Miguel de Cervantes: Life, Works, and Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes: Life and Works
Miguel de Cervantes (1547 – 1616) was born in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. He participated in the Battle of Lepanto, where he lost the use of his left hand. He was captured by Turks and held for five years until he was ransomed. In Seville, he served as a commissioner of provisions for the Spanish Armada and was jailed on occasion. He spent his last years in Valladolid and Madrid.
Poetry
Cervantes considered himself a poor poet, as he acknowledged in his work Journey
Read MoreCatalan Literature and History: Renaissance to 18th Century
Catalan Literature: Aftermath of Decline
- Spanish version of the aristocracy of the old territories of the Crown of Aragon.
- Loss of power of the Catalan bourgeoisie.
- Frequent utilization of castles in the literature.
- Input of Spanish in serious literature in the 17th century.
- Loss of unity among different Catalan-speaking territories.
Renaissance
The revaluation brought the classical Greek and Latin culture. It is an intermediate stage between the Roman period and Renaixença.
16th Century (previously in
Read MoreCatalan Literature: Humanism to Renaissance
Catalan Literature: Humanism to the Renaissance
Humanism
Humanism was the current philosophical school of thought during the Renaissance, marked by significant scientific and technical discoveries.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a movement that focused on the human experience. Scholars were very interested in creating a comprehensive grammar of the Latin language.
The Plight of Catalan
There was a lack of modern Catalan literature (then called the Limousine language) and a separation between the written
Read MoreCatalan Language and Literature: Syntax and 20th Century
Catalan Language: Verbal Syntax
SV (Syntagma Verb): Set of words in contemporary Catalan where the verb is the nucleus. SV = V + CV
Types of Verbs:
- Based on the subject:
- Personal: The subject agrees in gender and number.
- Impersonal: No subject, always in the 3rd person.
- Based on syntactic function:
- Copulative: To be, to become, to seem.
- Predicative:
- Intransitive: To call, to telephone, and meals.
- Transitive: Needs a direct object.
- Prepositional (CRV): Needs a preposition for the verb to be meaningful, always
Lorca and Hernández: Poetic Drama, Love, and Loss
Lorca’s Total Performance
Federico García Lorca created a true poetic drama. In it, besides the word, music, dance, and art become increasingly important, shaping a total spectacle. Lorca’s dramatic production expresses profound problems of life and history through a language loaded with connotations.
First Dramas and Farces
His first plays are related to modern theater. The Curse of the Butterfly aligns with the conventions of verse drama and introduces the theme of the ideal of perfection. Mariana
Read MoreFederico García Lorca’s Legacy: Poetry and Drama
Federico García Lorca: Poetry and Dramatic Work
Poetic Work
Two stages can be identified:
- Neopopulist Poetry (until 1928): His best-known poems are Poema del Cante Flamenco (1921), Songs (1921-1924), and Gypsy Ballads (1924-1927). These works feature typically Andalusian motifs, with Gypsy Ballads being the most famous. The themes are tragic, including violent death, frustration, and loneliness.
- Poetry of Surrealist Influence (since 1928): This includes Poet in New York, Lament for the Death of Ignacio