Medieval Iberian Literature: Poetry & Theatre

Galician-Portuguese Troubadour Poetry

The Galician-Portuguese tradition (with very similar languages at that time) developed distinct forms of troubadour song. While influenced by Provençal models like the austere and abstract cantiga d’amor and the more casual sirventés (or serventesio), Galician-Portuguese poetry is primarily known for the cantiga d’amigo, a literary version of the song of the girl in love as expressed in the Jarchas from around the 11th century. It also developed the cantiga

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Spanish Literature: Authors and Genres of the 16th Century

Fray Luis de León

Maximum ascetic representative of lyric poetry. Defender of the vernacular language. His works are the result of demanding effort. He wrote prose and verse. His work can be divided into three groups:

Works of Fray Luis de León

  • Poesía Original: Formed mostly by odas. The subjects are many and varied (e.g., “Ode to the Life of Withdrawal,” “Ode to the Calm of Night”).
  • Translations of Classics: Translated verses of the odes of Horace and Virgil’s Eclogues.
  • Las Traducciones Bíblicas:
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Medieval Spanish Epic and Ballads

The Minstrel’s Role

The mester de juglaría (minstrelsy) springs from the inherent need for communication common in the Middle Ages. This work rested with the Minstrel (a poet telling of events and deeds of heroes through epics). The mission of the minstrel was to recite and/or dramatize works, touring villages and castles to entertain people. Besides telling stories, minstrels also enlivened holidays by singing and dancing.

The Cantar de Gesta (Epic Poem)

The cantar de gesta (epic poem) is an epic

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Spanish Renaissance Literature

Italianate Lyric Poetry

Juan Boscan introduced Italian literary trends in Spanish poetry. He and his friend Garcilaso embraced these trends, and the latter is credited with performing the poetic revolution.

Characteristics of Italianate Lyric

Influences on New Poetry

  • Petrarca: Love for him goes beyond everything, and the woman is an attraction that leads you to paradise.

  • Baldassare Castiglione: Author of The Courtier (ideal man of the time).

Metric Forms

  • Hendecasyllables and seven-syllable verses.
  • New stanzas
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Federico García Lorca’s Theatrical Universe

Lorca’s Poetic Theater: Themes and Evolution

Lorca’s theater can be described as poetic, not merely due to the extensive use of verse, but because poetry is the very root from which its arguments and language emanate. A dominant and recurring theme, also common in his poetry, is the confrontation between the individual and authority. The individual wields desire, love, and freedom as weapons but is ultimately defeated by authority. A majority of his leading ladies grapple with frustration.

Early Works,

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Roman Scientific & Technical Literature: Key Works & Authors

Roman Technical Prose and Scientific Writings

Roman antiquity has bequeathed more than just poems and speeches. Latin texts surviving today are classified as essays, handbooks, or treatises on numerous subjects, forming an essential starting point for many scientific and technical disciplines.

For the Romans, the connection between science and philosophy was evident; scientific knowledge was considered an extension of philosophical understanding.

The Romans were innovators in science, emphasizing the

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