The Literary Forms in Philippine LiteraturePre Colonial Literature in the Philippines showcased the rich and civilized history of the Philippines.
Most Filipino literature is handed down orally from one generation to another – reflecting the daily activities in the life of the primitive Filipinos and their environment (Harvey, 2010). Philippine Literature has started with fables and legends made by the ancient Filipinos long before the arrival of the Spanish influence (Wikipedia. com, 2011). Early literature are written and inscribed in bamboo, palm leaves and bark of trees with the use of knife and styli, and stones (Harvey, 2010). 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. 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. FOLK SPEECHES: 1. 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. 2. Proverbs or aphorisms express norms or codes of behavior, community beliefs or they instill values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short, rhyming verse. 3. 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.
“ FOLK SONGS: 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…
