SUBJECT: 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

REMINDERS: WRITE YOUR ANSWER ON A 1 WHOLE SHEET OF PAPER. ANSWER DIRECTLY.

Compare and Contrast Various 21st Century Genres from the Earlier Genres/ Periods

The desire for self-expression resulted to the production of literature. It is a writer’s expression of his mind,
heart, emotions, thoughts, and ideas. Literature is written works like poetry, novels, journals of famous authors and
usually published. ‘Genre’ literally means ‘type”, so literary genre means types of literary works. On this part of the
lesson, you will recall and differentiate the four major literary genres; poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama; however,
literature changes to adapt to the trends of the contemporary world; thus, new genres of literature are born. In this
lesson, we will study and appreciate both the earlier genres and the contemporary genres.
Literature reinvents itself as it changes its form to adapt to the changing times and changing trends; especially
for the young people like you. The need to express oneself gave birth to literature and humanity never got contented on
their attempt to express themselves resulting to new genres like hyperpoetry, mobile textula, flash fiction, chick lit, and,
blogs. Study the picture below. Do you have similar scenario in your homes?

Activity 1: I Can Scribble

Share how you felt after looking at the picture above by doing any of the following tasks. You can write your draft on a
paper and write your final text on the space provided after each task. You may also use a separate sheet if necessary

A. Make a poster about the use of electronic gadget based on the drawing. (SHORT BONDPAPER)
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Activity 2: What is it called?
Let us discuss Activity #1 by answering the questions below. You will answer using the choices after it and write
its corresponding letter on the space provided before the number.

_____1. What genre of literature was used on Task A?

a. drama
b. poetry
c. fiction
d. nonfiction
_____2. On what genre of literature a comical skit be classified?
a. drama
b. poetry
c. fiction
d. nonfiction
______3. What genre of literature tells and describes about a real life event like an anecdote and a memoir?
a. drama
b. fiction
c. poetry
d. nonfiction
_____4. A fable is a narrative where the characters are inanimate objects like a cell phone. On what genre of
literature does fable belong?
a. drama
b. fiction
c. poetry
d. nonfiction
_____5. Which statement best describe the tasks in Activity 1??
a. The tasks are entertaining.
b. Each task has a different purpose.
c. They differ in form and structure.
d. The tasks are simple but differs in theme.
_____6. How should the tasks be classified?
a. classify them according to their genre
b. classify them according to their purpose
c. classify them according to their elements
d. classify them according to their structure

Genres and Sub-genres of Literature: Elements and Structure

Genre Sub-genre Elements Structure

Written in lines and
stanzas
Lyric (sonnet, ode, Rhyme, meter, 2 lines- couplet
Poetry elegy), dramatic figurative devices, 3 lines –tercet
(soliloquy, monologue, symbolism 4 lines – quatrain
dialogue), and 5 lines - cinquain
narrative (epic) 6 lines – sestet
7 lines - septet
8 lines - octave
Fiction (stories that fantasy, plot, characters,
did not happen in folklore, mystery, theme setting, point- Written in paragraphs
reality suspense of-view, literary
 or thriller, historical fiction, devices
science fiction, romance
Nonfiction (factual biography, references
stories, with real (encyclopedia, dictionary, plot, characters, theme Written in paragraphs
characters and setting) thesaurus), setting, point-of-view,
autobiography, narrative literary devices
(memoir, testimonio),
and periodicals
(newspapers, magazines,
journal that are written
regularly)

Literary element
(script), The script serves as the text
Technical element, and it is performed before an
Drama tragedy, comedy (scenery (set),makeup, audience
costume, lights,
and sound) performance
element
(acting, character analysis,
character motivation…)

The given genres with their elements and structures are further discussed in detail below:
A. Poetry

Poetry is one of the earliest genres of literature. It was either recited or sang back to prehistoric times to call for help
from a deity, narrate a hero’s life and victories, tell about the love story of their rulers, or describe someone who
inspires them. In order to understand or even write a good poem, you must know the elements of poetry:

1. Rhyme – it is the identical rhyme if the last words or sounds match each other.
alliteration : followed, flats, front

bother, back

assonance: big, slipper

picked, slimy

2. Meter – it is also called the rhythm in poetry. It is the pattern of beats ( foot) (stressed and unstressed syllables in
a line). It is also called foot.
There are four basic rhythms in poetry:

2.1 Iamb -unstressed / stressed (buh BUH ) buh BUH/ buh BUH
Today, / we live /

2.2 Trochee- stressed / unstressed (BUH buh)

BUH buh BUH buh BUH buh
Captain/ it’s gone/ hold it
 2.3 Anapest- unstressed / unstressed / stressed. ( buh buh BUH ) buh buh BUH buh buh BUH
If I cry/ If I leave/

2.4 Dactyl- stressed / unstressed / unstressed (BUH buh buh )

BUH buh buh / BUH buh buh / BUH buh buh
Carnage is / horrible / heritage

3. Imagery and Symbolism

The beauty of poetry is on the carefully chosen words that rhyme and the lines and stanzas with uniform
rhythm. Poetry must also employ figurative language to creatively express emotions, feeling and ideas.

Here are the commonly used literary devices in poetry:

Metaphor Simile Onomatopoeia

Direct comparison of two Two unlike things compared to Words that imitate a sound
unlike things. each other using “like” or “as”.
Ex. The gushing of wind and
Ex. He is a strong lion. Ex. He is strong like a lion. gnashing of teeth
Alliteration Assonance Repetition
The repetition of the same The resemblance of a sound in
initial sound of the words. words or syllable. A word, a phrase, or a
sentence repeated to
Ex. Be brave, be boundless emphasize its importance in
Beauty is a bouquet of blue Ex. Who knows how hollows the entire text.
baby’s breath snore.
Ex. Not yet Rizal,
Not yet….

Synedoche Personification Hyperbole

A part is made to represent Giving human attributes to an It exaggerates the meaning of
the whole or vice-versa object or animal a sentence.

Ex. Hundred heads of cattle Ex. The wind spoke of hope and Ex. I am so thirsty that I could
bought at a good price. redemption. drink an ocean.

To appreciate and write a good poem, it is also essential to know its structure. Poems are written in lines that
comprise a stanza. Thus, each type of poem differs from each other because of its structure.

To identify a poem’s structure is to count the lines of every stanza:

Couplet - 2 lines
Tercet - 3 lines
Quatrain - 4 lines
Cinquain - 5 lines
Sestet - 6 lines
Septet - 7 lines
Octave - 8 lines
 Moonset at Central Park Station of St. Paul
Subterranean River National Park
John Iremil E. Teodoro

This morning, after the faint scent

of sea grasses
awakened me,
I followed
the setting moon
in the reefs flats
in front of my
bamboo cottage.

I nearly stepped on a parrotfish

that was caught by the low tide.

It was as big as my slipper.

I picked its slimy body

and returned it to the sea.
In its excitement it forgot to thank me
It didn’t even bother to look back—
it swam quickly
away from me
It dived towards the direction of the horizon
where the moon was hiding.
Perhaps in my next visit that parrotfish
will surprise me with a greeting.
It shall brag to me about its scales painted by the setting moon.

*[Teodoro, J. I. ](2016). Moonset at Central Park Station of St. Paul Subterranean River National Park. In N. C. Moratilla. Claiming Spaces: Understanding,
Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction (pp. 6-7). Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House.

The given poem is free-verse and unmetered. It has no rhythm but it uses alliteration, assonance, repetition,
and symbolism.

alliteration : followed, flats, front

bother, back
dived, direction
 horizon, hiding
perhaps, parrotfish

assonance: big, slipper

picked, slimy
body, forgot, to
symbols: moon - dreams to be fulfilled, fulfilled dreams,
inspiration
horizon - a place to find or to keep your dreams, a
place which promises good fortune or good life
parrotfish - a gay/ LGBTQ member because of its color

- an ungrateful person
- someone passive
- someone who has a very colourful life
- an experienced person
- a person who picks up someone else’s trash
words/ lines used repeatedly: - sea, moon, parrotfish

B. Fiction:

Fiction is a story of make believe. It is a story made by the author’s creative imagination. It has various sub-
genres like mystery, fantasy, suspense, historical fiction science fiction, realistic fiction and folklore (myths, fables,
legends).

To understand fiction and to write a good fictional story, you must be able to identify and understand its
elements that comprise the texts’ contents and message the story wanted to impart to its readers.

Now, you will read a legend that tells how a great lake was formed. It was retold by one of the writer’s former
senior high school student who lived a in village near Lake Sebu.

Located in South Cotabato, Lake Sebu is considered as the “Summer Capital of Southern Mindanao” because of
the cool weather and uphill location of the town. It is the home of the T’boli, a tribe famously called as “Dreamweavers”
because of their colorful bead works and hand-woven cloth called T’nalak.

The Legend of Lake Sebu

(A T’boli Folktale)

Once there was a beautiful. yet mysterious princess, who came to

the land of the T’bolis. She was loved by the locals. However, she
met a mythical frog whom she angered. To avenge himself, the frog
opened a big lotus flower that gushed water and flooded the entire
land.

The princess’ brother saw this from the heavens. He threw leaves
and pythons that became land mass so that his sister can pass
through.
 From that day on, the village was covered with water. The eleven islets became the home of the
locals.
*Narrated by Moreno, M. E., Legend of Lake Sebu, June 20, 2020

Activity 3: Let’s Take Note (Noting Details by Employing the Elements of Fiction)

Directions: Answer the following questions briefly:

1. Where can Lake Sebu be found? ____________________________________ (setting)

2. What is another name for Lake Sebu ? _______________________________ (setting)
3. Who once lived on the land of the T’bolis? ___________________________________
_____________________________________________________(characters/ plot-exposition)
4. What problem did the princess had during her stay in the place?
__________________________________________________ (plot/rising action and conflict)
5. What did the frog do to avenge himself?
____________________________________________________________________(plot/climax)

6. Who helped the princess? How was he able to help her? ______________
_________________________________________________________(plot/falling action)

7. How did the princess survived the flood made by the angry mythical frog??
_________________________________________________________________ (plot)

ACTIVITY 4: Directions: Read and study the short story below and fill-in the chart.

THE STORY OF THE FIRST DURIAN

(The Hermit’s Three Wishes)

Barom-Mai was an old and ugly king who lived in a kingdom called Calinan in the Visayas hundreds of years ago.
Although he was powerful, he was helpless when it came to winning the love of his young bride, Madayaw-Bayho
(daughter of Tageb, king of the pirates).

Barom-Mai asked his advisers to help him win his bride’s love, and Matigam (the wisest of advisers) told him
about Impit Purok, a hermit who lived in a cave in Mt. Apo.

They went to the hermit and he asked for three things: the egg of the black tabon bird, twelve ladles of fresh
milk from a white carabao without blemish, and the nectar from the flower of the tree-of-make-believe.

The egg will be used to soften the bride’s heart; the milk, to make her kind; and, the nectar, to make her see
Barom-Mai as a young and handsome king.

The king finds the egg through the help of Pawikan, the king of the sea turtles. He luckily gets milk from a white
carabao the following breakfast, thanks to his cook. Hangin-Bai, the nymph of the air, leads him to her sister, the wood
nymph who had the magic flower in her hair.
 Barom-Mai gives the three things to Impit Purok, who asked him to prepare a big feast after Barom-Mai wins his
queen back, and to invite Impit Purok as the king’s guest of honor.

Impit Purok mixes the three ingredients and instructs Barom-Mai to plant the mixture in the royal garden. The
morning after it was planted, a tree grew. It had a sweet smell and its fruit tasted good. When Madayaw-Bayho was
given the fruit, she fell in love with Barom-Mai.

The king throws a big feast but forgets to invite Impit Purok. In retaliation, Impit casts a curse upon the fruit: The
sweet smell was replaced with a foul odor while the smooth skin of the fruit was covered with thorns, which is how the
durian smells and looks today.

Source: Lacia, F., Libunao, L., Fabella, M & Buhain, V.(2016) The
Literature of the Philippines.3rd Edition. Rex Bookstore: Manila, p.126

Elements Aspects and Analysis

Plot (Synopsis)

Setting Time Place

Theme

Characters and
Characterization
Main Character/s:
Other Characters:

Point-of-view Used

Atmosphere/ Mood

Narrative Time

Conflict of the Story

 Symbols Used

Important Lines/ Dialogue

ACTIVITY 6: Identify what is being described in each statement. Write your answer on the space provided.

____________________1. These are written works such as poems, plays, and novels that are considered to be very
good and have lasting importance. It could be printed materials that provide information about something.
____________________2. These are narratives that were based on the creative imagination of the author.
_____________________3. It is a literary genre that tells about stories that actually happen in real life. The sub-genres
are biography, memoir, autobiography, journals, diaries, periodicals and references.
_____________________4. It is more complicated than other genres of literature because aside from the script, other
elements must suit and work together to the theme of the show and make the audience feel the plight of the
protagonist, antagonist and other characters in the story effectively.
_____________________5. It is one of the earliest genres of literature. It was either recited or sang back to prehistoric
times to call for help from a deity, narrate a hero’s life and victories, tell about the love story of their rulers, or describe
someone who inspires them. It uses rhyme, meter, and imagery to convey its ideas.
_____________________6. It is poetry uploaded in the internet. Its medium is the computer screen.
_____________________7. It is a short poetry in a form of tanaga, that is sent through SMS on mobile phone. It
consists of 4 lines with 7 syllables using / to end a line and // to end the stanza.
_____________________8. It is telling a story in a few words, usually about 100-1000 words or less.
_____________________9. It is a heroine-centered fiction narrative; usually focus on the trials of the protagonist.
____________________10. It is a regularly updated web page or website that is written in conversational style.
____________________11. It is the repetition of consonants to achieve rhyme in poetry.
____________________ 12. It is the most interesting and important part of a story.
_____________________ 13. It is the problem encountered by the protagonist in the story.
_____________________14. It is the used to convey ideas. It represents various ideas or things at one time. Like
darkness or color black may symbolize death, uncertainty, failure, or an end. A white rose may mean purity, freshness,
new beginning, or death.
_____________________15. It refers to a literary device that uses a part to represent the whole or vice-versa.

Activity 7: Blogged

Our country and the world are suffering from the COVID19 pandemic. Write a blog about the effects of COVID-19 to our
country, its economy, and its people. Don’t forget to write about the lessons we have learned during this pandemic. End
your blog with a suggestion on how to deal with the effects of COVID-19.