Josol, Jianne Shanley P. - Written Work 1

 1. What do you know about the different Literary Periods in Philippine Literature?

    The Philippine Literature underwent different literary periods over the years. Philippine literature started way before, even before the Spanish colonization. The history of Philippine literature has six vital literary periods. First, the pre-colonial period is based on orally performed traditions. It was the period before Spaniards were occupying the Philippines. The pre-colonial period of Philippine literature had four various literary forms: oral literature, folk songs, folk tales, and epics. The first literary form, oral literature, involves literature people pass on through word of mouth—for example, riddles, proverbs, and tanaga. Folk songs, the second form, includes portraying people's goals and way of life through folk lyric. For example, hele, ambahan, kalusan, tagay, and kanogan. Third, folk tales are part of the pre-colonial period with myths, fables, fantasies, and legends. Lastly, the pre-colonial period comprises epics, narratives based on oral tradition with a sustained length that revolves around heroic deeds. For example, Lam-ang, Kudaman, Hinilawod, and Darangen. 

    Second, the Spanish colonization period is a period in Philippine literature when Spanish was introduced as a communication medium. The Spanish colonization period has two distinct forms: religious and secular. The religious form includes lyrics that use both Spanish and Tagalog languages. Examples of religious forms include pasyon and senakulo. The secular form is the polar opposite of the religious form. It involves awit, such as Ibong Adarna, korido, such as Florante at Laura, and Prose narratives, such as Dialogo, Manual de Urbanidad, Ejemplo, and Tratado. 

    The third period in Philippine literature is the nationalistic / propaganda and revolutionary period. Nationalism started to grow during this time as the language used for communication shifted from Spanish to Filipino. The nationalistic / propaganda and revolutionary period involve two primary literary forms: propaganda and revolutionary literature. Propaganda literature comprises political essays, such as the Diariong Tagalog and La Solidaridad, and political novels, such as the famous Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Revolutionary literature is more violent and sought independence. Revolutionary literature involves political essays, such as Kalayaan, and poetry, such as True Decalogue, Katapusang Hibik ng Pilipinas, and Liwanag at Dilim. 

    Fourth, the American colonial period influenced Philippine literature by encouraging Western culture. The American colonial period was when people wrote their works by imitating English and American models. Amateur-written poems were apparent in this period—for example, short stories and novels. Romanticism and Realism were also trending during the American colonial period. 

    Fifth, the Japanese occupation is when people wrote short and free verses similar to the Japanese. The Japanese occupation included war years, wherein writing in simple language and free verse was the trend. It also involved a period of maturity and originality, learning diverse techniques, and mastering English. 

    The final literary period in Philippine literature is the contemporary/modern period. This period was when Martial Law was still implemented in the Philippines. As freedom of the press was repressed, writers utilized symbolism to send their message. The theater was used for protestings during the contemporary/modern period, such as the UP Theater and PETA (Phil. Educational Theater Association). 

2. What are the essential elements of the literary pieces under different periods of Philippine literature?

The Philippine literature contains six principal literary periods. These literary periods have their share of similarities and differences. However, the elements of the literary pieces are hardly different from each literary period. The different periods of Philippine literature utilized numerous essential elements for their literary pieces. First, allegory is used to communicate crucial life lessons and a definition of life. Allusion, the second element, is used to aid the audience in remembering historical events that can help cure their ignorance on reoccurring issues. Third, an antagonist portrays the real evil in a story. Characterization, another element used by the people, aids in creating and developing the people in the story to bring them to life. The fifth element is the climax. It is the point in a story that is most exciting as it is where the conflict is at its peak. Speaking of conflict, the conflict, another element of literary pieces, is the challenge or hardship that a character must overcome. Next, a flashback is used to take back people to events that happened in the past, giving them context to a story. Another element of literary pieces is a metaphor. It compares two generally different things to help the readers relate to a particular subject. Ninth, the mood is the audience's feeling from reading a story. The plot, a significant element in literary pieces, is the events and the significance of such events in a story. The point of view, another element, is used to help readers know from whose eyes the story is being told. Another element crucial to literary pieces is the protagonist. It is the person that the narrative circles around. The resolution, the thirteenth element, is when the conflict comes to an end and the story concludes. Next, the setting helps the readers determine when and where the story takes place. Another vital element is the theme which is the central idea of a story that an author expresses. Lastly, the tone is the author's attitude in their work. To conclude, the abundant elements discussed above are all utilized in literary pieces and are equally significant as they make the literary works complete and bring them to life.