21st century literature from the philippines and the world

1. 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Unit 13: European Literature
Unit Objectives
In this unit, you should be able to:
● identify the characteristics of European literature;
● distinguish the differences between works of literature from
different literary periods; and
● demonstrate understanding of the evolution of European literature.

2. Lesson 1: Ancient Literature and Medieval Literature (800 BC–1500 AD)
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How did ancient and medieval periods shape
today’s society?
Literature created in the ancient period (800 BC–500 AD) was mostly
influenced by Greco-Roman culture, which became the basis for the
Western literature that we know today.
The intellectual and philosophical studies made by the Greeks and
the Romans are the foundation of European literature​.
The Greeks introduced all major kinds of literature: tragedy, comedy,
epic, history, biography, prose narrative, lyric, and satire.
The earliest forms of these literature were oral in nature. The
Romans also adapted the literary forms the Greeks produced.

3. Oral epics became material for Homer’s The Iliad and The
Odyssey​, which expressed the values and imagination of Western
humanity and were also used by the Greeks as models for conduct.
The Iliad narrates the Trojan War and the siege of Troy. The
Odyssey​, which is a sequel to The Iliad, recounts the journey of
Odysseus at the end of the war.
A common theme in Homer’s two epics is the quest for glory that
is earned through a heroic battle. The Greeks called this kleos​, which
means “renown” or “glory.”
Aside from Homer, major Greek writers during this period were
Aesop, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and Sophocles.
Some of the major Roman writers of this period were Horace,
Virgil, and Ovid.

4. Literature during the Medieval Period (500-1500 AD)
Medieval literature refers to works produced during the Middle
Ages (500 AD–1500). This period marked the emergence of three
dominant cultures: Christianity, Islam, and the Germanic invaders. The
literary forms dominant in this period are hymns, epic poems, elegies,
ballads, and narrative poems.

5. Medieval literature is anchored on the following characteristics:
a. It is focused on different religious beliefs. Religious values were not
universal, and some traditions were in direct conflict with one
another.
b. It was concerned with the use of physical force. Literature during this
period was often associated with war and the life of commoners who
experienced suffering due to their lords’ feuds.
c. It shows the lives of aristocracy. Since the Middle Ages is a time when
feudal lords were showcasing their powers through their armies,
literature during this period showed the lives of aristocrats and
knights.
d. It shows the inconsistencies of chivalry, problematizing personal
bravery versus group needs, and the individual working out his or her
destiny.

6. The Middle Ages contributed significantly to literature its
memorable characters: the eponymous Beowulf, Sir Gawain,
Roland, Charlemagne, the lost souls of The Inferno, and the pilgrims
of ​The Canterbury Tales.
The following are examples of medieval literature:
a. Beowulf
Beowulf was set in Denmark, the land of Danes and Sweden,
also known as the land of Geats. It was a supernatural tale inspired
by historical events. Beowulf, the hero of the story, was described
as having a hand grip equivalent to the strength of 30 men, which
enabled him to slay monsters.

7. Just like other heroic poems, Beowulf exhibited brutality, a
common characteristic of its time when raids and bloody battles
between tribes are a part of life.
The characters of Beowulf are pagans because it was set in
fifth-century Scandinavia, a place that includes Sweden and Denmark.
It was told orally by eighth-century Anglo-Saxons until it was
written down in the 12th century by an unknown English poet.
By the time Beowulf was written down, Christianity was
widespread because of the Norman Conquest.

8. Below is a synopsis of the epic:
The epic poem Beowulf is about its main character, Beowulf, who
helped King Hrothgar of Danes in killing a demon named Grendel.
During their hand-to-hand combat, Beowulf succeeded in killing
Grendel at the expense of his arm being ripped off.
He then proceeds to kill Grendel’s mother who tried to avenge him.
He jumps to a lake and finds the mother’s cave underneath it. He
slays the monster using one of the swords in its stash. Afterward, he goes
home with his men and rules as King of the Geats for 50 years.
Beowulf meets his match through a dragon that was woken by a
thief. He faces the dragon with 11 warriors, along with the thief who
guided them to the dragon’s lair. He succeeds in killing the dragon but dies
because of his wounds.

9. b. La Chanson de Roland​ (translated as ​The Song of Roland​)
La Chanson de Roland is an Old French epic poem translated as
The Song of Roland in English.
The probable author of the poem was Turold, a Norman poet
whose name was introduced in the poem’s last line.
The themes of medieval epics center on deeds of heroic figures.
La Chanson de Roland is considered the earliest and
greatest ​chanson de geste or French heroic poem.

10. Below is an excerpt of ​The Song of Roland​:
The Song of Roland Stanza I-II
For seven years together, the Emperor Charlemagne,
Our Lord and King, had sojourned within the land of Spain.
From the upland to the sea-coast he had conquered all the land
Nor was there any castle before him left to stand.
There was not town nor bulwark unbroken by his might,
Save only Saragossa that standeth on the height.
King Marsile held that city, in whom no grace was found
To love his God. He worshipped Apollo and Mahound,
Nor could shun the evil fortune that beleaguered him around.

11. King Marsile of Saragossa to the orchard got him gone.
He laid him down in the shadow on a white marble stone.
About the King were gathered more than twenty thousand men.
His counts and dukes unto him
King Marsile summoned then : " Hearken, my lords, how sorely
are we girt with sin and woe.
Here now is come King Charlemagne our land to overthrow.
I have no host of battle to meet him in his might,
Nor store enough of henchmen to beat him in the fight.
As wise men give me counsel.
Save me from this death and shame.
" None spake save Blanchandrin alone from Val Fonde Keep that
came.

12. c. Nibelungenlied​ (translated as ​The Song of the Nibelungs​)
The Nibelungenlied was a German epic poem, probably written
in Austria during the early 13th century.
The story has disparate elements because of its long history.
Among these elements are the word Nibelung​, which was used as the
name of Siegfried’s land and treasure in the first part of the poem, and
as an alternate name for the Burgundians in the second part.
It has themes of murder and revenge. The epic is divided into
two parts. The first part revolves around the life and death of Prince
Siegfried of the lower Rhine who fell in love with Kriemhild, the
Burgundian princess of Worms. The second part was about Kriemhild
avenging Siegfried’s death. Their tragic destiny was revealed in
Kriemhild’s dream in her youth.

13. The Nibelungenlied was the first heroic epic put into writing in
Germany, helping to found a larger genre of written heroic poetry there.
The poem's tragedy appears to have bothered its medieval audience,
and very early on a sequel was written, the Nibelungenklage, which made
the tragedy less final.
The poem was forgotten after around 1500 but was rediscovered in
1755. Dubbed the "German Iliad", the Nibelungenlied began a new life as
the German national epic.
The poem was appropriated for nationalist purposes and was heavily
used in anti-democratic, reactionary, and Nazi propaganda before and
during the Second World War. Its legacy today is most visible in Richard
Wagner's operatic cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, which, however, is
mostly based on Old Norse sources.
In 2009, the three main manuscripts of the Nibelungenlied[1] were
inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in recognition of
their historical significance. It has been called "one of the most impressive,
and certainly the most powerful, of the German epics of the Middle Age.

14. Lesson 2: Renaissance and Enlightenment (1300–1800)
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How did the Renaissance period influence the way
people see the world?
From age of war, famine, and ignorance emerged the light of the
Renaissance period. The emergence of the Renaissance and the Age of
Enlightenment became the foundation of seeing literature in an intellectual
perspective.
Renaissance Literature (1300-1600)
The Renaissance period (1300–1600) was marked by the rebirth of the
Greco-Roman literary tradition.
Classical scholars, known as humanists, revived and translated ancient
texts​. The humanists also used the Greek and Latin classics, along with
traditional Christian thought, to teach people about human life.
Humanism, the belief that people could attain earthly perfection, was
rampant among the intellectuals.

15. The privileged people started touring other countries with the
intention of bringing back culture and ideologies from other parts of
the world.
Each country experienced its own kind of renaissance, a
renewed passion toward life and creative expression. The social
divide caused by the feudal mode of living came to an unforeseen
halt during this time and made the middle class hopeful of what
they could make of themselves. It was the time of optimism, for
they believed that life was improving for the first time.

16. During the English Renaissance, one of the greatest
struggles of artists and writers was the need to earn and sustain
themselves through their craft.
Talented and creative individuals sustained themselves
through the system of patronage​.
Patrons were people who lavished money and attention
on artists who cater to their taste.
One example of this is William Shakespeare, who had
Queen Elizabeth and King James I as his patrons, as well as
William Herbert, the Third Earl of Pembroke, among others.

17. The printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440, is
the greatest innovation of the Renaissance era​, which resulted in a
more cost- and time-efficient production of literature.
This led to a higher percentage of literacy among the masses.
This innovation highly affected people’s attitude toward reading.
Communal, individual, and silent reading became prominent among
people. Gradually, the oral tradition faded.

18. The Age of Enlightenment (1600–1800)
The Age of Enlightenment (1600–1800) was a byproduct of the
Renaissance that birthed humanism.
Thinking that they could be whatever they wanted to be,
people paved the way toward scientific and industrial progress​.
This period could be summed up as the celebration of different
ideas.
This made the cafés serve as the unofficial center of this new
movement, a place where people would read whatever literature
available and debate about their needs and desires as a community or
a population.

19. The Enlightenment was also the birthplace of many great
thinkers who put their ideas into writing and made their thoughts
available to historians of this century.
The rationalism and efforts toward social reform and a
utopian and egalitarian society died down as fast as it emerged.
Upheavals such as the French Revolution was a result of the
people’s idea that collectively the public can create change.
It was the bloodshed in the French Revolution along with
other upheavals that made people reevaluate their ideas and led
to the end of the Enlightenment period.

20. Literature during the Renaissance and Enlightenment Period The
following are examples of Renaissance and Enlightenment literature:
a. Much Ado About Nothing
This was considered as one of Shakespeare’s best comedies and
was probably written between 1598 and 1599. It was first printed as a
quarto or a booklet in 1600 and reprinted in 1623 as a part of
Shakespeare’s first folio. This play infused humor in serious topics like
honor, shame, and court politics.

21. Summary
Don John complains to his companion Conrade (Conrad in
some editions) about his position in life: He is Don Pedro's
bastard brother, recently defeated, without pretenses or
mannerly habits, facing his dishonorable status daily while
enduring his brother's hospitality.
All in all, he displays a generally disagreeable attitude and
seems determined to make the most of it. His second
companion, Borachio, enters to report having overheard (noted)
the conversation between Don Pedro and Claudio wherein "the
Prince should woo Hero for himself and, having obtained her,
give her to Count Claudio."

22. Don John immediately sees this plan as an
opportunity to do mischief both to Claudio — honored
for his actions against Don John — and to Don Pedro.
Don John and his men head out for the celebratory
supper, Don John expressing regret that the cook is not
on his side and ready to dispatch the assembled
household and guests with poison.

23. b. Paradise Lost
This is an epic poem about the Fall of Man, where John Milton, the
writer, made Adam, Eve, Satan, and God his characters.
It started with Satan’s realizing that he was in hell, which prompted
him to make a plan to spite God through Adam and Eve.
The story went on as it was in the Bible. Satan tricked Eve into
eating the fruit, and Adam also took a bite.
They got banished from Paradise and had to endure suffering such
as labor pains, sickness, and death.
What made this epic different from the version in the Bible is that it
discussed more about the motives behind the events that occurred in the
Bible.

24. This epic stood out among its predecessors because of the fact
that it was not about martial heroism. In this epic, there was no
mortal hero to save a kingdom or win in a war.
For Milton, it was all about spiritual heroism or Christian
heroism. Paradise Lost was characterized as an epic poem about
patience because if only Adam and Eve were patient enough, they
would not have been thrown out of paradise.
It might not be as exciting as battles, but for the Christian world,
it is a turning point of their history.
The bigger effect is that aside from sin, death also entered the
world.

25. c. Gulliver’s Travels
In this novel by Jonathan Swift, Gulliver traveled on four
separate voyages and encountered different types of societies each
time. Each journey is a metaphor for different aspects of British
society that the author wanted to criticize.
Lesson 3: Romanticism and Realism (1800–1920)
During the 17th century, the focus of individuals have shifted
from rationalism to a focus on feelings and reality. This shift gave rise
to a change in the themes of literary texts during this period
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How romanticism and realism define man’s
perception of life?

26. Romanticism (1800–1850)
Romanticism is a literary movement against the aristocratic
culture that started in the late 18th century.
Romanticism uplifts the characters from humble backgrounds or
the common man and places importance on imagination and emotion.
The works of early Romantics were seen as absurd and fantastic.
It was the next generation of romantics who will prove creativity and
imagination can well blend with reality and composure.
Poetry was prevalent during this time. It focused more on the
individuality of a person more than society. Poetry during the Romantic
period focused more on feelings as the central idea and experience as
it is considered as “the language of the heart.” Poems during this time
showed more of the individual’s innermost thoughts, dreams, and
aspirations.

27. Realism (late 1800s–early 1900s)
Realism, in contrast with romanticism, was the representation
of reality. While romanticism beautifies the ugly, realism presents
the truth with all its flaws​.
It strives to present things as accurate and with the least
subjectivity as possible. It greatly focused on the fidelity of facts.
Realism draws on the commonplace and the daily struggles of
the common man. It focuses on documenting the real events and
issues that happen to ordinary people. It also makes people realize
that ordinary life could also be meaningful.
Realism focuses on groups of people in the hope of uncovering
who they really are and how others could relate to them.

28. Literature during the Romanticism and Realism Period
The following are texts from the Romanticism and Realism periods:
a. Debit and Credit
This German novel by Gustav Freytag was translated into almost all
of the European languages. The novel celebrates the solid bourgeois
qualities of the German merchants as well as the relationships between
the characters and their work. It also tackles the great problem of the
century, the interaction of modern industrialism in the social life during
that time.
b. “The World Is Too Much With Us”
William Woodsworth wrote against the consumerism that came
with the industrial revolution during his time because earning and
spending made people insensitive to the beauty of nature.

29. Lesson 4: Modernism and Postmodernism (1920–Present)
ESSENTIALQUESTION: How does literary technique affect the perception
of literary texts?
Modernism (early 1900s​–1965)
Modernism began in the early 20th century through roughly
1965. The First World War caused the formation of a new literary
movement. There was a greater demand for all sorts of literature
because of the higher literacy rate, which was quickly supplied by the
popular press.
The refined intellectuals looked upon the new popular literature
with scorn. Modernism also challenged the prevailing order during its
time and focused on experimentation while self-consciously breaking
away from traditional forms.

30. The literary techniques that were invented during the period are​:
a. Imagism - refers to the literary movement that focused on clarity
and conciseness by using specific images
b. Stream of consciousness - a technique in which a character’s
thoughts and feelings are written in an uninterrupted flow, for
example, foregoing literary devices such as description and
dialogue
c. An unreliable narrator - a technique in point of view in which the
speaker may or may not know that his or her version of events is
not entirely true

31. Postmodernism (1965–Present)
Postmodernism shows a crisis of identity of the human being in
ethnicity and sexuality​, as well as the struggle for social and cultural
acceptance in a hypocritical society.
Postmodern literary work does not pretend to be new and
original; rather, it juxtaposes the old and the new to contextualize it in
the readers’ minds.
Characteristics of postmodern texts include:
a. use of paradox​ ​or self-contradictory statement;
b. use of​ ​fragmentation or incompleteness whether in form or in
content; and
c. the unreliable narrator.

32. Literature during the Modern and Postmodern Period
Literary works during the Modern and Postmodern periods
include:
a. “In a Station of the Metro”
Ezra Pound’s poem is a perfect example of the use of imagism
in poetry. In two lines, the poem can show a visualization in the
reader’s mind on what the poem would like to show in just a few
words.
b. Waiting for Godot This play by Samuel Beckett is about two
hobos waiting for Godot by a sickly looking tree. The setting could
best be interpreted as the place without Godot. It is also where the
hobos contemplated and argued about hanging themselves.

33. The hobos could be viewed as a symbolism of the thieves by
Jesus’ side on the cross as well as every person in the world and Godot
as a symbolism for God.
Like a circle, the action of the play also presents something that
keeps on going and is without an end. The tragedy of the story is in the
fact that the hobos are unable to wait for Godot and the fact that
Godot will not arrive.

34. A Literary Article
Goal: Your task is to write a literary article that analyzes a particular text
from a certain period of European literature.
Role: You are a contributor of a magazine. Your literary editor asked you
to read or watch a particular literary work from Europe and write a
feature article about it for the magazine’s next issue.
Audience: ​Your audience are the readers of the magazine aged 15 to 30
years old.
Situation: The challenge involves convincing your readers to read or
watch your featured literary text once they read your feature article.

35. Product/Performance and Purpose: You will write a literary feature
article on a certain European literary text.
1. Choose a literary text from a particular period discussed in this unit.
You may choose any genre you want to feature. In case you choose a
drama, you may watch a movie adaptation of that text.
2. Write a literary analysis of the text using the elements of your
chosen genre. Include a personal reaction about the text with your
recommendations.
3. Put a title and cite your sources using the APA style.
4. Submit your output on a short bond paper, Calibri font size 12.

36. Standards and Criteria for Success: You will be graded based on the
following rubric.
Criteria
Beginning (0-12 points)
Content
The article does not establish a clear purpose in the lead paragraph.
Organization

37. Developing (13-16 points)
Content
The article establishes a clear purpose in the lead The article
establishes a clear purpose in the lead paragraph but lacks a clear
understanding of the topic.
Organization
Accomplished (17-20 points)
Content The article establishes a clear purpose in the lead paragraph
and demonstrates a clear understanding of the topic.