Miguel de Cervantes and His Masterpiece: Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes: In 1605, the first part of The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote appeared, a story that immediately attracted the interest of readers of the time. The hero, Alonso Quijano, and his adventures are the result of the intuition and experience of its creator, Miguel de Cervantes. Cervantes’s life demonstrates and teaches the human struggle between youth and the reality of their time, which also appears in Don Quixote. Published at the beginning of the 17th century,
Read MoreStages and Registers of the Latin Language
Because Latin was spoken and written from the 6th century BC (the time of the first written testimony) until the 8th century AD (when Romance languages appeared, and even then, it remained in worship), and because it was used by speakers of diverse geographical origins, social classes, and cultural backgrounds, two types of classifications can be made:
- A chronological classification, highlighting the different stages of the language.
- A classification based on the social class of speakers and the context
Gaucho Poetry and Martín Fierro: A Deep Dive
Gaucho Poetry: An Introduction
Gaucho poetry, a significant genre in Latin American literature, focuses on recreating the language and life of the gaucho, the nomadic and skilled horseman of the Argentine pampas. This literary form captures the gaucho’s way of life.
Stages of Gaucho Poetry
- First Stage (Anonymity): Characterized by anonymous minstrels who recited songs and poems spontaneously. No written records exist from this period.
- Second Stage (Transition): Marks the shift from oral recitation to
Catalan Literature: Realism, Popular Forms, and Chivalry
Catalan Poetry Realism
After the death of Carles Riba in 1960, three works of poetry were published that marked a turn toward realism:
- Paid Holidays by Pere Quart
- La piel de toro by Salvador Espriu
- Da nuces pueris by Gabriel Ferrater
All three indicated a new way to understand poetry: an expression of everyday reality, using narrative techniques and language more accessible to the reader.
Vicent Andrés Estellés
Vicent Andrés Estellés (1924-1993) was revealed by City in Your Ear, with a realistic tone.
Read MoreSpanish Avant-Garde Movements: Surrealism and Bécquer’s Rhymes
The Avant-Garde Movements in Spain
The unfolding of artistic movements along the 20th century presented a world where traditional artistic norms were challenged. Homogenized schools, often called ‘isms,’ reflected a dehumanized art that sought to express sentiments and employed techniques that deformed reality. Key traits included breaking with past artistic standards, seeking new forms of expression, and embracing moral and political rebellion.
Surrealism: A Vanguard Movement
The concept of the avant-
Read MoreSpanish & Latin American Novels: Key Themes & Authors
The Novel in the Forties
The two most important novels of the forties are The Family of Pascual Duarte by Camilo José Cela. This reflects the inhumanity and violence of rural Spain. Cela’s picaresque novel combines naturalism and the grotesque. The novel Nothing reflects the emptiness and lack of expectations in the miserable and gray life of post-war Spain.
The Social Novel
During the fifties, the social novel dominated Spanish literature. This trend provides critical testimony of Spanish society.
Read More