more expressive of cultural traditions than later genres.
_____ h. Understanding Philippine history is a must for the literary mind venturing into writing but is
merely an option for one engaging in reading.
_____ i. The epic represents the remote history of Philippine culture and strictly belongs to ancient
literary tradition.
_____ j. The shift to the New Criticism is contemporary society’s way of responding to the structures
and suasions of the present.
2. Bugtong and salawikain may be classified as parallel creations except in terms of:
a. length and poetic structure
b. language orientation
c. communal authorship
d. purpose and focus
3. The folk songs of old reveal the following about the typical Filipino except:
a. his lack of seriousness in life.
b. his enjoyment of the company of friends.
c. his strong inclination towards work.
d. his natural love for rhythm, harmony, and melody.
4. If legends and other prose/folk narratives are the only literary types which may be safely assumed to
have truly originated in pre-colonial times, then:
a. all other literary types originally ascribed to that period are a hoax.
b. further research on the authenticity of other text types ascribed to that period is in order.
c. only legends and folk narratives should be included in literature textbooks.
d. literary texts such as riddles, proverbs, and songs were obviously Spanish influences.
6. The uniqueness of the pasyon in the 18th century literary strait lies in its:
a. focus on the sufferings, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ starting with the Last Supper,
based on biblical account.
b. extraordinary length and narrative approach.
c. careful composition, conscious design, and deep insight into the behavior and attitudes of the
characters in the bible.
d. close semblance to folk narratives.
10. The rise of the novel and the critical essay as popular genres during the U S colonial period was a
response to:
a. the socio-political climate in the country
b. the influence of Rizal and the propagandists
c. the need for a vehicle to convey the people’s grievances against oppression
d. A and B
e. All of the above
11. The advent of the New Criticism was a positive turning point in Philippine literature because:
a. it made writers more aware of the mandatory connection between the structure and meaning of
their literary creation.
b. it strengthened the Balagtas tradition and, thus, encouraged more rhymed and metered texts.
c. it encouraged the writing of literary critiques.
d. the number of novelists in Tagalog (Filipino) increased dramatically.
12. Lumbera and Lumbera assert that “Philippine literature, at the end of the period of U S colonialism, had
attained identity as national literature. . . .” (103). Such identity as national literature is shown in:
a. the proliferation of literary works in the vernacular.
b. the focus on literatures of a patriotic and socially conscious nature.
c. the Balagtas poetic tradition and the sarsuwela which are peculiarly Filipino.
d. the passion and daring in the writings of the period.
13. The birth of a new tradition in Tagalog poetry was a result of:
a. the introduction of the Anglo-American literary tradition.
b. the coming of age of Tagalog.
c. the use of English in literary circles.
d. the creative genius of Abadilla, Mangahas, Almario and Lacaba.
14-15 Study the following excerpt [Stanzas 5 – 9] from Ibong Adarna, an example of korido. Then,
from the list of sentences after the excerpt, choose one that is true and explain briefly.
Noong mga unang araw (In the olden days
sang-ayon sa kasaysayan, according to history,
sa Berbanyang kaharian in the kingdom of Berbenia
Ay may Haring hinangaan. There was a King who was admired.)
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“ May mga bagay na 1___________ natin sa 2__________ pero hindi 3_________ sabihin nito
ay 4_________ na rin ang lahat sa 5___________