(CROGHAN, 1977)

"The history of a nation can be

learned in its constitution its laws,
and its political statements. But to
know the history of a nation's spirit,
you must read its literature."
• Philippine Literature in English reveals the spirit of the
Filipino.

• Gradually, this literature has learned to express the

deepest of human experiences in words that create
memorable images.
 IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE

• sharing of human experiences

• learn what you are and how you have
become what you are
• learn what you might be in the future
• shows how the Filipino differs from
others
DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

1. The Early Period 1900-1930

2. The Middle Period 1930-1960

3. The Modern Period 1960-1974

4. Contemporary 1970-Present

*Post-Modernism
 PRE-COLONIAL TIMES

• Folk speeches, folk songs, folk narratives and

indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that affirm
our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors.

• Most seminal of these folk speeches is the riddle

which is tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog,
paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol.
 FOLK NARRATIVES

• epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and

magical.
• They explain how the world was created,
how certain animals possess certain
characteristics, why some places have
waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or
fauna and, in the case of legends, an
explanation of the origins of things.
 SAMPLE EPICS

• Darangen: (Maranao- Islam) narrates the heroic

feats of the Maguindanao people–highlighting the
bravery and prowess of the skilled Moro warriors.
• Biag-ni-Lamang: (Ilokano)
• Hudhud: (Ifugao) features the characters Aliguyan
(Aliguyon), Bugan and their families, and the
elements of the early civilization which rose in the
mountain province
 SPANISH OCCUPATION

• Komedya
Senakulo
Sarswela
Ibong Adarna
Florante at Laura
Noli Me Tangere
El Filibusterismo
 DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE
LITERATURE
• Early period 1900-1930
• coincided with the American occupation
• first teachers were American soldiers
 EARLY PERIOD 1900-1930

• 1900 English is the official medium of instruction in all

public schools
• PNS was founded in 1901; UP was founded in 1908
• Numerous newspapers in English were published
• 1905: The Philippine Free Press is founded; 1910:
College Folio is published at UP; 1920: Phil.
Herald/Phil. Magazine (most influential literary
Magazine.)
• 1921: first Filipino novel in English was written by Zoilo
Galang – A Child of Sorrow
 CHARACTERISTICS
• formal and imitative
• fiction is structurally simple
• language is easy to understand
• moralistic and quite didactic
• sense of nationalism is evident
• verbose and rhetorical
• romantic and melancholic
• grammatically uneven
• tendency towards melodrama
 MIDDLE PERIOD 1930-1960

• “The most productive of distinctive work in the half

century of Filipino writing in English”
• continued influence of romanticism and later
realism from the United States
• literary organizations were formed, e.g. Philippine
Book Guild (1936), Philippine Writers’ League (1939),
The Veronicans
• the Philippine Commonwealth Government was
established on July 4, 1935
 MIDDLE PERIOD 1930-1960

• writers began to explore the idea of searching for a

national identity
• S.P. Lopez and J.G. Villa clashed over the social
function of art and art for art’s sake function of art.
• the short story flourished
• journalistic writing and literary criticism emerged
• the first Commonwealth Literary Awards were given
in 1940
Philippine Independence was proclaimed on July 4,
1946
• Japanese Occupation
 CHARACTERISTICS

• recurrent subject matter/themes – rural life, love,

self-sacrifice and suffering, novelty of city life, value
of education, struggle against poverty

recurrent setting – the province, the barrio, the small

town

use of local color

recurrent characters – the barrio lass/lad, the first

schooled/educated person in the barrio, the
teacher, hardworking farmer/fisherman, ardent
lovers, the Filipino expatriate educated in America.
• stylistic characteristics – simple structure, simple
plots, mild climaxes, explicit symbols, slow pace or
movement, abundant description of people and
places

reflected Filipino customs, traditions, practices, traits

culture clashes – American vs. Filipino

the first Palanca Memorial Awards were given in

1950; for English and the Tagalog one-act play in
1954.
 MODERN PERIOD 1960-1974

• There was a growing sense of nationalism and

deeper search for identity in the 60’s
• the Republic Cultural Awards were started in 1960 –
1st winner was N.V.M. Gonzalez
• the first Pro Patria awards were presented in 1961 –
1st winners were Jose Garcia Villa, N.V.M. Gonzalez,
and Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero
• the first Asian Writers’ Conference was held in
Baguio in 1962
• themes of confusion and violence were evident in
the late 60’s and 70’s
• Martial Law was declared in Sept. 21 1972.
• continued influence of the West upon Phil.
Literature was evident
 CHARACTERISTICS

• recurrent subject matter – colonial mentality,

guerilla and wartime stories, consequences of the
war (poverty, disorientation, identity crisis), love,
family, death, social problems
• recurrent setting – the home, the city, the province,
America
recurrent characters – rich/poor people, characters
with psychological problems, immigrants in America
 CONTEMPORARY 1970-PRESENT

• Martial Law was lifted in 1981.

• themes have changed from sentimentalized
romanticism to a more realistic and naturalistic
delineation.
1986 EDSA REVOLUTION (OCCURRED)

• gay and lesbian literature came out

• strong feminist tendencies are evident
more social problems are tackled
• TV and films have become more popular.
• younger writers have entered the literary scene
• more literary criticisms have been written
 CHARACTERISTICS

• daring or controversial choice of subject matter

• very innovative in structure and style
• influence of different –isms and literary trends from
the West
• characters, plot structure and narrative techniques
are more complex