Medieval Spanish Literature: Poetry, Prose, and Theater
ITEM 3. DIDACTIC POETRY: MEDIEVAL NARRATIVE
Mester de Clerecía
Definition and Origin
This name is known to all the works composed by clerics during the 13th and 14th centuries. These works were created in monasteries to teach the people religious customs as a form of propaganda. The clerics, learned men of the Middle Ages, knew Latin texts and were inspired by them. However, they wrote in Castilian.
Features
These are texts of mostly religious and ethical themes. They narrate the lives of saints, miracles
Read MoreMedieval Spanish Literature: A Comprehensive Guide
Medieval Literature in Spain
1. Historical Context
The Medieval Period in Spain spans from the 5th century with the arrival of the Visigoths until 1492, marked by the conquest and discovery of America.
2. Defining Features
Similarities with Europe:
- Medieval society was organized into nobility, clergy, and peasantry, with a small emerging bourgeoisie.
- Prevalence of religious wars.
- Literature was primarily oral, preserved and developed in monasteries and universities.
Unique to Spain:
- A three-dimensional cultural
Spanish Poetry from 1936 to the Generation of 50
Spanish Poetry from 1936
Transition Poetry: Miguel Hernandez
Miguel Hernandez’s work serves as a bridge between the poetry of the Generation of ’27 and the post-Civil War generation.
MH – Life
A goat herder with limited formal education, his will and desire to learn (aprendre) led him to educate himself. In 1934, he moved to Madrid from Orihuela. His friendships with poets from the Generation of ’27 shaped his ideological and poetic evolution.
MH – Work
- “Perito en Lunas” (1933): A book with Gongorine
20th Century Spanish Literature: Movements and Key Authors
20th Century Spanish Literature
Movements and Key Authors
Avant-Garde or Experimental (Blanca Andreu)
Cultural, Classical, and Baroque (Gimferrer, Antonio Colinas, L.A. Basin, L.A. de Villena)
Minimalism and Conceptualism (Jaime Siles)
Inspired by pure poetry, seeking conceptual essence in short, dense poems.
Other Trends: Neo-Modernism, Neo-Romanticism, Intimate New Epic (Julio Llamazares)
The Poetry of Experience
The most significant current in young Spanish poetry. It departs from the Last Things and
Read MoreGeneration of ’98: Spanish Literature & Cultural Shift
GENERATION OF ’98: This term refers to the group of Spanish writers and intellectuals who emerged in the wake of the Spanish-American War of 1898, a pivotal event that marked the loss of Spain’s last colonies and ushered in a new era of national introspection. These writers shared a common sentiment of disillusionment and a desire to revitalize Spanish culture and identity.
Characteristics of the Generation of ’98:
- Self-taught and independent, yet united by their concern for Spain.
- Sober and simple
Catalan Literature Overview
Josep Pla (1897-1981)
Born in Palafurgell into a family of small rural landowners, Josep Pla’s vocation was journalism. He worked as a correspondent in Paris, Italy, Berlin, and London, and collaborated on the newspaper The Voice of Catalonia.
His prose, marked by his journalistic background, is realistic and avoids excessive use of adjectives. His style reflects a keen interest in representing the real world and his critical writings stem from a desire to describe his time and society.
Pla was a prolific
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