21 Century

st

Literature From the

Philippines and the
World
American Period (1898-
1946)
The Philippines had a great leap in education.

Public education was introduced.

Gabaldon buildings also known as Gabaldon schoolhouses,

were built between 1907 and 1946 Fifty-one of the Gabaldon
schoolhouses were completed by 1911 and a total of 1,852 by
1916. Less than 3,000 of these schoolhouses exist today.
Gabaldon School
Houses
American Period
Some poems focused on non-traditional themes such as
Jose Corazon De Jesus, “Mga Gintong Dahon (1920).”

This is a collection of poems

that tackled themes on
passion- slaying, grief-
induced, insanity, and lovers
suicide.
American Period
Drama was used to degrade the Spanish rule and immortalize
the heroism of Filipinos who fought under the Katipunan.

Severino Reyes led the movement

to supplant komedya with a
new type of drama, the sarswela
(adaptation from Spanish
Zarzuela.)
American Period
The following are example of Sarswela’s that allegorically presented
the history of nationalist struggle.

Juan Abad’s “Tanikalang

Guinto”, the theme of
the story is nationalism.
The story is about
freedom and love.
(1902)
American Period
Juan Matapang Cruz’s “Hindi ako
Patay” was about the love between
Karangalan (honor) and Tangulan
(the defender) as they resisted the
usurper Macamcam (who
symbolized the American insular
government). (1903)
American Period
Aurelio Tolentino’s ”Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas”,
depicts the struggle of the Filipino people against
imperialist powers seeking to exploit the
Philippines’ wealth and resources. It focuses on
Motherland's triumph over her oppressors - Old
Spain, Old China, and the new colonizer, America.
The play was performed in 1903 and witnessed an
act of defiance against American rule that led to the
writer, Aurelio Tolentino, being imprisoned for
sedition. He was later pardoned in 1912.
Japanese Period (1898-
1946)
The Philippine literature stopped as the Japanese invaders reached
our country.

The English language was banned and the Filipino language was
mandated under Japanese rule.

Filipino literature was given a break during this period as many

wrote plays, novels, poems, and short stories with themes circling
on life in the province, arts, nationalism, and the like.
Japanese Period (1898-
1946)
The Philippine literature stopped as the Japanese invaders reached
our country.

The English language was banned and the Filipino language was
mandated under Japanese rule.

Filipino literature was given a break during this period as many

wrote plays, novels, poems, and short stories with themes circling
on life in the province, arts, nationalism, and the like.
Japanese Period
People felt suppressed but the spirit of
nationalism slowly seeped into their
consciousness.

Essays were composed to glorify Filipinos and

criticized Japanese.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
All literary works written and published in the
latter part of the 21st century are often
characterized as gender sensitive, technologically
alluding, culturally pluralistic, operating on
extreme reality or extreme fiction, and
questioning conventions and supposedly absolute
norms.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
Nowadays, Philippine literature deals with
current themes such as technological culture and
traces artistic representation of shared
experiences.

The following are the most notable literary

genres of 21st century:
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
A. Drama – stories composed of verse or prose
which is meant to be dramatically or theatrically
performed. Emotions and conflicts are expressed
through dialogue and actions.

B. Creative non-fiction – uses literary styles and

techniques to create factually accurate narrative.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
C. Blog – web log containing short articles called
posts that can be changed regularly. It can be
about the interest, hobbies, opinions, and
experiences of the blogger.

D. Poetry – verse and rhythmic writing with

imagery that evokes the emotional response from
the reader.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
Mina Roy defines poetry as “prose bewitched”.

If poetry is concerned with plot action, poetry is

“life distilled” through words and language.

Poetry is for entertaining and exciting pleasure by

beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
i. Mobile phone Text tula – tanaga, Filipino poem
with 4 lines and 7 syllables each with the same
rhyme at the end of each line – that is to say a 7-7-7-
7 line and AABB rhyme scheme.

Modern tanaga still uses a 7777 syllable count but

rhymes range from AABB, ABBA, and ABAB; to
freestyle form BAAA, AAAB, and ABCD.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
ii. Hyperpoetry – digital poetry that uses links uses
hypertext mark-up. Links indicate that there is no set
order, the poem is being generated in response to
the links that the reader chooses.
Iii. Spoken word poetry – Performed in artistic and
emotive manner which can be accompanied by
music or presented in streets, bars, or cafes. It is a
“catchall”, any kind of poetry that recites aloud.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
E. Fiction – narrative literary work whose
content are produce by imagination and not
necessary based on fact.

i. Short story – brief fiction that can be read

in one setting.
Example: The Gift of Magi by O. Henry
(1905)
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
Ii. Chick lit – addresses the issue of modern
womanhood, often humorous and light-
hearted. Chick lit features hip, stylish, career-
driven female protagonists, usually in their
twenties and thirties. The plot generally
follows their love lives and struggles for
professional success, written in an airy,
irreverent tone.
Ex. The Devil Wears Prada: by Lauren
Weisberger.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
Iii. Flash fiction – fiction of extreme brevity.
Some self-described markets of flash fiction
impose caps as low as 300 words, whole
others describe it to be as long as 1000 words.

Ex. “Angels and Blueberries” by Tara

Campbell.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
iv. Realistic fiction – stories that can actually
happen and that is true to life. stories that
could have actually occurred to people or
animals in a believable setting.

Ex. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
v. Graphic novels– narratives in comic book
format.

Ex. Deadpool: Badder Blood

21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
v. Speculative Fiction– Often called a “super
genre,” speculative fiction can encompass any
narrative — from sci-fi and fantasy to
superhero stories and fairy tales — that
diverges from “mimetic fiction,” or true-to-life
storytelling set in our world that doesn't bend
reality or break the laws of physics.

Ex. The Reincarnated Giant

21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
A. Science fiction – based on impact of
potential science. Based on imagination set in
the future or in other planets.

Ex. War of the Worlds by English author H. G.

Wells.
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
A. Fantasy – forming of mental images with
strange or other worldly setting or characters
and invites suspension of reality.

Ex. Lewis and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis

Carroll
21 Century Literature in the
st

Philippines
A. Humor – faculty of perceiving
what is amusing or comical. Full
of fun, fancy, and excitement
which meant to entertain. It can
be seen and contains within all
genres.
Science fiction Gabaldon
Speculative Fiction flash fiction
Mina Roy spoken world poetry
Drama Graphic novels
Short Story Hyperpoetry
Chick-lit Juan Matapang Cruz
blog Mga Gintong Dahon
Mobile phone Text tula – tanaga,
QUIZ
1. Based on impact of potential science.
2. Often called a “super genre,”
3. Author of “Hindi ako Patay”.
4. It was used to degrade the Spanish rule and immortalize the
heroism of Filipinos who fought under the Katipunan under the
American Period.
5. It is brief fiction that can be read in one setting.
QUIZ
6. It is a literary genre that consists of fiction that is typically
written by female authors, centered around female protagonists,
and marketed toward young women.
7. Schoolhouses that were built between 1907 and 1946 under
American Period.
8. This is a collection of poems that tackled themes on
passion-slaying, grief-induced, insanity, and lovers suicide.
9. Who defines poetry as “prose bewitched”?
10. Filipino poem with 4 lines and 7 syllables each with the same
rhyme at the end of each line
QUIZ
11. A web log containing short articles called posts that can be
changed regularly. It can be about the interest, hobbies, opinions,
and experiences of the blogger.
12. Some self-described markets of flash fiction impose caps as
low as 300 words.
13. An oral art that focuses on the aesthetic of word play such as
intonation. Juan Miguel Severo, famous in this field whose
original piece was shown on On the Wings of Love.
14. Narratives in comic book format.
15. Digital poetry that uses links uses hypertext mark-up.
Directions: Choose two
literary works, 1 from the
21st-century literature and 1
from the Spanish or
American period. Then using
a Venn diagram list the
similarities and differences
of the two.
QUIZ
1. Science fiction 11. blog
2. Speculative Fiction 12. flash fiction
3. Juan Matapang Cruz 13. spoken world poetry
4. Drama 14. Graphic novels
5. Short Story 15. Hyperpoetry
6. Chick-lit
7. Gabaldon
8, Mga Gintong Dahon
9. Mina Roy
10. Mobile phone Text tula – tanaga,