Spanish Neoclassical Literature: Prose & Theater
Neoclassical Prose
During the Neoclassical period, there was limited production of lyric poetry but a significant rise in the essay and theater genres.
Key Neoclassical Prose Writers
Benito Jerónimo Feijoo (1676-1764)
Feijoo is considered the first contemporary Spanish essayist. His work is characterized by a personal tone, clear language, and a great variety of themes. His extensive work spans thirteen volumes, divided into:
- Universal Theater
- Erudite and Curious Letters
He advocated for the search for
Read MoreSpain’s Generation of ’98: Authors and Literary Impact
The Generation of ’98: Spanish Literary Renewal
Core Members and Context
This generation is formed by a group of writers whose main components include:
- Miguel de Unamuno
- Ramón del Valle-Inclán
- Pío Baroja
- Azorín (José Martínez Ruiz)
- Antonio Machado
All these writers were born around the same time and were profoundly moved by a common event: the Spanish decline and the crisis of 1898. They confronted the same problems, stemming from the unfortunate image of Spain, which had fallen into apathy and disinterest.
Read More20th Century Extremaduran Literature: Authors & Eras
Crisis of ’98 to Civil War Literature
Writers in this era, like the regionalists José María Gabriel y Galán, utilized an idealized picture of rural life in conservative literature. It’s a style focused on specific themes and authorial intention. Most notably, Luis Chamizo began to use el Castúo in his works. A. Reyes Huertas‘ prose emphasizes a conservative image of Extremadura, with customs resistant to change. As a writer of Regeneracionismo and the Generation of ’98, Felipe Trigo denounced
Read MoreLove and Loss in Gabriel García Márquez’s Cholera Time
Love in Love in the Time of Cholera
Love’s Forms
Love is the central theme of Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, revolving around Fermina Daza and her two suitors, Florentino Ariza and Juvenal Urbino. The novel explores various facets of love:
- Idealized Love: Florentino’s passionate, unrealistic love for Fermina, marked by yearning and letters, contrasts with Fermina’s more pragmatic approach.
- Married Love: Juvenal and Fermina’s marriage reveals the complexities of domestic love,
Key Features of Roman Architecture and Sculpture
Roman Architecture
Historical Introduction
The history of the Roman Empire began in the eighth century BC on the Italian peninsula with the founding of Rome.
General Features
Roman architecture had an official status (works were commissioned and paid for by the state) and was utilitarian (buildings were in the service of citizens, meant to be used). This led to the importance of interior space, unlike the Greek concept. Consequently, technique became more important than the concept of beauty in Rome,
Read MoreMedieval Chronicles: Key Figures and Literary Works
The Chronicles
- Chronicle: The facts speak of the era.
- Epica: Those who sing of glories, importance, type genus. It lacks great battles, great victories, great defeats, and real characters.
- Songs feat: Poems speak of battles or wars.
Medieval Chronicles
- James I: (King Conqueror), the characters say exactly what they mean. Is characterized by providentialism (belief that victories are due to divine designation).
- Bernard Desclot: Documents do not explicitly name Bernard Desclot. He sometimes signed as Desclot,