Evelyn L.

Pacquing
St. Paul University Philippines
epacquing@spup.edu.ph
 LITE RATURE
“Litera” – Latin word which literally means an
“acquaintance with letters”

Webster defines literature as anything that is

printed, as long as it is related to the ideas and
feelings of people, whether it is true, or just a
product of one’s imagination
 LITE RATURE

 a product of particular culture that

concretizes man’s array of values, emotions,
actions and ideas. It is therefore a creation of
human experiences that tells about people
and their world.
 LITE RATURE
 The best way to understand human nature
fully and to know a nation completely is to
study literature (Garcia, et al, 1993 cited in Gutierrez-Ang 2012)

Literature is a faithful production of life …. In

a sense is a product and a commentary of life
process.
Literature illuminates life.
Why Read Literature
• For information,
• for amusement,
• for higher and keener
pleasure,
• for cultural upliftment,
• for discovery of broader
dimensions in life

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 What is Philippine Literature ?
 A product, a reflection of and a
reaction to the period, place and people
who produced it. (Balabar, et al 1989)
 A body of works, both oral and written, that
Filipinos whether native, naturalized, or
foreign born, have created about the
experience of people living in or relating to
Philippine Society. (Gutierrez-Ang, 2012)

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Why STUDY Philippine Literature
• To appreciate literary heritage
• To realize our literary limitations conditioned
by certain historical factors so we can take
steps to overcome them
• To understand that we have a great d noble
tradition which can serve as means to
assimilate other cultures
• To show that Filipinos manifest deep concern
for their own literature.
» Gutierrez-Ang, 2012
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LITERARY STANDARDS

Universality
Artistry
Intellectual
Value
Permanence
Style
Spiritual Value
Suggestiveness
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 UNIVERSALITY
Great literature is timeless
and timely.

Forever relevant, it appeals

to one and all, anytime,
anywhere, because it deals
with elemental feelings,
fundamental truths and
universal conditions.
 Artistry
This is the quality that appeals
to our sense of beauty.

Intellectual Value
A literary works stimulates
thought. It enriches our
mental life by making us
realize fundamental truths
about life and human nature.
 Permanence
A great work of literature
endures.
It can be read again and
again as each reading gives
fresh delight and new
insights and opens a new
world of meaning and
experience.
Its appeal is lasting.
 Style
This is the peculiar way in
which writers sees life,
forms his ideas and
expresses them.
 Spiritual Value
Literature elevates the spirit
by bringing out moral values
which makes a better
persons.
The capacity to inspire is
part of the spiritual value of
literature.
LITERARY
STANDARDS
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 Suggestiveness
This is associated with the
emotional
power of literature.
Great literature moves us
deeply and stirs our feeling
and imagination, giving and
evoking visions above and
beyond the plane of ordinary
life and experience.
LITERARY
STANDARDS
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