PHILIPPINE LITERATURE DURING THE SPANISH COLONIALISM Literature During the Spanish Era

To all my students in Lit 1, this is the preliminary handout for our discussion on Literature During the Spanish Era. Spanish colonization brought about great cultural changes which also greatly altered the content, medium and form of Philippine literature. The simple and bucolic Filipino lifestyle became moresophisticated through a long period of exposure to the lifestyle of the colonizers. The Spaniards came with the Sword and the Cross; and, to serve the dual purpose of territorial expansion and evangelization, they needed literature to serve these twin purposes and goals. The content of literature was mostly religious; lives of saints, religious books, prayers, psalms, Marian hymns, the pasyon (the "epic" of Christian life), and the like.

To reach the inhabitants faster and to enhance the evangelization process, the Spaniards needed interpreters and translators. To fill this need, they taught selected inhabitants to speakthe Spanish language; they themselves studies and acquired the native langauges and the indios. They introduced the Roman alphabet and later brought in the printing press (1593). Thus, the medium of literature became tri lingual; the Castillian langauge, tagalog, and some still in the dialects of various communities. The oral literature could not be erased from the memories of our ancestors; but the Roman alphabet replaced the sylabaries of the natives; and literature began to appear in print. Ancient literary forms were enriched with the various literay forms patterned after European metrical romances (corrido and awit), "zarzuela" recreational plays (Duplo; moro - moro, juego de prenda) and the "balagtasan". The opening of the Suez Canal brought prosperity to the Filipinos. Soon the rich and landed sent their sons to study in European schools and brought home libaral ideas of freedom, equality, and a national fervor for independence and national identity. Literature now assumed the role of catalyst, a tool for the awakening of the Filipino long enslaved and plundered by the "conquistadores". The writings of Rizal, M.H. del Pilar, F. Baltazar or Balagtas, etc. exposed the abuses of the Spaniards and the colonial mentality and subservience of the Filipino. To the colonial masters, these writings were revolutionary in nature. Only the expurgated copies of Rizal's novels (Noli and Fili) were allowed for limited circulation. Literary medium was bilingual. Most writings were in Spanish and tagalog, their content, bicultural. Today the literary outputs of our writers stil carry the Filipino's Spanish cultural heritage. Spanish loan words have become part of our vocabulary such as terms like Don/Dona, Senor/Senora, cedula and many more. They often are part of contemporary writing.

Posted by Ar Jay Castro Villanueva at 6:32 PM

Philippine Literature in Spanish Philippine literature in Spanish can be broadly categorized into three stages or phases. The first phase was the time period when religious works as instructed by the colonial masters were spread throughout the land. In the

early 17th century Tomas Pinpin published a book that attempted to translate Spanish to local Tagalog language. Thus paving the way for Filipinos to learn and understand the ways of the colonialists. This small event marked the beginning of increased learning and use of Spanish by local writers and authors. By the early 1800s many writers began to recognize the Philippines a separate entity from Spain and subsequently expressed their views and ideas through their works. Some prominent works of the time were, El Paranaso Filipino, Mare Magnum. Literature in the Philippines was developed and preserved by native Filipino intellectuals. Isidro Marfori, Enrique Fernandez Lumba, Cecilio Apostol, Fernando Ma. Guerrero, Jess Balmori, Flavio Zaragoza Cano and Francisco Zaragoza played a major role in the preservation of the stories handed down in time. Writers such as Castrillo, Fernandez, Rivera, Licsi and Estrada also spent a major part of their lives in the documentation of 'by-word-of-mouth' hand-downs. Columns and articles in newspapers such as El Renacimiento, La Vanguardia, El Pueblo de Iloilo, La Democracia and El Tiempo kept the legacies alive in Spanish. In the later half of the 19th century, strong nationalistic and patriotic ideas began to flow around all of Philippines and an idea of a free Philippines, distinct from Spain was expressed by many writers and publications of that time. It was ironic that nationalism was propagated more through Spanish language instead of the local vernacular tongue. This era (1870 to 1903) saw the rise of national heroes like Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Pedro Paterno who contributed to important Spanish literary work in the Philippines by the way of various historical documents, revolutionary propaganda and nationalist articles. Philippine literature in Spanish was preserved well through private publications like 'Plaridel' and the first Spanish newspaper 'El Boletn de Ceb' and 'Flora Sentino', by Orlando Agnes. At the start of the 20th century the American control introduced English to the islands that brought about a significant change in the use of Spanish in Philippine literature. Further more, Japanese occupation during World War II and Commonwealth membership brought about a slow demise of Spanish and an emergence of English in the country's literature. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history-of-philippineliterature.html

] Colonial Literature (16th-18th Century) The arrival of the Spaniards in 1565 brought Spanish culture and language. The Spanish conquerors, governing from Mexico for the crown of Spain, established a strict class system that was based on race and soon imposed Roman Catholicism on the native population. Augustinianand Franciscan missionaries, accompanied by Spanish soldiers soon spread Christianity from island to island. Their mission was made easier by the forced relocation of indigenous peoples during this time, as the uprooted natives turned to the foreign, structured religion as the new center of their lives. The priests and friars preached in local languages and employed indigenous peoples as translators, creating a bilingual class known as ladinos. The natives, called "indios", generally were not taught Spanish, but the bilingual individuals, notably poet-translator Gaspar Aquino de Belen, produced devotional poetry written in the Roman script in the Tagalog language. Pasyon, begun by Aquino de Belen, is a narrative of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which has circulated in many versions. Later, the Mexican ballads of chivalry, the corrido, provided a model for secular literature. Verse narratives, or komedya, were performed in the regional languages for the illiterate majority. They were also written in the Roman alphabet in the principal languages and widely circulated. In the early seventeenth century a Tagalog printer, Tomas Pinpin, set out to write a book in romanized phonetic script, which would teach Tagalogs the principles of learning Castilian. His book, published by the Dominican press where he worked, appeared in 1610. Unlike the missionary's grammar (which Pinpin had set in type), the Tagalog native's book dealt with the language of the dominant rather than the subordinate other. Pinpin's book was the first such work ever written and published by a Philippine native. As such, it is richly instructive for what it tells us about the interests that animated Tagalog translation and, by implication, Tagalog conversion in the early colonial period. Pinpin construed translation in ways that tended less to oppose than to elude the totalizing claims of Spanish signifying conventions. Classical Literature (XIX Century) Classical literature (Jos Rizal, Pedro Paterno, Jess Balmori, Huerta, Faroln, Licsi, Lumba, Castillo, etc.) and historical documents (the national anthem, Constitucin

Poltica de Malolos, etc.) were written in Spanish, which is no longer an official language. Nationalism was first propagated in the Spanish language, especially in the writings of Marcelo H. Del Pilar or "Plaridel" in the La Solidaridad publications. In Cebu, the first Spanish newspaper, El Boletin de Cebu, was published in 1886.

[edit] Modern Literature (XX Century) Ironically, the greatest portion of Spanish literature by native Filipinos was written during the American commonwealth period, because the Spanish language was still predominant among the Filipino intellectuals. One of the country's major writers, Claro Mayo Recto, continued writing in Spanish until 1946. Other well-known Spanishlanguage writers, especially during the American period were Isidro Marfori, Cecilio Apostol (Pentelicas, 1941), Fernando Ma. Guerrero (Crisalidas, 1914), Gaspar Aquino de Beln, Flavio Zaragoza Cano (Cantos a Espaa andDe Mactan a Tirad) and others. Among the newspapers published in Spanish were El Renacimiento, La Democracia, La Vanguardia, El Pueblo de Ilolo, El Tiempo and others. Three magazines, The Independent, Philippine Free Press and Philippine Review were published in English and Spanish. In 1915, the local newspapers began publishing sections in English. Cebu had its share of writers in Spanish, most of whom flourished during the early decades of the century. Although their output would diminish in later years, Jos del Mar won a Zobel Prize (Premio Zobel) for his work Perfiles in 1965. [edit] Notable writers in Spanish

Jose Rizal Marcelo H. Del Pilar Claro M. Recto Cecilio Apostol Guillermo Gmez Rivera Jesus Balmori Fr. Ignatio Francisco Alzina Antonio Abad Edmundo Farolan

Lourdes Castrillo Brillantes Uldarico A. Alviola Fernando Mara Guerrero

[edit] Notable Spanish Works

Doctrina Christiana Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo - both written by Jose Rizal in Spanish created controversy among the Spanish authority in the Philippines. They were instrumental in creating a Filipino sense of identity during the Spanish colonial period by caricaturing and exposing the abuses of the Spanish colonial government and religious authority.

Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas by Antonio de Morga Maragtas - A collection of legends of ten chiefs(datus) who escaped from the tyranny of Datu Makatunaw of Borneo to the island of Panay. The chiefs and followers are believed to be ancestors of the Visayans. The arrival is celebrated in the festival of the Ati-atihan ni Kalibo,Aklan.While they are legends, they are also based on actual facts and events. The legends were compiled into a book by Pedro

Alcantara Monteclaro in 1907. http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Philippine_Literature_in_Spanish

Philippine Literature spanish periodPresentation Transcript

1. Spanish Period (1565 1898) At the end of the presentation the students must be able to understand how Literature started during the Spanish Period.2. Objective:

3. Spanish colonization of the Philippinesstarted in 1565 during the time of MiguelLopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor-general in the Philippines. Literature started toflourish during his time. The spurt continuedunabated until the Cavite Revolt in 1872. TheSpaniards colonized the Philippines for morethan three centuries.

4. SPANISH INFLUENCES ON THE PHILIPPINE LITERATURE1. ALIBATA2. Christian Doctrine3. Spanish language became the literary language this time4. European legends and traditions5. Ancient literature was collected and translated to Tagalog6. Grammar books were printed in Filipino7. Religious tone

5. THE FIRST BOOKS1. Ang Doctrina Cristiana (The Christian Doctrine)2. Nuestra Senora del Rosario3. Libro de los Cuatro Postprimeras de Hombre (in Spanish and Tagalog)4. Ang Barlaan at Josephat5. The Pasion6. Urbana at Felisa7. Ang mga Dalit kay Maria (Psalms for Mary)

6. LITERARY COMPOSITIONS1. Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala (Art and Rules of the Tagalog language)2. Compendio de la Lengua Tagala (Understanding the Tagalog language)3. Vocabulario

de la Lengua Tagala (Tagalog vocabulary)4. Vocabulario de la Lengua Pampanga (Pampango vocabulary)5. Vocabulario de la Lengua Bisaya (Bisayan vocabulary)6. Arte de la Lengua Ilokana (The Art of the Ilocano language)7. Arte de la Lengua Bicolana (The Art of the Bicol Language)

7. FOLK SONGS Folk songs became widespread in thePhilippines. Each region had its national songfrom the lowlands to the mountains ofLuzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Folk songs truly manifest the artisticfeelings of the Filipinos. They show theFilipinos innate appreciation for, and love ofbeauty.

8. Examples of Folk songs: Leron-Leron Sinta (Tagalog) Pamulinawen (Iloko) Dandansoy (Bisaya) Sarong Banggi (Bicol) Atin Cu Pung Singsing (Kapampangan)

9. RECREATIONAL PLAYS There were many recreationalplays performed by Filipinos during theSpanish times. Almost all of them werein poetic form.

10. Examples or recreational plays: 1.Tibag 2.Lagaylay 3.The Cenaculo 4.Panunuluyan 5.The Salubong (or

Panubong) 6.Carillo (Shadow Play) 7.The Zarzuela 8.The Sainete

11. THE MORO-MOROLike the Cenaculo, the MoroMoro ispresented also on a special stage. This isperformed during town fiestas toentertain the people and to remindthem of their Christian religion. : Prinsipe RodanteExample

12. KARAGATAN This is a poetic vehicle of a socioreligious nature celebrated during thedeath of a person.

13. DUPLO The Duplo replaced the Karagatan.This is a poetic joust in speaking andreasoning.

14. THE BALAGTASAN This is a poetic joust or a contest ofskills in debate on a particular topic orissue.

15. THE DUNG-AW This is a chant in free verse by abereaved person or his representativebeside the corpse of the dead.

16. THE AWIT and the CORRIDO Both referred to as narrative poetry.Some use the two interchangeablybecause the distinction is not clear.

17. AWIT is in dodecasyllabic verse. are fabricated stories from writers imaginationalthough the setting

and characters are European. refers to chanting. Example: Florante at Laura by Francisco Balagtas

18. CORRIDO is in octosyllabic verse. were usually on legends or stories from European countries like France, Spain, Italy and Greece. refers to narration. Example: Ibong Adarna by Jose de la Cruz

INFLUENCES: The vast majority of Classical Filipino literature is written in Spanish.

Many of the early Filipino nationalists were masters of the Spanish language, such as Jose Rizal, Juan Luna, Andres Bonifacio, etc.

Books include Noli mi Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Poems include "Filipinas" by Juan Luna which later became our national anthem (originally sung in Spanish).

Unfortunately many of these Spanish-Filipino works are now in storage rooms in the national archives, almost ceasing to exist with the lack of interest in the Spanish language.

There are hundreds of unpublished Spanish literary works by Filipinos in the archives which are only recently been revived.

The oldest and most prestigious literary award in the Philippines is the Premio Zobel, and it is only awarded to Spanish literary compositions by Filipinos. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Spanish_influences_in_Philippine_literature

The Literary Forms in Philippine Literature by: Christine F. Godinez-Ortega The diversity and richness of Philippine literature evolved side by side with the country's history. This can best be appreciated in the context of the country's pre-colonial cultural traditions and the socio-political histories of its colonial and contemporary traditions. The average Filipino's unfamiliarity with his indigenous literature was largely due to what has been impressed upon him: that his country was "discovered" and, hence, Philippine "history" started only in 1521. So successful were the efforts of colonialists to blot out the memory of the country's largely oral past that present-day Filipino writers, artists and journalists are trying to correct this inequity by recognizing the country's wealth of ethnic traditions and disseminating them in schools and in the mass media. The rousings of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also helped bring about this change of attitude among a new breed of Filipinos concerned about the "Filipino identity."

Pre-Colonial Times Owing to the works of our own archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists, we are able to know more and better judge information about our pre-colonial times set against a bulk of material about early Filipinos as recorded by Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and other chroniclers of the past. Pre-colonial inhabitants of our islands showcase a rich past through their folk speeches, folk songs, folk narratives and indigenous rituals and mimetic dances that affirm our ties with our Southeast Asian neighbors. The most seminal of these folk speeches is the riddle which is tigmo in Cebuano, bugtong in Tagalog, paktakon in Ilongo and patototdon in Bicol. Central to the riddle is the talinghaga or metaphor because it "reveals subtle resemblances between two unlike objects" and one's power of observation and wit are put to the test. While some riddles are ingenious, others verge on the obscene or are sex-related: Gaddang: Gongonan nu usin y amam If you pull your daddy's penis

Maggirawa pay sila y inam. Your mommy's vagina, too, (Campana) screams. (Bell) The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs or they instill values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming verse. The extended form, tanaga, a mono-riming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and lessons on life is "more emotionally charged than the terse proverb and thus has affinities with the folk lyric." Some examples are the basahanon or extended didactic sayings from Bukidnon and the daraida and daragilon from Panay. The folk song, 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 naive as in the children's songs or Ida-ida (Maguindanao), tulang pambata (Tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag). A few examples are the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like the panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade (Cebuano); the bayok(Maranao); the seven-syllable per line poem, ambahan of the Mangyans that are about human relationships, social entertainment and also serve as a tool for teaching the young; work songs that depict the livelihood of the people often sung to go with the movement of workers such as the kalusan (Ivatan), soliranin (Tagalog rowing song) or the mambayu, a Kalinga rice-pounding song; the verbal jousts/games like the duplo popular during wakes. Other folk songs are the drinking songs sung during carousals like the tagay (Cebuano and Waray); dirges and lamentations extolling the deeds of the dead like the kanogon (Cebuano) or the Annako (Bontoc). A type of narrative song or kissa among the Tausug of Mindanao, the parang sabil, uses for its subject matter the exploits of historical and legendary heroes. It tells of a Muslim hero who seeks death at the hands of non-Muslims. The folk narratives, i.e. epics and folk tales are varied, exotic and magical. They explain how the world was created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics, why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains, flora or fauna and, in the case of legends, an explanation of the origins of things. Fables are about animals and these teach moral lessons. Our country's epics are considered ethno-epics because unlike, say, Germany's Niebelunginlied, our epics are not national for they are "histories" of varied groups that consider themselves "nations." The epics come in various names: Guman (Subanon); Darangen (Maranao); Hudhud (Ifugao); and Ulahingan (Manobo). These epics revolve around supernatural events or heroic deeds and they embody or validate the beliefs and customs and ideals of a community. These are sung or chanted to the accompaniment

of indigenous musical instruments and dancing performed during harvests, weddings or funerals by chanters. The chanters who were taught by their ancestors are considered "treasures" and/or repositories of wisdom in their communities. Examples of these epics are the Lamang (Ilocano); Hinilawod (Sulod); Kudaman (Palawan); Darangen (Maranao); Ulahingan (Livun ganen-Arumanen Manobo); Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (The Maiden of the Buhong Sky from Tuwaang--Manobo); Ag Tobig neg Keboklagan (Subanon); and Tudbulol(T'boli).

The Spanish Colonial Tradition While it is true that Spain subjugated the Philippines for more mundane reasons, this former European power contributed much in the shaping and recording of our literature. Religion and institutions that represented European civilization enriched the languages in the lowlands, introduced theater which we would come to know as komedya, the sinakulo, the sarswela, the playlets and the drama. Spain also brought to the country, though at a much later time, liberal ideas and an internationalism that influenced our own Filipino intellectuals and writers for them to understand the meanings of "liberty and freedom." Literature in this period may be classified as religious prose and poetry and secular prose and poetry. Religious lyrics written by ladino poets or those versed in both Spanish and Tagalog were included in early catechism and were used to teach Filipinos the Spanish language. Fernando Bagonbanta's "Salamat nang walang hanga/gracias de sin sempiternas" (Unending thanks) is a fine example that is found in theMemorial de la vida cristiana en lengua tagala (Guidelines for the Christian life in the Tagalog language) published in 1605. Another form of religious lyrics are the meditative verses like the dalit appended to novenas and catechisms. It has no fixed meter nor rime scheme although a number are written in octosyllabic quatrains and have a solemn tone and spiritual subject matter. But among the religious poetry of the day, it is the pasyon in octosyllabic quintillas that became entrenched in the Filipino's commemoration of Christ's agony and resurrection at Calvary. Gaspar Aquino de Belen's "Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon natin na tola" (Holy Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Verse) put out in 1704 is the country's earliest known pasyon. Other known pasyons chanted during the Lenten season are in Ilocano, Pangasinan, Ibanag, Cebuano, Bicol, Ilongo and Waray. Aside from religious poetry, there were various kinds of prose narratives written to prescribe proper decorum. Like the pasyon, these prose narratives were also used for proselitization. Some forms are: dialogo (dialogue), Manual de Urbanidad (conduct book); ejemplo (exemplum)

and tratado (tratado). The most well-known are Modesto de Castro's "Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na si Urbana at si Feliza" (Correspondence between the Two Maidens Urbana and Feliza) in 1864 and Joaquin Tuason's "Ang Bagong Robinson" (The New Robinson) in 1879, an adaptation of Daniel Defoe's novel. Secular works appeared alongside historical and economic changes, the emergence of an opulent class and the middle class who could avail of a European education. This Filipino elite could now read printed works that used to be the exclusive domain of the missionaries. The most notable of the secular lyrics followed the conventions of a romantic tradition: the languishing but loyal lover, the elusive, often heartless beloved, the rival. The leading poets were Jose Corazon de Jesus (Huseng Sisiw) and Francisco Balagtas. Some secular poets who wrote in this same tradition were Leona Florentino, Jacinto Kawili, Isabelo de los Reyes and Rafael Gandioco. Another popular secular poetry is the metrical romance, the awit and korido in Tagalog. The awit is set in dodecasyllabic quatrains while the korido is in octosyllabic quatrains. These are colorful tales of chivalry from European sources made for singing and chanting such as Gonzalo de Cordoba (Gonzalo of Cordoba) and Ibong Adarna (Adarna Bird). There are numerous metrical romances in Tagalog, Bicol, Ilongo, Pampango, Ilocano and in Pangasinan. The awit as a popular poetic genre reached new heights in Balagtas' "Florante at Laura" (ca. 1838-1861), the most famous of the country's metrical romances. Again, the winds of change began to blow in 19th century Philippines. Filipino intellectuals educated in Europe called ilustrados began to write about the downside of colonization. This, coupled with the simmering calls for reforms by the masses gathered a formidable force of writers like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Emilio Jacinto and Andres Bonifacio. This led to the formation of the Propaganda Movement where prose works such as the political essays and Rizal's two political novels, Noli Me Tangere and the El filibusterismo helped usher in the Philippine revolution resulting in the downfall of the Spanish regime, and, at the same time planted the seeds of a national consciousness among Filipinos. But if Rizal's novels are political, the novel Ninay (1885) by Pedro Paterno is largely cultural and is considered the first Filipino novel. Although Paterno's Ninaygave impetus to other novelists like Jesus Balmori and Antonio M. Abad to continue writing in Spanish, this did not flourish. Other Filipino writers published the essay and short fiction in Spanish in La Vanguardia, El Debate, Renacimiento Filipino, and Nueva Era. The more notable essayists and fictionists were Claro M. Recto, Teodoro M. Kalaw, Epifanio de los Reyes, Vicente Sotto, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Rafael Palma, Enrique Laygo (Caretas or Masks, 1925) and Balmori who mastered the prosa romantica or romantic prose.

But the introduction of English as medium of instruction in the Philippines hastened the demise of Spanish so that by the 1930s, English writing had overtaken Spanish writing. During the language's death throes, however, writing in the romantic tradition, from the awit and korido, would continue in the novels of Magdalena Jalandoni. But patriotic writing continued under the new colonialists. These appeared in the vernacular poems and modern adaptations of works during the Spanish period and which further maintained the Spanish tradition.

The American Colonial Period A new set of colonizers brought about new changes in Philippine literature. New literary forms such as free verse [in poetry], the modern short story and the critical essay were introduced. American influence was deeply entrenched with the firm establishment of English as the medium of instruction in all schools and with literary modernism that highlighted the writer's individuality and cultivated consciousness of craft, sometimes at the expense of social consciousness. The poet, and later, National Artist for Literature, Jose Garcia Villa used free verse and espoused the dictum, "Art for art's sake" to the chagrin of other writers more concerned with the utilitarian aspect of literature. Another maverick in poetry who used free verse and talked about illicit love in her poetry was Angela Manalang Gloria, a woman poet described as ahead of her time. Despite the threat of censorship by the new dispensation, more writers turned up "seditious works" and popular writing in the native languages bloomed through the weekly outlets like Liwayway and Bisaya. The Balagtas tradition persisted until the poet Alejandro G. Abadilla advocated modernism in poetry. Abadilla later influenced young poets who wrote modern verses in the 1960s such as Virgilio S. Almario, Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S. Tinio. While the early Filipino poets grappled with the verities of the new language, Filipinos seemed to have taken easily to the modern short story as published in thePhilippines Free Press, the College Folio and Philippines Herald. Paz Marquez Benitez's "Dead Stars" published in 1925 was the first successful short story in English written by a Filipino. Later on, Arturo B. Rotor and Manuel E. Arguilla showed exceptional skills with the short story. Alongside this development, writers in the vernaculars continued to write in the provinces. Others like Lope K. Santos, Valeriano Hernandez Pea and Patricio Mariano were writing minimal narratives similar to the early Tagalog short fiction called dali or pasingaw (sketch). The romantic tradition was fused with American pop culture or European influences in the adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan by F. P. Boquecosa who also penned Ang Palad ni Pepe after Charles Dicken's David Copperfield even as the realist tradition was kept alive in the novels by Lope K. Santos and Faustino Aguilar, among others.

It should be noted that if there was a dearth of the Filipino novel in English, the novel in the vernaculars continued to be written and serialized in weekly magazines like Liwayway, Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Bannawag. The essay in English became a potent medium from the 1920's to the present. Some leading essayists were journalists like Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge Bocobo, Pura Santillan Castrence, etc. who wrote formal to humorous to informal essays for the delectation by Filipinos. Among those who wrote criticism developed during the American period were Ignacio Manlapaz, Leopoldo Yabes and I.V. Mallari. But it was Salvador P. Lopez's criticism that grabbed attention when he won the Commonwealth Literay Award for the essay in 1940 with his "Literature and Society." This essay posited that art must have substance and that Villa's adherence to "Art for Art's Sake" is decadent. The last throes of American colonialism saw the flourishing of Philippine literature in English at the same time, with the introduction of the New Critical aesthetics, made writers pay close attention to craft and "indirectly engendered a disparaging attitude" towards vernacular writings -- a tension that would recur in the contemporary period.

The Contemporary Period The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially with the appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence of committed literature in the 1960s and the 1970s. Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and essays whether these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention or not. Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the proliferation of writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available to him via the mass media including the internet. The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and Panorama literary awards encourage him to compete with his peers and hope that his creative efforts will be rewarded in the long run. With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher Education of teaching of Philippine Literature in all tertiary schools in the country emphasizing the teaching of the vernacular literature or literatures of the regions, the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured. And, perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the literatures of the world will not be far behind.

The American Colonial Period A new set of colonizers brought about new changes in Philippine literature. New literary forms such as free verse [in poetry], the modern short story and the critical essay were introduced. American influence was deeply entrenched with the firm establishment of English as the medium of instruction in all schools and with literary modernism that highlighted the writer's individuality and cultivated consciousness of craft, sometimes at the expense of social consciousness. The poet, and later, National Artist for Literature, Jose Garcia Villa used free verse and espoused the dictum, "Art for art's sake" to the chagrin of other writers more concerned with the utilitarian aspect of literature. Another maverick in poetry who used free verse and talked about illicit love in her poetry was Angela Manalang Gloria, a woman poet described as ahead of her

time. Despite the threat of censorship by the new dispensation, more writers turned up "seditious works" and popular writing in the native languages bloomed through the weekly outlets like Liwayway and Bisaya. The Balagtas tradition persisted until the poet Alejandro G. Abadilla advocated modernism in poetry. Abadilla later influenced young poets who wrote modern verses in the 1960s such as Virgilio S. Almario, Pedro I. Ricarte and Rolando S. Tinio. While the early Filipino poets grappled with the verities of the new language, Filipinos seemed to have taken easily to the modern short story as published in thePhilippines Free Press, the College Folio and Philippines Herald. Paz Marquez Benitez's "Dead Stars" published in 1925 was the first successful short story in English written by a Filipino. Later on, Arturo B. Rotor and Manuel E. Arguilla showed exceptional skills with the short story. Alongside this development, writers in the vernaculars continued to write in the provinces. Others like Lope K. Santos, Valeriano Hernandez Pea and Patricio Mariano were writing minimal narratives similar to the early Tagalog short fiction called dali or pasingaw (sketch). The romantic tradition was fused with American pop culture or European influences in the adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan by F. P. Boquecosa who also penned Ang Palad ni Pepe after Charles Dicken's David Copperfield even as the realist tradition was kept alive in the novels by Lope K. Santos and Faustino Aguilar, among others. http://www.seasite.niu.edu/tagalog/literature/literary_forms_in_philippine_lit.htm It should be noted that if there was a dearth of the Filipino novel in English, the novel in the vernaculars continued to be written and serialized in weekly magazines like Liwayway, Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Bannawag. The essay in English became a potent medium from the 1920's to the present. Some leading essayists were journalists like Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge Bocobo, Pura Santillan Castrence, etc. who wrote formal to humorous to informal essays for the delectation by Filipinos. Among those who wrote criticism developed during the American period were Ignacio Manlapaz, Leopoldo Yabes and I.V. Mallari. But it was Salvador P. Lopez's criticism that grabbed attention when he won the Commonwealth Literay Award for the essay in 1940 with his "Literature and Society." This essay posited that art must have substance and that Villa's adherence to "Art for Art's Sake" is decadent. The last throes of American colonialism saw the flourishing of Philippine literature in English at the same time, with the introduction of the New Critical aesthetics, made writers pay close attention to craft and "indirectly engendered a disparaging attitude" towards vernacular writings -- a tension that would recur in the contemporary period.

The Contemporary Period The flowering of Philippine literature in the various languages continue especially with the appearance of new publications after the Martial Law years and the resurgence of committed literature in the 1960s and the 1970s. Filipino writers continue to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels and essays whether these are socially committed, gender/ethnic related or are personal in intention or not. Of course the Filipino writer has become more conscious of his art with the proliferation of writers workshops here and abroad and the bulk of literature available to him via the mass media including the internet. The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and Panorama literary awards encourage him to compete with his peers and hope that his creative efforts will be rewarded in the long run. With the new requirement by the Commission on Higher Education of teaching of Philippine Literature in all tertiary schools in the country emphasizing the teaching of the vernacular literature or literatures of the regions, the audience for Filipino writers is virtually assured. And, perhaps, a national literature finding its niche among the literatures of the world will not be far behind.

American periodPresentation Transcript

1. Philippine Literature in the Twentieth Century 2. Americans landed in Manila on AUGUST 13, 1898. Political change was from Spanish domination to American determinism. The cultural influences of Spain remain deeply rooted in the peoples ways and traditions. The language of literature, following the

language of the elite, the powerful, and the influential, shifted from Spanish to English. Political Changes

3. 1901- Phil. Normal School was founded with English as a medium of instruction. 1908- University of the Philippines came into existence. English became the official language and the medium of instruction in the public and the private schools.The New Language

4. THE PHILIPPINE FREE PRESS founded in 1905 began as a bilingual weekly. By the 1920s, a new generation had grown up in the American climate, speaking and writing in English. By the 1930s, the writers have mastered their craft in English. By the 1940s, a number of writers would be recognized abroad.The New Language

5. Writers in Spanish 6. Worked for General Antonio Lunas La Independencia Editor of El Renacimiento Co-founder of La Vanguardia Used the pseudonyms Fulvis Gil and Gil Rosas Collection of his verses --- Crisalidas -- was published in 1914.Fernando Ma. Guerrero

7. Author of the lyrics of the Phil. National Anthem Wrote for La Independencia His book of verses --Melancolicas --- was published in 1912. Jose Palma

8. Wrote in Spanish and Tagalog Won various awards in poetry and balagtasan His verse --Pentelicas --- was published in 1914. Used the pseudonym Baticuling Published 3 novels --Banacarrota de Almas, Se Deshojo la Flor, El Pajaro de fuego Cecilio Apostol

9. Won in 1913 three literary contests with his Zapote, El Himno nacional filipino al Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, and Espana en Filipinas Has two books of poetry --- Cantos del Tropico (Songs of the Tropic, 1929) and Perfil de Cresta (Profile of the Top, 1957) Manuel Bernabe

10. Won the Zobel Prize for poetry in 1929 and the 1940 Commonwealth Literary Contest in Spanish for De Mactan a Tirad Crowned in 1926 as Rey del Balagtasan Bisaya and in 1933 as Principe del HiligaynonFlavio Zaragoza Cano

11. Better known as a national figure in politics, being the president of the first Constitutional Convention in 1935, congressman and senator Wrote verses which were later compiled in Bajo los cocoteros (Under the Coconut Tree) His two plays --- Solo entre las sombres (Alone Among the Shadows) and La ruta de Damasco (The Road to Damascus) Claro M. Recto

12. President of the University of the Philippines Known for his Biografia de Rizal Commonwealth Literary Awardee for biography Rafael Palma

13. Member of the Philippine Assembly and later Director of the National Library His works --- La Revolucion filipina, Dieterio Espiritual, Las cartas politicos de Mabini, La constitution de Malolos, and Hacia la Tierra del Zar Teodoro Kalaw

14. Wrote Efemeridas des Filipinas in 1914 in collaboration with Mariano Ponce Last major work was Discursos y articulos de Graciano Lopez Jaena Jayme C. de Veyra

15. Wrote Caretes, a collection of stories which won the Zobel Prize in 1925 From Lipa, Batangas Enrique Laygo

16. Vernacular Drama 17. A musical comedy usually of three or more acts Introduced to the Spanish zarzuela with the arrival of Dario Cespedes, a Spanish poet and playwright and his troupe in 1878. Most popular in the 1920s and the 1930s Dealt mostly with romantic and domestic situations Zarzuela

18. An Fiscal Mayor sa Simbahan (Asisclo Jimenez) 1906 Maysa a Candidato (Mena Pecson Crisologo) 1908 Codigo Municipal (Mena Pecson Crisologo) 1908 Inday (Buenaventura Rodriguez) 1917 Gugma sa Yutang Natauhan (Vicente Sotto) 1901 Managuete (Norberto Romualdez) 1920 Earlier Zarzuelas

Literary Period U. S. Colonialism 1898 - 1945 Philippine literature during the American rule was influenced by two factors, first of which is, education. With the Americans providing free education, many were given the chance to study and English was used as the language of instruction. Unlike the Spanish, the foreigners were willing to teach their language to the Filipinos. Free education served as the stepping stone for others to improve their social status.

Early literary works in English showed styles of which is American. It can also be seen that writers who just started learning English cannot fully showcase their talent because of the lack of mastery of the language. The downfall of the Spanish colonialism freed the printing industry from religious censorship. With the printing industry in the hands of patriotic investors, the printing press was used to block the American culture from entering the Philippine lifestyle. Newspapers in our different dialects flourished all over the archipelago. With some newspapers having a space for literary pieces, writers were given the chance to show and prove the true talent of the Filipinos. Some of these newspapers were Muling Pagsilang (1903, Tagalog), Ang Kaluwasan (1902, Cebuano), Makinaugalingon (1913, Ilonggo), and Nueva Era (1908, Ilokano). The best known magazines that capitalized on short stories and poems were Liwayway (1922, Tagalog), Bisaya (1930, Cebuano), Hiligaynon (1934, Ilonggo), and Bannawag (1934, Ilokano). Writers during the American Period drew ideas from the Propaganda Movement and the Revolutionary Movement to encourage the Filipinos to continue to fight against the U.S. Colonialism. The demand for independence was supported by a campaign to make the

Americans aware of the Filipino culture. Some writers who use the Spanish language began to shift to the American language for the fact that a larger population can now comprehend the said language. It is a fact that Filipinos during the Spanish period were not given the chance to learn the language, resulting in a very small population of people capable of understanding the literary works. The literary genres that flourished during the American Period were poetry, sarswela, short story, and the novel. Poetry was written in the three languages - Filipino, Spanish, English, and in the different dialects. Some of the known poets during the American period were Maximo Kalaw, Carlos P. Romulo, Maria Agoncillo, Paz Marquez Benitez, Salvador P. Lopez, Jose Garcia Villa, Carlos Bulosan, and many others. There were three collection of poems printed namely Filipino Poetry edited by Rodolfo Dato, The English German Anthology of Poets edited by Pablo Laslo, and a pre-war collection by Carlos Bulosan. The balagtasan, named after Francisco F. Balagtas, is a debate in verse, a poetical joust done almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the pros and the cons of a certain issue. The first ever balagtasan was held in March 1924 at the Insituto de Mujeres, with Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes as rivals. Jose Corazon de Jesus, known also as Huseng Batute, became the first ever king of the Balagtasan. Short stories in English of early Filipino fictionists are marked with American style. This all changed with the founding of the U. P. Writers Club in 1926 whose aim was to enhance and propagate the "language of Shakespeare." With the publication of Paz Marquez Benitez' "Dead Stars," it was made the landmark of the maturity of the Filipino writer in English. Many writers followed Benitez like Icasiano Calalang, Arturo Rotor, A. E. Litiatco, Paz Latorena, and Manuel Arguilla started publishing stories manifesting skills in the use of the foreign language and a keen Filipino sensibility. The combination of the foreign language and the culture of a Filipino enabled fictionists to produce great literary works. The public can now relate to the story because the public also experiences what the story has to say and they can now understand the language being used by the writer. Works like "His Native Soil" by Juan C. Laya, "How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife" by Manuel Arguilla, and many others depicted the Filipino life in English. The other novelists of this period are Jose Garcia Villa, Francisco Arellana, Fernando Maria Guerrero, Amador Daguio, and Sinai Hamada. With the founding of the Philippine Writers League in 1936, Filipino writers began discussing the value of literature in the society they live in. This move was led by Salvador P. Lopez whose works centered on proletarian literature. It was during the early American period that the sarswela gained popularity. Most of the sarwelas if not all are directed against the American imperialists. The works of Severino Reyes ("Walang Sugat") and Patricio Mariano ("Anak ng Dagat") are equally remarkable sarwelas during the period. Here are the other noted sarswelistas: Aurelio Tolentino, Juan Abad, Juan Matapang Cruz, and Juan Crisostomo Sotto. Among the Ilokano writers, noted novelists were Leon Pichay, Hermogenes Belen, and Mena Pecson Crisologo whose Mining wenno Ayat ti Kararwa is considered to be the

Ilokano version of Noli Me Tangere. Magdalena Jalandoni and Ramon Muzones are the most prominent writers in the Visayas region. Their works depicted love, farm life, and the social life the region is having. The latter stages of the American period continued to produce great poets like Julian Cruz Blamaceda, Florentino Collantes, Pedro Gatmaitan, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Lope K. Santos, Alejandro Abadilla, Teodoro Agoncillo, and Inigo Ed. Regalado. They used a modern style of poetry that is made up of free verse. Liwayway Arceo and Genoveva Edroza Matute are two fictionist writers that became popular during the American rule. Their works "Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa" and "Ako'y Isang Tinig" respectively are used as models for fine writing. Both writers use a style of storytelling that uses language through poignant rendition. Teodoro Agoncillo's "25 Pinakamahusay na Maikling Kuwento" included the foremost writers of fiction before World War II. http://www.angelfire.com/la2/litera1/us.html

Literature during the american periodPresentation Transcript

1. Literature during The American Period 2. Historical Background Philippine Independence Philippine American conflicts 1900s peace movements

3. Literature Desire for freedom Love of country Fight against colonialism and imperialism

4. Literature characterized by: nationalism freedom of speech experience search for and use of a new medium

5. American Influences schools new education system cleanliness and hygiene English language politics freedom of speech

6. Newspapers El Grito del Pueblo Pascual Poblete 1900 El Nuevo Dia Sergio Osmena - 1900 El Renacimiento Rafael Palma - 1900 Manila Daily Bulletin - 1900

7. Three Groups of Writers Spanish English Filipino 8. Three Groups of Writers The writers in Spanish were accustomed to write on nationalism like honoring Rizal and other heroes. Cecilio Apostol, Fernando Ma. Guerrero, Jesus Balmori, Manuel Bernabe and Claro M. Recto

9. Cecilio Apostol masterpiece - A Rizal his poems were used to teach the Spanish language (RA 1881) pen name - Catulo

10. Fernando Maria Guerrero masterpiece - Crisalidas Prince of Filipino lyric poets in Spanish favorite theme eternal sadness of things

11. Claro M. Recto Bajos Los Cocoteros Father of Philippine Constitution

12. Jesus Balmori Mi Casa de Nipa, Mi Choza de Nipa pen name - Batikuling Premio Zobel award for his contributions to Philippine Literature Poet Laureate in Spanish

13. Manuel Bernabe translated Omar Khayyams Rubaiyat in Spanish King of Balagtasan in Spanish

14. Three Groups of Writers The writers in Tagalog continued in their lamentations on the conditions of the country and their attempts to arouse love for ones native tongue.

15. Three Groups of Writers Poets of the Heart (Makata ng Puso) Lope K. Santos, Iigo Ed. Regalado, Carlos Gatmaitan, Pedro Deogracias del Rosario, Ildefonso Santos, Amado V. Hernandez, Nemecio Carabana, and Mar Antonio

16. Three Groups of Writers Poets of Life (Makata ng Buhay) Lope K Santos, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Florentino Collantes, Patricio Mariano, Carlos Gatmaitan, and Amado V. Hernandez.

17. Three Groups of Writers Poets of the Stage (Makata ng Tanghalan) Aurelio Tolentino, Patricio Mariano, Severino Reyes, and Tomas Remigio.

18. Lope K. Santos masterpiece - Banaag at Sikat Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa Father of the Filipino Grammar Apo of the Tagalog writers

19. Amado V. Hernandez masterpiece - Luha ng Buwaya, Ang Panday Isang Dipang Langit First King of Balagtasan A Pillar in TagalogLiterature

20. Jose Corazon de Jesus Masterpiece Ang Isang Punongkahoy (a Tree) Bayan Ko Huseng Batute The Legendary Lyric Poet King of Balagtasan

21. Aurelio Tolentino masterpiece Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas coined the word dula Father of the Tagalog Drama A theater at the CCP was named after him Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino

22. Severino Reyes masterpiece Walang Sugat Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang Father of the Tagalog Plays, Father of the Tagalog Zarzuela pen name Lola Basyang

23. Three Groups of Writers The writers in English imitated the themes and methods of the Americans. The Period of Re-orientation: 1898-1910 The Period of Imitation: 1910-1925 The Period of Self-Discovery: 1925-1941

24. The Period of Reorientation 1900 English medium of instruction in the public schools El Renacimiento Rafael Palma 1901 Philippines Free Press 1905 Sursum Corda Justo Juliano 1907 first work published in English My Mother and Air Castles Juan F. Salazar 1909

25. The Period of Imitation 1919 UP College Folio 1920 Bulletin, Philippine Herald 1924 The Philippine Review, the Independent, Rising Philippines and Citizens, and the Philippine Education Magazine.

26. The Period of Self-Discovery Writers had acquired the mastery of English writing; confident and competent

27. Essays scholarly and characterized by sobriety, substance and structure serious essay, especially the editorial type Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge C. Bocobo, Mauro Mendez, and Vicente Hilario

28. Essays Political, social reflective essays (through newspaper columns) Critical essays Personal or Familiar essays

29. Informal Essays works are spiced with humor, wit, and satire Ignacio Manlapaz, Godefredo Rivera, Federico Mangahas, Francisco B. Icasiano, Salvador P. Lopez, Jose Lansang and Amando G. Dayrit

30. Short Stories Imitation of foreign models Ignacio Manlapaz, Godefredo Rivera, Federico Mangahas, Francisco B. Icasiano, Salvador P. Lopez, Jose Lansang and Amando G. Dayrit

31. Francisco Benitez What is an Educated Filipino First editor of Philippine Journal of Education Dean of UP College of Education

32. Paz Marquez Benitez First Filipino modern English language short story writer Dead Stars (1925) One of the founders of Philippine Womens College (now PWU)

33. Zoilo Galang A Child of Sorrow first Philippine novel written in English (1921) Nadia (1929) Encyclopedia of the Philippines (1957) Filipino encyclopedist and the 1 st English-language Filipino novelist

34. Carlos P. Romulo The Voice of Freedom I Am a Filipino I Saw the Fall of the Philippines My Brother Americans

35. Jose Garcia Villa National Artist of the Philippines for Literature 1973 Introduced reversed consonance rime scheme and extensive use of punctuation in poetry Comma Poet Pen name -Doveglion

36. Rafael Zulueta da Costa Like the Molave and Other Poems Commonwealth Literary Award for Poetry 1940

37. Salvador P. Lopez Literature and Society a collection of critical reflections and serious essays

38. Vidal A. Tan Modern High School Arithmetic for the Philippines (1924) The Husband of Mrs. Cruz

39. Wilfrido Maria Guerrero The first Filipino to have a theater named after him The Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater of the U.P. Wanted: A Chaperon National Artist for Philippine Theater 1997 (post-humous)

40. Manuel E. Arguilla How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife (1940) Epilogue to Reconciliation (1936) the best craftsman among Filipino fictionists in English, (whose voice) is the only really authentic voice. He is shamelessly Filipino Dean Leopoldo Yabes Republic Cultural Heritage Award 1972 (posthumous)

41. Nick Joaquin Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1961) National Artist of the Philippines for Literature (1976) The most important Filipino writer in English The third most important writer (after Jose Rizal and Claro M. Recto) Pen name Quijano de Manila

42. Nick Joaquin May Day Eve (1947) The Woman Who Had Two Navels (1961) A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino (1966) Summer Solstice (1972)

43. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil Woman Enough and Other Essays (1963) The Philippines: The Land and the People (1990) Lifetime Achievement Award 2005 for her outstanding achievement in history Icon of Philippine literature and journalism

44. N.V.M. Gonzales Literature is an affair of letters. N.V.M. Gonzales The Winds of April, The Bamboo Dancers, A Season of Grace, Children of the AshCovered Loam Palanca Memorial Awardee for Literature National Artist Award for Literature 1997 Centennial Award for Literature 1998 http://www.slideshare.net/thelma_villaflores/literature-during-the-american-period

Notes on Philippine Literature During the American Period Philippine literary production during the American Period was spurred by developments in education and culture. One is the introduction of free public instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of English as medium of instruction in all levels of education in public schools. The use of English as medium of instruction introduced Filipinos to Anlgo-American modes of thought, culture, and life. The educated class would be the wellspring of a vibrant Philippine literature in English.

Philippine literature in English, as a direct result of American colonization of the country, could not escape being imitative of American models of writing especially during its period of apprenticeship. In fiction, the period of apprenticeship in literary writing in English is marked by imitation of the style of storytelling and strict adherence to the craft of the short story as practiced by popular American fictionist (Anderson, Saroyan, Hemingway) In 1925, Paz Marquez Benitez short story, "Dead Stars," was published and was made the landmark of the maturity of the Philippine Writer in English. Soon after Benitez, short story writers began publishing stories no longer imitative of American models. The combination of writing in English while dwelling on Filipino customs and traditions earmarked the literary output of major fictionist in English. In 1936, the Philippine Writers League was organized; Filipino writers in English began discussing the value of literature in society. Initiated and led by Salvador P. Lopez, whose essay, Literature and Society" won in the Commonwealth Literary Awards. This essay posited that art must have substance and that poet Jose Garcia Villa's adherence to "art for art's sake" is decadent. The flowering of a literary tradition in English did not hamper the literary production in the native languages. The early period of the 20th century was remarkable for the significant literary output of all major languages, It was in the early American period that seditious plays, using the form of the zarsuwela (a Philippine version of Spanish light operetta), were mounted. Before the onset of WW II, Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero would gain dominance in theatre through his one-act plays, which he toured through his "mobile theatre." The novel in Tagalog, Iloko, Hiligaynon, and Sugbuanon also developed during the period aided largely by the steady publication of weekly magazines like Liwayway, Bannawag, and Bisaya, which serialized the novels. Banaag at Sikat or From Early Dawn to Full Light is one of the first literary novels written by Filipino author Lope K. Santos in the Tagalog language in 1906. As a book

that was considered as the "Bible of working class Filipinos", the pages of the novel revolves around the life of Delfin, his love for a daughter of a rich landlord, while Lope K. Santos also discusses the social issues such as socialism, capitalism, and the works of the united associations of laborers. Other Tagalog novelists wrote on variations of the same theme, the interplay of fate, love, and social justice. Poetry in all languages continued to flourish. The Tagalogs, hailing Fransisco F. Balagtas as the nation's foremost poet invented the Balagtasan in his honor. The Balagtasan is a debate in verse, a poetical joust done almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the pros and cons of an issue. The first balagtasan was held in March 24 at the Instituto de Mujeres. It was during this balagtasan that Jose Corazon de Jesus, known Huseng Batute, emerged triumphant to become the first king of Balagtasan. As Huseng Batute, de Jesus also produced the finest pomes and lyrics during the period. The balagtasan would be duplicated in the Ilocos as the bukaneg, in honor of Pedro Bukaneg, the supposed trascriber of Biag ni Lam-ang; and the Crissottan, in Pampanga, in honor of the esteemed poet of the Pampango, Juan Crisostomo Sotto. In 1932, Alejandro G. Abadilla with his poem, "Ako ang Daigdig" began the era of modernism in Tagalog poetry. Modernist poetry, which utilized free or blank verses was intended more for silent reading than oral delivery. For the complete NCCA article, click on the following link: Philippine Literature During the American Period http://linglithumanities.blogspot.com/2011/09/notes-on-philippine-literature-during.html

How My Brother LeonBrought Home A Wife (American Colonial Literature)By Manuel E. Arguilla

She stepped down from the carretela of Ca Celin with a quick, delicate grace.She was lovely. SHe was tall. She looked up to my brother with a smile, andher forehead was on a level with his mouth."You are Baldo," she said and placed her hand lightly on my shoulder. Hernails were long, but they were not painted. She was fragrant like a morningwhen papayas are in bloom. And a small dimple appeared momently high onher right cheek. "And this is Labang of whom I have heard so much." Sheheld the wrist of one hand with the other and looked at Labang, and Labangnever stopped chewing his cud. He swallowed and brought up to his mouthmore cud and the sound of his insides was like a drum.I laid a hand on Labang's massive neck and said to her: "You may scratch hisforehead now."She hesitated and I saw that her eyes were on the long, curving horns. But shecame and touched Labang's forehead with her long fingers, and Labang neverstopped chewing his cud except that his big eyes half closed. And by and byshe was scratching his forehead very daintily.My brother Leon put down the two trunks on the grassy side of the road. Hepaid Ca Celin twice the usual fare from the station to the edge of Nagrebcan.Then he was standing beside us, and she turned to him eagerly. I watched CaCelin, where he stood in front of his horse, and he ran his fingers through itsforelock and could not keep his eyes away from her. "Maria---" my brother Leon said.He did not say Maring. He did not say Mayang. I knew then that he hadalways called her Maria and that to us all she would be Maria; and in my