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A Night in the Hills

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source Title: A Night in The Hills Author: Paz Marquez Benitez Author's Background:  Born in 1894 in Lucena, Tayabas (now Quezon). Marquez – Benítez authored the first Filipino modern English language short story, Dead Stars, published in the Philippine Herald in 1925. she was among the first generation of Filipino people trained in the American education system which used English as the medium of instruction. source Vocabulary: azotea - a flat roof or platform on the top of a house or other building. widowerhood - the fact or state of being a widower. kaingin - employing a technique of clearing land by slashing and burning underbrush and trees and plowing the ashes under for fertilizer. clambered - climb or move in an awkward and laborious way. stalwart - loyal, reliable, and hard-working. Characters: Gerardo Luna - main protagonist of the story, a jewelry store salesman who is middle-aged, and always aspired to go to the forest. His wife - a woman whose m...
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The Rainy Day (Poem)

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source Title: The Rainy Day Author:  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Author's Background: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline.  His first major poetry collections were Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841).  Longfellow wrote many lyric poems known for their musicality and often presenting stories of mythology and legend. He became the most popular American poet of his day and also had success overseas. source Interpretation:       The poem shows that Life can be cruel, dark, and make your days sad. Life may give you problems that will really stress you out, but as it says on the third stanza, like every other rain, there is always a sunshine or a rainbow that will follow, and that sometimes, you will need to experience the reality, that your days will not always go the way you want to,...
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Misery (To whom shall i tell my sorrow)

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source Title: Misery (To whom shall i tell my sorrow) Author:    Anton Chekhov Author's Background: Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, 29 January 1860[1] – 15 July 1904)[2] was a Russian playwright and short story writer, who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. His career as a playwright produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. source Vocabulary: galoshes -  a waterproof overshoe, typically made of rubber. reins -  a long, narrow strap attached at one end to a horse's bit, typically used in pairs to guide or check a horse in riding or driving. kopecks -   a monetary unit of Russia and some other countries of the former Soviet Union. misery -    a state or feeling of great physical or mental distress or discomfort Characters: Iona Potapov- the sledge driver who wants someone to listen to his thoughts out about the death of his son. Officer - first...
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DEAD STARS

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source Title: DEAD STARS Author: Paz Marquez Benitez Author's Background: Born in 1894 in Lucena, Tayabas (now Quezon). Marquez – Benítez authored the first Filipino modern English language short story, Dead Stars, published in the Philippine Herald in 1925. Born into the prominent Marquez family of Quezon province, she was among the first generation of Filipino people trained in the American education system which used English as the medium of instruction. She graduated high school in Tayabas High School now, Quezon National High School. She was a member of the first freshman class of the University of the Philippines, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. source Vocabulary: Azotea - a flat roof or platform on the top of a house or other building. Perfervid - intense and impassioned. Insipid - lacking flavour; weak or tasteless. Tumultuous - making an uproar or loud, confused noise. Deluded - make (someone) believe something that is not true. Placidi...
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The Visitation of the Gods

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source Title:  The Visitation of the Gods Author: Gilda Cordero-Fernando Author's Background:  Gilda Cordero-Fernando is a writer and publisher from the Philippines. She was born on June 4, 1932 in Manila, has a B.A. from St. Theresa's College-Manila, and an M.A. from the Ateneo de Manila University.  Cordero-Fernando has two collections of short stories: The Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker (1962) and A Wilderness of Sweets (1973). These books have been compiled and reissued as the Story Collection (1994). Another book, Philippine Food and Life, was published in 1992 with Alfredo Roces. Cordero-Fernando also worked on Filipino Heritage, a 10-volume study on Philippine history and culture published by Lahing Pilipino in 1978. Afterwards, she founded GCF Books which published a dozen titles that deal with various aspects of Philippine culture and society. source Vocabulary: Assiduous - showing great care and perseverance.  Tangible - percept...
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How my Brother Leon brought Home a Wife

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source Title:   How my Brother Leon brought Home a Wife Author: Manuel Estabilla Arguilla Author's Background: Manuel Estabilla Arguilla (Nagrebcan, June 17, 1911 – beheaded, Manila Chinese Cemetery, August 30, 1944) was an Ilokano writer in English, patriot, and martyr. He is known for his widely anthologized short story "How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife," the main story in the collection How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife and Other Short Stories, which won first prize in the Commonwealth Literary Contest in 1940. source Vocabulary: Carretela - a carriage pulled by a horse. Camino Real - a main highway. Waig - stream, a body of water (in ilocano). Yonder - the far distance. Bole - trunk of a tree. Rein - keep under control. Characters: Baldo - Narrator of the story, and Leon's brother. Leon - The brother of Baldo, who brought home a wife.  Maria - The wife of Leon, who grew in the City and not in the Province. Father - told Ba...
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Footnote to Youth

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source Title: Footnote to Youth Author: Jose Garcia Villa Author's Background:  Jose Garcia Villa (August 5, 1908 – February 7, 1997) was a Filipino poet, literary critic, short story writer, and painter. He was awarded the National Artist of the Philippines title for literature in 1973, as well as the Guggenheim Fellowship in creative writing by Conrad Aiken. He is known to have introduced the "reversed consonance rhyme scheme" in writing poetry, as well as the extensive use of punctuation marks—especially commas, which made him known as the Comma Poet . He used the penname Doveglion (derived from "Dove, Eagle, Lion"), based on the characters he derived from himself. These animals were also explored by another poet E. E. Cummings in Doveglion, Adventures in Value , a poem dedicated to Villa.  source. Vocabulary: Climacteric - a critical period or event. Prodded -  poke with a finger, foot, or pointed object. Decrescent - Warning Insolent -  showin...
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