Catalan Literature: 1939-1960
Borrowings and Bulgarisms
Borrowings – Foreign words not accepted into the standard dictionary, introduced into our speech. Ex: affair, of course
Bulgarisms – Words that are part of the popular lexicon or are colloquial defects. Ex: Llavonses
Avant-Garde Poetry
The avant-garde poetry of the first third of the 20th century represented a move towards artistic and literary reversal. It was characterized by a desire to break with the established order and experimentation. This involved a break with traditional
Read MoreGeneration of ’27: Spanish Poetry
Pedro Salinas
Life: Born in Madrid in 1891. Salinas taught at various universities, including Seville, where he mentored Luis Cernuda. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, he was in the U.S., where he remained until his death in 1951.
Poetic Career: His work is divided into three stages:
- Pure Poetry: Following in the footsteps of Juan Ramón Jiménez, works like Presagios (1923), Seguro azar (1929), and Fábula (1931) show influences of Futurism, exploring themes like typewriters, telephones,
20th-Century Spanish-American & Spanish Literature: Realism to the Boom
Novelistic Trends in the Early 20th Century: Realism and Regionalism
The novelistic genre emerged relatively late in Spanish America. In 1816, the Mexican publication El Periquillo Sarniento by José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi is considered the first novel of its kind. Romantic novels such as María by the Colombian Jorge Isaacs and Amalia by the Argentine José Mármol followed. These works began to showcase Hispanic American nature as a central theme. Modernist approaches resulted in two novelistic
Read MoreSpanish Literature of the Golden Age: A Comprehensive Overview
Spanish Literature of the Golden Age
Lazarillo de Tormes
Oldest Edition: 1554 (Burgos, Alcalá, Medina del Campo, Antwerp)
1559: Censored
1573: Republished with the 4th and 5th treatises removed
1834: Published in full
Authorship: Anonymous due to its strong clerical and social criticism. Speculated to be Jewish or Erasmian.
Main Character: Lázaro, an antihero.
Structure:
- Foreword
- Treatise I (Blind Man)
- Treatise II (Priest of Maqueda)
- Treatise III (Squire)
- Treatise IV (Friar of the Indulgence)
- Treatise V (Pardoner)
20th Century Spanish Literature: From Modernism to the Generation of ’27
20th Century Spanish Literature Before the War
Novecento – Generation of 1914
Characteristics:
- Group of writers emerging after Modernism, the Generation of ’98, and the Avant-Garde movements, but without a strong group identity.
- Characterized by intellectual depth and rigorous thinking.
- Addressed the problems of Spain from a broader European perspective.
- Concerned with form and aesthetics; viewed art as a game.
Essay:
Written in a refined style, often specialized to convey complex thoughts. Publications
Read MoreA Literary Journey Through Spanish Medieval & Golden Age Literature
Major Literary Genres
Epic or Narrative
This genre includes publications in which an author presents the facts and actions of characters.
Lyrical
Characterized by the presence of a lyrical voice expressing their inner feelings, with the intent to provoke an aesthetic emotion in the reader.
Dramatic
Composed of works written to be performed on a stage before an audience by showing the actions and voices of the characters without the intervention of the author.
Medieval Mentality and Culture
Medieval society
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