Spanish Medieval Literature: A Journey Through Jarchas, Cantigas, Chanson de Geste, and Romancero
1. Lyric Poetry
The Jarchas
Discovered in 1948 in a synagogue in Cairo, the jarchas represent the oldest literary manifestations in Spanish. These poems, written in Arabic with a Spanish refrain (estribillo), date back to around 1040. They typically express the lament of a woman (the mistress) who mourns the absence of her beloved, either because he has departed by sea or due to fears of infidelity.
The Cantigas
Cantigas are poetic compositions in Galician-Portuguese, written from the late 12th to the
Read MoreCatalan Renaissance Poetry: A Comparative Analysis
Century and the Fifteenth Century: A Decay and Renaissance
‘The pattern’ was written by Bonaventura Carles Aribau (Barcelona, 1798-1862) while working in Madrid. It was published by The Steam in 1833 and became the symbol of the movement known as the Renaissance. This movement promoted the exaltation of the Romantic landscape (Montseny, Llobregat) and “The Pattern” was the first poem to be published according to the new Romantic tastes.
For Aribau, exiled from Catalonia, there is only one way to satisfy
Read MoreSpanish Literature of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries: From Modernismo to the Generation of ’98
1. Society and Culture of Late 19th and Early 20th Century Spain
The year 1898 marked a significant turning point for Spain. Once a great empire, Spain still held onto some colonies outside of Europe. However, in this year, Spain and the U.S. engaged in war, resulting in a U.S. victory and Spain’s reduction to a territory similar to what it occupies today. The defeat of ’98 deeply wounded the pride of many Spaniards, as it revealed the country’s decline. Workers, laboring under harsh conditions,
Read More20th Century Spanish Theater: From Post-War to Present
The Theater from the Post-War to Present
The situation of the theater after the war faced particular constraints due to censorship and the commercial interests of employers who followed the demands of an innovative bourgeois theater. The public from before 1936 disappeared, as did exiled writers, to which must be added film competition.
1940s Traditional bourgeois theater triumphed, aiming only to entertain the public. However, two other parallel renovating trends emerged:
- Comic Theater: Characterized
Spanish Romanticism in the 19th Century: Literature, Art, and Culture
Society and Culture in the First Half of the 19th Century
The first half of the 19th century witnessed a shift in Spain’s social structure, paving the way for a new societal order. Political parties closest to the regime included the traditional conservatives and moderates, while liberals advocated for change. Social transformations were driven by the French Revolution, which paradoxically resulted in an authoritarian government under Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon extended conformist political
Read MoreRomanticism in 19th Century Spanish Literature and Culture
Society and Culture in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century
The first half of the nineteenth century witnessed a significant shift in social structures, paving the way for a new societal order. Political parties closest to the regime included conservatives and moderates, while liberals advocated for change. These social transformations were largely driven by the French Revolution, which paradoxically resulted in the authoritarian government of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon’s influence
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