Spanish Golden Age Literature: Cervantes, Baroque Theater
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra: Life & Works
Cervantes’s Biography
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the most universal Spanish writer, was born in Alcalá de Henares in 1547. At 22 years old, he joined the Tercios of Italy and fought in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, where he was wounded in his left hand, which was permanently disabled. In 1605, the first part of Don Quixote was published, and he began to achieve fame as a writer. He died on April 23, 1616.
Literary Contributions of Cervantes
Cervantes’
Read MoreAvant-garde Movements: European and Catalan Perspectives
Vocabulary and Grammar Essentials
Vocabulary
- Accare:
- To put face to face; to caress.
- Crumble:
- To break or fall apart into small fragments.
- Dull:
- Lacking intellectual acuity; uninteresting or unexciting.
- Issued:
- Formally put forth, distributed, or published.
- Indolence:
- Avoidance of activity or exertion; laziness.
- Aria:
- A long, accompanied song for a solo voice, typically one in an opera or oratorio.
- Aida:
- An opera by Giuseppe Verdi, which premiered in 1871.
- Pega:
- A very viscous, tar-like residue or pitch.
- Patch:
- A
Miguel Hernandez: Tradition, Modernity, and Influences
Tradition and Modernity in Hernandez’s Work
In the work of Miguel Hernandez, the classic and the new converge: tradition and renewal. In this sense, his work is a good example of the aesthetic of the early decades of the twentieth century.
Roots in Popular Tradition
Miguel Hernandez’s love for traditional folk poetry can be explained by his rural background; from the beginning, he was drawn to nature and immediate reality. The poets of the Generation of ’27 had already recreated learned poetry within
Read MoreSpanish Literary Movements: 1898-1936 Narrative Evolution
Spanish Narrative Before 1936
This period saw a crisis in 20th-century realism and a search for new narrative paths. Key aspects include:
- Plot: The action becomes less important, is interrupted with digressions, and often has an open, uncertain ending.
- Themes: In addition to universal themes (solitude, death, love), new themes emerged, influenced by nihilism, psychoanalysis, and philosophical inquiry. The novel evolved into a psychological and moral exploration of individuals.
- Structure:
- External: Arrangement
Spanish Lyric Poetry: Silver Age Movements (1900-1939)
Twentieth-Century Spanish Lyric Poetry (1900-1939)
This period, known as the Silver Age due to the extraordinary surge in Hispanic culture, includes the following movements and authors:
- Modernism (approx. 1880-1914)
- Poetry of Unamuno and Antonio Machado (Generation of ’98)
- Poetry of Juan Ramón Jiménez (Novecentismo / Generation of ’14)
- The Avant-garde movements
- The Generation of ’27
- Poetry of Miguel Hernández
The year 1939 marks the end of the Spanish Civil War and, in many cases, the continuity of poetry
Read MoreContemporary Spanish Novel: Post-Franco Literary Trends
The Spanish Novel: From 1975 to the Present Day
The atmosphere of freedom that emerged in Spanish culture after the death of General Franco significantly enhanced the understanding of Spanish literature across Europe and within Spain’s Western literary landscape. This period was marked by the disappearance of censorship, the recovery of works by exiled writers, and a deeper appreciation for narrative forms from other countries.
Below, we briefly outline the main trends in the Spanish novel from 1975
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