The American Period
1898-1940
Who Wrote It?
Identify the author of the following literary pieces written by the
Ilustrados.
1. Sa Mga Pilipino
2. Mi Ultimo Adios
3. Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa
4. La Hija del Fraile
5. El Filibusterismo
6. Kaingat Kayo
7. Ang Fray Botod
8. Sobre La Indolencia delos Filipinos
9. Everything is Hambug
10.Dasalan at Tocsohan
This is called the Period of Orientation – orientation to the
new concept of democracy; orientation to the psychology and
the phraseology of the English speech and to the English
sound system; orientation to the English standards of literary
style.
This is also the Period of Imitation because the writers, taking
their first faltering steps and groping for the yet distant
guideposts of English literature, stayed close to British and
American authors like Longfellow, Hawthorne, Emerson,
Thoreau, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Thackeray and Macaulay.
• The Philippines had a great leap in education and culture.
• The use of the English language alongside Filipino, was
practiced.
• The Philippine public school system was introduced.
• Free public instruction was given to Filipinos.
• The literature during the American period was considered
as imitative of American model. Instead of asking students
to write originals, students ended up following the form of
American poets.
The appearance of College Folio in 1910, the organ of the
student writers in the University of the Philippines but was
eventually replaced by the Philippine Colegian, marked this
period. Outside the campus it was followed by other
publications such as the Philippine Review, the Independent,
Rising Philippines, Citizens, and surviving to this day, the
Philippine Herald.
Famous writers include Fernando Maramag, Jose M.
Hernandez, Francisco Tonogbanua, Carlos P. Romulo, Jorge
C. Bocobo, Mauro Mendez and Vicente M. Hilario.
Marcelo de Gracia Concepcion comes first in the roster of distinguished
Filipino poets of this period. It was he who first gained recognition for Filipino
poetry abroad with the publication in America of his Azucena (1920).
The poetry of this period was characterized by spontaneity, technical
competence and in the 940’s, by awakening social significance. The old themes
of youth and love continued to be the favorites, but the poets also produced
patriotic, religious, descriptive and reflective poems of superior quality.
Famous writers were…
Jose Garcia Villa - Many Voices and Poems
Rafael Zulueta da Costa - Like the Molave and other Poems
Poetry
Jose Corazon de Jesus (1832-1896)-popularly known as “Huseng
Batute” created his own generation with his first book of poems.
The King of Balagtasan in 1925, his Tagalog poem Bayan Ko (My
Country, 1929) was used as lyrics for a patriotic song that became
popular during the dictatorial regime of the late President
Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s.
Mga Gintong Dahon (1920)- were poems pre-occupied with such
non-traditional themes as passion-slaying, grief induced, insanity,
and lover’s suicide.
Sa Dakong Silangan (1928)- returned to the awit form, retelling the
history of Philippines under Spain, the coming of the US under the
guise of friendship to take over Spain.
Drama
Severino Reyes (1861-1942)- spearheaded a movement to supplant the
komedya with a new type of drama, the sarswela, a Filipino adaptation of
the Spanish zarzuela
Examples:
Walang Sugat (1902)- is a sarswela (drama in the form of singing) drawn
form the period of revolution, depicting the cruelty and corruption of
friars and the heroism of the soldiers of Katipunan
Hindi Aco Patay (1903) – by Juan Matapang Cruz a full-length drama
which invited strong restrictions from the colonial authorities during its
time
Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas (1903 by Aurelio Tolentino)- is an
allegorical presentation of the history of the nationalist
struggle and how the US frustrated the Philippine Revolution
Tanikalang Ginto (1902) by Juan Abad (1872-1932) is about
Liwanag and K’Ulayaw, lovers who stand for freedom and
the Filipinos
Remake Novels
Gavriel Beato Francisco (1850-1935)- is best know for his trilogy of
Fulgencia Galbillo (1907), Capitan Bensio (1907), Alfaro (1909) ,
depicting the 30 years of colonial repression by the Spanish rule
Iñigo Ed Regalado (1888-1976)- Madaling Araw (1909) was his first
novel showing the complex interrelations of issues and people in a
contemporary Philippine society
Juan Lauro Arsciwals (1889-1928)- Lalaking Uliran o Tulisan (1914)
allusion to the colonial law that branded Filipino patriots as bandits
The Japanese Period
1941-1945
Philippine literature was interrupted in its development when
another foreign country, Japan, conquered the Philippines. This led to
all newspapers not to be circulated in the community except for
Tribune and Philippine Review.
The most common theme of poetry was nationalism, country, love and
life in the barrios, faith, religion, and the arts.
HAIKU- a poem of free verse of the Japanese composed of three lines
and 17 syllables mostly about love for nature
TANAGA or TANKA – a Japanese poem consisting of five lines, the
first and third of which has five syllables and the other seven, making
31 syllables in all and giving a complete picture of an event or mood
