Spanish Literature: Baroque, Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism
Quevedo
Francisco de Quevedo was born in Madrid in 1580. He participated in various political intrigues and had a mastery of language. His poetic works include metaphysical poems, moral poems, religious poems, poems of circumstance, love poems, and satirical poems. Dreams (1627) is his most celebrated work. Around 1605, he wrote The Swindler.
Conceptismo
Conceptismo is characterized by a compromise between the desire to express ideas and concepts and verbal ingenuity. It emphasizes not just ideas but the connection between them. Conceptismo favored depth of thought, wordplay, antithesis, and paradox. Representatives of Conceptismo include Francisco de Quevedo and Baltasar Gracian.
Culteranismo
Culteranismo and Conceptismo represent the two poles of Baroque literary tendencies. Culteranismo is focused on the aesthetic qualities of words. It does not use words to directly describe the object or themes of poetry, but for their own sound. Literary figures like metaphors and hyperbaton are common, and it employs a cultivated language.
The New Comedy
Lope de Vega began to compose his works around 1580. Ten years later, Lope established what was called the “New Comedy,” which quickly received criticism from conservative authors who followed the precepts of Aristotle and Horace.
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a reform movement that spread across Europe from France throughout the 18th century. The main aspects are:
- Rationalism
- Utopianism
- Reformism
To achieve the objectives, enlightened society proposed modernization through reforms undertaken by kings and governments, which is called “Enlightened Despotism.” There were three periods:
- 1700-1758: Reigns of Philip V and Ferdinand VI
- 1759-1788: Reign of Charles III
- 1789-1808: Reign of Charles IV
Neoclassicism
Early neoclassical models tend to express generic universals and fixed norms, with an educational purpose.
Romantic Period
The Romantic period coincided with the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 and the restoration of absolute monarchies.
Romantic Mind
The Romantic mind was characterized by:
- Individualism
- Irrationalism
- Defense of freedom
- Idealism
- Nationalism
- Exoticism
- Youthful rebellious spirit
The Literature of Realism
Realistic thinking is more appropriate for a period that no longer seeks radical changes. Reality is described as it is and not as it should be. Characteristics include:
- Objectivity
- Omniscient narrative point of view
- Vulgar reality
- A simple style
Realism is expressed through the novel, describing the world of the bourgeoisie and middle class.
Nineteenth-Century Poetry
This includes Romantic poetry and narrative poetry, comprising both long and short poems.
Post-Romantic Poetry
Post-Romantic poetry is a continuation of Romantic intimacy, but with a less rhetorical and simpler language. Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro are its top exponents. Rosalía de Castro is known for *Follas Novas* and *En las Orillas del Sar*. Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, born in Seville in 1836 and died in 1870, led an ambitious publishing project in 1857. In 1860, he was placed as editor. His *Rhymes* are divided into four sections. The style is simple, dealing with intimate matters. Bécquer would have a huge influence on later prose works. *Legends*, published between 1858 and 1864, are fantastic tales set in the Middle Ages.