20th Century Spanish Theater: From Benavente to Lorca
20th Century Spanish Theater
1. Overview
The theater of the 20th century in Spain can be seen as a continuation of 19th-century trends. It encompasses three main dramatic currents:
- Benavente’s bourgeois comedy and its followers
- Comic theater, linked to manners, farce, and the romantic and modernist heritage of verse drama
- Innovative theater, introducing new techniques and approaches
Early attempts at theatrical renewal were carried out by playwrights such as Unamuno, with his stripped-down theater, and
Read MoreOverview of the Spanish Novel and Poetry from 1975 Onwards
Spanish Narrative and Lyric from 1975
Narrative
1. The ’68 Novelists
Coinciding with the rise of the experimental novel, a new generation of storytellers emerged, formed by novelists born and educated during the postwar restrictions. These authors, who experienced the rebellion against Franco in the university protests of ’68, produced initial works influenced by the structural novel models of the sixties. Initially, they diverged from the social novel and championed a novel concept centered on the
Read MoreOverview of the Spanish Novel and Poetry from 1975 Onwards
Overview of the Spanish Novel and Poetry (1975 – Present)
Narrative
1. The ’68 Novelists
Coinciding with the rise of the experimental novel, a new generation of storytellers emerged, comprised of novelists born and educated during the postwar restrictions. These authors, who participated in the university protests of ’68, rebelled against the Franco regime. Their early works were influenced by the structural novel models of the sixties. Initially, they moved away from the social novel and advocated
Read More20th Century Spanish Literature: Poetry and Theater
20th Century Spanish Literature: Poetry and Theater
Poetry
Post-Civil War Poetry
After the Spanish Civil War, many poets were exiled. They criticized the new political situation and expressed nostalgia and intimacy in their works.
Exiled Poets
León Felipe
His poems are almost prose-like and reflect the cry of a man outside his homeland. He used Spanish literary characters like Don Quixote and Celestina. Example: Call me a Republican.
Juan Gil Albert
His work is full of commitment and vitality and is imbued
Read MoreThe European Avant-Garde: A Revolutionary Art Movement
The European Avant-Garde: A New Break
Emerging in Europe during the 1920s as a form of protest against a world of provocative decadence, the avant-garde movement signified a complete rupture in all artistic fields. This led to a fruitful renewal of techniques and styles, giving rise to rebellious and controversial art movements. These movements, often referred to as “vanguards” or “isms,” offered new conceptions of art and literature, contrasting sharply with earlier aesthetics.
The avant-garde movements
Read MorePre-Renaissance to Romanticism: Spanish Literature Evolution
Pre-Renaissance Literature
Narrative
Romances
Ballads: Anonymous compositions popularly broadcast by minstrels.
Romance: Manifestation of the most important traditional folk poetry.
Old Ballads: Romance set of compounds in the 14th and 15th centuries.
New Romances: Romances written by educated poets in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Source: Considered closely linked to epics.
Metrics: Compositions of varying length formed by eight-syllable verses with the same rhyme and assonance in pairs, odd verses being
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