Catalan Literature: Humanism and Chivalry
1. Humanism: Bernat Metge
Medieval culture transitioned with the emergence of Humanism. Ausiàs March contributed with Catalan poetry, and chivalric novels marked a turning point.
Humanism is the cultural movement that emerged in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages, characterized by:
- Revaluation of Greco-Roman antiquity.
- A new attitude towards life, valuing human beings (anthropocentrism).
Italian cities were the cradle of Humanism, with authors like Dante (Divine Comedy), Petrarch (Sonnets to Laura)
Read More15th & 16th Century Spanish Literature: Pre-Renaissance to Renaissance
15th Century: Pre-Renaissance
History and Society
Castile began the 15th century marked by civil wars, dynastic conflicts, and peasant revolts. The Trastámara dynasty eventually led to the union of Castile and Aragon under the Catholic Monarchs, establishing a centralized monarchy. Their reign saw the decline of feudalism, control over the nobility and church, the completion of the Reconquista in 1492, the expulsion of the Jews, and the establishment of the Inquisition.
Tensions arose between different
Read MoreSpanish Novel Evolution (1939-1960s): From Exile to Experimentation
Spanish Novel Evolution (1939-1960s)
The Novel in Exile (Post-Civil War)
The Spanish Civil War and subsequent period of international isolation led to a distressing cultural situation, marked by censorship and the exile of writers. Authors who left Spain after the war, including prominent figures of the 1920s and 30s, continued their literary work abroad. Their styles evolved, sometimes influenced by the literature of their adopted countries. Their narratives often explored intellectual and ethical
Read MoreLiterary Movements and Generations
Romanticism
Characteristics:
- New themes and forms in literature.
- Themes include love, pessimism, absolute passion, reflections of human feelings in nature, idealization of the past, and interest in the exotic and picturesque.
- Forms include a mixture of prose and verse, use of verses with different syllable counts, and literary expressions.
- Mixing of genres (narrative and lyric poetry).
- Theater works breaking neoclassical rules and raising legendary issues.
- Prose of historicism, including historical novels.
Golden Age of Spanish Literature: Poetry and Prose
Golden Age of Spanish Literature
Renaissance Authors
Garcilaso de la Vega (1501-1536)
The quintessential Renaissance courtier, Garcilaso de la Vega, excelled as a soldier, writer, and lover. Born in Toledo and dying in Nice from battle wounds, his legacy includes a rich collection of Renaissance letters, elegies, pastorals, sonnets, and songs. His Eclogues, where shepherds explore themes of love, showcase his poetic prowess. A master of Renaissance themes, he introduced stanzas like the Italian lira
Read MoreModernism and Noucentisme in Spanish Literature
Modernism
Overview
Developing Hispanic-wide in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Modernism was a significant literary movement.
Influences
- Parnassianism: Pursued beauty and formal perfection.
- Symbolism: Sought to suggest true reality through symbols.
Modernists celebrated beauty in all forms, recreating beautiful places and objects, and presenting intense feelings and emotions as essential subjects. Rejecting vulgarity, they defended the aristocratic (swan). Their rejection of reality
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