Spanish Lyric Poetry: Silver Age Movements (1900-1939)
Twentieth-Century Spanish Lyric Poetry (1900-1939)
This period, known as the Silver Age due to the extraordinary surge in Hispanic culture, includes the following movements and authors:
- Modernism (approx. 1880-1914)
- Poetry of Unamuno and Antonio Machado (Generation of ’98)
- Poetry of Juan Ramón Jiménez (Novecentismo / Generation of ’14)
- The Avant-garde movements
- The Generation of ’27
- Poetry of Miguel Hernández
The year 1939 marks the end of the Spanish Civil War and, in many cases, the continuity of poetry
Read MoreContemporary Spanish Novel: Post-Franco Literary Trends
The Spanish Novel: From 1975 to the Present Day
The atmosphere of freedom that emerged in Spanish culture after the death of General Franco significantly enhanced the understanding of Spanish literature across Europe and within Spain’s Western literary landscape. This period was marked by the disappearance of censorship, the recovery of works by exiled writers, and a deeper appreciation for narrative forms from other countries.
Below, we briefly outline the main trends in the Spanish novel from 1975
Read MoreRenaissance Literary Themes and Poetic Evolution
Renaissance Poetic Style and Themes
The Renaissance period was characterized by an aesthetic zeal, embracing classical ideals of simplicity, naturalness, selection, and elegance. In the latter half of the period, some authors intensified formal appeals.
Garcilaso de la Vega: A Renaissance Poet
Garcilaso de la Vega’s poetic evolution can be understood in three stages:
- Initially influenced by traditional song poetry, his early verses did not yet fully incorporate Petrarchan elements.
- In this stage, imitating
Spanish Literary Movements: Neoclassicism to Naturalism
Neoclassical Poetry: Storytelling and Didacticism
Neoclassical poetry tends to be didactic and beautiful, often deviating from intimacy. The fable form is particularly conducive to how language creates its ideals and satirical intentions.
- Félix María de Samaniego
- Tomás de Iriarte
- Juan Meléndez Valdés
Neoclassical Theater
Leandro Fernández de Moratín
A prominent playwright whose most important rule for comedy was good taste, adhering to the rule of three unities (action, time, and place). His works
Read MoreSpanish Literary Movements and Verbal Periphrases
Spanish Literary Movements and Authors
Narrative of Exile: Spanish Pilgrimage
Many novelists went into exile, some having already achieved literary prestige, while others were slightly younger and less known. Excluded from literary canons and unable to publish their works, they were hardly known and influential writers in the weak domestic literary scene, especially after 1960.
Exile left its footprint on Rosa Chacel (1898-1994). Her novels moved away from realism, focusing on the analysis of emotions.
Read MoreSpain’s Democratic Transition: 1975-1982
Spain’s Democratic Transition: An Overview
The Spanish Democratic Transition and the 1978 Constitution began in 1975 after Franco’s death and extended until 1982 with the socialists’ rise to power. Franco’s wishes for an integral Spain were incompatible with the survival of modern Europe. Three political alternatives were proposed after the dictatorship: continuity, reformism, or rupture.
Key Figures and Early Reforms (1975-1977)
On November 22, 1975, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed king and expressed
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