Defining Romanticism: Characteristics and Spanish Literary Forms
Concept and Characteristics of Romanticism
Romanticism is an ideological, literary, and artistic movement, fundamentally defined by an attitude toward life marked by the desire for freedom.
Vital Freedom and Conflict
The Romantic spirit is characterized by conflict: conflict with the self, with the world, and with destiny.
- The irrational spirit breaks the boundaries of the rational and the real. However, the limitations and disappointments of life often create an uneasiness that can lead to suicide.
Spanish Literary History: Journalism and Drama in the 20th Century
The Interplay of Literature and Journalism in Spain
The Press as a Vehicle for Cultural Transmission (Pre-1950)
The press was key to primary cultural transmission and the formation of political criteria. Writers utilized journals to disseminate their ideas, and newspapers published high-quality weekly literary supplements.
Key Figures in Early Literary Journalism
- Unamuno: Started writing in El Noticiero Bilbaíno and contributed to many newspapers. His most famous work was published as a series of twelve
Key Figures and Concepts in Literary Criticism
I.A. Richards: The Psychological Basis of Value
Richards addressed a fundamental question: How can we determine the value of art when traditional morals are declining?
His answer posits that value originates in psychology, specifically in the arrangement and balance of human desires.
Core Concepts in Richards’ Theory
- Impulses: Humans possess numerous desires that frequently clash. Society attempts to shape these impulses but never fully controls them.
- Appetencies and Aversions: Appetencies are desires
Celtic, Roman, and Scandinavian Roots of the English Nation
The Foundations of Britain: Celts, Romans, and Language
The Early Inhabitants and Celtic Society
This section focuses on the early history of Britain. The origins of the Iberians are uncertain, leading to their designation. Historical records are sparse regarding whether they possessed ships, raising questions about how they crossed the Channel. The Irish, though lacking traditional ships, utilized a strange device for navigation, albeit without directional control.
The Celts originated in central
Read MoreThe Governess by Sarah Fielding: Themes, Characters, and 18th-Century Education
Sarah Fielding’s The Governess: A Landmark Novel
Author Profile: Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)
Sarah Fielding (1710–1768) was a respected British author and the sister of the novelist Henry Fielding. She was one of the eighteenth century’s most respected women writers. Sarah turned to writing professionally, becoming one of the first women authors who sought to make a living solely through her work.
Two of her famous works are The Adventures of David Simple and The Governess.
Publication Details
The
Read MoreCatalan Modernism: Literary Movement and Aesthetic Renewal
Catalan Modernism: A Cultural Renaissance
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Catalan literature recovered its quality and volume of works and authors, thanks to figures like Verdaguer, Oller, and Lieder, who elevated it to the level of European literature.
Core Ideals and Conflict
The modernists realized that Catalan culture in general, and literature in particular, could not recover lost originality while the decline continued under Spanish cultural models, which were often backward
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