Miguel de Cervantes & Don Quixote: Biography and Analysis
Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote
Biography
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) was born in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. He lived in Italy and participated in the Battle of Lepanto, where he was wounded in his left hand. Returning to Spain, his ship was captured by pirates, and he spent five years in captivity in Algiers. In Seville, he held the post of Commissioner in charge of providing food, a job that unfortunately led to imprisonment. He spent his last years in Valladolid and Madrid.
Publication
Read MoreAnalysis of Lorca’s Dawn in New York
The Aurora
Location
The so-called Generation of ’27 emerged in the Spanish cultural scene around 1927, with the tribute given to the poet Luis de Góngora at the Ateneo de Sevilla, which was attended by most of those who are usually considered members. Currently, all members of the Generation of ’27 have passed away.
The date of 1927, the tercentenary of the death of Góngora, has served to name a remarkable group of Spanish poets, some of them also eminent professors. Disciples of Juan Ramón Jiménez,
Read MoreSpanish Literature of the 19th and 20th Centuries: Romanticism to the 60s
Spanish Literature of the 19th and 20th Centuries
Romanticism
General Characteristics
Romanticism celebrates the world of the senses, using literary figures like synesthesia. The language is sensual with an abundance of adjectives, embellishing the language and giving rise to new literary genres such as articles of customs and legends (based on real events). Romanticism can be considered a revolutionary period.
Romantic Poetry
In the first half of the 19th century, the poetic works of Romantic writers
Read MoreSpanish Literature After Franco: Novel, Poetry, and Theater
Spanish Literature After Franco
1. Introduction
With the death of Franco and the advent of democracy, life in Spain changed dramatically. This transformation led to increased freedoms, cultural and economic alignment with the rest of Europe, and the ability to acquire major mass media groups. In this context, Spanish literature continued its evolution, moving away from experimentalism and embracing more traditional forms.
2. The Novel from the Last Third of the 20th Century
The Spanish novel quickly
Read MoreModernist Literature in Latin America and Spain
Origins and Stages
Modernism, a literary movement born in Latin America around 1875, was spearheaded by Cuban writers like José Martí and Julián del Casal, alongside Mexican Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera and Colombian José Asunción Silva. However, the pivotal figure of the movement was Rubén Darío, followed by poets such as Amado Nervo, Guillermo Valencia, Leopoldo Lugones, and José Santos Chocano.
According to literary critic Ricardo Gullón, Hispanic Modernism can be divided into two stages:
Read MoreSpanish Modernism in Literature: A Deep Dive
Spanish Modernism in Literature
Introduction
Literary Modernism stressed experimental language and literary forms. It defines aesthetics as the change in relationship with a renewal attempt. Literary language is characterized by:
- Exoticism: Poets searched for faraway lands and exotic themes as a means of evasion.
- Cosmopolitanism: Cosmopolitanism was defended, and Paris became a goal and artistic theme.
- Renewal of poetic language: Enriched with foreign words and Americanisms, abuse of archaisms and search