Cimafranca, Ashley Dimples M. - Written Work 2

 Critical Analysis on the Philippine Literature by Frank R. Blake

        The written composition of Frank R. Blake entitled “Philippine Literature” addressed myriad compelling developments of the long history of Philippine Literature. He primarily stated the three groups of tribes: the mountain pagan tribes, Mohammedan Moros of Sulu and Mindanao, and the Christian tribes, which the author claimed to cover a large population of the Philippine Islands. It was also given to light in the text that every tribe stated has its distinct language that sets them apart from others, yet, they all speak languages that belong to the same linguistic family. It perfectly shows that the different languages used by various tribes are the core concept of the article. The section of the passage that states, "This brief sketch will serve to give some idea of the extent and character of works in the various Philippine languages." asserts that what makes up the Philippine literature is the distinct languages of varied tribes is the fundamental idea of the article. Moreover, the thorough explanation of the author practically meets its purpose of informing and relaying factual information to the readers.

        The structure of the given written work starts from examining the different tribes, accentuating the languages that existed in written forms then, extending through the colonization period, exhibiting the progress of the Philippine literature through time. The first mentioned was the pagan tribes wherein the Tagbanwas in Palawan and Mangyans of Mindoro were focused on as they possess native alphabets, whereas, every work in the languages of the group is printed in Roman type and religious character. The next idea presented is the Moros, pointing up the two predominant languages of their tribe. The author also enumerated how their writing could be categorized into four heads. Then, according to the author, the Christian tribes are said to be a relatively essential element in the native population because of the high level of civilization they have obtained. The transition to the Christian tribes gave a more detailed sense of advancement of Philippine literature as it touches on the developments that happened after the colonization.

         The article dealing with Philippine Literature has been well-written by the author through presenting ideas coherently, accurately, and in order. It is vivid how the author primarily stated the three groups of the native population in the Philippines to tackle the distinct characteristics of the literature in each of those groups in the succeeding paragraphs. Also, the means of how the author chronologically presents from the pre-colonial up to the colonial period excellently shows the clear developments of Philippine Literature. However, the lack of transitional devices makes it difficult for some to understand the shift from one idea to another. More cohesive transitional devices would have allowed a smoother flow of sentences and paragraphs within the article. Furthermore, the contents in the passage are well-researched in the sense that it precisely gives out examples and factual information of the different literary works. Even the terminologies and written works written in their original language were translated into English, considered a global language. For instance, the examples of poems, riddles, and proverbs that the author listed in the passage. Through this, the readers could easily comprehend and appreciate the article despite the terminologies written in different languages. Overall, every idea connects well without losing its general purpose of informing readers.

        The entirety of Frank R. Blake's written work depicts how the Philippine literature changed and upgraded due to multiple historical events that happened. He described the Philippine literature in the pre-colonial period as in the broader sense of written speech as it evolved into more artistic writing during the colonial period. The writer emphasizes the different tribes and the unique languages they use. Then some remarkable literary works that existed and were written in those languages were presented. Also, various literary works presented were detailedly explained, providing examples highlighting how it was written and the languages used. Even though the author stated that early written works are mostly long forgotten while some in the colonization period literary works have been preserved and highly valued up until now, the whole passage shows the diversity and richness of Philippine literature.

        There are significant signs of progress from the pre-colonial period up to the colonial period of the Philippine literature. Based on the article written by Frank R. Blake, the pagan tribes were incorporated in the pre-colonial period. Few groups in this tribe possess native alphabets, while all other languages are printed in Roman type and religious character. However, five languages at most have written monuments. On the contrary, the Mohammedan tribes have established literary monuments written in manuscript form. Of which, as stated by the author, can be classified into four classifications which are historical annals, legal codes, religious texts, and other various forms of writings. Then, Frank R. Blake described the Christian tribes as an important element because of their high refinement. When the conquest happened, there were still native alphabets that emerged, but none of those are preserved up to this date. Although, a lot of works also emerged, including drama productions, riddles, proverbs, prose, and verse, which are used until now. It proves the constant evolution and advancement of Philippine literature.