Catalan Literature: 16th to 19th Century Developments
Catalan Literature in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries
Causes of the Decline
- Estrangement from the court that, since the union of Spain and Aragon, was no longer in Catalonia, and the adoption of Spanish by the nobility.
- Dazzled by Castilian literature, especially from the 17th century (Golden Age).
- Consequences of a series of historical events.
- Emergence of the printing press, which favored Spanish as the most widely distributed language.
The literature of the 16th century is marked by two basic facts:
Read MoreCatalan Troubadours and the Rise of Romance Languages
The Birth of Romance Languages
From Latin to the Various Romance Languages
In the fifth century, with the demise of the Roman Empire, the implanted Roman Latin evolved differently in each territory. By the eighth century, modern Romance languages were already configured, and people no longer understood Latin. The Council of Tours recommended that ecclesiastical authorities deliver homilies in vernacular or Romance languages, as people did not understand Latin.
First Texts in Catalan
The first text written
Read More15th-Century European Poetry: From Feudalism to Renaissance
The Evolution of 15th-Century European Poetry
From Feudalism to a Trade-Based Economy
The poetry of 15th-century European society saw a significant shift as the strict feudal system, with its agriculture-based economy, transitioned to an economy based on trade. This change affected the distribution of wealth among the gentry and gave rise to a new social class: the bourgeoisie. This class began to leave rural towns and concentrate in urban cities. As a result, the troubadour literature, deeply rooted
Read More20th Century: Wars, Philosophy, and Literature
The 20th Century
Cultural Context
To understand the 20th century, we must consider 1898, when Spain was defeated by the U.S., losing Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. This marked the end of Spain’s empire and led to a deep national crisis. Philosophy and literature became fundamental in the early 20th century.
Two major historical events shaped the century: World War I (1914) and World War II (1939). Spain remained neutral in both but experienced a civil war (1936-1939), resulting in a dictatorship
Read MoreSpanish Medieval Literature: Epic, Romance, and Lyric Poetry
Spanish Medieval Literature
The Cantar de mio Cid narrates the exploits of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, a real person born around 1043. An incomplete 14th-century copy remains. The poem consists of 3700 verses grouped into sets called runs. These irregular verses, mostly between 14 and 16 syllables, are divided by a strong hemistich. The rhyming verse is assonant.
Structure of the Cantar de mio Cid
- Song of Exile: El Cid is banished by King Alfonso VI of Castile. He leaves his wife and daughters in a monastery
Jorge Manrique and Don Juan Manuel: Literary Analysis
Jorge Manrique: *Verses on the Death of his Father***
Jorge Manrique wrote profound love poetry, following the guidelines of the troubadour tradition of courtly love and with the resources characteristic of poets of the cancionero. His most important work, Verses on the Death of his Father, is an elegy that becomes a treatise on Christian philosophy, life, the transience of time, and the transcendence of death.
Key Elements, Topics, and Themes
- Time: Time is a constant flow that never stops. For Manrique,