18th Century Literature: Enlightenment, Neoclassicism, and Prose
18th Century Literature
1. The Eighteenth Century
An age of population growth and improved standards of living. This need favors the development of agriculture and boosts the industrial revolution. Politically, absolute monarchies persisted into the 18th century, until the French Revolution. Spain faced a political crisis following the disappearance of the Habsburg dynasty and its replacement by the enlightened Bourbons. They intended to modernize the country but found much resistance. Throughout
Read More18th Century Literature: A Guide to the Enlightenment and Neoclassicism
18th Century Literature
1. The Eighteenth Century
An age of population growth and improved standards of living. This need favors the development of agriculture and boosts the Industrial Revolution. Politically, the 18th century persists in absolute monarchy until the French Revolution. Spain faces a political crisis following the disappearance of the Habsburg dynasty and its replacement by the enlightened Bourbons. They intend to modernize the country but encounter much resistance. Throughout the
Read MoreGabriel García Márquez and the Latin American Boom
Spanish American Novel in the Twentieth Century
Early Twentieth Century
Despite the difficulties in summarizing a century of Spanish American narrative, a traditional division exists in many manuals and studies. We can identify three major stages:
- The narrative of the early century, until 1940.
- The new novel, also known as magic realism, between 1940 and 1960.
- The boom of the sixties and seventies.
During the first decades of the twentieth century, a distinctly realistic literature dominated, with specific
Read MoreModernism and the Generation of ’98 in Spanish Literature
Modernism
Definition
An artistic movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries characterized by a focus on aesthetics and a rejection of realism. Modernist writers often used their own Castilian language as a means of escape from the harsh realities of their time.
Duration
Approximately thirty years, from 1880 to 1914.
Features
- Opposition to Realism and Romanticism.
- Expression of inner feelings.
- Focus on idealized, exotic, and often nonexistent places.
- Rejection of reality, which is considered
Generation of ’98: Literature, Themes, and Key Authors
Generation of ’98
Test
Members of the Generation of ’98 demonstrated a shared concern for the present and future of Spain. Their initial critical and radical regenerationism gradually became more moderate. They sought to exalt the native landscape, particularly that of Castile.
Angel Ganivet
Considered a precursor to the group, Ganivet, in his Spanish Idearium, argued that Spain had consistently wasted its energies on endeavors beyond its borders. He believed that regeneration required focusing these
Read More20th Century Catalan Poetry: From Noucentisme to the Spanish Civil War
Noucentisme
“Cançonetes incertes”
Josep Carner (Barcelona, 1884-1970) wrote poetry from the age of 14 and became known as the “Prince of Poets” in 20th-century Catalan literature. “Cançonetes incertes” exemplifies the perfection he achieved in his early work, characterized by its cultured and literary style. This poem, set to music, emphasizes the theme of uncertainty through the repetition of “cançonetes” (little songs) and “incertes” (uncertain).
The poem uses the metaphor of life as a journey
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