Spanish Poetry Renaissance: Currents, Themes, and Key Authors
Poetry Renaissance: The Spanish Revival
The Spanish poetry renaissance saw two main currents:
Traditional Poetry (15th Century)
Oral popular poetry collected in anthologies called cancioneros, where popular and courtly poetry coexisted.
Italian Cultural Influence
Courtly poets continued cultivating the troubadour song, focused on courtly love. In the mid-century, the Romancero emerged, with a new artistic and worshipful character. During the time of Charles V (Italian Renaissance), the Italian style
Catalan Literature Under Franco: 1939 to the Late 1970s
Item 1: Sociopolitical Context of Post-Civil War Spain and its Influence on Literary Output
Abstract:
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), won by Franco’s army, marked the beginning of a fascist dictatorship (1939-1975) that defeated the Second Republic. This regime imposed significant political and social changes, initiating a process of censorship and forced “Espanyolization” of culture, particularly targeting Catalan-speaking regions. The recovery of Catalan political and cultural identity was suppressed.
Read MoreLife and Death: Miguel Hernández’s Poetic Journey
If anything characterizes the poetry of Miguel Hernández, it is its vitality. In his poems, life, blood, passion, war, and love are presented to the reader in all their intensity. The runaway passion for life inevitably leads to the presence of the other side of life: death. Miguel Hernández’s worldview does not separate life from death but sees death as another name for life:
You can see a process in his poetry for which life goes from being a mere excuse for elaborate poetry (Perito en lunas)
Read MoreSpain’s 19th Century: War of Independence and Liberal Reign
The War of Independence and the Cortes of Cadiz
During the War of Independence, the Cortes of Cadiz convened. In 1802, a notification stated that Spain and France would partition Portugal. Numerous French contingents entered through the Pyrenees. However, in terms of commonality, Napoleon intended not only to occupy Portugal but all of the Iberian Peninsula. The arrival of the French in Madrid revealed Napoleon’s intentions to occupy Spanish territory. Godoy (the Prime Minister) convinced the royal
Read MoreRussian Revolution & 20th Century Spain: Art & Politics
Russian Revolution: Seeds of Socialism
The Russian Revolution, initiated in 1917, led to the establishment of the first state based on the premise of socialism. It is considered, alongside the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, the third major revolutionary act of the Modern Age.
Tsarist Russia: An Empire in Decline
In the early twentieth century, Russia was an empire with substantial backlogs in different processes:
- Political: It was ruled by an authoritarian system led by the Tsar, oblivious
Spanish Language Variations and 19th-Century Romantic Literature
Spanish Language Diversity
Spanish in America presents internal diversity for two reasons:
- Lack of uniformity in the Spanish that was carried to America: Geography contributed to the precedence of the conquistadors.
- Lack of linguistic homogeneity: In each area, native towns learned Spanish, each developing its own accent.
Phonetic Traits
- Lisp: Pronunciation of ‘c’ and ‘z’ as ‘s’.
- Yeísmo: Pronunciation of ‘ll’ as ‘y’.
- Confusion of ‘r’ and ‘l’.
- Disappearance of ‘s’ at the end of words.
- Aspiration of ‘h’.
- Certain