Spanish and Latin American Literature: Authors and Trends
Post-War Spanish Literature and Beyond
After the war, there were two factions: Nationalists and Republicans. There was a dictatorship under Francisco Franco, who banned freedoms.
1940s: Rooted and Uprooted Poetry
- Rooted Poetry: Regardless of the circumstances, formal perfection and beauty of verse are valued. Religious, loving, and patriotic subjects are explored, often using the sonnet. This was the official poetry of the Generation of ’36.
- Uprooted Poetry: Outside official channels, this poetry expressed
Homeric Epics: Iliad and Odyssey – Heroes and Tales
The Epics of Homer: Iliad and Odyssey
The Epics are ancient Greek literary works in verse (dactylic hexameter). Epic comes from the word “épos“, meaning word, narrative, or verse. Transmitted orally by bards, who sang tales of heroes who probably lived in the Mycenaean age.
Homer
Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Characteristics of Homeric Poetry
- Artificial language: Language used to be sung, not homogeneous, since different dialectical layers coexist: Aeolian, Ionic, and Attic.
- Formulaic diction:
Divine Intervention in Virgil’s Aeneid: Gods’ Influence
Divine Intervention in Virgil’s *Aeneid*
The gods play a detrimental role in the narrative of the epic. Following the Homeric tradition, Vergil, like his characters, is compelled to introduce the gods into the story. In light of the role of the gods in the story, it would seem that, for the most part, their influence is quite negative. Also, like the Homeric gods, Virgil’s gods are very anthropomorphically generated. In other words, the author projects unto them perhaps the most human characteristics;
Read MoreSpanish Generation of ’27: Poets and Evolution
The Generation of ’27: A Literary Movement
If any group deserves the name of a generation, it is this one, although each member has their own characteristics. It comprises, among others, Pedro Salinas, Jorge Guillén, Gerardo Diego, Dámaso Alonso, Vicente Aleixandre, Federico García Lorca, Luis Cernuda, Rafael Alberti, Emilio Prados, and Manuel Altolaguirre.
The Generation of ’27 as a Literary Movement
The members of the Generation of ’27 were born between 1891 (Salinas) and 1905 (Altolaguirre).
Read MoreEl Cid: Heroism, Exile, and Redemption in Medieval Spain
The Song of the Cid
The process of glorification of the hero is presented as a model of values. The Song of the Cid narrates the exploits of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, the Cid, a historical character. The poem tells how King Alfonso VI stripped him of his property and banished him from Castile. Thanks to his actions, he regained his lost honor.
In the complex personality of Rodrigo, the author chooses some aspects:
- Royal Loyalty: The Cid remains faithful and loyal to the king, although the king ignores
Spanish Theater: Key Playwrights and Movements
Theme: Theater español.Valle-Inclan:
Jacinto Benavente
His plays address chronic, often pleasant, concerns and bourgeois prejudices with a soft irony. Dl drama Concepcion: “Inside bourgeois citizens: these dramas are developed in rooms and cabinets d gentry.” “The alien nest.” -Int. cosmopolitan ski resorts, yachts and palaces where princes and princesses coincide. “dl Saturday Night.” -Int. provincial: parochial atmosphere d works are developed in Moraleda. ‘The Governor’. -Int. rural they evolve
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