COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

     I.       I. PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD (--BC to 1564)

A. Characteristics  

1. Based on oral traditions

2. Crude on ideology and phraseology    

    

B. Literary Forms  

1. Oral Literature

 

·         Riddles (bugtong)–battle of wits among participants, Tigmo–Cebu, Paktakon-Ilonggo, Patotdon – Bicol

·         Proverbs (salawikain) – wise sayings that contain a metaphor used to teach as a food for thought etc.

·         Tanaga - a mono-riming hepta-syllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessons on life is "more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the folk lyric."

2. Folk Songs

·         It is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and aspirations, the people’s lifestyles as well as their loves. These are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naivea. Hele or oyayi–lullaby  

·         Ambahan (Mangyan) – 7-syllable per line poem that are about human relationships and social entertainment  

·         Kalusan (Ivatan) - work songs that depict the livelihood of the peopled.  

·         Tagay (Cebuano and Waray) – drinking song.  

·         Kanogan (Cebuano) – song of lamentation for the dead

3. Folk Tale

·         Myths – explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna.

·         Legends – explain the origin of things Why the Pineapple has eyes the Legend of Maria Makiling

·         Fables – used animal characters and allegoryd. Fantastic stories – deal with underworld characters such as “tiyanak”, “aswang”, “kapre” and others.       Epics   These are “narratives of sustained length based on oral tradition revolving around supernatural events or heroic deeds” (Arsenio Manuel)   Examples:   Lam-ang (Ilocano) Hinilawod (Panay) Kudaman (Palawan) Darangen (Maranao)      

                        

   II.       II. SPANISH COLONIZATION PERIOD (1565 – 1863)  

A. Characteristics

1. It has two distinct classifications: religious and secular    

2. It introduced Spanish as the medium of communication.

      

B. Literary Forms  

1. Religious Literature - Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and Tagalog were included in early catechism and were used toteach Filipinos the Spanish language.

·          Pasyon – long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ. The most popular was “Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Cristong Panignoon Natin” by Aquino de Belen      

·          Senakulo – dramatization of the pasyon, it shows the passion and death of Christ           Secular (non-religious) Literature   a.Awit - colorful tales of chivalry made for singing and chanting Example: Ibong Adarna   b.Korido – metrical tale written in octosyllabic quatrainsExample: Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar  

·          Prose Narratives – written to prescribe proper decorum

Ø  Dialogo                 

Ø  Ejemplo

Ø  Manual de Urbanidad

Ø  Tratado Examples: Modesto de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza" and Joaquin Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in 1879.

        

 III.       III. NATIONALISTIC / PROPAGANDA AND REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD (1864 – 1896)

A. Characteristics

1. Planted seeds of nationalism in Filipinos      

2. Language shifted from Spanish to Tagalog

3. Addressed the masses instead of the “intelligentsia”          

B. Literary Forms  

1. Propaganda Literature - Reformatory in objective  

·         Political Essays – satires, editorials and news articles were written to attack and expose the evils of Spanish rule

Ø  Diariong Tagalog – founded by Marcelo del Pilar

Ø  La Solidaridad – whose editor-in-chief is Graciano Lopez-Jaena    

·         Political Novels

Ø  Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo – Jose Rizal’s masterpieces that paved the way to the revolution          

2. Revolutionary Literature – more propagandistic than literary as it is more violent in nature and demanded complete independence for the country        

·         Political Essays – helped inflame the spirit of revolutioni. Kalayaan – newspaper of the society, edited by Emilio Jacinto  

·         Poetry  

Ø  True Decalogue – Apolinario Mabini Katapusang Hibik ng Pilipinas –Andres Bonifacio Liwanag at Dilim – Emilio Jacinto

 IV.        IV. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1910 – 1945)    

A. Period of Apprenticeship (1910-1930)  

1. Filipino Writers imitated English and American models      

2. Poems - written were amateurish and mushy, which phrasing and diction is awkward and artificial.  

·         Short Stories

Ø  Dead Stars – Paz Marquez Benitez

Ø  The Key – Paz Latorena

Ø  Footnote to Youth – Jose Garcia Villa    

·         Novels

Ø  Childe of Sorrow – first novel in English, by Zoilo Galang        

B. Period of Emergence (1920-1930)-Highly influenced by Western literary trends like Romanticism and Realism.  

·         Short Stories – most prevalent literary form  

Ø  Jose Garcia Villa – earned the international title “Poet of the Century”

   V.       V. JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1942 - 1960) War Years (1942-1944)  

1. Tagalog poets broke away from the Balagtas tradition and insteadwrote in simple language and free verse      

2. Fiction prevailed over poetry  

Ø  25 Pinakamabuting Maikling Kathang Pilipino (1943) – compilation of the short story contest by the military government.  

Ø  Suyuan sa Tubigan – Macario Pineda

Ø  Lupang Tinubuan – Narciso Reyes

Ø  Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa – Liwayway Arceo

·         Period of Maturity and Originality (1945-1960)  

Ø  Bountiful harvest in poetry, fiction, drama and essay

Ø  Filipino writers mastered English and familiarized themselves with diverse techniques

Ø  Literary “giants” appeared