Spanish Poetry: From Civil War to the 21st Century
Miguel Hernández: A Bridge Between Literary Generations
We should first mention Miguel Hernández, a poet who bridged the gap between the Generation of ’27 and the Generation of ’36, reaching his peak after the Spanish Civil War. Although a late disciple, Miguel Hernández’s work reflects the same stages as those of his generation. His initial phase was characterized by avant-garde poetry, ‘dehumanized’ and filled with brilliant metaphors, as seen in Perito en lunas. This phase concluded with El
Read MoreExtremaduran Literature: 20th Century to Post-Civil War
The Generation of ’98 and Regionalism
The crisis of 1898 in Spain spurred a literary movement focused on individual regeneration. This resulted in the modernist poets and a renewed thematic approach by the authors of the Generation of ’98.
In Extremadura, during the early years of the 20th century, regionalist authors dominated the literary scene. These writers, heirs of 19th-century regionalism, considered José María Gabriel y Galán their master. They produced works idealizing rural life, which
Read MoreBaroque Literary Style: Characteristics and Techniques
Baroque Literary Style: An Artistic Intensification
Baroque style is often characterized by exaggerated elements. Following the Renaissance aesthetic and the death of Felipe II, his son, Felipe III, succeeded him. With him began an unstoppable political, economic, and military decline that worsened throughout the century. The inheritance of his son, Carlos II, resulted in the War of Succession in 1700, in which two factions divided Spain, which was about to lose its political unity. This period was
Read MoreAncient Greece: History, Culture, and Civilization
Ancient Greece: A Cradle of Civilization
Greece, located in South Eastern Europe, consists of a mainland and an archipelago. The mainland is a large peninsula, including the Peloponnese, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Greece is renowned as the birthplace of Western philosophy, literature, mathematics, history, drama, the Olympic Games, and democracy. The scientific method was first introduced through the work of Thales of Miletus. The Latin alphabet also originates from Greece. The geography
Read MoreSpanish 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.
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