Medieval Literature: Oral Tradition, Epic Poetry, and the Rise of Romance
Medieval Literature: From Oral Tradition to Written Word
The Composition of Medieval Works
Medieval literature aimed to captivate the audience’s imagination and ensure understanding, relying heavily on auditory memory. This resulted in a degree of instability, particularly in genres like poetry, fiction, bestiaries, lapidaries, travelogues, and even guides for virtuous living.
Oral and Written Phenomena
Orality and writing served as cultural communication technologies. This period witnessed a growing
Read MoreLatin American Avant-Garde: A Break with Tradition
Latin American Avant-Garde
A Break with Tradition
The avant-garde in Latin America represented a break from the harmonious and formal rhetoric of the movement initiated by Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío. These vanguards expressed a need to represent national cultures by returning to their own traditions.
Europe and Latin America: Identity and Difference
Various “isms” originated in different countries: Futurism in Italy, Dadaism in Switzerland, Expressionism in Germany, Surrealism in France, and Imagism
Read MoreMedieval Literature: A Journey Through Epic Poetry and Oral Tradition
The Middle Ages
The concept of the Middle Ages, spanning from the fall of the Roman Empire to the fall of Constantinople, was established by 17th-century historians. During this millennium, European and Mediterranean civilizations experienced both cultural decline and moments of glory.
Early and High Middle Ages
Following the Roman Empire’s decline, the Early Middle Ages began. This period saw the gradual assimilation of Latin culture by Germanic peoples and the East-West schism. The Christian Church
Read More20th and 21st Century Latin American and Spanish Theatre and Literature
Spanish Post-War Theatre
Introduction
The dramatic rise of the previous period declined due to interest in other shows. Post-war theatre is torn between evading painful reality or compromising by reporting the situation. Censorship hindered representations, and companies were unwilling to break the mold. Authors often lived in exile. Theatre slowly reemerged from universities, where independent companies and theatres gained importance during the post-war period.
The 1940s and 1950s
Successful works
Read MoreAvant-Garde & Post-War Spanish Literature: Movements and Authors
1. The Avant-Garde Movements
Vanguardist Movements in Europe
Between the two World Wars, various revolutionary artistic and aesthetic movements emerged in Europe, known as the avant-garde movements. The most important avant-garde movement in France was Surrealism.
Surrealism
Emerging with André Breton’s publication of the Surrealist Manifesto, this movement sought to look beyond reality and logic. Surrealist writers often employed automatic writing techniques in their poetry, aiming to explore free
Read MoreSpanish Theater Before and After 1936: A Historical Overview
Spanish Theater Before 1936
Early 20th Century Trends
Commercial Theater
Specific circumstances shaped early 20th-century Spanish theater:
- Plays were conceived for stage representation, with many never published or having little impact.
- Commercial success depended on factors beyond artistic merit, such as the support of influential figures.
- Audiovisual performances reached wider audiences, but faced increased censorship under dictatorships.
Spanish theater in the first third of the century was unique.
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