Survey of Philippine Literature in English

This course aims to provide students a comprehensive outline of Philippine

Literature from 1900 to the present time. It acquaints the students on the
different stages of development of the different literary genres—short stories,
novels, poetry, plays and essays in English. Through discussion and analysis of
the different literary compositions, this courses will surely enhance students’
awareness and appreciation of Philippine Literature.

Prelim
I. Introduction
Definition and Significance of Literature
Two main divisions of Literature

Prose is a written or spoken language in its ordinary form [e.g. short

story, and auto biography essay, biography
Poetry is a literary work in which special Intensity is given to the
expression of emotion with a distinctive style and rhythm

11. Four Literary Genres

Short Story
Poetry
Essay
Drama
Elements of a Short Story
Elements of Poetry
Elements of Essay
 Definition and Elements of Drama

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a

play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or
television.
lll. PHILIPPINE literature in English had its roots when the American
forces landed in Manila in 1898 which signaled the end of Spanish
domination. By the year 1901, public education was institutionalized in
the Philippines with English as medium of instruction. Around 600
educators in SS Thomas [the Thomasites] were tasked to replace
American soldiers who were serving as teachers.
The wide availability of English books, magazines, and newspapers
helped the Filipinos assimilate the English language quickly.

The founding of Silliman University by the Prysbetarian missionaries

and the Philippine Normal School [PNS] in 1901 and the University of
the Philippines in 1908 and the establishment of English nespapers like
the Daily Bulletin in 1900, the Cable news in 1902 and the Philippine
Free Press in 1905 helped boost the English usage.

LITERATURE UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH PERIOD [Selected Pieces]

1. Like a Molave (1940) by R. Zulueta Dela Costa

Unlocking of Difficulties:
Vocabulary words
 flaccid
 masquerading
 scour
 appellation
 masquerading
1.
Not yet Rizal, not yet. Sleep not in peace:
There are a thousand waters to be spanned;
There are a thousand mountains to be crossed;
There are a thousand crosses to be borne.
Our shoulders are not strong; our sinews are
Grown flaccid with dependence, smug with ease
Under another’s wing.
Rest not in peace;

Not yet, Rizal, not yet. The land has need

Of young blood -- and, what younger
than your own,
Forever spilled in the great name of freedom,
Forever oblate on the altar of
The free?
Not you alone, Rizal.
O souls
And spirits of the martyred brave, arise!
Arise and scour the land! Shed once again
Your willing blood! Infuse the vibrant red
Into our thin, anemic veins; until
We pick up your Promethean tools and, strong,
Out of the depthless matrix of your faith
In us, and on the silent cliffs of freedom,
We carve for all time your marmoreal dream!
Until our people, seeing, are become
 Like the molave, firm, resilient, staunch,
Rising on the hillside, unafraid,
Strong in its own fiber; yes, like the molave

Activity: the class will be divided into two and alternately read
each stanza. Explaining the message of each stanza will follow

Points for Discussion

1. Who is referred to as the molave and why is he/she compared to

the molave tree?
2. Describe the molave tree.
3. What is the theme of the poem?
4. Why is the poem entitled, “The Molave”
5. What character of the author is depicted in the poem and why?

Assessment: Explain what anemic veins represent in the poem.

Assignment: Write a short paragraph describing a person you admire

most using metaphor.

Midterm

To a Lost One [ poetry] by Angela Manalang-Gloria

Unlocking DifficultiesVocabulary Words

 starlight
 linger
 phantom
 haunt
 I shall haunt you, O my lost one, as the twilight
Haunts a grieving bamboo trail,
And your dreams will linger strangely with the music
Of a phantom lover’s tale

You shall not forget, for I am past forgetting

I shall come to you again
With the starlight, and the scent of wild champakas,
And the melody of rain.

You shall not forget. Dusk will peer into your

Window, tragic-eyed and still,
And unbidden startle you into remembrance
With its hand upon the sill.

Activity: Poetry reading and interpretation of each stanza

Points for Discussion

1. Who is speaking in the poem?

2. Explain the meaning of “You shall not forget for I am past
forgetting”?
3. What is the theme of the poem?
4. Read the background of the author and find out her
experiences that led her to write this poem.

Assessment: What does anemic veins represent in the poem. Explain

Assignment: Using metaphor, write a paragraph describing the person
you admire most.

lll. What is an educated Filipino? (1923) Essay by Francisco Benitez

Points for discussion:

1. Based from the essay, what qualities should a man possess to be

called educated?
2. To whom was the essay addressed to?
3. How is an educated Filipino today distinguished from the
educated Filipino in the past?
4. What did the author observe or experience that prompted him to
write the essay?

Note: Essay was previously assigned for reading.

Assessment: Write a paragraph about your idea of what an educated

man is.

Assignment: To be called educated, does it require a bachelor’s

degree? Justify your answer.

IV. How Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife [short story] ( by Manuel
Argilla

Unlocking Difficulties

 social status
  adapt
 hindrance
 imagery

Points for Discussion

1. What is the theme of the story?

2. Identify the conflict in the story and how it was resolved.
3. What does the papaya flower symbolize?
4. Describe the setting of the story?
5. Why did Baldo’s father instruct him to take the longer route in
bringing home Leon and his wife?
6. Research on the background of the author and find out what
prompted him to write the story.
7. What do you mean by local color?

Assessment: Write a paragraph comparing the setting of the story with

your hometown.

Assignment: Draw a picture that would describe Nagraebcan.

IV. Foot note to the Youth [short story] 1933 by Jose Garcia Villa

Activity: Read the story carefully and afterwards participate actively in

the discussion
Unlocking Difficulties

 footnote
 hazy
 resents
 triumph
 wisdom
 unhitched

Points for Discussion

1. What is the theme of the story?

2. What is the message of the story?

3. Identify the conflict of the story and how it was resolved.

4. What is the falling action of the story?

5. Which part of the story shows the climax?

6. Enumerate the lessons you learned from the story?

7. What do you think made Dodong think that he was ready to settle
down with his girlfriend?

Assessment : 1. What do you think is the right age for you to get
married. Justify your answer. 2. What factors would you consider in
choosing your future husband/wife?
Assignment: Interview a couple in your neighborhood who have been
married for more than 10 and secure the following information.

1. The age they got married and what made them think that they
were ready to settle down
2. The reasons why their marriage lasted more than 10 years and
still counting.

Literature Under the Republic ( Post War era)

During the Japanese regime, Tagalog was favored by the Japanese

authorities. English writers were forced to write in Tagalog. Many of
them joined the propaganda movement and wrote English stories
which served as their propaganda pieces. The desire to use English as
literary medium picked up even after the war.

1. Without Seeing the Dawn (novel) Esteban Javellana

Unlocking Difficulties

Vocabulary Words

 Stillborn
 Disgraced
 Stevedore
 Enraged
 Spared
 executioner
 Quick tempered
 Note: Students were previously assigned to read the novel

Activity: Give the synopsis of the story through story pictures

Points for Discussion

1. What was referred to as “the dawn?”

2. What event in history is depicted in the novel?

3. Explain the meaning and the purpose of the title.

4. What Filipino values are shown in the novel?

5. Identify some Filipino traits demonstrated by the characters.

Do you think these traits are still present in this generation?

6. Describe the struggles of the Filipinos under the Japanese

regime.

7. What motivated the author to write this novel?

Assessment: Give the general feeling of the story; was it more of hope
or despair? Justify your answer.

Assignment:

1. Research on the background of the author and find out how his
personality is mirrored in this novel.
2. Submit a literary analysis based from the elements of a novel
previously discussed.

11. May Day Eve [short story] by Nick Joaquin

Unlocking Difficulties

Vocabulary words

 revenge
 chrism
 conspirators
 acquaintance
 bandit
 casements

Activity: Watch the movie, May Day Eve.

Points for discussion

1. Describe the setting of the story

2. How does superstition influence the lives of the characters?
3. Enumerate and identify each character
4. What is the conflict of the story and how it was resolved?
5. What Spanish influences can you see in the story?
6. Explain why Badoy and Agueda hate each other so much.
7. Parents before chose the future husband or wife of their
children. Would you allow your parents to do the same?
Explain.

Assessment: 1. Identify the three generations involved in the story.

 2. Write five sentences each for every vocabulary word learned
earlier

Assignment: Write a paragraph about the author and justify why he

was conferred the rank and title of National Artist of the Philippines.

11. The World is an Apple [one act play] by Alberto Florentino

Unlocking Difficulties

Vocabulary Words

 pious
 virtous
 bracket
 depict

Points for Discussion

1. What does the apple symbolize?

2. Describe Pedro as a friend?
3. Which part of the story is the climax and why?
4. Have you ever made a wrong decision in your life that affected
you and your family?
5. In making decisions, what factors do you think would you
consider?
6. What reality in our society is depicted in the story?

Assessment: Explain “Tell me who your friends are and I will you who
you are.”
Assignment: Write five sentences for each vocabulary word.

Activity: Skit presentation.

The class will be divided into5 groups. Based from the play, each group
will present a scene of their choice in the form of a skit. Fifteen
minutes will be allotted for the preparation and 5 to 7 minutes for the
presentation.

Criteria for judging the presentation

Creativity 25 %

Teamwork 25%

Delivery 15%

Body Gestures 25%

Costume/Props 15%

Audience Impact 10%

Total of 100%

Assignment: Write a short reflection based from the play.

V. Beyond Forgetting [poetry] by Rolando Carbonel

Unlocking Difficulties

Vocabulary words

 restlessness
 mood
 stil
 mistook
 indifference

Activities

1. View the video clip on the interpretation of the poem.

2. The class will be divided into two groups and will read each stanza
alternately. In reading the poem, the reader must consider the
outpour of emotions of the author.

3. After the discussion, each group will present a love jingle (20 minutes
will be allotted for the preparation and 5 minutes for the presentation.)

Criteria in judging the jingle:

Originality and creativity 40 %

Presentation 30 %

Teamwork 20%
Audience Impact 10%

Total 100%

Points for Discussion

1. What is the theme of the poem?

2. Describe the kind of love the author has for his loved one.
3. Explain the line “You went away because you mistook my silence
for indifference. But silence, my dear, is the language of my
heart.”
4. Based from the preceding number, what kind of person the
author is as a lover?

5. Why do you think his loved one left him?

Assessment:

Would you consider silence as a language? Justify your answer.

When do you usually use silence to communicate?

Assignment: Write a short poem entitled LOVE

LITERATURE AFTER EDSA REVOLUTION

When President Marcos declared Martial Law in the Philippines, he

initiated a regime that suppressed the writers’ right to free expression.
Writing under martial law was characterized as militancy and
belligerence. The temper of poetry and theater derived much of its
heat and direction from the culture of the underground national
underground democratic movement.

In 1986 when President Marcos was ousted, the literary activity showed
certain degree of disorientation manifesting in itself in a proliferation of
concerns taken up by individual writers.

Some academic institutions made creative writing a part of their

curricular offerings. Writers’ organization started offering symposia
and workshops to their members and to interested parties.

La Tondena sponsored the venerable Carlos Palanca Memorial Award

literature which has made the name “Palanca” a synonym for literary
works. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts [NCAA] was
created to fun workshops, conferences and publications and other
projects. As seen in the post EDSA Revolution outputs, one major
characteristic of the literary works the development of thrust towards
the retrieval and recuperation of literature in Filipino languages other
than Tagalog.

Selected post EDSA Literary Works

The Visitation of the Gods (short story) by Hilda Cordero-Fernardo

Unlocking Difficulties

Vocabulary Words

 whitewash
 wheel borrow
 topography
  hub
 engaged

Activity: Viewing of the film, “The Visitation of the Gods”.

Points for discussion

1. Who were referred to as the Gods?

2. What is the central theme of the story?
3. What message does the author wants to convey to the readers?
4. What is the conflict of the story? And how was the conflict
resolved?
5. If you were one of the teachers in Pugad Lawin Highschool,
what would you do?

Assessment: Write 3 sentences for each vocabulary word we learned

today.

Assignment: Write a short paragraph discussing how you and your

family prepare for your town fiesta.

The Dog Eaters (short story) by Leoncio Deriada

 disintegrating
 biceps
 canine
 Hooked
 stung
 growled
  bouncer

Activity: Read the story carefully and silently

Points for discussion

1. Who are referred to as the dog eaters?

2. What caused the disintegrating marriage of Mariana and
Victor?
3. What image of the society is being portrayed in the story?
4. Why did Mariana punish her pet dog?
5. Present the Climax of the story
6. What is the conflict in the story?

Assessment: Explain how the conflict of the story was resolved

Assignment: Make a short research about the effects of being booked

to alcohol to the body and how it affects man’s behavior.

The Will of the River [Essay] by Alfredo Gonzales

Unlocking Difficulties

Vocabulary Words

 Will
 Determination
 marvelous
 shrunken
 cascade
 stratum
  sublime

Point for Discussion

1. How is the Will of the River likened to a man’s life?

2. What characteristics of the river should a man possess?
3. How should a man treat negative hindrances and obstacles?
4. What moral lessons have you learned from the essay?
5. Aside from determination what should a man possess in order to
succeed?
6. How is the personality of the author depicted in the essay?
7. Explain “if we cannot overcome obstacles, under come them“And
so it should be on the life of man. It is not to be lived itself alone
for its own joy and satisfaction in glad and devoted ministry”

Assessment: Write a short reflection about the essay

Assignment: Draw or cut out pictures that show the different

difficulties that river encountered on its way to the sea

Culminating Activity for the Final Period

LITERARY ANALYSIS AND CREATIVE/ARTISTIC PRESENTATION

The class will be divided into four groups

Each group will choose one novel and make an analysis based from the
elements of a novel which were previously discussed in class.
Said analysis output should be submitted to the teacher a day before
the scheduled presentation.

Fifteen minutes shall be allotted for the discussion of the analysis and
fifteen minutes for interpreting scene of their choice through creative
means. [e.g. drama, role playing]

Ermita by F. Sionil

The Woman With Two Navels by Nick Joaquin

The Blade of Fern by Edith Tiempo

Tree by F Sionil

The Execution by Charles Ong

After the discussion, there will be a five-minute open forum for

clarification and comments.

Criteria in grading the entire group presentation:

Literary Analysis 40%

Clarity of discussion 30%
Creative presentation 30%

Total 100 %