18th Century Literature: Enlightenment, Neoclassicism, and Beyond
1. Enlightenment and Neoclassicism
The Enlightenment of the 18th century is divided into three stages:
- Background: In the 17th century, contributions of Descartes and Spinoza enhanced human reason as a means of knowledge.
- Reformism: 18th century.
- Revolution: In the last years of the 18th century, emotions were valued more. Enlightenment thinkers became the basis of revolutionary processes.
Literary trends emerged in the late 17th century:
- Rococo: Style and techniques of the 17th-century Baroque. It is
The Evolution of English Literature: 1900 to Present
From 1900 to 1945 the Edwardians
The 20th century opened with great hope but also with some apprehension, for the new century marked the final approach to a new millennium. For many, humankind was entering upon an unprecedented era. H.G. Wells’s utopian studies, the aptly titled Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought (1901) and A Modern Utopia(1905), both captured and qualified this optimistic mood and gave expression to a common conviction
Read MoreBaroque Lyric: Conceptismo, Culteranismo, and Key Authors
Baroque Lyric: Conceptismo and Culteranismo
The Baroque lyric was a literary movement developed in the 17th century, during Spain’s Golden Age. It pushed the expressive possibilities of language to reflect a complex and contradictory reality.
Key Trends in Baroque Lyric
- Conceptismo: This style emphasized the intricate relationship between expression and content, focusing primarily on the latter. Its most prominent representative was Francisco de Quevedo. Conceptismo made extensive use of stylistic
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat: Madness, Guilt, and Evil
The Black Cat: A Masterpiece of Psychological Horror
Edgar Allan Poe’s Literary Legacy
This text is a fragment of the famous story The Black Cat, a work by American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). It was published in The Saturday Evening Post of Philadelphia in its issue of August 19, 1843. Edgar Allan Poe was a writer, poet, critic, and journalist of the American Romantic movement. He is generally recognized as one of the universal masters of the short story, being one of the first practitioners
Read MoreFederico García Lorca and Pío Baroja: Spanish Literary Masters
Federico García Lorca: Life and Works
Federico García Lorca was born in Fuentevaqueros, Granada. He studied law, philosophy, and literature. In Madrid, he resided at the Residencia de Estudiantes, where he befriended many of Spain’s most important intellectuals. He actively participated in literary circles and met Jorge Guillén, among others, with whom he formed the Generation of 27, a group of poets who began writing around 1920 and shared common characteristics. They admired Góngora and adopted
Read MorePre-Columbian America to Early US Literature: A Historical Journey
“Out of Africa” Theory and Pre-Columbian Empires
The most significant native empires arose in Central and South America, notably the Incas. Central America exhibited a more advanced level of development.
Pre-Columbian Cultural Areas
The most developed tribes, such as the Pueblo Indians, were located in the southwest and established settlements. (Hibas: religious spaces).
Viking Exploration
The Vikings were the first Europeans to settle in North America, 500 years before Columbus. Icelandic Sagas
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