16th-Century Spanish Poetry: Trends, Authors, and Styles
Poetry in the 16th Century
Introduction
The 16th century in Spain witnessed a clash between traditional poets who adhered to the established model of lyrical songs and innovative, Italianate poets who sought to introduce the themes and forms of the Italian Renaissance. While traditional lyrics and ballads continued to be popular among the general population, new forms and content from Italy began to take root in the late 1520s. This period saw the introduction of new genres, motifs, themes, verses,
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Prose and Verse
Prose is the form of expression that most closely resembles everyday speech. Verse, on the other hand, is characterized by its musicality. This musicality is achieved through accents, rhyme, and syllable count.
Figures of Repetition
- Alliteration: Repetition of one or more phonemes in a verse to imitate a sound.
- Anaphora: Repetition of a word at the beginning of a verse or phrase.
- Parallelism: Repetition of similar syntactic structures.
- Pleonasm: Use of unnecessary words in a verse for
A Journey Through Spanish Literature: 17th to 20th Century
XVII Century
On Whether the Nins by Leandro Fernández de Moratín
This play is considered the prototype of neoclassical comedy in Spain. Apart from its social and moralizing intention, it brought two interesting new features to the theater: the attempt to describe daily life with ordinary characters and the emergence of colloquial language in simple, unadorned conversations.
The comedy adheres to a rigid structure, subject to the unities of time, place, and action. It centers around the love story
Read MoreAnalysis of Valencian Poetry: Franco’s Impact and Estellés’ Legacy
The Impact of the Franco Regime on Valencian Culture
The consolidation of the Franco regime led to an unprecedented retraction of the normalization process that had begun in early 20th century Valencia. Repression took on a double dimension:
1. Ideological and Political Repression
Basic democratic freedoms, human rights, and national fundamentals were denied. Any language other than Castilian Spanish was prohibited. The Franco regime attempted to reduce the use of Valencian, confining it exclusively
Read More18th Century Spanish Literature: From Baroque to Neoclassicism
During the 18th century, Europe was invigorated by the Enlightenment, a movement fundamentally grounded in reason as the primary source of knowledge. However, the Enlightenment’s embrace in Spain was initially more restrained compared to other European nations. This period saw the rise of enlightened despotism, a new form of government operating under the motto, “Everything for the people, but without the people.” This era witnessed the establishment of new schools, a focus on scientific development,
Read More20th Century Spanish Literature: An Overview
20th Century Spanish Literature
Poetry
Miguel Hernandez
His work combines the popular with the cult. The most characteristic of his poetry is metaphorical richness and passionate tone. His career is a clear example of the evolution of poetry: from the dehumanization of the early moments to commitment. He is considered a poet of transition, an epigone of the Generation of ’27 for some authors and belonging to the Generation of ’36 for others.
Works: Expert in Moons, Lightning That Does Not Stop, Songbook
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