Spanish Romanticism: Authors and Key Works
General Characteristics of Spanish Romanticism
Institutions established free education, Hegelian idealism, and the diffusion of the literary press. Then came Realism. The 18th century considered literature useful, but raw. The topic of “Art for Art’s Sake” emerged in the 19th century. Motifs were written not out of obligation. The likelihood is disregarded (evasion of worlds), nature is idealized, and raw individualism and habits (use of vernacularism) are present. The world of sentiments acquires
Read MoreSpanish and Latin American Literature: 1960s to Present
Spanish Narrative: 1962 to the Present
A New Stage in Spanish Narrative (1962)
1962 marked a new stage in Spanish narrative. Time of Silence (Luis Martín-Santos) and The Time of the Hero (Mario Vargas Llosa) were published, coinciding with the boom of the Hispanic narrative. The renewal of novelistic creation is characterized by the following:
- Readers attending a new social scene confirmed the inefficiency of the economy.
- Literature became a weapon to transform the world.
- Disappointment with the social
Spanish Literature’s Generation of ’27: Poets and Key Works
Exceptional Promotion of Poets: The Second Golden Age of Spanish Literature
Generation of ’27: Key Characteristics
Dates: University education, fellowship, friendship, mutual influence, and progressive ideals.
Generation of ’27: The third centenary of the death of Góngora (pure poetry is praised).
Stages of Development
- Until 1929: Youth, avant-garde, tradition, and pure poetry.
- 1929-1936: Personal conflicts explored through surrealism; rehumanization, “committed or impure poetry.”
- 1939: Generational break-
Medieval Poetry: Troubadours to Ausias March
Medieval Poetry: From Troubadours to Ausias March
Throughout the 12th century, the first written testimonies of Romance languages appeared, proving the independence of each Romance territory from Latin. In medieval times, poetic compositions were inextricably linked to singing with musical accompaniment. The rhythms to which they were subjected to the imperatives of musical notation were still poorly defined. In the Iberian Peninsula, two traditions are known: the Mozarabic kharjas within the poetics
Read MoreMiguel de Cervantes and Lazarillo de Tormes: Life and Works
Miguel de Cervantes: Life and Literary Career
Early Life and Military Service
Born in Alcalá de Henares in 1547, Miguel de Cervantes, initially a barber-surgeon, experienced a difficult childhood marked by frequent moves between Cordoba, Seville, and Madrid. He became a disciple of Lopez de Hoyos. In 1569, Cervantes traveled to Italy to serve Cardinal Acquaviva before joining the army. He participated in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. In 1575, while returning to Spain, he was captured by Barbary
Read MoreLatin American Literature and Theater: 1900s Trends
The American Novel in the Twentieth Century
In the first thirty years of the twentieth century, a realistic novel dominated, introducing the American countryside as part of a grand and wild nature.
From the forties, a major renovation of the novel took place that influenced the new narrative techniques: the interior monologue, the jumps in time, or a combination of different viewpoints. Realism of the previous era was broken, and different trends emerged, the best known of which is magical realism,
Read More