Cicero’s Rhetoric and Oratory: Power of Eloquence in Ancient Rome
Cicero’s Rhetoric and Oratory
The gift of eloquence was crucial for success in the Roman world. It could open doors and determine victory in the Senate, at the Forum, in the courts, and even on the battlefield. The Romans strongly supported rhetoric studies, recognizing the power and value of public speaking.
The exercise of public speaking was linked to freedom of expression; the greater the civil liberties, the greater the opportunities for the genre. The oratorical flourish and anger prevalent
Read MoreSpanish Literature: 1927 to Late 20th Century
Generation of ’27
The Generation of ’27 was characterized by taking on the “isms” of prior art, incorporating issues of modern times, integrating different art forms, and shocking the public. These “isms” included:
- Cubism
- Futurism
- Dadaism
- Expressionism
- Surrealism
These movements involved a long revolution, changing human life and exploring the subconscious to release repressed impulses.
Creationism and Ultraism
Avant-garde movements.
Influence of Surrealism: By 1930, Surrealist influence began. Lorca, Alberti,
Read MoreRomantic Lyricism: Features, Modernism, and Pérez Bonalde
What Constitutes Romantic Lyric Poetry?
The romantic lyric appeared earlier in England, France, and Germany than in Spain, countries that reached a great development. The romantic lyric is a reflection of the literature of the time, in the sense that the issues it touches are the call for freedom, subjectivity, the exaltation of self, and the yearning for realization of the individual in bourgeois society (as it takes the utmost contempt of the rules, money, and life and be more generous).
Romantic
Read MoreJacint Verdaguer: Life, Works, and Legacy of a Catalan Poet
Jacint Verdaguer: A Literary Icon of Catalonia
Jacint Verdaguer is celebrated as the most famous poet of the Catalan language in the nineteenth century. Born on May 17, 1845, he entered the seminary to study for ten years. In 1865, he received two awards at the Floral Games. He was ordained a priest in 1870.
Soon after, he suffered an illness that caused severe headaches. He was advised to embark on a journey to the West Indies to recover his health and experience the setting of the epic he was working
Read More17th Century Lyric Poetry: Baroque Themes and Styles
The Lyric of the Seventeenth Century
The Baroque poets reflect the contradiction between the classical and idealized Renaissance, and a new, pessimistic, and disillusioned reality.
Topics
- Love is still the preferred theme of poetic compositions but is coupled with a reflection on the transience of earthly life, death, and the rapid passage of time.
The passage of time is reflected mainly in the short life of some mythical flowers like the rose or lily, and ancient ruins that recall a bygone splendor.
Read MoreQuevedo and Lope de Vega: Baroque Poetry
Francisco de Quevedo
Francisco de Quevedo belongs to a generation after Góngora and Lope de Vega. He was a man concerned about the affairs of his time, delicate and cruel at the same time. He represents the world of contrasts of the time. His complex social status and physical appearance provided him with a bitter view, expressed through anguish and tears or ridicule.
Subjects
Quevedo’s poetry presents a wide range of themes. He wrote metaphysical, moral, religious, and satirical poems.
Style
Quevedo
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