Overview of Spanish Literature
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROMANTIC LITERATURE
In the late 19th century, the French Revolution (1789) provided a new ideological and cultural policy framework in Europe.
- Revolt: The Romantics questioned the morality of their time and bourgeois values, with many texts devoted to marginal characters.
- Evasion: Confrontation with society and reality led to the flight into the past (especially the Middle Ages) and remote locations.
- Projection in Nature: The Romantics expressed their emotions through nature,
Love in Miguel Hernández’s Poetry: A Comprehensive Analysis
Love in the Poetry of Miguel Hernández
Miguel Hernández’s poetry is profoundly loving; no poem exists outside a loving context: nature, women, son, friends, people, and life itself. Throughout his career, however, love takes on different forms. Passion is the central feeling around which his poetry revolves. We can see this in various ways:
A. Sexual Awakening and Religious Conflict
The natural meaning of love relates to sex. In his youth, Hernández’s poetry mentions lust but places it in mythological
Read MoreSpanish Theater: From Modernism to Post-Civil War
Spanish Theater: A Historical Overview
Modernism and Early 20th Century
The Rise of Modernism
Novecento and Vanguard: A cultural movement in Spain during the 1920s, characterized by:
- Strong university education and scientific spirit
- Anti-romanticism and rationalism
- Faith in Spain’s future
- European focus
- Defense of pure art
- Intellectual elitism and refined style
Key Figures:
- Essay: Ortega y Gasset, Eugenio D’Ors, Gregorio Marañón
- Novel: Continuation of Modernism with intellectual and formal rigor (e.g., Gabriel
20th Century Spanish Literary Movements
Modernism:
art movement that began around 1888 and is kept alive until 1914. It is a movement that broke with the prevailing aesthetic and an attitude. The first manifestation in Latin America emerged in 1880 with Ruben Dario. The French influence is crucial to Modernism, along with the great romantics, two schools set the tone: Parnasionismo and Symbolism. The issues are sensitive and intimacy outside of the poet, along with the pursuit of beauty. Malaise romantic escapism, Cosmopolitanism, Love
Generations of ’98, ’27 & Novecentismo: Spanish Literature
Generations of ’98, ’27 & Novecentismo
Generation of ’98
Features
- Birth within a 15-year span
- Self-taught
- Madrid venue
- Influenced by the Disaster of 1898
- Influence of Lorca and Unamuno
- Demanding, care-style
Key Characteristics
Emphasis on meaning over form. Essayists popularized their ideology. Novel reform structured around a character, focusing on their mentality; abundant dialogue. Poetry: contrasts with Modernist ideals of beauty, focusing on the human condition. Key figures: Unamuno and Antonio Machado.
Read More20th Century Spanish Novel: From Exile to Renewal
1. Novel in Exile
The Spanish Civil War led to the exile of numerous authors whose works explore themes such as the memory of the conflict and the experience of exile, particularly in Mexico. Key authors include:
- Ramón J. Sender: Known for Requiem for a Spanish Peasant, a realistic portrayal of a priest recalling a miller who died for his beliefs, and Chronicle of Dawn, an autobiographical work. Nancy’s Thesis offers a perspective on Spanish customs through the eyes of an American.
- Rosa Chacel: Influenced