Galician-Portuguese Literature: From Medieval Lyric to 19th Century
Minor Genres of Secular Lyric
Besides the three main genres, there are smaller genres:
- Mourning Poem: In praise of a dead character, usually of great social importance.
- Tenzons: Composition in dialogue in which two authors argue about their versifying skills.
- Pastorela: Of Provençal origin. The Provençal pastorela presents this argumentative scheme:
- Meeting of a knight and a shepherdess.
- Description of the locus amoenus; it is in full nature.
- Description of the shepherdess.
- Dialogue between the two characters:
Latin American Narrative: Magic Realism and Beyond
The regionalist novel, the novel and short story, emerged from Hispanic folkloric realism, revolutionizing its structures and language with thematic trends of the earth’s novel, the indigenous novel, and the apolitical novel. The beginnings of magic realism occurred between 1945 and 1960, marking a significant shift in Latin American narrative. These changes were due to a new conception of life resulting from social changes in Hispanoamerica.
These changes included the abandonment of interest in
Read MoreEvolution of Languages and Dialects in the Iberian Peninsula
Development and Relations of Languages and Dialects in the Iberian Peninsula
Language differences arose during the Reconquista and subsequent multilingualism. The fragmentation of Vulgar Latin resulted in distinct language cores.
Galician-Portuguese
In the northwest, Galician-Portuguese was very similar to Latin, reflecting the area’s extensive Romanization. During the Middle Ages, the language supported a significant literary culture. Even Alfonso X the Wise wrote poems in this language (Cantigas
Read MoreThe Generation of ’27: Spanish Poetic Innovation
The Generation of ’27 renewed Spanish lyric poetry, blending traditional and classical forms with the most innovative and cutting-edge techniques. Key members included Pedro Salinas, Jorge Guillén, Gerardo Diego, Rafael Alberti, Federico García Lorca, Luis Cernuda, Vicente Aleixandre, Dámaso Alonso, Emilio Prados, and Manuel Altolaguirre.
Common Characteristics
- Similar ages
- Bourgeois family backgrounds
- Friendships formed through participation in tributes to Góngora
- Publication in influential journals
Latin American Literature: Key Authors and Works
First Generation of Latin American Authors
First generation
The success achieved in Europe by Hispanic novelists of the sixties came from earlier writers, no less exceptional, who were hardly known outside their countries.
Juan Rulfo (1918-1986)
Juan Rulfo (1918-1986) is the author of books of short stories, The Plain in Flames, a short novel, Pedro Páramo, and some film scripts. Both in his stories and in his solitary, self-absorbed characters, overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and surrounded by a
Read MoreModernist Novel: Characteristics and Key Authors
The Novel Before 1936: Introduction
20th Century: Crisis of Realism and Search for New Novelistic Forms.
1. Argument
The action becomes less important, is interrupted by digressions, and has an open and uncertain ending.
2. Themes
Besides the universal themes (loneliness, death, love), themes are inserted into nihilism, psychoanalysis, and philosophy. The inquiry becomes psychological and moral.
3. Structure
External: Arrangement into chapters and sequences. Internal: Influence of film and language.