18th & 19th Century Spanish Literature: Styles & Authors
18th & 19th Century Spanish Literature
18th Century Lyric Poetry
18th-century lyric poetry cultivated three trends: Post-Baroque, Neoclassical, and Pre-Romantic.
Post-Baroque Poetry
Author: Diego Torres
Neoclassical Poetry
Author: Juan Meléndez Valdés
Pre-Romantic Poetry
This style explored metaphysical and social issues with intense emotion. Author: Nicolás Álvarez Cienfuegos.
Juan Meléndez Valdés
His work synthesizes the poetic currents of the time: Neoclassical, sensual, and Pre-Romantic. Initially writing for friends and acquaintances, he later evolved into Pre-Romanticism, composing legendary romances and poems on social issues. Works: The Wedding of Camacho the Rich, Forensic Speeches.
18th Century Prose
18th-century prose followed Post-Baroque, Neoclassical, and Pre-Romantic trends. Feijoo and Jovellanos developed the essay using natural, precise, and functional language. Cadalso excelled in narrative.
The Essay
The essay, with authors like Feijoo and Jovellanos, became the prominent genre of the 18th century, disseminating a more modern and simple language.
Styles of Prose
Post-Baroque Prose
Author: Diego de Torres. Works: Almanacs and Predictions, Life.
Neoclassical Prose
High quality was achieved in essays and criticism by Feijoo, Cadalso, and Jovellanos. Work: Fray Gerundio de Campazas.
Pre-Romantic Prose
Appeared at the end of the century with Cadalso and Jovellanos.
Benito Jerónimo Feijoo
Author of encyclopedic-type didactic essays. He worked to modernize society. Works: Teatro crítico universal, Cartas eruditas y curiosas.
José Cadalso
Author of Moroccan Letters, Noches lúgubres. His letters offer social satire, following the approach of Montesquieu’s Persian Letters. Through the character of Ben Gazel Beley, he critiques Spanish customs, ideas, and social organization.
Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos
Writer and politician. He wrote letters and diaries and is a representative of varied essay subjects. From an enlightened perspective, he proposed modernizing the country, believing that culture is the source of social prosperity and personal happiness. He wrote satires, epistles, and prose theater. Work: El delincuente honrado.
18th Century Theater
Polemics arose between Baroque and enlightened theater. Author: Leandro Fernández de Moratín. The Enlightenment defended didactic theater, while audiences applauded Baroque theater, championed by Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca. Three trends emerged:
Post-Baroque Theater
Comedy triumphed during the first half of the century in theaters and print. Sacramental plays and short sketches were also popular.
Neoclassical Theater
Had little success.
Pre-Romantic Theater
Pre-Romantic sentimentality appeared in Jovellanos’ work, El delincuente honrado.
Leandro Fernández de Moratín
Creator of classic and didactic comedy, using satire to criticize the customs of the time. His comedy aimed to educate viewers. Works: El viejo y la niña, El barón, La mojigata.
Romanticism
Romantic Poetry
Two trends emerged in Romantic poetry:
- Intimate Lyric Poetry: Expresses the poet’s frustrations.
- Narrative Poetry: Includes legends and historical themes.
Romantic Poets
Themes: Rejection of the environment, sentimental excitement, yearning for freedom, communion with nature.
José de Espronceda
The prototypical exalted liberal Romantic. His poetry is a hymn to freedom, with a bright, musical, and dramatic style. Works: El estudiante de Salamanca, El diablo mundo.
Late Romanticism
Intimate Romantic lyricism reached its peak with Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro. Both favored a simple, introspective lyrical style.
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
His book opens the doors to contemporary poetry with its intimacy. Moving away from Romantic effects, he was inspired by German Romantic lyricism and Andalusian folk songs, characterized by short, smooth musicality. His poetry, collected under the title Rimas, is intense and emotional, seeking formal perfection through simplicity.
Rosalía de Castro
Created intimate and melancholic Romantic poetry inspired by the simplicity and musicality of traditional lyricism. She wrote in Galician and Castilian. Work: En las orillas del Sar.
Romantic Prose
Three genres emerged:
- Historical Novel: Focused on medieval and legendary issues. Novel: El señor de Bembibre.
- Legends: Bécquer’s legends stand out, culminating Romantic poetic prose.
- Costumbrismo (Customs and Manners): Genre related to journalism. Authors: Ramón de Mesonero Romanos, Serafín Estébanez Calderón.
Mariano José de Larra
Holds an important place in literature thanks to his newspaper articles on customs, politics, and literature. He achieved a straightforward, uncomplicated personal style adapted to the needs of journalism. His articles covered customs, politics, and literature.
Romantic Drama
Romantic drama predominated in theater, aiming to evoke strong emotions. Authorial freedom took precedence over classical rules. Themes revolved around love and freedom, with the Romantic hero confronting the outside world and often meeting a tragic end.
José Zorrilla
The most famous writer of Spanish Romanticism. He wrote narrative poems in romance form, focusing on historical themes or traditions. However, his fame rests on his plays. Works: Don Juan Tenorio.
Ángel de Saavedra (Duke of Rivas)
Works: El moro expósito, Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino.
Features of Romantic Drama
The main theme is tragic destiny, or fatal fate. It mixes tragic and comic elements, verse and prose.
Realist and Naturalist Literature in Spain
Lyrical poet Ramón de Campoamor is characterized by his anti-Romanticism. Works: Doloras, Pequeños poemas, Humoradas.
Realist and Naturalist Theater
Authors: Adelardo López de Ayala, Manuel Tamayo y Baus cultivated high comedy. José Echegaray brought about Neo-Romantic drama.
Realist and Naturalist Narrative
Narrative was introduced through press articles, pamphlets, and translations of foreign authors. Novelists of 1868 renewed narrative models, drawing on the realist tradition of Spanish literature and European realism. Work: La fuente de oro.
Realist Novelists
Juan Valera
Defended art for art’s sake. He wrote articles, short stories, poetry, and novels. As a realist author, he focused on psychology and the analysis of feelings. Works: El comendador Mendoza, Pepita Jiménez.
Emilia Pardo Bazán
Participated in the vibrant debate on naturalism. She wrote realist and naturalist stories and novels. Works: Los pazos de Ulloa, La madre naturaleza.
Vicente Blasco Ibáñez
A defender of republicanism, his extensive work reflects the influence of naturalism. Works: La barraca, La catedral, Entre naranjos.
Benito Pérez Galdós
His work is extensive, covering theater, articles, essays, and novels. His narrative distinguishes itself through thesis novels, contemporary novels, and spiritualism. He chronicled national events. Works: Doña Perfecta, Fortunata y Jacinta, Misericordia. His novels describe Madrid society and offer a comprehensive vision of contemporary Spanish history through his Episodios Nacionales series.
Leopoldo Alas (Clarín)
A literary critic and short story writer, his most important work is La Regenta, a crucial book for Spanish naturalism.
Aspects of La Regenta
- Psychology of the characters
- Comprehensive description of the city of Vetusta
- Perfect structure
- Narrative technique