Blas de Otero’s Poetry: Spain, Memory, and Social Change
The poem “Rain / Away / Die” is part of Blas de Otero’s work “About Spain,” which concludes his social poetry phase. It focuses on the geographical space of Spain during his time.
Themes and Structure
The work originates from the poet’s personal feelings and shared experiences. It is thematically structured into five parts: The Forced Word, Songs, Geography, Common History, and Truth. Formal aspects are also significant. Traditional barriers between metric and free verse almost disappear, and the
Read MoreAvant-Garde Movements & Generation of ’27: Key Features
The Avant-Garde: An Overview
1 – What are the avant-garde?
The avant-garde encompasses a collection of literary and artistic movements that developed in Europe and America during the first third of the twentieth century.
2 – What was the most important feature of the avant-garde?
The most important feature is a break not only with prior art and literature, but with all accidental aesthetic tradition.
3 – Common features of the avant-garde:
There are four:
- Antirealism: a break with the idea of art and literature
Tarraco: Roman City’s Rise, Fall, and Transformation
Tarraco: A Roman City
Tarraco, now Tarragona, began as a Carthaginian camp during the Second Punic War (218 BC). Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio established it to reinforce Roman control from Empúries to the Ebro River. After the war, Tarraco became a key military base, strategically located near the Ebro port and the Balearic Islands, with connections to Italy and the Castilian plateau. This attracted traders from Italy.
In the second half of the 1st century BC, it gained official status as Colonia Iulia
Read MoreCatalan Literature: 14th and 15th Century Prose and Poetry
Religious and Moralizing Prose of the 14th Century
In the 14th century, the Church entered a deep crisis. The work of many authors was an attempt to overcome this crisis and restore the battered figure of papal prestige. Three major Catalan authors stand out:
- Francesc Eiximenis (Lo Crestià, a 13-book encyclopedia of which only four survive, expounding on Christian dogma and morality).
- Vincent Ferrer (author of numerous sermons).
- Anselm Turmeda, a Catalan who converted to Islam (Disputa de l’ase, a
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Plot, Themes, and Characters
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Plot Summary
Part 1: Unveiling the Tragedy
The narrative unfolds like a journalistic investigation, revealing the events surrounding a murder. Key topics include the irony of violence and honor.
Part 2: A Shift in Perspective
Parallel to the first, this part introduces the situation leading to the climax. The story ends with high tension as the bride returns. Key topics include the outsider (Bayardo), virginity, honor, and violence.
Part 3: The Path to Murder
This section
Read MoreCatalan Literature: From Folk Poetry to Neoclassicism
Folk Poetry
Folk Poetry
Serious literature did not have much importance in Catalan, as it was done mainly with Castilian. Popular literature was being held with the Catalan language because it was transmitted orally. Thus, all the popular literature also gives us historical information. Popular poetry was mainly comprised of: The Joys, The Christmas, Corrandes, The Romances, tales, and legends. Popular literature was collected in songbooks and Romancero.
The Decline
The Decline
During these three centuries
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