Spanish Civil War Literature: A Historical Overview
Spanish Civil War Literature (1936-39)
The Spanish Civil War (1936-39) saw a dominance of ideological propaganda, generally lacking in literary quality. Cultural transmission was hampered by death and exile. The evolution of Spanish literature has been linked to subsequent social and political transformations in the country.
Main Stages
- Postwar Literature:
- Exaltation of dominant ideas: Literature often reflected the dominant ideas of the time.
- Works reflecting social issues: Works reflect the heartbreak
Lazarillo de Tormes and La Vida Es Sueño: Themes and Analysis
Lazarillo de Tormes: A Commentary
LAZARILLO_OPINION: This work by an unknown teacher has incalculable value. It shows the almost absolute rawness of life for people of low social standing at the time. It also judges the acts and habits of individuals with more power, leaving cruel evidence of their ‘living style.’ Lázaro, the protagonist, is a man battered by life and circumstances, resigned to his fate. He suffers hunger, abandonment, and humiliation, yet maintains a sense of serenity. At the
Read MoreLuis de Góngora: Life, Work, and Legacy
Luis de Góngora
Life
Born into a noble family in Córdoba, Luis de Góngora’s taste for luxury and gambling clashed with his religious vocation. In 1617, he became a priest and served as chaplain to the king.
Work
Góngora was a respected and self-assured poet, famous for inventing a brilliant, elite poetic language known as culterano. His work encompasses both learned poetry (culteranismo) and traditional forms (romances and letrillas).
Learned Poetry
From his early sonnets, Góngora displayed a penchant
Read MoreAzorín, Benavente, and Inclán: Key Works and Literary Styles
Azorín: Breaking with Tradition
Azorín (José Martínez Ruiz) from Monóvar, Alicante, initially studied law at the University of Valencia but transitioned to journalism. He lived in Paris during the Civil War and died in Madrid. Azorín’s works broke with the 19th-century conception of the novel, emphasizing stopped motion and time. His narrative style involved a thorough analysis of perception, highlighting factors that freeze time and capture the feeling of the moment. His early works reflect
Read MoreRamón del Valle-Inclán and Federico García Lorca: Spanish Theater
Ramón del Valle-Inclán and Federico García Lorca: Titans of the Spanish Stage
Ramón del Valle-Inclán’s Revolutionary Theater
Ramón del Valle-Inclán’s work represents one of the peaks of European Theater in the 20th century. His originality in dramatic statements and innovative use of language are remarkable. His plays take us from decadent and anti-realist beginnings to the discovery of absurdity, achieving a formal and thematic renewal.
*Stage Transition:*
The transition between these two aesthetics
Read MoreGarcilaso, Mysticism, Lazarillo, Cervantes: Spanish Literature
Garcilaso: Issues and Developments
The primary themes in Garcilaso de la Vega’s work are love, melancholy, and sadness. His poetry often connects with nature, presenting the locus amoenus (pleasant place) as a reflection of the poetic speaker’s inner world, a refuge for their pain. Other poems address themes of friendship, fate, fortune, and the need to master one’s passions. His early poems show a Petrarchan influence, incorporating elements of *cancionero* poetry while developing his unique lyrical
Read More