CORLIT

21st Century Philippine Literature from the

Regions

Philippine Literature during the

American Era

Aguinas, Camille
Bantigue, Andrea Kay
Cabrito, Dianne
De Guzman, Justin Cyruz
Dela Cruz, Trichia Mae
Dimaren, Naila
Espiritu, Shayne
Gabaen, Rhouse Jan
Longboy, Trixie
Umoso, Shayne Iris
Characteristics

THE PERIOD OF RE-ORIENTATION

English as a literary vehicle came with the American occupation in August 13, 1898
and as they say, a choice bestowed on us by history.

By 1900, English came to be used as a medium of instruction in the public schools.

From the American forces were recruited the first teachers of English.

By 1908, the primary and intermediate grades were using English. It was also about
this time when UP, the forerunner in the use of English in higher education, was
founded.

THE PERIOD OF IMITATION

By 1919, the UP College Folio published the literary compositions of the first Filipino
writers in English. They were the pioneers in short story writing. They were then
groping their way into imitating American and British models which resulted in a
stilted, artificial and unnatural style, lacking vitality and spontaneity.

THE PERIOD OF SELF-DISCOVERY AND GROWTH

By this time, Filipino writers had acquired the mastery of English writing. They now
confidently and competently wrote on a lot of subjects although the old-time favorites
of love and youth persisted. They went into all forms of writing like the novel and the
drama.

Poetry - Noteworthy names in this field ,they wrote in free verse, in odes and sonnets
and in other types. Poetry was original, spontaneous, competently written and later,
incorporated social consciousness.
Short Story (1925-1941) Poetry and short story flourished during these times.

Publications. The Philippine Free Press provided the first incentives to Filipino
writers in English by offering prizes to worthwhile contribution. Other publication
followed suit.

The Drama.(1925-1941) Drama during this period did not reach the heights attained
by the novel or the short story.

Notable Works

THE PERIOD OF RE-ORIENTATION

Sursum Corda by Justo Juliano (1907)

First work published in English

In Sursum Corda! (1907) the poet Julianus (Justo Juliano) reviews through 115
verses of perfervid rhetoric our struggle with Spain and America: how, in the first war
of liberation in Asia, we had proudly carried our flag to battle, only to have it lowered
so soon by the superior force of another conquerors arms:

But scarce her wounds could heal, gores yet fresh,

The wailing cries still linger in the breeze,
That mighty Eagle from across the sea
Came, shedding patriots blood, forced Liberty
To give her key, and banished from this Isle
Who will not yield, who will not reconcile.
What could a handful do against a host?
Leonidas een perished, tho not lost!

Julianus poetic diatribe succumbs to what S. P. Lopez calls the two temptations of
most political or activist compositions: sentimentality which, in the Filipino poet,
is a congenital weakness; and declamation which becomes more blatantly histrionic
still with every accession of the patriotic fire.8 Yet Julianus is notable as our first
Filipino poet in English who was hanged, figuratively, not for his verses but for his
politics. Refusing to retract his slingshot against the American avis de rapia,9 he was
forced to resign as a government teacher; afterwards, he attended university at
Chicago where he taught Spanish to support himself.
 My Air Castle by Juan F. Salazar (1909)

My life's tomorrow beckons me

From distant mountains, high and low;
My future seems a boundless sea,
Where moving passions come and go.

Deep in my heart ambitions dwells;

He cheers me up the highland,
And guides me through the hills and dells
Wherein I pass the busy day.

I cannot write with Shakespeare's pen,

But I can love with Shakespeare's heart;
I love his skill his craft of men,
His mastery of poet's art.

I do not care for fame, has he,

Enthroned, was like unto a god:
The depths he reached are dark to me.
But I will grope the ways he tried.

I wear achievements coronet,

For best are they who see things done!
And all my cares I soon forget
When I have wrought my work alone.

If I be met by adverse fate,

And all my dreams be but in vain;
Then, must I work the harder yet
With high resolve to try again.

THE PERIOD OF IMITATION

A Child of Sorrow by Zoilo M. Galang (1921)

The novel was set in Merrytown one summer in the month of April. It was all about
the tragic story of Lucio Soliman, a man who lived as a fanatic of books, who fell
inlove with the beautiful and moral woman in the person of Rosa Garcia. Their story
ended up tragically and encountered almost all sorts of hindrances. The hardest was
when Rosa was married to the selfish Oscar Ramirez.

Lucio met Rosa in his vacation to Merrytown. When he first met her, he suddenly felt
different, something beyond friendship, so did Rosa. After a couple of days, they met
again, pushing Lucio to confess his love for Rosa. He spent most of his vacation time
with Rosa until such time came when he was about to returning o his provincial town.
Leaving was hard for both of them, but they remained strong, strong until Lucio knew
that Rosa was about to be married to Oscar. Rosa was unhappy, of course, since he
was married to a man whom not only because she doesn't love him, but because all he
thinks about is nothing but himself. Many other circumstances came to test the love of
Rosa and Lucio. Until they saw each other again, but hardly did they know that it
would be the last time for Lucio to see Rosa alive.

Moonlight on Manila Bay by Fernando M. Maramag (1912)

1 A light, serene, ethereal glory rests

2 Its beams effulgent on each crestling wave;
3 The silver touches of the moonlight wave
4 The deep bare bosom that the breeze molests;
5 While lingering whispers deepen as the wavy crests
6 Roll with weird rhythm, now gay, now gently grave;
7 And floods of lambent light appear the sea to pave-
8 All cast a spell that heeds not times behests.
9 Not always such the scene; the din of fight
10 Has swelled the murmur of the peaceful air;
11 Here East and West have oft displayed their might;
12 Dark battle clouds have dimmed this scene so fair;
13 Here bold Olympia, one historic night,
14 Presaging freedom, claimed a peoples care.

Analysis of the story: The poem tackles a part of the countrys history and how it
changed afterwards. According to the writer, the Philippines was once a radiant
country-untainted by foreign blood. However, things took a drastic turn after the
American colonization, where he thought the countrys radiance was dummed by
those who occupied the land, and those who sought war within it. For the writer, he
thinks our country was stolen from us due to them (the Americans) colonizing it,
even though the western lands victory was celebrated. However, he says that theres
still hope - hope for all the wounds to heal and the country can still regain its former
glory.

THE PERIOD OF SELF-DISCOVERY AND GROWTH

How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife by Manuel E. Arguilla (1940)

Won first prize in the Commonwealth Literary Contest in 1940

Baldo and his older brother Leon were both waiting for the arrival of their visitor
riding the carretela. Seeing his brothers wife, Baldo was easily taken away by the
beauty of the woman from the city as he narrates their journey to Nagrebcan. The idea
of meeting with Leons parents for the first time made Maria a bit anxious. But along
their way home, Maria discovered the peculiarities of the life in Nagrebcan as
opposed to their life in the city where she met and fell in love with Leon.

Authors

LOPE K. SANTOS
Lope K. Santos, a novelist, poet and author, and grammarian covered three
periods of Tagalog literature American, Japanese and the contemporary period. If
Manuel L. Quezon is called the Father of the National Language, Lope K. Santos is
called the Father of the National Language Grammar. He was also called the Apoof
the Tagalog writers.
BANAAG AT SIKAT was his masterpiece.
JOSE CORAZON DE JESUS
Jose Corazon de Jesus is very popularly known as Huseng Batute. He was also
called the Poet of Love in his time. ANG ISANG PUNONG KAHOY (A TREE), an
elegy, is believed to be his masterpiece.
AMADO V. HERNANDEZ
Amado V. Hernandez was dubbed Makata ng mga Manggagawa (Poet of the
Laborers) in our literature because he pictures in his poem the intense love for the poor
worker or laborer. To him, a poem is a scent, bittersweet memories, and a murmur of
flowing water. The pen is powerful and according to him, even a king can be bent by
the pen. He contributed a lot of writings to literature like ISANG DIPANG LANGIT
(A Stretch of Heaven), BAYANG MALAYA (A Free Nation), ANG PANDAY (The
Blakcsmith), and MUNTING LUPA (A Small Plot), but his masterpiece is ANG
PANDAY.
VALERIANO HERNANDEZ PEA
Together with Lope K. Santos he reached the summit of his novel-writing. He
was known as Tandang Anong and his pen name was Kuntil Butil (Small Grain). He
considers NENA AT NENENG his masterpiece.
IIGO ED. REGALADO
Iigo Ed. Regalado was a son of a popular writer during the Spanish time known
as Odalger. He proved that he not only followed the footsteps of his father but also
reached the peak of his success by the sumpong(whim) of his pen. He also became a
popular story-teller, novelist and newspaperman.

The Tagalog Drama

During the advent of the American period, Severino Reyes and Hermogenes Ilagan
started the movement against the moro-moro ( a play on the Spanish struggles against
the Muslims) and struggled to show the people the values one can get from the zarzuela
and the simple plays. The people one should not forget in the field of writing are the
following:
1. Severino Reyes. Father of the Tagalog drama and author of the immortal WALANG
SUGAT.
2. Aurelio Tolentino. The dramatist in whom the Kapampangans take pride. Included
in his writings were LUHANG TAGALOG, his masterpiece, and KAHAPON,
NGAYONG AT BUKAS that resulted in his incarceration.
3. Hermogenes Ilagan. Founded the group Campaa Ilagan that presented many
dramas in Central Luzon. 4. Patricio Mariano. Wrote the novel NINAY and ANAK NG
DAGAT (Son of the Sea), his masterpiece.
5. Julian Cruz Balmaceda. Wrote BUNGANGA NG PATING (Sharks Mouth). This
gave him much honor and fame.
References:

Estroga, I. (2016, January 18). Slideshare. Retrieved from:

https://www.slideshare.net/josephestroga/philippine-literature-during-american-period

Abad, G. (n.d.) Folk Literature. Retrieved from:

http://emmariemarasigan.yolasite.com/folk-literature.php

No Author. (2017, July 27). Blogspot. Retrieved from:

http://sirfaramos.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-air-castle-by-juan-f-salazar.html

Tateffie, T. (2015, July 27). Blogspot. Retrieved from:

http://mynewblogchildofsorrow.blogspot.com/

Jhayelie. (2012, December 12). Wordpress. Retrieved from:

https://jhayelie.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/moonlight-on-manila-bay-by-fernando-m-
ma ramag-1912/

Shanne, K. (2017, February 12). Prezi. Retrieved from:

https://prezi.com/1m6tjoq2czi5/moonlight-on-the-manila-bay/

Hayag, R. (2014, September 11). Prezi. Retrieved from:

https://prezi.com/scgc91kbjmur/how-my-brother-leon-brought-home-a-wife/