Key Authors and Works of Medieval Spanish Literature
The Mester de Clerecía
The Mester de Clerecía emerged in the 13th century. It consisted of clerics and intellectuals whose didactic works aimed to disseminate knowledge acquired from Latin texts. Their main feature is the use of the cuaderna vía: stanzas of four lines of 14 syllables with a caesura and assonance rhyme. These works were composed to be recited, not sung. While Latin was the dominant language, the first vernacular declaration is found in the Book of Alexander. These narratives are
Read MoreSpanish Literature: Authors and Works from Middle Ages to Present
Spanish Literature: Authors and Works from the Middle Ages to the Present
Middle Ages
- **Gonzalo de Berceo:** *Milagros de Nuestra Señora*
- **Juan Ruiz, Arcipreste de Hita:** *Libro de buen amor*
Golden Age (15th-17th Centuries)
- **Fernando de Rojas:** *La Celestina (Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea)*
- **Garcilaso de la Vega:** *Églogas*
- **Gutierre de Cetina:** *Madrigal*
- **Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga:** *La Araucana*
- **Fray Luis de León:** *Nombres de Cristo*
- **Francisco de Quevedo:** *Sueños*, *El Buscón*
Roman Theater: From Ancient Greece to Renaissance Influence
The Origins of Roman Theater
In ancient Greece, the term drama designated a literary genre that included comedy, tragedy, and satirical drama. Traditionally, Livius Andronicus is considered the introducer of the genre in Rome. He was the first author to represent a tragedy translated from Greek in the Ludi Romani of 240 BC. In Rome, the theater was always considered a show, and representations took place in the context of large public festivals, such as the Ludi Romani, organized in September in
Read MoreSpanish Literature: 1930s to 1970s – Trends and Key Poets
Spanish Literature: 1930s to 1970s
The 1930s: Rehumanization and Commitment
In the 1930s, avant-garde experimentation gave way to the rehumanization of literature, with writers taking on a greater commitment as intellectuals. The theme of death was no longer treated as an abstract concept but as the death of a loved one, as seen in Federico García Lorca’s Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías. Literature became increasingly popular. New trends in poetry emerged, influenced by Pablo Neruda, who impacted
Read MoreSpanish Poets: Cernuda, Hernández, Alberti, and Salinas
Luis Cernuda
Stage of learning: Early poems express solitude before nature. Discovery of unfulfilled love (eclogue, elegy, ode) has romantic influence from Bécquer, Salinas, and Fray.
Stage of youth: Adopts and exploits surrealism. A rebellious and subversive poet. A river, love, search for the unknown. The forbidden pleasures: vindication of his homosexuality. Invocations: A set of 10 long poems, it celebrates passion and final disappointment. Nature becomes a refuge. It develops the theme of religiosity
Read MorePantheon and Maison Carrée: Roman Imperial Temples
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is a temple of the early second century, built in the Roman imperial style. The materials used are concrete, granite, marble, brick, and wood. It is located in the Field of Mars in Rome. The name means “Temple of all the Gods.” The dedication of the initial construction was carried out by Agrippa, a Roman politician and general. In the year 80 AD, a fire destroyed almost the entire temple. It was restored and rebuilt by Hadrian in the early second century AD.
The gigantic
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