SHS

21st Century Philippine

Literature
Module Exploring World Literature
Module 3
3: Exploring World Literature
21st Century Philippine Literature

Grade 11/12– Module 3: Exploring World Literature

First Edition, 2020

Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: RUTH M. BALDERAS

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team

Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr., P II

Management Team:

Atty. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent

Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, PhD

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

German E. Flora, PhD, CID Chief

Virgilio C. Boado, PhD, EPS in Charge of LRMS

Belen C. Aquino, PhD, EPS in Charge of English

Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II

Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II

21st Century Philippine
Literature
Module 3: Exploring World
Literature
Literature across the regions of the world is a rich repertoire of stories that unveils
the beliefs, culture, and feelings of people at a specific time in a specific location.
Because of the vastness of literary traditions of the world, it may be more convenient
to understand it in bits by region or continent.

In the first half of this course, you have explored Philippine Literature with
highlight on the 21st century literary tradition.

Target
This module will take you to selected places in Asia, Africa, Europe,
North America and Latin America with focus on the authors and timeless literary
pieces.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

• Identify representative texts and authors from Asia, North America,

Europe, Latin America, and Africa (EN12Lit-IIa-22)

Jumpstart
Activity 1: 4 Clues, 1 Word
Instructions: Guess the continent represented by each set of pictures. Write the
letter of your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
Choices: A B C D E
Africa Asia Europe North America Latin America

1._________
__

2._________
__

3._________
__

4._________
__

5._________
__

6._________
__
Discover
A sian Literature
Asia is the largest continent in the world and it is further subdivided
into East, Central, West, and South East regions. Each region has its
prevailing beliefs, traditions, and feelings which make Asian literature rich in
thousands of stories and poetry about its heritage. The most influential set of literary
traditions in Asia are Chinese, Japanese and Indian literatures.
Chinese Literature
Rather than dealing with grand
themes, this body of Asian literature puts
a spotlight on the meander, simple
everyday issues of the people in society.
Philosophical books explicate the expected
“duties, behavior, and actions a person
must do in order to belong harmoniously
to his society” (Mendoza & Silva, 2016).
Moreover, Chinese literary works
include fiction, philosophical and religious works, poetry, and scientific writings. The
eras of each dynasty shaped the literary traditions of China.
A. Four Great Classic Novels:
• The Novel of the Three Kingdoms 三国演义 Sānguó Yǎnyì. Luo
Guanzhong’s novel recounts the real events that occurred during the
period when China was composed of three kingdoms: Cao Wei, Shu Han,
and Wu. While children read this book like a fairytale or as a bedtime
story, politicians consider this as a handguide for strategies.
• Journey to the West – 西游记 Xī Yóu Jì. Wu Cheng’en’s novel is also
known as “Monkey” since it features, Sun Wukong, a monkey who set out
on a journey with his companions to search for Chinese people’s sacred
scroll. Journey to the West has influenced many adventure stories and
dramas, as well as the famous Son Goku in Dragon Ball series.
• Dream of the Red Chamber – 红楼梦 Hónglóu Mèng by Cao Xuequin.
This novel is a lovestory “celebrated for its realism, psychological depth
and the richness of the plot” (Buzelli, 2019).
• Water Margin – 水浒传 Shuǐhǔ Zhuàn is a novel by Shi Nai’an that
narrates plight of 108 brigands from Mount Liang who challenged the
emperor. The story was set during the Song dynasty. Other titles of this
book are “Outlaws of the Marsh,” and “All Men are Brothers.”
B. Chinese poetry has been one of the favorite literary genres for a thousand
years. Their poetry may be divided into 5, namely 1)Shi, which are couplets,
2)Ci, which seem like songs due to its syllabic and tonal patterns, 3)Ge, means
song, 4)Qu has a freer poetic form and is usually used in theater plays, and
5)Fu which are descriptive poems composed of both prose and couplets.
• Dufu followed a structured form of poetry and observed realistic poems
whose themes include difficulties living in a war, poverty, and rural life.
 • Li Bai is a romantic poet who wrote poetry as he traveled widely across
the provinces of China. He used free form poetry.
• Su Tungpo, also called Su Shi, was a prolific poet of the northern Song
era and he has produced over 2000 poems. When he was banished to
live in a farm because of political problems, he wrote a poem about it.
The moon rounds the red mansion
Stoops to silk-pad doors
Shines upon the sleepless
Bearing no grudge
Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?

Japanese Literature
Japanese literature finds its appeal in the use of great variety of words to convey
feelings and emotions. It is rather emotional and subjective than intellectual.
A. Murasaki
Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji in the 11 century
th

retells of the life of prince Hikaru Genji, his

romances and aristocratic society. Lady
Murasaki lived during the Heian Period, an era of
remarkable growth of poetry, diaries, and fiction
produced by court ladies.
B. Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book is a genre-
bending miscellany of short, largely unrelated
pieces which can be classified as narratives,
thoughts and opinions and famous lists. Sei
Shonagon is a contemporary and rival or Lady
Murasaki.
C. Matsuo Basho – He was known as the
supreme Japanese haiku poet. Although haiku
existed before him, he made this poetic form an
accepted artistic expression throughout the
world.
D. “I” novel – (Watakushi-shôsetu) is a colloquial fiction where the author
describes the world from his perspective and also reveals his own mental
states.
E. Yasunari Kawabata – is Japan’s first recipient of Nobel Prize for Literature and
he is also known as the master of psychological fiction. Among his famous
works are Snow Country (a novel) and The Izu Dancer (a short story).

Indian Literature
Majority of Indian literature are written in Sanskrit. Classic Indian literature
revolves around its predominant faith – Hinduism, while modern literature focuses
on issues of their nation.
 Three distinct characteristics of
Indian literature are a) based on piety, a
deep religious spirit, b) written in epic form,
and c) designed to advance some
unorthodox regional beliefs.
1. Panchatantra – is a compilation of
tales in prose and poetry, featuring five
books of fables and magical tales.
2. Bhagavad Gita (The Name of the Lord)
– an ancient text that became an important
work of Hindu tradition in terms of both literature and philosophy.
3. Mahabharata – is the longest epic in the world. It recounts the dynastic
struggle and civil wars between the Pandavas and Kauravas in the kingdom
of Kuruksheta about the 9th century BC.
4. Ramayana – is the second longest epic in the world and it had a great impact
in shaping the nature of Indian civilization. The story tells of how Rama went
on a journey to find and save his wife Sita. Along the way, he learns Hindu life
lessons.

A frican Literature

Two great colonizing movements have made an

impact on the literary traditions of Africa. These
movements are that of Islamic Arabs in the 7th
century and of Christian Europeans in the 19th
century. Oral tradition in African dialects have
been the prevailing form until the Swahilis
(Kenya and Tanzania) transcribed their stories
and folk literature. African literature may
simply be categorized into two – ORAL
TRADITION and WRITTEN TRADITION
Oral Tradition. Included in this category are African myths, stories, poems, folktales
and riddles.
• Myths – each tribe has its own version of how the world and everything in it
came to be. What was common among the versions is the story that a “god first
agreed to give man eternal life, but his message was perverted through the
stupidity or malice of the messenger.”

• Poetry – purposes of on-the-spot oral poems include “praising a chief,

mourning the dead, making fun of an unfriendly town, and get favors
from the gods to cure a disease.” Priests are also required to study the
Ifa oracle which is a massive poem about pleasing the gods.
 • Folktales, proverbs and riddles – Folktales are usually heard in the
evening for family’s entertainment. Dilemma tales are also popular
where the ending is up to the listeners to find the best solution to a
conflict in the story. African proverbs are known to be amusing because
of the surprising way they put ideas into words. For example, instead
of saying “Be careful,” they say “The housefly does not play a sticky
drum.” Or when they say “The staring frogs do not prevent cattle from
drinking,” they mean “Do not worry about other people’s opinions.”
African riddles are often “intended to display the questioner’s
imagination rather than to test the cleverness of the audience.” (Smith,
n.d.)

A. Written Tradition. Since African languages are only spoken, they owe their
writing traditions to the influence of Muslim Arabs in Africa. East African
writing were first written in the Arabic script and later adopted the Roman
Alphabet.
• Swahili Literature – shairi poems are non-religious poems which have
grown out of poetry contests where the first poet comes up with two lines
and other poets must continue adding two lines each with the same rhyme
and rhythm. Uhuru wa Watumwa (Freedom for the Slaves, 1934) was the
first Swahili novella by James Mbotela.
• Hausa Literature – Islamic scholars living among the locals in northern
Africa wrote the first poems in Hausa using Arabic alphabets. They call
these religious poems as ajami. Eventually, themes of poems from this
region are conflicts between Islamic ways and European culture and
beliefs.
• Yoruba Literature – The fantasy Igbo Olodumare (The Forest of the Lord,
1947) made Chief D.O. Fagunawa one of Nigeria’s most popular writers.
Yoruba has also produced social and political satires by Hubert Ogunde
as well as tragedies by Duro Lapido.
• Other African-language Literature – Christian texts became models for
most African provinces which did not have an earlier written tradition.
Spiritual books such as the Bible, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and
Christian hymns were translated to African languages, while natives were
taught by converted Africans the English language.

In 1906, Thomas Mokopu Mofolo of Lesotho published the first Christian-

inspired novel Moeti oa Bochabela (Traveller of the East). His book was
originally produced in a missionary printing press. However, his third
novel which came out in 1925 (Chaka) written in the Sotho language had
to be revised upon the advice of the missionaries. Chaka contained war
and witchcraft themes which were strongly disapproved by the publishers.
From then on, African writers had to adjust their writings to suit not only
their local readers but also their religious influences.
• French-language literature – French colonizers imposed their culture and
language on the natives and brought African scholars to their universities
 in France. However, scholars realized that no culture could ever replace
their own. So, they began to write poems about their longings for Africa
and their anger toward losing their identity as a nation. This became a
movement and it was recognized in 1930s as “negritude” or a celebration
of their blackness and the African traditions. In 1960, a poet turned the
first president of Senegal used the color black as a symbol of magical life
rather than of death.
• Portuguese-language literature – Among the writers during this period were
Caetano da Costa Alegre of Sao Tome who wrote about his loneliness in
the midst of a white society while living in Portugal as a medical student;
Agostinha Neto and Mario de Andrade of Angola who were both political
poets who thrived in the Angolan liberation movement; Valente
Malangatana and Jose Craveirinha of Mozambique, who were tortured and
imprisoned by Portuguese because of their writings that exposed the
problems of racial discrimination and the difficulties of black laborers.
• English-language literature – Around the 18th century, freed slaves who
have settled in England and America wrote in the English language. Since
then, writers expressed through poetry their love for their race and
country while at the same time commemorated the European and
Christian values. In 1911, the first African novel in English, Ethiopia
Unbound by Joseph Ephraim Casley-Hayford of Ghana was published.
Onitsha novels, which are short popular fiction, became in demand
especially in western African night markets.
▪ Amos Tutuola – was the first Nigerian who was recognized
internationally by reinventing Yoruban folklore in the English language.
Because he lacked formal language education, he often relied on
Yoruba’s orality rather than on standard English (goodreads.com)
▪ Chinua Achebe – He was the
most widely read African novelist
and has one of the biggest
contributions in letting the world
enter into an understanding of
African literature (Brucker, 1992).
New York Times described him as
Africa’s Literary Giant especially for his first novel, “Things Fall Apart.”
This work of art unveils the story of a man named Okonwo from the
Igbo tribe who struggled both against his own folks and the European
missionaries.

“Things Fall Apart”

An Excerpt
Chinua Achebe
Chapter One
Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His
fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had
brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great
wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino. He was called
the Cat because his back would never touch the earth. It was this man that Okonkwo
threw in a fight which the old men agreed was one of the fiercest since the founder
of their town engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights.
The drums beat and the flutes sang and the spectators held their breath.
Amalinze was a wily craftsman, but Okonkwo was as slippery as a fish in water.
Every nerve and every muscle stood out on their arms, on their backs and their
thighs, and one almost heard them stretching to breaking point. In the end, Okonkwo
threw the Cat.
That was many years ago, twenty years or more, and during this time
Okonkwo's fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan. He was tall and huge,
and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look. He breathed
heavily, and it was said that, when he slept, his wives and children in their houses
could hear him breathe. When he walked, his heels hardly touched the ground and
he seemed to walk on springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody. And he
did pounce on people quite often. He had a slight stammer and whenever he was
angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists. He
had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had had no patience with his father.
Unoka, for that was his father's name, had died ten years ago. In his day he
was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow. If
any money came his way, and it seldom did, he immediately bought gourds of palm-
wine, called round his neighbors and made merry. He always said that whenever
he saw a dead man's mouth he saw the folly of not eating what one had in one's
lifetime. Unoka was, of course, a debtor, and he owed every neighbor some money,
from a few cowries to quite substantial amounts.
He was tall but very thin and had a slight stoop. He wore a haggard and
mournful look except when he was drinking or playing on his flute. He was very good
on his flute, and his happiest moments were the two or three moons after the harvest
when the village musicians brought down their instruments, hung above the
fireplace. Unoka would play with them, his face beaming with blessedness and
peace. Sometimes another village would ask Unoka's band and their dancing
egwugwu to come and stay with them and teach them their tunes. They would go to
such hosts for as long as three or four markets, making music and feasting. Unoka
loved the good fare and the good fellowship, and he loved this season of the year,
when the rains had stopped and the sun rose every morning with dazzling beauty.
And it was not too hot either, because the cold and dry harmattan wind was blowing
down from the north. Some years the harmattan was very severe and a dense haze
hung on the atmosphere. Old men and children would then sit round log fires,
warming their bodies. Unoka loved it all, and he loved the first kites that returned
with the dry season, and the children who sang songs of welcome to them. He would
remember his own childhood, how he had often wandered around looking for a kite
sailing leisurely against the blue sky. As soon as he found one he would sing with
his whole being, welcoming it back from its long, long journey, and asking it if it had
brought home any lengths of cloth.
That was years ago, when he was young. Unoka, the grown-up, was a failure.
He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat. People laughed at
him because he was a loafer, and they swore never to lend him any more money
because he never paid back. But Unoka was such a man that he always succeeded
in borrowing more, and piling up his debts.
One day a neighbor called Okoye came in to see him. He was reclining on a
mud bed in his hut playing on the flute. He immediately rose and shook hands with
Okoye, who then unrolled the goatskin which he carried under his arm, and sat
down. Unoka went into an inner room and soon returned with a small wooden disc
containing a kola nut, some alligator pepper and a lump of white chalk.
 "I have kola," he announced when he sat down, and passed the disc over to
his guest.
"Thank you. He who brings kola brings life. But I think you ought to break it,"
replied Okoye, passing back the disc.
"No, it is for you, I think," and they argued like this for a few moments before
Unoka accepted the honor of breaking the kola. Okoye, meanwhile, took the lump of
chalk, drew some lines on the floor, and then painted his big toe.
As he broke the kola, Unoka prayed to their ancestors for life and health, and
for protection against their enemies. When they had eaten they talked about many
things: about the heavy rains which were drowning the yams, about the next
ancestral feast and about the impending war with the village of Mbaino. Unoka was
never happy when it came to wars. He was in fact a coward and could not bear the
sight of blood. And so he changed the subject and talked about music, and his face
beamed. He could hear in his mind's ear the blood-stirring and intricate rhythms of
the ekwe and the udu and the ogene, and he could hear his own flute weaving in
and out of them, decorating them with a colorful and plaintive tune. The total effect
was gay and brisk, but if one picked out the flute as it went up and down and then
broke up into short snatches, one saw that there was sorrow and grief there.
Okoye was also a musician. He played on the ogene. But he was not a failure
like Unoka. He had a large barn full of yams and he had three wives. And now he
was going to take the Idemili title, the third highest in the land. It was a very
expensive ceremony and he was gathering all his resources together. That was in
fact the reason why he had come to see Unoka. He cleared his throat and began:
"Thank you for the kola. You may have heard of the title I intend to take
shortly."
Having spoken plainly so far, Okoye said the next half a dozen sentences in
proverbs. Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs
are the palm-oil with which words are eaten. Okoye was a great talker and he spoke
for a long time, skirting round the subject and then hitting it finally. In short, he was
asking Unoka to return the two hundred cowries he had borrowed from him more
than two years before. As soon as Unoka understood what his friend was driving
at, he burst out laughing. He laughed loud and long and his voice rang out clear as
the ogene, and tears stood in his eyes. His visitor was amazed, and sat speechless.
At the end, Unoka was able to give an answer between fresh outbursts of mirth.
"Look at that wall," he said, pointing at the far wall of his hut, which was
rubbed with red earth so that it shone. "Look at those lines of chalk;" and Okoye saw
groups of short perpendicular lines drawn in chalk. There were five groups, and the
smallest group had ten lines. Unoka had a sense of the dramatic and so he allowed
a pause, in which he took a pinch of snuff and sneezed noisily, and then he
continued: "Each group there represents a debt to someone, and each stroke is one
hundred cowries. You see, I owe that man a thousand cowries. But he has not come
to wake me up in the morning for it. I shall pay, you, but not today. Our elders say
that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under
them. I shall pay my big debts first." And he took another pinch of snuff, as if that
was paying the big debts first. Okoye rolled his goatskin and departed.
When Unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt. Any
wonder then that his son Okonkwo was ashamed of him? Fortunately, among these
people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of
his father. Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things. He was still young but he
had won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer
and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife. To crown it all
he had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars.
And so although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men
of his time. Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered. As
 the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings. Okonkwo had
clearly washed his hands and so he ate with kings and elders. And that was how
he came to look after the doomed lad who was sacrificed to the village of Umuofia
by their neighbors to avoid war and bloodshed. The ill-fated lad was called
Ikemefuna.

▪ Wole Soyinka – is known to be Africa’s most famous and versatile

playwright which earned him a Nobel prize for literature in 1986. He
“merged Western plot structure with Yoruba characters and themes,
symbolism and irony, and traditional European forms with African
mime, dance, and music.

E uropean Literature
European literature, also known as Western Literature, is the largest
body of literature in the world. It includes literature in the Indo-European languages
such as Latin, Greek, Romance languages and Russian.
Latin Literature
A. Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE – 43 BCE) was the greatest Roman orator.
Using Latin as a literary medium, he was able to express abstract and
complicated thoughts clearly in his speeches.
One of his well- known speeches is Pro
Cluentio.
B. Virgil (70BCE – 19 BCE), the greatest Roman
poet, known for Aeneid, an epic poem. Aeneas,
the protagonist went on a journey to search for
the land he was destined to build which will
one day become the great Roman Empire.

Greek Literature
A. Homer is known for the Iliad and the Odyssey. These epics are the heroic
achievements of Achilles and Odysseus, respectively.
B. Sophocles (496 BC – 406 BC) was a tragic playwright known for Oedipus the
King, which marks the highest level of achievement of Greek drama.
Italian Literature
A. Francesco Petrarch (1304 -1374) perfected the Italian sonnet, a major
influence in European poetry. Written in the vernacular, his sonnets were
published in the Canzoniere.
B. Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 – 1375) is known for Decameron, a classic Italian
masterpiece, written in the vernacular.
Spanish Literature
Two well-known Spanish writers of Siglo de Oro (1500 – 1681) are Miguel de
Cervantes and Lope de Vega
A. Miguel de Cervantes was known for his novel Don Quixote, one of the most
widely read works of Western Literature. Its titular character’s name is the
origin of the word quixotic meaning hopeful or romantic in a way that it is not
practical.
B. Lope de Vega, an outstanding dramatist, wrote as many as 1800 plays during
his lifetime, including cloak and sword drama, which are plays of the upper
middle-class manners and intrigue.

French Literature
A. Gustave Flaubert – a novelist, was a major influence on the realist school. His
masterpiece, Madame Bovary (1857), marked the beginning of a new age of
realism.
B. Guy de Maupassant – is considered as the greatest French short story writer.
A naturalist, he wrote objective stories which represent a real “slice of life.” He
was known for his short story, “The Necklace.”

Russian Literature
A. Leo Tolstoy is known for his novels of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, and
his short story, God Sees the Truth but Waits. A master of realistic fiction, he
is considered as one of the world’s greatest novelist.
B. Anton Chekov is a master of the modern short story and a Russian playwright.
His works such as The Bet and The Misfortune reveal his clinical approach to
ordinary life.

English Literature refers to the body of written works produced in the English
language by inhabitants of British Isles and Ireland from the 7 th century to the
present day.
A. Beowulf is an epic poetry that tells the story of the hero Beowulf who saved
the Danes from the monster and his mother. Later on, he succeeded the
kingship back in their kingdom and died protecting his people from the fire-
breathing dragon.
B. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a novel that compiles the stories
of pilgrims, which consisted of people from all walks of life – knight, prioress,
monk, merchant, man of law, franklin, scholarly clerk, miller, reeve, pardoner,
wife of Bath, and many others. The story depicted a common practice in the
Medieval era where pilgrimages are done for religious purposes, while at the
same time benefitting a vacation.
C. William Shakespeare (Bard of Avon) is considered as the English national poet
and the greatest dramatists of all time. He published at least 154 sonnets, a
poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in
English typically having ten syllables per line (Oxford dictionary). Among his
 many famous tragedies are Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, King
Lear, and Othello. And his comedies include A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
The Twelfth Night, The Tempest, and the Taming of the Shrew, and more.
D. How Do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barret Browning is one of the most quoted
English love poem. It is usually interpreted to be dedicated to her husband
Robert Browning.
How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

L atin American Literature

Latin American literature refers to all works of literature in Latin American
culture like Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Colombia and Peru.

THE VANGUARDIA
The Vanguardia (avant-garde) took place in Latin America between approximately
1916 and 1935. It collectively referred to different literary movements. Four of those
were the following:
A. Creacionismo – founded by Vicente Huidebro, a Chilean poet
B. Ultraismo- introduced by Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentinian writer
C. Estredintismo – founded in Mexico City by Manuel Maples Acre, a Mexican
writer
D. Surrealism – started in Argentina when the Argentenian poet Aldo Pellegrini
launched the first Surrealist magazine
SURREALISM, an art form that combines unrelated images or events in a very
strange and dreamlike way, became a major influence in Latin American Literature
throughout the 20th century
A. Pablo Neruda – a Chilean poet wrote Residence on Earth, a collection of poetry
inspired by surrealism
B. Octavio Paz – a Mexican poet, wrote poems with surrealist imagery. His major
works were published in Freedom Under Parole
C. Jorge Luis Borges – was known for his fantastic stories, published later as a
collection entitled Ficciones
D. Alejo Carpentier – a Cuban writer, wrote The Kingdom of This World, a novel
of the magic realism genre, in which elements of fantasy or myth are included
matter-of-factly in seemingly realistic fiction.
E. Miguel Angel Asturias – a Guatemalan writer, wrote the novel The President.
This novel along with Carpentier’s novel introduced magic realism

BOOM NOVELS
These were essentially modernist novels, which appeared in the second half of the
20th century. They had features that were different or absent from the works of the
regionalist writers of the past. (Regionalist writers were those that used local color,
which refers to interesting information about a particular place or its people).
• The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes, a Mexican writer
• Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar, an Argentine fictionist
• The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa, a Peruvian writer
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a
Colombian fictionist

POST-BOOM
These writers included a host of women who published works in the last twenty years
of the 20th century. Three of them were Isabel Allende, a Chilean writer who wrote
The House of Spirits; Diamella Eltit, a Chilean writer who wrote E. Luminata; and
Luisa Valenzuela, an Argentinian writer who wrote Black Novel with Argentines.

N orth American Literature

American literature is a rich body of literature. It refers to all works of
literature in English published in the United States, which has produced
many great writers through the centuries.
19th Century
A. Edgar Allan Poe became famous for his macabre stories like “The Fall of the
House of Usher” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” He also wrote poems such as
Annabel Lee and Raven which both gained instant fame.
 B. Nathaniel Hawthorne became known for his symbolical tales “The Hollow of
the Three Hills” and Young Goodman Brown. Also, he wrote the gothic
romance The Scarlet Letter.
C. Emily Dickinson wrote odd poems. She mostly used the imperfect rhyme and
avoided regular rhythms. A collection of her poems, Poems by Emily Dickinson
came out in 1890.

20th Century
A. Robert Frost wrote poems with traditional stanzas and a blank verse, a verse
in iambic pentameter with no rhyme. His poems portray ordinary people in
everyday situations like Mending Wall, The Road Not Taken, and After Apple-
Picking.
B. Harper Lee published his enormously popular novel To Kill a Mockingbird in
1960. It’s a story of a girl was awakened to the issue of prejudice and racism.
The protagonist learned from her father not to kill a mockingbird alluding to
the fact that they are innocent and harmless. This novel has already been
translated to 40 languages.
C. Ezra Pound was a leader of the Imagists, who emphasized the use of direct
and sparse language and precise images in writing poetry. His works include
Ripostes (1912) and Lustra (1916).
D. Anne Sexton became known for her confessional poetry, a kind of poetry that
deals with the private experiences of the speaker. Her work, Live or Die (1966)
won a Pulitzer prize. Wanting to Die is an example of a confessional poetry.

Wanting to Die
(An Excerpt)
Anne Sexton

Since you may ask, most days I cannot remember

I walk in my clothing, unmarked by that voyage
Then the almost unnameable lust returns

Even then I have nothing against life

I know well the grass blades you mention,
The furniture you have placed under the sun

But suicides have a special language

Like carpenters they want to know which tools
They never ask why build
 Explore
Activity 2: TO WHERE THEY BELONG!
Instructions: There’s an overload of words. Arrange them according to
the region they belong. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.
Basho All Men are JK Rowling James Stopping by
Brothers Mbotela Woods on
Snowy
Evening
Iliad Li Bai Amos Tutuola The Necklace Leo Tolstoy
The Tale of Pro Cluentio Francesco Chinua Decameron
Genji Petrarch Achebe
Freedom for Jose Gabriel Garcia Aeneid “I” novel
the slaves Craveirinha Marquez
The Raven Pablo Neruda Romeo and Avant-garde Water Margin
Juliet
God Sees the Wole Soyinka Don Quixote The Kingdom Sonnet 18
Truth but of This World (Shall I
Waits Compare
Thee)
House of The President Onitsha Panchatantra Oedipus the
Spirits novels King
100 Years of The Izu Beowulf The Taximan’s Things Fall
Solitude Dancer Story Apart
Surrealism Haruki Negritude Siglo de Oro How Do I Love
Murakami Thee

AFRICA ASIA EUROPE NORTH SOUTH

AMERICA AMERICA
Activity 3: BRANCH OUT
Instructions: Summarize the representative texts and authors from world literature
using an appropriate graphic organizer. Highlight in each region three (3) most
significant literary works, three (3) most significant authors, and three (3) most
dominant themes.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER RUBRIC
1 = Weak 2 = Moderately Weak 3 = Average 4 = Moderately Strong 5 = Strong

Description Score Description Score

1. The graphic organizer has an 6. The relationships presented

appropriate title and labels. in the graphic organizer are
correct and clear.

2. The graphic organizer’s lines, 7. The form in which the

boxes, and text are neat and graphic organizer portrays the
legible. information is appropriate to
the relationships being
represented.

3. The information in the 8. The graphic organizer

graphic organizer is accurate. demonstrates an
understanding of the topic, its
relationships & related
concepts.

4. The spelling, grammar, and 9. The graphic organizer fulfills

punctuation of the text on the all the requirements of the
graphic organizer are accurate. assignment.

5. The graphic organizer 10. Overall, the graphic

presents the information in a organizer represents the
manner that is easy to follow. student’s full potential.

Total Score
 Deepen
Activity 4: REFLECTION TIME
Scenario: Negritude became a movement among the Africans who have
acknowledged their identity as a race and nation. Because of this realization, they
began writing with an attitude of celebration and pride for their traditions.
Instructions: Write a one-paragraph reflection on how you, as a Filipino student can
develop a sense of national pride even with our current government’s status.
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Activity 5: HAIKU WRITING

Instructions: One of the common themes of literary pieces all over the world is
finding one’s identity. Using the format of a haiku (5-7-5 syllables), write a poem that
tackles the importance of personal and/or national identity.

5 - ………………………………………………………………..
7 - ………………………………………………………………..
5 - ………………………………………………………………..
 Gauge
Part I. Multiple Choices
Instructions: Read each item carefully. Write the letter of your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Which of the following countries did NOT directly influence earliest Asian
literature?
A. Arabia B. China C. India D. Japan
2. Which among the Four Great Classic Novels of China was read both as a
fairytale and a handguide for strategies?
A. Water Margin C. Dream of the Red Chamber
B. Journey to the West D. The Novel of the Three Kingdoms
3. What Japanese literary piece features the conquest and romance of the ideal
man of Lady Murasaki Shikbu?
A. Izu Dancer B. Qu Poem C. The Pillow Book D. The Tale of Genji
4. Who was Japan’s first recipient of Nobel Prize for Literature because of his
mastery of psychological fiction?
A. Matsuo Basho C. Sei Shonagon
B. Murasaki Shikibu D. Yasunari Kawabata
5. What is the original African title of Freedom of the Slaves by James Mbotela?
A. Igbo Olodumare C. Panchatantra
B. Moeti oa Bochabela D. Uhuru wa Watumawa
6. What term refers to a collection of non-religious poems which grew from on the
spot poetry contest where participants have to keep on adding two lines with
the same rhyme and rhythm?
A. Ifa B. Negritude C. Onitsha D. Shairi
7. Who was recognized by New York Times as the African literary giant?
A. Wole Soyinka C. Chinua Achebe
B. Nadine Gordimer D. All of the choices
8. Which of the following does NOT describe Okonkwo’s father, Unoka?
A. Died with debts C. Responsible father and chief
B. Man without dreams D. Lover of wine and merry making
9. Who was the Greek tragic playwright whose masterpiece was about a man
destined to kill his father and marry his mother?
A. Boccaccio B. Homer C. Petrarch D. Sophocles
10. What term from the Spanish literary heritage means “hopeful or romantic in an
impractical way?”
A. Antagonistic B. Decameron C. Estredentistic D. Quixotic
11. Which of the following is not a Shakespearean tragedy?
A. King Lear B. Macbeth C. Othello D. Twelfth Night
12. Which European novel features stories within a story?
A. Canterbury Tales C. Decameron
B. Canzoniere D. Pro Cluentio
13. What North American novel features the unveiling of a girl’s awareness of
racism and prejudice?
A. Mending Wall C. To Kill a Mocking Bird
B. Catcher in the Rye D. The Hollow of Three Hills
14. Which of the following American poets was known for confessional poetry?
A. Anne Sexton B. Emily Dickinson C. Ezra Pound D. Harper Lee
15. Who led Imagism or the use of direct sparse language and precise images in
poetry?
A. Anne Sexton B. Emily Dickinson C. Ezra Pound D. Harper Lee
16. What movement in Latin America promoted storytelling of fantasy or myth in a
matter-of-factly manner, to make it appear true to life?
A. Avant-garde B. Boom C. Surrealism D. Ultraism
17. Which literary work drew interest in the rise and fall of the fictional city of
Macondo along with its builders, the Buendias?
A. Hopscotch C. The Death of Artemio Cruz
B. The Time of the Hero D. One Hundred Years of Solitude
18. Who is the South American counterpart of Shakespeare as a poet?
A. Alejo Carpentier B. Jorge Borges C. Pablo Neruda D. Octavio Paz

For number 19:

God Sees The Truth But Waits (An Excerpt)
Leo Tolstoy
In the town of Vladimir lived a young merchant named Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov.
He had two shops and a house of his own. Aksionov was a handsome, fair-haired,
curly-headed fellow, full of fun, and very fond of singing. When quite a young man
he had been given to drink, and was riotous when he had had too much; but after
he married, he gave up on drinking, except now and then.

One summer Aksionov was going to the Nizhny Fair, and as he bade goodbye to his
family, his wife said to him, “Ivan Dmitrich, do not start today. I have had a bad
dream about you.”

Aksionov laughed and said, “You are afraid that when I get to the fair I shall go on
a spree.”

His wife replied: “I do not know what I am afraid of; all I know is that I had a bad
dream. I dreamt you returned from the town, and when you took off your cap I saw
your hair was quite grey.”

Aksionov laughed. “That’s a lucky sign,” said he. “See if I don’t sell out all my goods,
and bring you some presents from the fair.” So he said goodbye to his family and
drove away.

19. Suppose you read later on that Aksionov will be jailed for a crime he did not
commit, what do you think is the specific purpose of the wife’s dream in the
story?
A. To point out development in the character
B. To provide clues about the story progression
C. To suggest that something bad would happen
D. To send signal to the readers a shift in the tone
For item 20:
The Necklace (An Excerpt)
Guy De Maupassant

She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had
blundered over her, into a family of artisans. She had no marriage portion, no
expectations, no means of getting known, understood, loved, and wedded by a man
of wealth and distinction; and she left herself be married off to a little clerk in the
Ministry of Education. Her tastes were simple because she had never been able to
afford any other, but she was as unhappy as though she had married beneath her;
for women have no caste or class, their beauty, grace and charm serving them for
birth or family, their natural delicacy, their instinctive elegance, their nimbleness of
wit, are their only mark or rank, and put the slum girl on a level with the highest
lady in the land.

20. Based on the given text, which of the following statements about the woman
can be inferred from the passage?
A. She was a good wife C. She was a contented fellow
B. She was a patient person D. She was an ordinary woman
21. What would best explain the name of “I” novel or watakushi shosetu?
A. It is narrated in the first point of view
B. It explores mental states and perspectives
C. It consists of only one character in the story
D. It reveals thoughts and actions of characters
22. Which of the following statements justifies the censorship of Thomas Mofolo’s
third novel, Chaka?
A. No, even the children should be aware of their African roots and traditions to
preserve them.
B. Yes, some themes have to be toned down, not to suppress cultural awareness,
but for the readers’ sake.
C. No, Africans have all the right to include their own traditions and beliefs
regardless of the publisher.
D. Yes, all pagan practices and traditions of Africa should never be tolerated but
replaced with Western practices.
23. Which of the following ideas is not a common theme among Aeneid, Iliad and
Odyssey, and Oedipus Rex?
A. fate B. gods C. identity D. liberation
24. Why has the use of vernacular and the inclusion of local color most appreciated
in Afro-Asian region?
A. Africans and Asians use these tools as a show of rebellion to those who have
pulled them apart from their true identity.
B. The use of local language and details of rural life setting connects non-native
English speakers to their national identity.
C. Using English language in their writing remind them of past struggles
adjusting to a culture different from their own.
D. Local color and vernacular remind Africans and Asians of their original
beliefs and practices away from the influences of colonizers.
25. How will you modernize a classical literary piece without losing its original
sense?
A. Develop a game based on the storyline, but you may change the main
conquest depending on the interest of gamers.
B. Convert the story into a graphic novel, but make sure to add your personal
touch so you won’t have to worry about plagiarism.
C. Rewrite an updated version for the sake of the modern-day readers and
upload it to a platform they usually use, such as wattpad.
D. Consider filming, but take the context of the culture you will be releasing the
material. Names and formality of language may be tweaked.

Part II. Short Essay

Instructions: What is the MOST SIGNIFICANT contribution of each region to the
development of world literature? Explain in one sentence only.
Asia
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Africa
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Europe
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North America
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South America
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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rubrics

5 points: Given the correct meaning and the discussion is grammatically

done.
3 points: Given the correct meaning but the discussion contains errors.
1 point: Attempted to answer.
0 point: No answer
ANSWERS
Activity 1:
1. B 2. A 3. E 4. D 5. B 6. C
Activity 2:
AFRICA ASIA EUROPE NORTH SOUTH
AMERICA AMERICA
James Basho JK Rowling Stopping by Gabriel Garcia
Mbotela Woods on Marquez
All Men are Iliad
Snowy
Amos Tutuola Brothers Pablo Neruda
The Necklace Evening
Chinua Li Bai Avant-garde
Leo Tolstoy The Raven
Achebe
The Tale of House of
Pro Cluentio
Freedom from Genji Spirits
the slaves Francesco
“I” novel The President
Petrarch
Jose
Water margin 100 Years of
Craveirinha Decameron
Solitude
The Kingdom
Wole Soyinka Aeneid
of this World Surrealism
Onitsha Romeo and
Panchatantra Siglo de Oro
novels Juliet
The Izu
Things Fall God Sees the
Dancer
Apart Truth but
The Taximan’s Waits
Negritude
Story
Don Quixote
Haruki
Sonnet 18
Murakami
Oedipus the
King
Beowulf
How do I Love
Thee

Gauge
1. A 6. D 11. D 16. C 21. B
2. C 7. C 12. A 17. B 22. B
3. D 8. C 13. D 18. C 23. D
4. D 9. D 14. A 19. A 24. B
5. D 10. D 15. C 20. C 25. B
References:
Achebe, Chinua (1994). Things Fall Apart. Retrieved July 25, 2020 from
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/565351/things-fall-apart-by-chinua-
achebe/9780385667838/excerpt
Brucker, C. (1992). In the survey of world literature: Chinua Achebe. Retrieved July
23, 2020 at https://faculty.atu.edu/cbrucker/Achebe.html
Buzelli, D. (2019). Four of the Best Chinese Novels You Must Discover. Retrieved
July 24, 2020 at https://ltl-school.com/chinese-novels/
Johnston, R (n.d.) A Brief Introduction to Japanese Literature. Retrieved July 25,
2020 from
https://www.academia.edu/5491195/A_Brief_Introduction_to_Japanese_Literatur
e
Mendoza, PA & Silva, M. (2016) 21st century literature from the Philippines and the
world. St. Andrew’s Publishing House: Plaridel, Bulacan.
Mutter, R.P. (2020). English literature. Encyclopaedia Britanica. Retrieved July 24,
2020 at https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature/The-Old-English-
period
Olson, Grant A (nd). Southeast Asian Literature. The Lincoln Library of Essential
Information. Retrieved July 24, 2020 at from
www.niu.edu/clas/cseas/_pdf/lesson-plans/sea-literature-olson.pdf
Smith, V. (n.d). African Literature. Retrieved July 23, 2020 from
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/African-literature/272747