Literary Terms: Epic Poems, Sonnets, and More
Epic: Poems of adventures, narrative, containing a lot of passion and many events. Originally a spoken poem, it was later written down. Early Literacy adopted the Epic Poem’s form. Epic poems were normally sung by scops, who were professional poem singers, often accompanying the poem with music, typically a harp.
Sonnet: A lyric or poetic form. Lyric opposes epic as it has a brief form and emotional content. This contrast can be seen in “Beowulf.” Lyric is more intimate, domestic, focused on
Read MoreRomanticism in Literature: Spain in the 19th Century
Romanticism in Literature
Romanticism was a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in Germany and England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It represented a unique perspective and laid the foundations of the ideology of the bourgeois liberal state. From a historical perspective, its arrival in Spain was delayed compared to the rest of European countries. It constituted a revolution on a cultural and social level, reflected in events such as the rise of the bourgeoisie and the increase
Read MoreBaudelaire’s Correspondences: Unveiling the Poet’s Aesthetic Creed
Correspondences: Baudelaire’s Aesthetic Creed
Critics agree that “Correspondences” embodies the poet’s aesthetic credo, outlining his artistic principles. This manifesto sets forth the fundamental tenets of symbolism, influencing later French poetry. The sonnet is a pivotal moment in poetry history.
Nature is a “temple” where living pillars murmur sometimes indistinct words; Man approaches it through forests of symbols, which observe him with familiar glances. This concept suggests that nature is
Read MoreJorge Manrique’s ‘Coplas’: Structure, Themes, and Medieval Context
Structure and Themes in Manrique’s ‘Coplas’
Verses I-XII: Abstract Reflections on Death
In this first section, the poem considers death in the abstract. It offers a general and philosophical reflection, noting the speed with which death arrives, always hidden and unexpected, and its equalizing power, as it reaches everyone.
Coplas XIV-XXIV: Death and Historical Figures
This series of stanzas discusses death with specific examples of historical personages of the time. The focus shifts to the death and
Read MoreThe Battle of Maldon: History and Analysis
The Battle of Maldon
The Battle of Maldon recounts the victory of the Danes, possibly under the famous Olaf Tryggvason (956–1000), an illustrious leader of the Vikings and later king of Norway. The events of the poem took place in 991, and the author of the poem apparently did not know the identity of the enemy leader. Moreover, it is thought that the leader of the East Saxon levy was Byrhtnoth, the veteran Ealdorman of Essex, and that the Viking host had sailed up from Ipswich and beached their
Read MoreNeoclassicism in English Literature
Neoclassicism in English Literature (1660-1798)
In England, Neoclassicism flourished roughly between 1660, when the Stuarts returned to the throne, and 1798, the year of the publication of Wordsworth’s Lyrical Ballads. This collection of poems, along with its theoretical preface, is considered to herald the beginning of the Romantic Age. Regarding English literature, the Neoclassical Age is typically divided into three periods:
- The Restoration Age (1660-1700)
- The Augustan Age (1700-1750)
- The Age of