Spanish Theater Trends in the Early 20th Century
At the beginning of the 20th century, a predominant trend was realistic and naturalistic drama. This was the most commercial form of theater, intended to reflect the social reality of the moment. The characteristics of this stage are:
- Sets that give the viewer the illusion of reality.
- The actor must embody the character as if they were the same person.
- The viewer must forget they are in the theater.
During the first decades of this century, there was a constant renewal of performing trends, mainly due
Read MoreCourtly Love, El Cid, and Medieval Literature: A Deep Dive
The concept of courtly love originated in Provençal poetry, expressing the relationship between a queen and a vassal (a relationship between nobles and vassals known as vassalage). The woman was usually married, and the vassal expressed his feelings. It was cultivated by court poets, the troubadours (men of the court whose job was to write poetry). The stylistic characteristics of medieval lyric poetry are based on Provence:
- Courtly Love
- Rich and varied metrics
- Complex rhetoric
- Developed prescriptive
Spanish Post-War Literature: Novel, Poetry, Theater
Cela: *The Family of Pascual Duarte* and Social Trends
The Family of Pascual Duarte inaugurated a trend of social novels. The Hive, in 1951, introduces new plot elements (sequence) and sometimes even inaugurated objectivism. The omniscient narrator gives his opinion and utilizes a collective character to reflect life in post-war Madrid. The novel articulates itself in sequences, contrasting the lives of its characters, and has an open ending. The style mixes tones, counteracting irony with lyrical
Read MoreSpanish Literature: From Medieval to 20th Century
Key Stages in Spanish Literature
Medieval Literature (11th-14th Centuries)
Early Medieval (Popular Lyric):
- Jarchas (10th-13th centuries)
- Cantigas de amigo (13th-14th centuries)
- Villancicos (15th century)
Learned Poetry (Mester de Clerecía, 13th-14th centuries):
- Gonzalo de Berceo (Milagros de Nuestra Señora)
- Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita (Libro de Buen Amor)
Medieval Epic (Mester de Juglaría, 12th-14th centuries):
- Cantar de Mio Cid (Chanson de Geste)
- Romances (15th century)
Medieval Prose:
- 13th Century: Alfonso
Manrique’s Couplets & the Spanish Ballad
Couplets of Don Jorge Manrique on the Death of His Father
Couplets of Don Jorge Manrique on the Death of His Father, which he composed as an elegy on the death of his father in 1476, is one of the most perfect and emotional funeral compositions of Castilian lyric poetry. This work is formed by 40 couplets of two broken-foot sextinas, also called Manriquean stanzas. In general, each stanza develops a complete idea in itself.
Regarding the internal structure, we can distinguish three parts:
- Couplets
European Avant-Garde Movements: A Post-WWI Analysis
European Avant-Garde Movements After World War I
After the First World War, a new understanding of art emerged in Europe, lasting until the Second World War. The most committed movements encompassed several key characteristics:
- Simultaneity: International movements that appear and disappear quickly.
- Antitraditionalism: Vigorously defending originality and rejecting the past.
- Experimentation: Breaking language rules, mixing text with icons.
- Irrationalism
- Independence: The poet translates the apparent reality,