Medieval Spanish Literature: El Cid, Courtly Love, and Lyric Poetry
El Poema de Mio Cid
El Poema de Mio Cid is a masterpiece of epic Castilian literature from the medieval period, comprising 3730 verses. It is incomplete, and Menéndez Pidal defends the idea of double authorship. The poem is structured into three cantos: Cantar del Destierro, Cantar de las Bodas, and Cantar de la Afrenta de Corpes.
Argument
The poem has two basic storylines:
- The first follows the exile of the Cid, which leads to the conquest and recovery of Valencia, and the restoration of his lost
Petrarch’s Influence on Renaissance Poetry and Garcilaso de la Vega
Petrarch and the Renaissance
Petrarch was a fourteenth-century Italian poet who embodied the ideals of humanism. He wrote several works in Latin with humanist inspiration, but his historical importance is due to his compositions in the Romance language. His most famous work is the Songbook. Also in the vernacular are his Triumphs.
Triumphs
An allegorical poem composed in triplets (three-stanza poems, art and more heroic verse, rhyming the first with the third, leaving the second free, i.e., rhyme)
Read MoreSpanish Poetry: Evolution from the 1960s to the Present
Social Poetry of the 1960s
Poetry from the 1960s, known as “social poetry,” reacted against a new group of poets who began publishing in the late 1950s. This movement sought further elaboration of poetic language and a shift from the collective to the personal. Without entirely surrendering the social meaning of poetry, the predominant themes became personal and daily experiences, often with a skeptical and moral tone. These poets defended the idea of the poem as an act of knowledge.
Most representative
Read MoreSpanish Theater Before the Civil War: Trends and Key Figures
Spanish Theater Before the Civil War
At this time, there was a distinction between commercial theater, which had great success, and theater that sought renewal, which was minor.
Commercial Theater
Jacinto Benavente: His works were characterized by moderation and meticulous realism in staging, focusing on the concerns of his audience, the gentry. He conceived the theater as an instrument of illusion and escape, excelling in dialogue. Notable works include “Vested Interests” and “The Malquerida.”
Theater
Read MoreSpanish Renaissance and Baroque Poetry: Fray Luis, San Juan, Quevedo, Lope
Fray Luis de León
Fray Luis de León’s works in verse consist of 34 poems, none of which were published during the author’s lifetime. Poems are often divided into three groups: translations of classic versions of sacred texts and 23 original poems. In adopting Italianate forms in the line of Garcilaso, he replaces the theme of love with moral and religious subjects. Fray Luis glosses Bible passages with themes of classical antiquity, such as locus amoenus (Virgil) and beatus ille (Horace). In his
Read MoreMachado’s Poetry: Symbolism, Self-Portrait, and Castile
A Dry Elm: Symbolism and Life
A Dry Elm: Theme: Life is embodied by an old, dry elm. In this poem, the elm symbolizes the poet’s life. Symbolism is a key element of modernism. The poem is divided into three parts: the first (verses 1-14) offers a physical description in the third person; the second (verses 15-27) speaks in the second person, referring to himself; and finally, the last three lines present a personal conclusion, expressing a last hope. Melancholy is evident, for example, in verses
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