Literature in its broadest sense is

any written work.

Etymologically, the term
derives from Latin “littera”
meaning letter.
Also from Latin literatura
meaning knowledge of books
or learning a writing.
The average Filipino’s unfamiliarity with
his indigenous literature was largely due to
what has been impressed upon him: that his
So successful were the efforts of
colonialists to blot out the memory of the
country’s largely oral past that present-day
Filipino writers, artists and journalists are
trying to correct this inequity by recognizing
the country’s wealth of ethnic traditions and
disseminating them in schools and in the
mass media.
Pre-Colonial Times

Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands

showcase a rich past through their folk speeches, folk
songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and
mimetic dances that affirm our ties with our
Southeast Asian neighbors.
The most influential of these folk speeches is the
riddle which is tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog,
paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol. Central to the
riddle is the talinghaga or metaphor because it “reveals
subtle resemblances between two unlike objects” giving
description, without revealing what it is describing, and
one’s power of observation and wit are put to the test.
The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes
of behavior, community beliefs or they instill values
by offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming
verse.
The extended form, tanaga, a mono-riming
heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and
lessons on life is “more emotionally charged
than the terse proverb and thus has affinities
with the folk lyric.” Some examples are
the basahanon or extended didactic sayings
from Bukidnon and
the daraida and daragilon from Panay.
The folk song, a form of folk lyric originates among the
people of a country or area that tells about their culture and
way of living.
These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naive
as in the children’s songs or Ida-ida (Maguindanao), tulang
pambata (Tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag).
A few examples are the lullabyes or Ili-
ili (Ilongo); love songs like
the panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade
(Cebuano); the bayok (Maranao); the seven-syllable per
line poem, ambahan of the Mangyans that are about
human relationships, social entertainment and also serve
as a tool for teaching the young;
work songs that depict the livelihood of the
people are often sung to go with the movement of
workers such as
the kalusan (Ivatan), soliranin (Tagalog rowing song)
or the mambayu, a Kalinga rice-pounding song; the
verbal jousts/games like the duplo popular during
wakes.
Other folk songs are the drinking songs
sung during carousals like the tagay (Cebuano
and Waray); dirges and lamentations extolling
the deeds of the dead like
the kanogon (Cebuano) or the Annako (Bontoc).

A type of narrative song or kissa among the

Tausug of Mindanao, the parang sabil, uses for
its subject matter the exploits of historical and
legendary heroes. It tells of a Muslim hero who
seeks death at the hands of non-Muslims.
The folk narratives, i.e. epics and folk tales or
legends 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. Fables are about animals and
these teach moral
lessons.
The epics come in various
names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hu
dhud (Ifugao); and Ulahingan (Manobo).

These epics revolve around supernatural

events or heroic deeds and they embody or
validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a
community. These are sung or chanted to the
accompaniment of indigenous musical instruments
and dancing performed during harvests, weddings
or funerals by chanters. The chanters who were
taught by their ancestors are considered
“treasures” and/or repositories of wisdom in their
communities.
The Spanish Colonial Tradition

Literature in this period may be

classified as religious prose and poetry
and secular prose and poetry.
Among the religious poetry of the day,
it is the pasyon in octosyllabic quintillas
that became entrenched in the Filipino’s
commemoration of Christ’s agony and
resurrection at Calvary. Gaspar Aquino de
Belen’s “Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu
Christong Panginoon natin na tola” (Holy
Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Verse)
put out in 1704 is the country’s earliest
known pasyon.
Other known pasyons chanted during
the Lenten season are in Ilocano,
Pangasinan, Ibanag, Cebuano, Bicol,
Ilongo and Waray.
Aside from religious poetry, there were various kinds of
prose narratives written to prescribe proper
decorum. Like the pasyon, these prose narratives
were also used for proselitization.
Some forms are: dialogo(dialogue), Manual de
Urbanidad (conduct book); ejemplo (exemplum)
and tratado (tratado).
The most well-known are Modesto de Castro’s
Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si
Feliza” (Correspondence Between
the Two Maidens Urbana and Feliza)
in 1864.
The most notable of the secular lyrics
followed the conventions of a romantic
tradition: the languishing but loyal
lover, the elusive, often heartless
beloved, the rival.

The leading poets were Jose de la

Cruz(Huseng Sisiw) and Francisco
Balagtas.
Another popular secular poetry is the
metrical romance, the awit and korido in
Tagalog. The awit is set in dodecasyllabic
quatrains while the korido is in octosyllabic
quatrains.
These are colorful tales of chivalry from
European sources made for singing and
chanting such as Gonzalo de Cordoba
(Gonzalo of Cordoba) and Ibong
Adarna (Adarna Bird).
There are numerous metrical romances in
Tagalog, Bicol, Ilongo, Pampango, Ilocano
and in Pangasinan. The awit as a popular
poetic genre reached new heights in
Balagtas’ “Florante at Laura” (ca. 1838-1861),
Again, the winds of change began to blow in
19th century Philippines. Filipino intellectuals
educated in Europe called ilustrados began to
write about the downside of colonization. This,
coupled with the simmering calls for reforms by
the masses gathered a formidable force of
writers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar,
Mariano Ponce, Emilio Jacinto and Andres
Bonifacio.
This led to the formation of the Propaganda
Movement where prose works such as the political
essays and Rizal’s two political novels, Noli Me
Tangere and the El Filibusterismo helped usher in
the Philippine revolution resulting in the downfall
of the Spanish regime, and, at the same time
planted the seeds of a national consciousness
among Filipinos.
But if Rizal’s novels are political, the
novel ”Ninay” (1885) by Pedro Paterno is largely
cultural and is considered the first
Filipino novel.
Other Filipino writers published the essay and
short fiction in Spanish in La Vanguardia, El
Debate, Renacimiento Filipino, and Nueva Era.
The more notable essayists and fictionists were
Claro M. Recto, Teodoro M. Kalaw, Epifanio de los
Reyes, Vicente Sotto, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera,
Rafael Palma, Enrique Laygo (Caretas or Masks,
1925) and Balmori who mastered the prosa
romantica or romantic prose.
But the introduction of English as medium of
instruction in the Philippines hastened the
demise of Spanish so that by the 1930s, English
writing had overtaken Spanish writing.

But patriotic writing continued under the new

colonialists. These appeared in the vernacular
poems and modern adaptations of works during
the Spanish period and which further
maintained the Spanish tradition.
The American Colonial Period
A new set of colonizers brought about
new changes in Philippine literature. New
literary forms such as free verse [in
poetry], the modern short story and the
critical essay were introduced.
The American Colonial Period
American influence was deeply entrenched
with the firm establishment of English as the
medium of instruction in all schools and with
literary modernism that highlighted the writer’s
individuality and cultivated consciousness of
craft, sometimes at the expense of social
consciousness.
At first Filipino writing in English was
quite formal and imitative.
Influences from the Spanish language
could be seen in the use of Spanish
expressions and in an ornate style.
Grammatical expression was at times
awkward and there was some
difficulty in the use of prepositions
and pronouns. But gradually the
quality of writing improved.
Between 1908 and 1914 some students
at the University of the Philippines
collected and retold, in English, old
Filipino tales.
These writings were gathered by Dean
S. Fansler and published in Filipino
Popular Tales in 1921. I
n 1912 the graduates of the Manila
High School published their English
writings in The Coconut. The
following year 1913, the Philippine
Normal School introduced its
publication, The Torch.
Aside from student publications,
newspapers and magazines provided an
early outlet for writers.

In 1920 the Philippine Herald began

publication. It was founded by Manuel L.
Quezon and its magazine section was
edited by Paz Marquez Benitez.

A distinguished writer herself, she

helped to make familiar the names of
Paz Latorena, Loreto Paras, Jose Garcia
Villa,and others.
The poet, and later, National Artist for
Literature, Jose Garcia Villa used free verse.
Another maverick in poetry
who used free verse and talked
about illicit love in her poetry
was Angela Manalang Gloria, a
woman poet described as
ahead of her time. Despite the
threat of censorship by the
new dispensation, more
writers turned up “seditious
works” and popular writing in
the native languages bloomed
through the weekly outlets like
Liwayway and Bisaya.
The Balagtas tradition persisted until the
poet Alejandro G. Abadilla advocated
modernism in poetry. Abadilla later
influenced young poets who wrote modern
verses in the 1960s such as Virgilio S.
Almario, Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S.
Tinio.
While the early Filipino poets grappled
with the verities of the new language,
Filipinos seemed to have taken easily to the
modern short story as published in
the Philippines Free Press, the College
Folio and Philippines Herald.
The first thirty years of Philippine Literature
in English produced little in the fields of
drama and the novel.
Drama was hardly written because
vernacular plays and the zarzuela still
dominated the stage.

The first Filipino novel in English was A Child

of Sorrow, written by Zoilo M. Galang in
1921. He later wrote Visions of a Sower in
1924 and Nadia in 1929. Another novelist
of this period was Ernest Lopez who
published His Awakening in 1929.
Short Stories. Virginia R. Moreno has described the
literary years 1910-1924 as "...a period of novices
with their experiences both in fiction-making and
the use of the new language; 1925 to 1931 was
the period of the phenomenal growth among the
practitioners in the art.“

It is true that the early short stories were the work

of novices. The tales were often romantic and the
adventures, themes, and plots were sometimes
imitated. There were difficulties in grammar and
at times there was a tendency toward
sentimentalism. But gradually, certain writers
appeared who showed that the novitiate period
was ending.
In 1925 Zoilo M. Galang published the first collection
of short stories in book form under the title Box of
Ashes and Other Stories.
Beginning with 1926, Jose Garcia Villa encouraged
writers with his yearly selection of the best
Filipino short stories.
In 1927 the first anthology of Filipino short stories
was edited by Paz Marquez Benitez. It was
entitled Filipino Love Stories. In that same year,
Jose Villa Panganiban published The Stealer of
Hearts and Other Stories.
In 1928 the best short stories were compiled by Jose
Garcia Villa in Philippine Short Stories: The Best 25
Stories of 1928.
Paz Marquez Benitez’s “Dead Stars”
published in 1925 was the first successful short
story in English written by a Filipino.
Later on, Arturo B. Rotor and Manuel E.
Arguilla showed exceptional skills with the
short story.
Alongside this development, writers in the
vernaculars continued to write in the
provinces. Others like Lope K. Santos,
Valeriano Hernandez Peña and Patricio
Mariano were writing minimal narratives
similar to the early Tagalog short fiction
called dali or pasingaw (sketch).
By 1930 original and significant stories were
being written. "Zita" written by Arturo B.
Rotor around 1930, has been called "...one of
the finest love stories in Filipino Literature in
English."

The story centers on Mr. Reteche, a teacher

who comes to a remote Island in the
Philippines to work in the municipal
school. The people on the island are all very
impressed by him. In 1930, as even now, it
would have been an unsophisticated place
for a man from the big city.
The leader of the area offers him a very nice house but he
prefers to stay in a simple hut owned by a fisherman, by
the sea. He wants no fuss made over him and there is a
deep feeling of melancholy about him. It was apparent
he was deeply lonely and had suffered heart break. He
is shocked when one of his students, a young lady, has
the same name as the woman who broke his heart, Zita.
Rotor does a wonderful job of letting us see what life was
like on this small Island in 1930.
Zita's father, who wants so much for his daughter to
develop to her full potential, hires Mr. Reteche to teach
her to be a lady.
He gives her guidance in dress and teaches her to dance.
She is far from a child and we can see a feeling being to
develop between the two of them.
Then, what do you think happened? How did the
story end?

Among the early short story writers were: Paz

Marquez Benitez, Amador T. Daguio (The Wedding
Dance), Paz Latorena, Arturo B. Rotor, Loreto
Paras Sulit, and Jose Garcia Villa.
Essays. The essay was a popular form of
expression for the early writers. Some
essays were light or humorous, while others
dealt with more serious subjects such as
education, history, politics, and social
problems.
As early as 1926 essayists expressed the need
for a literature that was native and national.
Many essays first appeared as newspaper
columns and later they were published in
anthologies. In 1921 Zoilo M. Galang
published Life and Success, the first volume
of essays in English.
Another collection of Filipino essays appeared in
1924, entitled Thinking for Ourselves, edited by
Vicente M. Hilario and Eliseo Quirino.
In that year Zoilo M. Galang also published another
book of essays, Master of Destiny.

Among the early essay writers might be mentioned,

Francisco Benitez, Jorge Bocobo, Amador Daguio,
Leandro Fernandez, Zoilo M. Galang, Fernando
Ma. Guererro, M. M. Kalaw, Pedro de la Llana, I. V.
Mallari (Pliant Like the Bamboo) Ignacio
Manlapaz, Fernando Maramag, Camilo Osias,
Claro M. Recto, Carlos P. Romulo, and Eulogio B.
Rodriguez.
Poems. The first known Filipino poem in
English is "Sursum Corda" by Justo
Juliano. It appeared in the Philippines
Free Press in 1907. This poem, along
with others of that period, has been
criticized as being too artificial and
overwritten in order to achieve
intensity.
Most critics agree that Marcelo de Gracia
Concepcion was a leading poet of the early
period. His Azucena was published in New
York in 1925. His poems reveal simple
images with deep sensitivity and original
thought.
The Japanese Occupation
A. The War Years (1942-1944)
Tagalog poets broke away from the
Balagtas tradition and instead wrote in simple
language and free verse .

Fiction prevailed over poetry.

• 25 Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang 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 Arceo
B. Period of Maturity and Originality (1945-
1960)
Bountiful harvest in poetry, fiction, drama
and essay

Filipino writers mastered English and famili

arized themselves with diverse techniques.

Literary “giants” appeared

Palanca Awards for Literature
• Jose Garcia Villa
• Nick Joaquin
• NVM Gonzales
• Bienvenido Santos

National Artist Awards

• Jose Garcia Villa
• Nick Joaquin
poetry
dictionary)
(as defined by Merriam-Webster

pieces of writing that

usually have figurative
language and that [are]
written in separate lines
that often have a
repeated rhythm and
sometimes rhyme
poetry
Pre-Hispanic Times
1. AWIT/SONG
• Existed in may forms and were used for
varied purposes
• Uyayi - lullaby
• Soliranin – for travelers
• Kumintang – for war
• Maluway – for collective labor
• Kundiman – a song of melancholy love
• Pamamanhikan – a song of the groom to
his bride as he asks for her hand in
marriage
Pre-Hispanic Times
2. BUGTONG/RIDDLE
• Uses talinghaga/metaphor that actually
helped convey the answer to the riddle
Pre-Hispanic Times
3. SAWIKAIN/SALAWIKAIN/PROVERBS
• Used to express pieces of wisdom or beliefs
that were important to the Filipino society
• This and the bugtong were done in verse or
metrical writing
Pre-Hispanic Times
4. EPIKO/EPIC
• Long, episodic, chanted poems which told a
story, normally about a legendary hero and
his adventures
• Protagonist contending, and also aided, by
supernatural creatures and spirits
• Chanted orally at feasts and rituals, often to
inspire or entertain
• Biag ni Lam-Ang, Ibalon, Indarapatra at
Sulayman, Hudhud
Arrival of Spaniards
 Pasyon – popularized by Gaspar
Aquino de Belen, perpetrated by
Mariano Pilapil
 Francisco Baltazar – became known
as Balagtas, he is the most notable
poet of the Spanish era
 His poetry, Florante at Laura,
showcased his education in Manila.
 While Florante at Laura is about
tyranny in far-away Albania, it is seen
1 5 9
Sa isang madilim, gubat na Karamiha'y Cipres at Higerang kutad
Baguntaong basal na
mapanglaw, na ang lilim niyon ay nakasisindak;
ang anyo't tindig,
dawag na matinik ay walang pagitan,
ito'y walang bunga't daho'y malalapad
kahit natatali-kamay
halos naghihirap ang kay Febong
na nakadidilim sa loob ng gubat.paa't liig,
silang 6 kundi si Narciso'y
dumalaw sa loob ng lubhang masukal.
Ang mga hayop pang dito'y gumagala,
tunay na Adonis,
2 karamiha'y Sierpe't Basilisco'y madla,
mukhang sumisilang sa
Malalaking kahoy-ang ang Hiena't Tigreng ganid na nagsisisila
gitna ng sakit.
inihahandog ng buhay ng tao't daiging kapuwa.10
pawang dalamhati, kahapisa't lungkot;
7 Makinis ang balat at
huni pa ng ibon ay nakalulunosIto'y gubat manding sa pinto'y malapit
anaki'y burok
sa lalong matimpi't nagsasayang
ngloob.
Avernong Reyno ni Plutong pilikmata'y kilay-
3 masungit; mistulang balantok;
Tanang mga baging namimilipitang nasasakupang lupa'y dinidilig bagong sapong ginto
sa sanga ng kahoy ay balot ng tinik;
ng Ilog Cocitong kamandag angang tubig.
kulay ng buhok,
may bulo ang bunga't nagbibigay-
8 sangkap ng katawa'y
sakit Sa may gitna nitong mapanglawpawang
na magkaayos.
sa kanino pa mang sumagi't malapit.
gubat,
4 may punong Higerang daho'y kulay
Ang mga bulaklak ng nagtayong pupas;
kahoy, dito nagagapos ang kahabag-habag,
pinakamaputing nag-uungos saisang pinag-usig ng masamang palad.
Arrival of Spaniards
 Baltazar was one of the first in
a new type of Filipinos
emerging with the rise of the
new middle class, one that is
educated but not Spanish.
 Jose Rizal and his fellows
would be among these
Arrival of Spaniards
 The ilustrados’ efforts and
writing would center around
national identity.
 Even Andres Bonifacio would
contribute poetry, most
importantly the poem Pag-
ibig Sa Tinubuang Lupa.
Aling pag-ibig pa ang alinman,
hihigit kaya imbit taong gubat,
sa pagka-dalisay at pagka- maralita’t mangmang
dakila nagiging dakila at
gaya ng pag-ibig sa iginagalang.
tinubuang lupa?
Alin pag-ibig pa? Wala na Pagpuring lubos ang
nga, wala. nagiging hangad
sa bayan ng taong may
Ulit-ulitin mang basahin ng dangal na ingat,
isip umawit, tumula, kumatha’t
at isa-isahing talastasing sumulat,
pilit kalakhan din nila’y
ang salita’t buhay na isinisiwalat.
limbag at titik
ng isang katauhan ito’y
Arrival of Spaniards
 Despite efforts, traditional
Philippine poetry never
truly went away.
 For example, the awit
became influenced by
European romances of the
time, and became romantic
Arrival of Spaniards
By the end of the Philippine
revolution, Philippine poetry
gained some of the
influences and styles of the
colonizers, but was able to
remain unique from the
poetry of Spaniards.
Arrival of Americans
The arrival of
Americans and
their introduction
of a new
educational
system set off a
series
Arrival of Americans
Americans
 The use of English as a medium
of education brought with it
the poetry of the language.
 Free Verse and New Criticism
became the buzzwords of
poets.
 Angela Manalang Gloria and
Jose Garcia Villa pushed
Arrival of Americans
Americans
 Salvador P. Lopez was seen as
influential in developing a new
concern for poets and writers.
His focus, on making writers
examine their place on society,
influenced writers from his time
to today.
Poetry has
continued to
evolve in the face
of the changes it
has faced in
The Philippines has a unique cultural
landscape, one shaped by a myriad of
languages and traditions determined by
their geographical and linguistic regions.

It isn’t quite right to say that there is

just one Filipino culture, because there
are many different cultures in the
country and they are all considered
Filipino.

These many regional cultures come

together
to create the colorful tapestry called
Filipino culture.
As discussed by National
Artist Bienvenido Lumbera,
the reason for a very Manila-
centric view of the Philippine
culture and cultural
development has to do with
the fact that Manila remains
the center of power in the
Philippines.
“…as it turns out, literary,
musical, visual and theater arts
away from the primate city
(Manila) form a considerable part
of the culture of the Filipino. Now
it has become all too clear that
the question of a national identity
for the Filipino cannot be
discussed, much less resolved, only
within the narrow confines of the
Center. And so we need to ‘de-
Center’.”
It is both to the advantage and
detriment of the Bikolanos that a good
number of them are multilingual and are
normally proficient not only on Bikol,
their regional language, but also in English
and Filipino.

Prominent screenwriters like Ricky Lee

and Marne Kilates are both natives of
Bikol, and yet are not known as Bikolano
writers.

There are also very few pre-Hispanic

Bikolano works collected and published.
What was left behind are some forms
which still exist today.

There are still proverbs, riddles and

saying that have remained, like “An
matakot sa doron/Daing aanihon” or
“Those afraid of locusts/Will not harvest
anything”.

There is also the tradition of tigsikan,

or a game of creating witty, versified
extemporaneous toasts during a round of
drinking.
Bikol writers have adopted forms of
literature for their enjoyment,
however.

There are many corridos and religious

works coming from the press owned
by Mariano Perfecto.

These eventually led to the creation

and enjoyment of other forms of
entertainment, such as the comedia
and zarzuela, in the 1800s and early
Mariano Perfecto
(1853 - November
3, 1913) was the
fifth Governor of
Ambos Camarines
(1910–1913). Known
as a prolific writer,
he is considered as
the "Father of Bikol
Literature," and the
He published the first
newspaper in the Bikol
language, An
Parabareta (1899–
1900) and set up the
first printing press in
the Bikol region, the
Libreria y Imprenta
Mariana. His literary
output ranged from
translations of religious
tracts, novenas to
There are works in Bikol during this
time, as there were Bikol-based
publications, and the production of
poems and fiction grew.

Literary production continued until

the 1960s when the last Bikol
magazine stopped production.
Production then slowed, but did not
completely stopped.
It has since proceeded slowly
but persistently, owing to
the renewed interest of
schools and writers who have
embraced the task of building
on their literary
achievements.
CANON AND
REPRESENTATIVE WORKS
The collection of works, called
canon, is determined by various
institutions seen as capable of
deciding which works carry value
or not. It refers to the collection of
works determined by a society to
have significant value and
importance.
Often, these are educational
institutions such as major
WHAT IS OPPRESSION?

Oppression as stated in Merriam-

Webster Dictionary is an unjust or
cruel exercise of authority or
power. Cambridge Dictionary on
the other hand, stated it as a
situation in which people are
governed in an unfair and cruel
way, and prevented from having
WHAT IS OPPRESSION?

Oppression is a familiar word in the

Filipino Vocabulary. There have been
many uses for this term, whether it
described the oppression of the less
privileged by the elite, or the
oppression of gender by a patriarchal
society.
In a way, Filipinos have always had to
face oppression in some form or
Oppression, and the struggle
against it, are common themes
in the Philippine Literature.
Examples of early Filipino
writting expressing itself against
oppression:
• Jose Rizal's Classic
- Noli Me Tangere
- El Filibusterismo
• Hermenegildo Flores
- Hibik ng Pilipinas sa
Inang Espanya

• Marcelo H. Del Pilar

- Sagot ng Espanya sa
Hibik ng Pilipinas

• Andres Bonifacio
- Katapusang Hibik ng
Oppression as a topic would
rise again and again in
Philippine Literature.

Aurelio Tolentino’s play,

“Kahapon, Ngayon at
Bukas”, was controversial in
the early American period
because of its sharp criticism
of the U.S particularly in
Jose Corazon “Batute” de
Jesus wrote “Sa Dakong
Silangan” which was a re-
telling of the history of the
Philippines by way of
allegory, presenting the US
as conspiring with Spain to
fool the Philippines into
It uses representative
characters to symbolize the
three countries and the such
as: Haring Pilipo and Reyna
Malaya sa Pulong Ginto.
It talks about the search for
freedom as represented by
the search for Reyna
Malaya.
After independence, the
specter of oppression
remained, and found a clear
subject once more in the
form of President Ferdinand
Marcos. Increasing protests
against his regime will
eventually lead to his
declaration of Martial Law,
WHAT IS A DRAMATIC SITUATION?

The dramatic situation is the

combination of setting,
characters, and action in a
poem which is supposed to
engage the reader.
It is the underlying plot line
that is created to place the
characters in conflict with
WHAT IS A DRAMATIC SITUATION?

A dramatic situation is a situation, in a

narrative or dramatic work, in which
people (or “people”) are involved in
conflicts that solicit the audience’s
empathetic involvements in their
predicament.
WHAT IS A PERSONA?

• It refers to the voice of a

particular kind of character—
the character who is also the
narrator within a literary
work written from the first-
WHAT IS A PERSONA?

According to Brittanica,
persona, plural personae,
in literature, is almost
invariably distinct from
the author; it is the voice
chosen by the author for a
particular artistic purpose.
ALLEGORY

Allegorical/Allegory refers
to the symbolic representation
of truths or generalization
about human existence. Cirilo
Bautista’s poem presents us
with a situation that is
allegorical, or not literal but
rather representative of other
ALLEGORY

He also uses
personification as a figure
of speech, giving non-
human objects human
qualities.
It showcases both his skill as
a writer and the relevance
THIRD WORLD
GEOGRAPHY
by
Cirilo F. Bautista
A country without he says, “Just a handful of
miracles feathers,
sits heavy on the map, just a handful of
thinking of banana trees feathers.”
rotting That’s how light the
in the sunlight. burden
of government is in peace
The man who watches
time–
over it
any tyrant can turn it into
has commandeered all a metaphor.
hopes, You kneel on the parched
placed them in a sack, earth
and tied its loose end. and pray for rice. Only
Bautista's poem is rich with
figures of imagery, speech
and allegory, all aimed at
creating a solid impression on
the reader. The first
allegorical image is the
"country", which in this case, is
the Philippines. The poem
personifies the Philippines,
trapped by its own weight,
Another allegorical image is
"the man who watches over
it," referring to former
President Ferdinand Marcos,
his acts of "commandeering
all hope" and turning
governance into what seems
like light duty (the image of
feathers) referring to his
control over the information
The shift in referral, adding
the pronoun "you" to the
poem creates a shift in how a
reader might view the poem;
it is a dramatic monologue,
with the persona referring to
someone else who may, or
may not be, the reader. In
the end, it is the country's
own image, its bold ink that
Assessmen A. Choose the letter of the
t: correct answer.
1. The figure of speech used
in the lines “A country
without miracles sits
heavy on the map,
thinking of banana trees
rotting in the sunlight”
a. metaphor c.
Assessmen 2. What are the “feathers”
t: discussed in the poem
supposed to be a
metaphor of?
a. The burden of
government
b. The dashed hopes of the
people
c. The feather of dead birds
Assessmen 3. “You kneel on the
t: parched earth and pray
for rice.” This implies that
the people in the poem
are:
a. angry
b. depressed
c. hungry
d. thirsty
Assessmen 4. The persona speaking in
t: the poem is:

a. A character in the poem

b. An observer
c. The author
d. The man who watches
over the country