Teaching & Assessment of Literature Studies

Literature plays a crucial role in shaping students' understanding of human experiences, cultures, and emotions. As
educators, our goal is not only to introduce students to various literary works but also to develop their critical thinking,
analytical, and interpretative skills. Effective teaching of literature requires engaging strategies that promote
appreciation, comprehension, and meaningful discussions.

Assessment in literature studies goes beyond traditional testing; it involves evaluating students' ability to analyze texts,
interpret themes, and express their insights creatively. By using diverse assessment methods—such as essays,
discussions, presentations, and creative projects—teachers can gauge students’ understanding while fostering a deeper
connection with literature.

This course explores innovative approaches to both teaching and assessing literature, ensuring that students develop a
lifelong appreciation for literary works while enhancing their academic and personal growth.

DEFINITIONS of Literature

 Literature is any form of writing which deals with the significant human experience – his society and his experiences –
which is artistically conceived for an effect (Malonzo, 2014).

 Literature is the enactment of human possibilities, or a vehicle that will help us discover more about ourselves and the
meaning we can make of life (Malonzo, 2014)

 Literature broadly refers to any collection of written or oral work, but it more commonly and narrowly refers to
writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry, in contrast to academic

writing and newspapers (Wikipedia).

1. Literature as Significant Human Experiences

What defines a piece of writing as great literature?

One of the elements that sets literature apart from writing purely for the purpose of entertainment and escapism

is its commentary on the human condition. The human experience in literature contains themes about life and society
that are relatable to readers. There are endless themes related to the human experience. Here are the following themes:

 parent-child relationship
 death
 loneliness
 conformity
 growing up
 aging
 human rights
 charity
 equality
 materialism

2. Purposes of Literature

• To improve your command of language

• To teach you about life, culture, experience of people in other parts of the world
• To give you information about other parts of the world which you may never
be able to visit in your lifetime
• To entertain you and provide useful occupation in your free time
• To make you a wiser and more experienced person by forcing you to
judge, sympathize with, or criticize the characters you read about
• To help you compare your own experience with experiences of other people
 • To give you information which may be useful in other subjects, for example,
in Geography, Science, History, Social Studies, and so on

3. Prose vs. Poetry vs. Drama

DEFINITIONS OF PROSE
• Prose is ordinary language.
• Prose is written in sentences and paragraphs that may include dialogue.
• Most of the literature we read is written in prose.
• It is a form or technique of language that exhibits a natural flow
of speech and grammatical structure.
• It is derived from the Latin word prosa which means straightforward.
DIVISIONS AND TYPES OF PROSE
• Fiction- this pertains to a narrative form, in any medium, consisting of
people, events, or places that are imaginary. In other words, it is not based
strictly on history or fact.
Examples: short stories, legend, fairy tale letters, folk tale
memoirs, novels, short stories, fables, myths etc.
• Non-Fiction- It is any document or content that purports in good faith to
represent truth and accuracy regarding information, events, or people.
Examples: essay, report, personal narrative, memoirs, letter,
article, journal, biographies etc.

STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF PROSE

• Sentence – group of words that express a complete thought.

• Paragraph - sentences that are grouped together.
• Dialogue – words or sentences that quote what a person has said.

DEFINITIONS OF POETRY
• It refers to those expressions in verse, with measures, rhymes, lines, stanzas, and
melodious tone.
• Poetry is an expressive form of writing. It allows the author to share an idea or
insight with others in a meaningful way.
• Poetry is not written in sentences and paragraphs like prose. Instead, it
uses different structures that make it interesting to read.
• It came from the Greek word poiesis which means making.

DIVISIONS AND TYPES OF POETRY

• Lyric Poetry- in earlier days, it was meant to be sung to the accompaniment

of musical known as lyre.
a. simple lyric- embraces a wide variety of poems and is characterized
by subjectivity, imagination, melody, and emotion.
b. song- short lyric poem which has a specific melodious quality
and is intended to be sung.
c. sonnet- a poem expressing of 14 lines with a formal rhyme.
d. elegy- a poem expressing lament or grief for dead.
e. ode- most splendid type of lyric poetry.
• Narrative Poetry- it tells a story following an order of events. It includes
a. ballad- short simple narrative poem composed to be sung and is
orally told from one generation to another.
 b. metrical romance- a long rambling love story in verse which is
centered around the adventures of knights and lords, and their royal ladies
during the age of chivalry.
c. epic- a long majestic narrative poem which tells the adventures
of a traditional hero and the development of a nation.
• Dramatic Poetry- it has the elements that are closely related to drama because it
is written in dramatic form or make use of a dramatic technique. It includes:
a. dramatic monologue- a combination of drama and poetry which
represents the speech of a character in a particular situation at a critical
moment.
b. soliloquy- passage spoken by the speaker in a poem of a character in
the play except that there is no one present to hear him except the
audience or the reader.
c. character sketch- poem which the writer is concerned less with
complete or implied matters of a story, but rather with arousing sympathy
or antagonism for, or some interest in an individual.
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF POETRY

• Verse – one line of poetry.

• Stanza – group of verses.
• Rhythm – beats or accented syllables.
• Meter – pattern of beats or accented syllables.
• Rhyme – syllables that sound similar.
DEFINITION OF DRAMA

• Drama can also be called a play.

• In its written form, a play includes a cast of characters, dialogue, and
stage directions.
• Drama may be organized in scenes and acts.
• It is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance like
play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or
television.
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

• Cast- list of characters in play.

• Dialogue – words that tell the actors what to say.
• Stage Directions – words that tell how the stage should look or what the
actors should do.
• Setting - words that tell where and when a play takes place.
• Scenes - sections of the play with similar setting.
• Acts - major sections of a long play.

4. Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

Fiction
 Definition: Fiction is a form of writing that involves imaginary events, characters, and
settings. It is created from the author’s imagination rather than real-life facts.
 Purpose: Primarily to entertain, inspire, or provoke thought through storytelling.
 Examples:
o Novels (e.g., Harry Potter, The Great Gatsby)
o Short stories
o Myths and legends
o Fairy tales
 o Fables
Non-Fiction
 Definition: Non-fiction is based on real facts, events, and people. It presents information
that is accurate and factual.
 Purpose: To inform, educate, or document real-life experiences.
 Examples:
o Biographies (e.g., The Diary of Anne Frank)
o Essays and reports
o News articles
o Textbooks
o Scientific journals

Both fiction and non-fiction have their unique value in literature, enriching our understanding of
the world in different ways!

5. A SURVEY OF AUTHORS

FILIPINO AUTHORS

List of the most popular authors from Philippines, listed alphabetically with photos when
available. For centuries authors have been among the world's most important people, helping
chronicle history and keep us entertained with one of the earliest forms of storytelling. Whether
they're known for fiction, non-fiction, poetry or even technical writing, the famous Filipino
authors on this list have kept that tradition alive by writing renowned works that have been
praised around the world. You can find useful information below about these notable Filipino
writers, such as when they were born and where their place of birth was.
 1. Edith L. Tiempo is a poet, fictionist,
teacher and literary critic. She is one of the
finest Filipino writers in English whose works
are characterized by a remarkable fusion of
style and substance, of craftsmanship and
insight. She was born on April 22, 1919 in
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, her poems are
intricate verbal transfigurations of significant
experiences as revealed, in two of her
much anthologized pieces, "The Little Marmoset" and "Bonsai". As
fictionist, Tiempo is as morally profound. Her language has been marked
as "descriptive but unburdened by scrupulous detailing. " She is an
influential tradition in Philippine literature in English. Together with her
late husband, Edilberto K. Tiempo, she founded and directed the Silliman
National Writers Workshop in Dumaguete City, which has produced
some. of the country's best writers.

Tiempo's published works include the novel A Blade of Fern (1978), The Native
Coast (1979), and The Alien Corn (1992); the poetry collections, The Tracks of
Babylon and Other Poems (1 966), and The Charmer's Box and Other Poems
(1993); and the short story collection Abide, Joshua, and Other Stories (1964).

2. Bienvenido Lumbera, is a poet,

librettist, and scholar. As a poet, he
introduced to Tagalog literature what is
now known as Bagay poetry, a landmark
aesthetic tendency that has helped to
change the vernacular poetic tradition. He is
the author of the following works: Likhan
Dila, Likhang Diwa (poems in Filipino and
English), 1993; Balaybay, Mga Tulang Lunot
at Manibalang, 2002; Sa Sariling Bayan,
Apat na Dulang May Musika, 2004;
"Agunyas sa Hacienda Luisita,"
Pakikiramay, 2004.
As a librettist for the Tales of the Manuvu and Rama Hari, he pioneered the
creative fusion of fine arts and popular imagination. As a scholar, his major books
include the following: Tagalog Poetry, 1570-1898: Tradition and Influences in its
Development; Philippine Literature: A History and Anthology, Revaluation: Essays on
Philippine Literature, Writing the Nation/Pag-akda ng Bansa.

3. Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez,

better known as N.V.M. Gonzalez, fictionist,
essayist, poet, and teacher, articulated the
Filipino spirit in rural, urban landscapes.
Among the many recognitions, he won the
First Commonwealth Literary Contest in 1940,
received the Republic Cultural Heritage
Award in 1960 and the Gawad CCP Para sa
Sining in 1990. The awards attest to his
triumph in appropriating the English
language
to express, reflect and shape Philippine culture and Philippine sensibility.
He became U.P.’s |nternational-Writer-In-Residence and a member of
the Board of Advisers of the
U.P. Creative Writing Center. In 1987, U.P. conferred on him the Doctor of
Humane Letters, honoris causa, its highest academic recognition.

Major works of N.V.M Gonzalez include the following: The Winds of April, Seven
Hills Away, Children of the Ash-Covered Loam and Other Stories, The Bamboo Dancers,
Look Stranger, on this Island Now, Mindoro and Beyond: Twenty -One Stories, The
Bread of Salt and Other Stories, Work on the Mountain, The Novel of Justice:
Selected Essays 1968-1994, A Grammar of Dreams and Other Stories.

4. Virgilio S. Almario, also known as

Rio Alma, is a poet, literary historian and
critic, who has revived and reinvented
traditional Filipino poetic forms, even as he
championed modernist poetics. In 34 years,
he has published 12 books of poetry, which
include the seminal Makinasyon and
Peregrinasyon, and the landmark trilogy
Doktrinang Anakpawis, Mga Retrato at
Rekwerdo and Muli, Sa Kandungan ng Lupa.
In these works, his poetic voice soared
from the lyrical to the
satirical to the epic, from the dramatic to the incantatory, in his often
severe examination of the self, and the society.

He has also redefined how the Filipino poetry is viewed and paved the way for
the discussion of the same in his 10 books of criticisms and anthologies, among
which are Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina, Balagtasismo versus
Modernismo,Walong Dekada ng Makabagong Tula Pilipino, Mutyang Dilim and
Barlaan at Josaphat

Many Filipino writers have come under his wing in the literary
workshops he founded —the Galian sa Arte at Tula (GAT) and the
Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA). He has also long been
involved with children's literature through the Aklat Adarna series,
published by his Children‘s Communication Center. He has been a
constant
presence as well in national writing workshops and galvanizes member
writers as chairman emeritus of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas
(UMPIL).

He headed the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as

Executive Director, (from 1998 to 2001) ably steering the Commission
towards its goals. But more than anything else, what Almario
accomplished was that he put a face to the Filipino writer in the country,
one strong face determinedly wielding a pen into untruths, hypocrisy,
injustice, among others.

5. Cirilo F. Bautista is a poet,

fictionist and essayist with exceptional
achievements and significant contributions
to the development of the country's
literary arts. He is acknowledged by peers
and critics, and the nation at large as the
foremost writer of his generation.

Throughout his career that

spans more than four decades, he
has established a reputation for
fine and profound artistry; his
books, lectures, poetry readings and creative writing workshops
continue to influence his peers and generations of young writers.

As a way of bringing poetry and fiction closer to the people who

otherwise would not have the opportunity to develop their creative
talent, Bautista has been holding regular funded and unfunded
workshops throughout the country. In his campus lecture circuits,
Bautista has updated students and student—writers on literary
developments and techniques.

As a teacher of literature, Bautista has realized that the classroom

is an important training ground for Filipino writers. In De La Salle
University, he was instrumental in the formation of the Bienvenido
Santos Creative Writing Center. He was also the moving spirit behind the
founding of the Philippine Literary Arts Council in 1981, the Iligan
National Writers Workshop in 1993, and the Baguio Writers Group.

Thus, Bautista continues to contribute to the development of

Philippine literature: as a writer, through his significant body of works; as
a teacher, through his discovery and encouragement of young writers in
workshops and lectures; and as a critic, through his essays that provide
insights into the craft of writing and correctives to misconceptions about
art.
Major works: Summer Suns (1963), Words and Battlefields (1998), The Trilogy
of Saint Lazarus (2001), Galaw ng Asoge (2003).

6. Nick Joaquin, is regarded by

many as the most distinguished Filipino
writer in English writing so variedly and so
we l about so many aspects of the Filipino.
Nick Joaquin has also enriched the English
language with critics coining “Joaquinesque"
to describe his baroque Spanish- flavored
English or his reinventions of English based
on Filipinisms. Aside from his handling of
language, Bienvenido Lumbera writes that
Nick Joaquin’s significance in Philippine
literature involves his exploration of the
Philippine colonial
past under Spain and his probing into the psychology of socia changes as
seen by the young, as exemplified in stories such as Dona Jeronima,
Candido's Apocalypse and The Order of Melchizedek. Nick Joaquin
has written plays, novels, poems, short stories and essays including
reportage and journalism.

As a journalist, Nick Joaquin uses the nome de guerre Quijano de

Manila but whether he is writing literature or journalism, fellow National
Artist Francisco Arcellana opines that “it is always of the highest skill and
quality.’’

Among his voluminous works are The Woman Who Had Two Navels, A
Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, Manila, My Manila: A History for the Young, The
Ballad of the Five Battles, Rizal in Saga, Almanac for Manilefios, Cave and Shadows.
Nick Joaquin died on April 29, 2004.

7. F. Sionil Jose's writings since the

late 60s, when taken collectively can best
be described as epic. Its sheer volume puts
him on the forefront of Philippine writing in
English. But ultimately, it is the consistent
espousal of the aspirations of the Filipino—
for national sovereignty and social justice—
that guarantees the value of his oeuvre.
 In the five—novel masterpiece, the
Rosales saga, consisting of The Pretenders,
Tree, My Brother, My Executioner, Mass, and
Po-on, he captures the sweep of
Philippine history while simultaneously narrating the lives of generations of the
Samsons whose personal lives intertwine with the social struggles of the nation.
Because of their international appeal, his works, including his many short stories,
have been published and translated into various languages.
 F. Sionil Jose is also a publisher, lecturer on cultural issues, and the founder
of the Philippine chapter of the international organization PEN. He was bestowed the
CCP Centennial Honors for the Arts in 1999; the Outstanding Fulbrighters
Award for Literature in 1988; and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism,
Literature, and Creative Communication Arts in 1980.

8. Amado V. Hernandez, poet, playwright, and

novelist, is among the Filipino writers who practiced
“committed art”. In his view, the function of the writer is to
act as the conscience of society and to affirm the greatness
of the human spirit in the face of inequity and oppression.
Hernandez’s contribution to the development of Tagalog
prose is considerable — he stripped Tagalog of its
ornate
character and wrote in prose closer to the colloquial than the “official” style
permitted. His novel Mga lbong Mandaragit, first written by Hernandez while in
prison, is the first Filipino socio-political novel that exposes the ills of the society
as evident in the agrarian problems of the 50s.

Hernandez's other works include Bayang Malaya, Isang Dipang Langit, Luha ng Buwaya,
Amado V. Hernandez: Tudla at Tudling: Katipunan ng mga Nalathalang Tula 1921-1970, Langaw sa
Isang Basong Gatas at Iba Pang Kuwento ni Amado V. Hernandez, Magkabilang Mukha ng Isang
Bagol at Iba Pang Akda ni Amado V. Hernandez.

9. Lazaro A. Francisco, prize-winning writer

developed the social realist tradition in Philippine fiction.
His eleven novels, now acknowledged classics of
Philippine literature, embodies the author's commitment
to nationalism. Amadis Ma. Guerrero wrote, “Francisco
championed the cause of the common man, specifically
the oppressed peasants. His novels exposed the evils
of the tenancy system,
the exploitation of farmers by unscrupulous landlords, and foreign domination."
Teodoro Valencia also observed His pen dignifies the Filipino and accents all the
positives about the Filipino way of life. His writings have contributed much to the
formation of a Filipino nationalism." Literary historian and critic Bienvenido
Lumbera also wrote, “When the
history of the Filipino novel is written, Francisco is likely to occupy an eminent
place in it. Already in Tagalog literature, he ranks among the finest novelists since
the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to a deft hand at characterization,
Francisco has a supple prose style responsive to the subtlest nuances of ideas and
the sternest stuff of passions."

Francisco gained prominence as a writer not only for his social conscience
but also for his “masterful handling of the Tagalog language" and “supple prose
style”. With his literary output in Tagalog, he contributed to the enrichment of the
Filipino language and literature for which he is a staunch advocate. He put up an
arm to his advocacy of Tagalog as a national language by establishing the
Kapatiran ng mga Alagad ng Wikang Pilipino
(KAWIKA) in 1958.

His reputation as the “Master of the Tagalog Novel” is backed up by

numerous awards he received for his meritorious novels in particular, and for his
contribution to Philippine literature and culture in general. His masterpiece novels
—Ama, Bayang Nagpatiwakal, Maganda Pa Ang Daigdig and Daluyong—
affirm his eminent place in Philippine literature. In 1997, he was honored by the
University of the Philippines with a special convocation, where he was cited as the
“foremost Filipino novelist of his generation” and “champion of the Filipino writer’s
struggle for national identity.”

10. Alejandro Roces, is a short story writer and

essayist, and considered as the country's best writer of comic
short stories. He is known for his widely anthologized “My
Brother's Peculiar Chicken." In his innumerable newspaper
columns, he has always focused on the neglected aspects of
the Filipino cultural heritage. His works have been published
in various international magazines and has received national
and international awards.

Ever the champion of Filipino culture, Roces

brought to public attention the aesthetics of the country's fiestas. He was
instrumental in popularizing several local fiestas, notably, Moriones and Ati-atihan.
He personally led the campaign to change the country's Independence Day from
July 4 to June 12, and caused the change of language from English to Filipino in the
country's stamps, currency and passports, and recovered Jose Rizal’s manuscripts
when they were stolen from the National Archives.
 His unflinching love of country led him to become a guerilla during the
Second World War, to defy martial law and to found the major opposition party
under the dictatorship. His works have been published in various international
magazines and received numerous national and international awards, including
several decorations from various governments. He once said “You cannot be a
great writer; first, you have to be a good person".

11. Carlos P. Romulo‘s multifaceted career

spanned 50 years of public service as educator, soldier,
university president, journalist and diplomat. It is common
knowledge that he was the first Asian President of the
United Nations General Assembly, then Philippine
Ambassador to Washington, D.C., and later minister of
foreign affairs. Essentially though, Romulo was very much
into writing: he was a reporter at 16, a newspaper
editor by the age of 20, and a publisher at 32. He was the only Asian to win
America's coveted Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for a series of articles predicting the
outbreak of World War II. Romulo, in all, wrote and published 18 books, a range of
literary works which included The United (novel), I Walked with Heroes
(autobiography), I Saw the
Fall of the Philippines, Mother America, I See the Philippines Rise (war—time

memoirs).

His other books include his memoirs of his many years’ affiliations with United Nations (UN),
Forty Years: A Third World Soldier at the UN, and The Philippine Presidents, his oral history of his
experiences sewing all the Philippine presidents.

12. Jose Garcia Villa is considered as one of the

finest contemporary poets regardless of race or language.
Villa, who lived in Singalong, Manila, introduced the
reversed consonance rime scheme, including the comma
poems that made full use of the punctuation mark in an
innovative, poetic way. The first of his poems "Have
Come, Am Here" received critical recognition when it
appeared in New York in 1942 that, soon enough,
honors and fellowships were heaped on him: Guggenheim, Bollingen, the American
Academy of Arts and Letters Awards. He used Doveglion (Dove, Eagle, Lion) as
penname, the very characters he attributed to himself, and the same ones
explored by e.e. cummings in the poem he wrote for Villa (Doveglion, Adventures in
Value). Villa is also known for the tartness of his tongue.
 Villa's works have been collected into the following books: Footnote to Youth,Many Voices,
Poems by Doveglion, Poems 55, Poems in Praise of Love: The Best Love Poems of Jose Garcia Villa
as Chosen By Himself, Selected Stories,The Portable Villa, The Essential Villa, Mir-i-nisa,
Storymasters 3: Selected Stories from Footnote to Youth, 55 Poems: Selected and Translated
into Tagalog by Hilario S. Francia.

13. Rolando S. Tinio, playwright, thespian, poet,

teacher, critic and translator, marked his career with
prolific artistic productions. Tinio‘s chief distinction is as a
stage director whose original insights into the scripts he
handled brought forth productions notable for their
visual impact and intellectual cogency. Subsequently, after
staging productions for the Ateneo Experimental Theater
(its organizer and administrator as well), he took on
Teatro Pilipino.
It was to Teatro Pilipino which he left a considerable amount of work reviving
traditional Filipino drama by re—staging old theater forms like the sarswela and
opening a treasure— house of contemporary Western drama. It was the
excellence and beauty of his practice that claimed for theater a place among the
arts in the Philippines in the 1960s.

Aside from his collections of poetry (Sitsit sa Kuliglig, Dunung - Dunungan, Kristal na
Uniberso, A Trick of Mirrors) among his works were the following: film scripts for Now and
Forever, Gamitin Mo Ako, Bayad Puri and Milagros; sarswelas Ang Mestisa, Ako, Ang Kiri, Ana
Maria; the komedya Orosman at Zafira; and Larawan, the musical.

14. Francisco Arcellana, writer, poet, essayist,

critic, journalist and teacher, is one of the most
important progenitors of the modern Filipino short story
in English. He pioneered the development of the short
story as a lyrical prose
—poetic form. For Arcellana, the pride of
fiction is "that it is able to render truth, that is
able to present reality". Arcellana kept alive
the experimental tradition in fiction, and had
been most daring in exploring new literary
forms to
express the sensibility of the Filipino people. A brilliant craftsman, his works are
now an indispensable part of a tertiary—level—syllabi all over the COUFICIZ.
Arcellana‘s
published books are Selected Stories (19 2), Poetry and Politics: The State of Original Writing in
English in the Philippines Today (1977), The Francisco Arcellana Sampler (1990).

Some of his short stories are Frankie, The Man Who Would Be Poe, Death in a Factory, Lina,
A Clown Remembers, Divided by Two, The Mats, and his poems being The Other Woman, This
Being the Third Poem This Poem is for Mathilda, To Touch You and I Touched Her, and among
others.

15. Levi Celerio is a prolific lyricist and

composer for decades. He effortlessly translated/wrote
anew the lyrics to traditional melodies: “O Maliwanag
Na Buwan" (lloko), “Ako ay May Singsing" (Pampango),
“Alibangbang" (Visaya) among others. E

Born in Tondo, Celerio received his

scholarship at the Academy of Music in Manila
that made it possible for him to join the
Manila
Symphony Orchestra, becoming its youngest member. He made it to the
Guinness Book of World Records as the only person able to make music using just a
leaf.

A great number of his songs have been written for the local movies, which
earned for him the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Film Academy of the
Philippines. Levi Celerio, more importantly, has enriched the Philippine music for no
less than two generations with a treasury of more than 4,000 songs in an idiom that
has proven to appeal to all social classes.

16. Carlos Quirino, biographer, has the distinction

of having written one of the earliest biographies of Jose
Rizal titled The Great Malayan. Quirino’s books and articles
span the whole gamut of Philippine history and culture-from
Bonifacio’s trial to Aguinaldo’s biography, from Philippine
cartography to culinary arts, from cash crops to tycoons and
presidents lives, among so many subjects. In 1997,
Pres. Fidel Ramos created
historical literature as a new category in the National Artist Awards and Quirino was
its first recipient. He made a record earlier on when he became the very first
Filipino correspondent for the United Press Institute.
 His book Maps and Views of Old Manila is considered as the best book on the subject. His
other books include Quezon, Man of Destiny, Magsaysay of the Philippines, Lives of the
Philippine Presidents, Philippine Cartography, The History of Philippine Sugar Industry, Filipino
Heritage: The Making of a Nation, Filipinos at War: The Fight for Freedom from Mactan to
EDSA.

INTERNATIONAL WELL-KNOWN AUTHORS

A list of famous writers/authors/poets throughout history.

1 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564 – 1616) English poet and playwright.

Famous plays include Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Merchant of
Venice and Hamlet. Shakespeare is widely considered the seminal
writer of the English language.

2 JONATHAN SWIFT (1667 – 1745) Anglo-Irish writer born in Dublin. Swift was a
prominent satirist, essayist and author. Notable works
include Gulliver’s Travels (1726), A Modest Proposal and A Tale of a Tub.

3 SAMUEL JOHNSON (1709 – 1784) British author best-known for his

compilation of the English dictionary. Although not the first attempt
at a dictionary, it was widely considered to be the most
comprehensive – setting the standard for later dictionaries.

4 JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE (1749 – 1832) German poet,

playwright, and author. Notable works of Goethe include Faust,

Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship and Elective Affinities.

5 JANE AUSTEN (1775 – 1817) English author who wrote romantic

fiction combined with social realism. Her novels include Sense
and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813) and Emma (1816).
 6 HONORE DE BALZAC (1799 – 1850) French novelist and short
story writer. Balzac was an influential realist writer who created
characters of
moral ambiguity – often based on his own real-life examples. His
greatest work was the collection of short stories La Comédie Humaine.

7 ALEXANDRE DUMAS (1802 – 1870) French author of historical

dramas, including – The Count of Monte Cristo (1844), and The Three
Musketeers
(1844). Also prolific author of magazine articles, pamphlets and
travel books.

8 VICTOR HUGO (1802 – 1885) French author and poet. Hugo’s

novels include Les Misérables, (1862) and Notre-Dame de Paris
(1831).

9 CHARLES DICKENS (1812 – 1870) – English writer and social critic. His

best-known works include novels such as Oliver Twist,

David Copperfield and A Christmas Carol.

10 CHARLOTTE BRONTE (1816 – 1855) English novelist and poet,

from Haworth. Her best-known novel is ‘Jane Eyre’ (1847).

11 HENRY DAVID THOREAU (1817 – 1862) – American poet, writer

and leading member of the Transcendentalist movement. Thoreau’s
“Walden”
(1854) was a unique account of living close to nature.

1 EMILY BRONTE (1818 – 1848) English novelist. Emily Bronte is

best known for her novel Wuthering Heights (1847), and her poetry.

13 GEORGE ELIOT (1819 – 1880) Pen name of Mary Ann Evans. Wrote novels,
The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas

Marner (1861), Middlemarch (1871–72), and Daniel Deronda (1876)

 14 LEO TOLSTOY (1828 – 1910) Russian novelist and moral
philosopher. Famous works include the epic novels – War and
Peace (1869) and Anna
Karenina (1877). Tolstoy also became an influential philosopher with
his brand of Christian pacificism.

15 FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY (1821-1881) Russian novelist, journalist and

philosopher. Notable works include Notes from Underground, Crime

and Punishment and The Idiot.

16 LEWIS CARROLL (1832-1898)

mathematician and
Oxford
author. Famous for Alice in
Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, and poems
like The Snark.

17 M A R K TWAIN (1835 – 1910) American writer and humorist,

considered the ‘father of American literature’.
Famous works include The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn (1885).

18 THOMAS HARDY (1840-1928) English novelist and poet. Hardy was a

Victorian realist who was influenced by Romanticism. He wrote about

problems of Victorian society – in particular, declining rural life.
Notable works include: Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), Tess of
the d’Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895).

19 OSCAR WILDE (1854 – 1900) – Irish writer and poet. Wilde wrote
humorous, satirical plays, such as ‘The Importance of Being Earnest‘ and
‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’.

20 KENNETH GRAHAM (1859 – 1932) Author of the Wind in the

Willows (1908), a classic of children’s literature.

21 GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (1856 – 1950) Irish playwright and

wit. Famous works include: Pygmalion (1912), Man and
Superman (1903) and Back to Methuselah (1921)

22
 SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (1859 – 1930) British author of
historical novels and plays. Most famous for his short stories about
the detective – Sherlock Holmes, such as The Hound of the
Baskervilles (1902) and Sign of Four (1890).

23 BEATRIX POTTER (1866 – 1943) English conservationist and author of

imaginative children’s books, such as the Tales of Peter Rabbit (1902).

24 MARCEL PROUST (1871 – 1922) French author. Best known for

epic novel l À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost
Time) published in
seven parts between 1913 and 1927.

2 WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM 1874 – 1965) British novelist and

writer. One of the most popular authors of 1930s. Notable works
included The Moon and Sixpence (1916), The Razor’s Edge (1944),
and Of Human Bondage (1915)

26 P.G.WODEHOUSE (1881 – 1975) English comic writer. Best known

for his humorous and satirical stories about the English upper
classes, such as Jeeves and Wooster and Blandings Castle.

27 VIRGINIA WOOLF (1882 – 1941) English modernist writer, a

member of the Bloomsbury group. Famous novels include Mrs
Dalloway (1925), To the
Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928).

28 JAMES JOYCE (1882 – 1941) Irish writer from Dublin. Joyce was one
of most influential modernist avant-garde writers of the Twentieth
Century. His novel Ulysses (1922), was ground-breaking for its
stream of consciousness style. Other works include Dubliners (1914)
and Finnegans Wake (1939).

29
 D H LAWRENCE (1885 – 1930) English poet, novelist and writer. Best
known works include Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow, Women
in Love and Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928) – which was banned for
many years.

30 AGATHA CHRISTIE (1890 – 1976) British fictional crime writer.

Many of her books focused on series featuring her detectives
‘Poirot’ and Mrs
Marple.

31 J.R.R. TOLKIEN (1892 – 1973) – Professor of Anglo-Saxon and

English at Oxford University. Tolkien wrote the best-selling mythical
trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Other works include The
Hobbit and The
Silmarillion, and a translation of Beowulf.

32 VERA BRITTAIN (1893 – 1970) British writer best known for her
autobiography – Testament of Youth (1933) – sharing her traumatic
experiences of the First World War.

33 F. SCOTT FITZGERALD (1896 – 1940) American author. An

iconic writer of the ‘jazz age’. Notable works include The Great
Gatsby (1925),
and Tender Is the Night (1934) – cautionary tales about the ‘Jazz
decade’ and the American Dream based on pleasure and
materialism.

34 ENID BLYTON (1897 – 1968) British children’s writer, known for her
series of children’s books – The Famous Five and The Secret Seven.
Blyton wrote an estimated 800 books over 40 years.

5 C.S. LEWIS (1898 – 1963) Irish / English author and professor at

Oxford University. Lewis is best known for The Chronicles of Narnia, a
children’s fantasy series. Also well known as a Christian apologist.

36 ERNEST HEMINGWAY (1899 – 1961) Groundbreaking

modernist American writer. Famous works included For Whom
The Bell Tolls
(1940) and A Farewell to Arms (1929).
 VLADIMIR NABOKOV (1899 – 1977) Russian author of Lolita
(1955) and Pale Fire (1962)

38 BARBARA CARTLAND (1901 – 2000) One of most prolific and

best selling authors of the romantic fiction genre. Some suggest she
has sold
over 2 billion copies worldwide.

39 JOHN STEINBECK (1902 – 1968) American writer who captured

the social change experienced in the US around the time of the
Great
Depression. Famous works include – Of Mice and Men (1937), The
Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952).

40 GEORGE ORWELL (1903 – 1950) – English author. Famous

works include Animal Farm, and 1984. – Both stark
warnings about the dangers
of totalitarian states, Orwell was also a democratic socialist who
fought in the Spanish Civil War, documenting his experiences in
“Homage to Catalonia” (1938).

41 SAMUEL BECKETT (1906-1989) Irish avant garde, modernist

writer. Beckett wrote minimalist and thought provoking plays, such
as ‘Waiting
for Godot’ (1953) and ‘Endgame‘ (1957). He was awarded the Nobel
Prize in Literature in 1969.

42 ALBERT CAMUS (1913 – 1960) – French author, journalist,

and philosopher. Associated with existentialism and
absurdism. Famous works
included The Myth of Sisyphus, The Stranger and The Plague.

43 ROALD DAHL (1916 – 1990) English author, best known for his
children’s books, such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,
James and The Giant Peach and The BFG.

44 ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN (1918 – 2008) Russian author,

historian and political critic. Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 1970 for his work in exposing the nature of
Soviet totalitarianism. e.g, The Gulag Archipelago (1965-67).
 J.D. SALINGER (1919 – 2010) American author. Most influential
novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Wrote many short stories for
New Yorker magazine, such as “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.”

46 JOSEPH HELLER (1923 – 1999) American novelist, who wrote

satirical and black comedy. His most famous work is ‘Catch 22’ (1961)
– a satire on
the futility of war.

4 GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ (1927 – 2014) Colombian

Wrote: One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), The Autumn of the

author.

Patriarch (1975) and Love in the Time of Cholera (1985). Nobel Prize
in Literature (1982).

4 ANNE FRANK (1929 – 1945) Dutch-Jewish diarist. Known for her

diary ‘Anne Frank‘ Published posthumously by her father – recalling
her life hiding from Gestapo in occupied Holland.

49 SALMAN RUSHDIE (1947 – ) Anglo-Indian author. His works

combine elements of magic realism, satire and historical fiction –
often based on
Indian sub-continent. Notable works include Midnight’s
Children (1981), Shame (1983) and Satanic Verses (1988).

50 STEPHEN KING (1947 – ) American author of contemporary

horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy.
One of the
best selling authors of modern times.

51 GEORGE R.R MARTIN (1948 – ) American author of epic fantasy series

– A Song of Ice and Fire, – his international best-selling series of fantasy

has been adapted for the screen as “The Game of Thrones.”

52 DOUGLAS ADAMS (1952 – 2001) British writer of humorous and

obscure science fiction. Adams wrote a best selling trilogy (of five
books) The
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – which began as a BBC play.
 J.K.ROWLING (1965 – ) British author of the Harry Potter Series –
which has become the best selling book series of all time. Her first
book was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997). Rowling
has also published adult fiction, such as The Casual Vacancy
(2012) and The
Cuckoo’s Calling (2013).

54 KHALED HOSSEINI (1965 – ) Afghan born American writer.

Notable works include: The Kite Runner (2003) A Thousand
Splendid Suns (2007) And the Mountains Echoed (2013
LITERATURE COMPETENCIES IN ENGLISH K TO 12 CURRICULUM

DEFINITION OF COMPETENCY

• It is the capability to apply or use a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities required to
successfully perform "critical work functions" or tasks in
a defined work setting.

DEFINITION OF LITERARY COMPETENCY

• referring to Thaler (259): literary consists three parts that are connected:
• knowledge (about the history of literature and literary theory)
• attitude (the joy of reading, having a sense of quality and intercultural
consciousness)
• skills (reading, understanding ,analyzing, and creating)

Grades Literary or Literature

Competencies
Grade 7 First Quarter
• Describe the different literary
genres during the pre- colonial
period
• Identify the distinguishing
features of proverbs, myths, and
legends
• Express appreciation for sensory
images used
• Explain the literary devices used
• Determine the tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
• Determine the tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
Second Quarter
• Identify the distinguishing
features of poems and short
stories
• Express appreciation for sensory
images used
• Explain the literary devices used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
Third Quarter
• Explain literary devices used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
Fourth Quarter
• Express appreciation for
sensory images used
• Explain the literary devices used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique,
and purpose of the author
Grade 8 First Quarter
• Express appreciation for
sensory images used
• Explain the literary devices used.
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
• Explain how a selection may
be
influenced by culture,
history, environment,
or other factors

Second Quarter
• Express appreciation for sensory
image used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
• Explain how a selection may be
influenced by culture, history,
environment, or other factors
Third Quarter
• Identify the distinguishing
features of notable poems, short
stories, dramas, and novels
contributed by Southeast Asian
writers
• Express appreciation for
sensory images used
• Explain figurative language used
• Determine key ideas, tone,
and purposes of the author
• Determine key ideas, tone,
and purposes of the author
Fourth Quarter
• Express appreciation for
sensory images used
• Explain figurative language used
• Determine key ideas, tone, and
purposes of the author
Grade 9 First Quarter
• Analyze literature as a means
of discovering the self
• Express appreciation for sensory
images used
 • Explain the literary devices used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
Second Quarter
• Analyze literature as a means
of valuing other people and
their various circumstances in
life.
• Identify the distinguishing
features of notable Anglo-
• American sonnets, dramatic
poetry, vignettes, and short
stories.
• Express appreciation for
sensory images used.
• Explain the literary devices used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author.

Third Quarter
• Analyze literature as a means
of connecting to the world.
Fourth Quarter
• Analyze literature as a means of
understanding unchanging values
in a changing world
• Determine tone, mood, technique,
and purpose of the author
Grade 10 First Quarter
• Express appreciation for
sensory images used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
Second Quarter
• Express appreciation for
sensory images used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
Third Quarter
• Express appreciation for
sensory images used
• Determine tone, mood,
technique,
and purpose of the author
Fourth Quarter
• Determine tone, mood,
technique, and purpose of the
author
Grade 11 First Semester
• Identify the geographic, linguistic,
 and ethnic dimensions of
Philippine literary history from
pre- colonial to the
contemporary
• Identify representative texts and
authors from each region (e.g.
engage in oral history research
with focus on key personalities
from the students’
region/province/ town)
• Value the contributions of
local writers to the
development of regional
literary traditions
• Appreciate the contributions of
the canonical Filipino writers to
the development of national
literature
• Differentiate/compare and
contrast the various 21st century
literary genres and the ones from
the earlier genres/periods citing
their elements, structures and
traditions
• Infer literary meaning from
literal language based on usage
• Analyze the figures of speech
and other literary techniques
and devices in the text
• Explain the literary, biographical,
linguistic, and sociocultural
contexts and discuss how they
enhance the text’s meaning and
enrich the reader’s understanding
• Situate the text in the context of
the region and the nation
• Explain the relationship of
context with the text’s meaning
• Produce a creative
representation of a literary text
by applying multi- media skills
• Choose an appropriate
multimedia format in
interpreting a literary text
• Apply ICT skills in crafting
an adaptation of a literary
text
• Do self- and/or peer- assessment
of the creative adaptation of a
literary text, based on rationalized
criteria, prior to presentation
Second Semester
• Identify representative texts and
authors from Asia, North
America, Europe, Latin America,
and Africa
• Explain the texts in terms of
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 literary elements, genres, and
traditions
• Situate the texts in the context of
the region, nation, and the world
• Appreciate the cultural and
aesthetic diversity of literature
of the world
• Compare and contrast the
various 21st century literary
genres and their elements,
structures, and traditions from
across the globe
• Distinguish the literary uses of
language from the non- literary
and understand
• their use as well as the
formal features and
conventions of literature
• Identify the figures of speech
and other literary techniques
and devices in the text
• Explain the biographical,
linguistic, and sociocultural
contexts and discuss how they
enhance the text’s meaning and
the reader’s understanding
• Examine the relationship
between text and context
• Understand literary meanings
in context and the use of
critical reading strategies
• Produce a creative
representation of a literary text
by applying multimedia skills
• Choose appropriate multimedia
form of interpreting a literary text
• Apply ICT skills in crafting
an adaptation of a literary
text
• Do self- and/or peer- assessment
of the creative adaptation of a
literary text, based on rationalized
criteria, prior to presentation