20th Century Spanish Literature: Modernism & Generation of ’27
20th Century Spanish Literature
Modernism (Late 19th – Early 20th Century)
Beginning in Latin America during the late 19th century and coinciding with World War I, Modernism was a literary movement with Rubén Darío as its leading figure.
Characteristics:
- Rebellion against bourgeois aesthetics.
- Evasion: Setting works in exotic and remote locations.
- Alternation of melancholic and vital tones.
- Eroticism.
- Renewal of poetic language and metrics.
Key Figures:
Rubén Darío (1867-1916, Nicaragua)
Poetry Books:
Read MorePost-Civil War Spanish Novel: From Existentialism to Social Realism
Post-Civil War Spanish Novel
1. Novel After 1936
After the Civil War, a break with the narrative of the Novecentismo generation and the rise of New Realism emerges in the late 1920s.
Postwar Novel Developments:
- Propaganda Novel: Represented by authors like Torrente Ballester.
- The 1940s: Existentialist Novels: This period features themes of loneliness, inadequacy, frustration, and death. Novels depict individuals struggling against their destinies, often featuring marginalized and rebellious characters
20th-Century Spanish Poetry: An Overview
20th-Century Spanish Poetry
The Poetry of Contemporanea: Post-war Poetry
The period prior to the war was considered a second Golden Age, especially flourishing in poetry. After the war, many poets went into exile, leaving a cultural vacuum in the genre.
Poetry Previous:
- Predominantly individualistic.
- Defense of the minority character of poetry.
- Search for originality.
The style is bright. Individualism and originality greatly differentiate the poets. Poetry is characterized by dehumanization. There’s a
Read MoreMedieval Spain: A Historical and Social Overview
Historical Context (5th-15th Centuries)
Early Middle Ages (5th-8th Centuries)
The Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula began with the Barbarian invasions that replaced Roman power. The Visigoths took control, imposing their laws and customs but blending with the Latin culture. This period saw the rise of important figures like Saint Isidore of Seville. In the 8th century, the Arab invasion led to the start of the Reconquista, a long period of Christian reconquest that lasted until the end of the 15th
Read More20th Century Spanish Theater & Poetry
20th Century Spanish Theater & Poetry
Comic Theater
Carlos Arniches
- The Saint of Isidro
- The Friend Melquiades
- The Caciques
- My Man
- Mrs. Trevelez
Hermanos Álvarez Quintero (Serafín and Joaquín Álvarez Quintero)
- The Grid
- Fans and Panderets
- Patio
- The D Cain
- Love and Romance
- Malvaloca
Pedro Muñoz Seca
- Venganza Don
- The Witch
Generación del 98
Miguel de Unamuno
- Band
- Raquel
- Sentenced on Another
- The Sphinx
- Fedra
Azorín
- The Trilogy of the Invisible, consisting of:
- The Spider in the Mirror
- The Reaper
- Doctor Death of 3 to 5
Ramón
Read MoreAnalysis of “Elegy” by Miguel Hernández and “Campos de Soria” by Antonio Machado
Elegy by Miguel Hernández
Introduction
Miguel Hernández Gilabert, a prominent Spanish poet and playwright of the 20th century, was born in Orihuela (Alicante) on October 30, 1910. He belonged to the renowned Generation of ’27. In 1939, Hernández attempted to flee to Portugal but was apprehended by the Civil Guard, marking the beginning of his ordeal in Spanish prisons. He was eventually released and returned to Orihuela, only to be arrested again twelve days later and transferred to the Conde
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