Hispanic American Literature: A 20th-Century Overview
The Novel
Early Influences (Until 1945)
The Hispanic American novel experienced a boom in the mid-20th century, influenced by foreign literature. Early novels, marked by realism, naturalism, and modernism, explored social conflicts, exploitation, colonization, revolution, and the struggle against nature. Key themes included the exploited Indigenous population, tyrannical landowners, and powerful women. Notable works include Mariano Azuela’s The Underdogs, Martín Luis Guzmán’s Memories of Pancho
Read MoreModernist Spanish Poets: Jiménez, Machado, and Darío
Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881–1958)
Born in Moguer (Huelva), Juan Ramón Jiménez, the self-proclaimed Andaluz Universal, signed some of his works with this title. He studied at El Puerto de Santa Maria and began painting and writing poetry from a young age. He showed signs of poor health, which was aggravated by the death of his father. In 1900, he went to Madrid to champion Modernism, thus becoming considered one of its pioneers in Spain. Gradually, he became a mentor to other poets, who admired
Read MoreSpanish Baroque Theater: Lope de Vega, Tirso and Calderon
The New Comedy by Lope de Vega
Plays
The plays do not respect the time and place of the three unities of action.
- The work is divided into three acts or a day (exposition of the case, a complication of the facts, and outcome).
- The comic and tragedy can be mixed in a play.
- All works are written in verse.
- Polymetry is used using various stanzas and meters (quatrains, stanzas, ballads…).
- It seeks to adjust the language to the status of each of the characters (poetic decorum).
- May include dances and songs.
A Comprehensive Guide to Literature: Genres, Styles, and History
Definition of Literature
Literature encompasses several dimensions:
- Individual aesthetic creation
- Communication of values and feelings
- Reflection of a particular worldview
The term “literature” originates from Latin.
Characteristics of Literature
- Style: Seeks to transcend the everyday with a more cultured, refined, or experimental form of expression.
- Authorial Intent: Driven by aesthetic purpose.
- Reader Impact: The author aims to affect the reader, listener, or viewer.
- Boundless Plausibility: Literary texts
Roman Historiography, Literature, and Rhetoric
Roman Historiography
Latin historiography always had a moralistic and political purpose. Writers often reflected the views of the ruling power, though some expressed dissenting opinions. Imperial censorship sometimes suppressed critical works. Notable historians after Livy and Tacitus, who weren’t imperial supporters, offer valuable insights. Livy, writing under Augustus, presents an idealized view of that era. Tacitus, writing during the peaceful Antonine period, still recalled the excesses of
Read MoreJuan Ramón Jiménez: Literary Style and Influences
Introduction
Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881-1958) stands as a pivotal figure in Spanish literature, particularly as the most prominent poetic voice of the Generation of ’14. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, his poetic journey is characterized by a relentless pursuit of beauty, knowledge, and eternity. Jiménez’s work can be broadly categorized into three distinct phases: Sensory, Intellectual, and Metaphysical (or “Enough”).
Sensory or Modernist Stage (until 1915)
Jiménez’s early poetry is deeply
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