Miguel Hernández: Tradition and Avant-Garde Poetry
Tradition and Avant-Garde in the Poetry of Miguel Hernández
Miguel Hernández’s (MH) interest in literature initially led him to imitate writers belonging to the Golden Age.
MH produced an innovative poetry. His first published poem, “Pastoral,” is clearly influenced by the modernism of Rubén Darío. MH adds feeling, introspection, and complicity. On his first trip to Madrid, he wrote “Perito en Lunas” (“Proficient in Moons”), an homage to Góngora.
Later, he moved toward a Catholic poetry influenced
Read MoreSpanish Baroque and Renaissance Literature: Key Aspects
The Baroque Period in Spain
The Hispanic Monarchy faced a deep crisis, exacerbated by the pacifist policies of Philip III. Spain, exhausted by incessant military campaigns, experienced political instability due to a king who entrusted the government to his favorites. This culminated in the secession of Portugal and Catalonia in 1640. Military defeats in the Thirty Years’ War forced Spain to sign a peace treaty, ending its hegemony in Europe. Spain’s isolation grew, accompanied by a sense of decline
Read MoreUnderstanding Key Concepts in Literature: Genres, Figures, and Values
General Literature Concepts
Likelihood in Fiction
In literature, fiction refers to the relationship we establish with literary reality. The literary world isn’t reality itself, but a representation of it from the imagination of the author. The reader may consider the facts as credible and then establish a likelihood ratio, meaning the situations in the work may be possible or not.
Literature Values
Through reading, pleasure receptors are exposed to different literary values. Literature instructs through
Read More18th Century Literary Movements: From Post-Baroque to Romanticism
18th Century Literary Movements
The 18th century witnessed a fascinating shift in literary styles and philosophies. Here’s a breakdown of the key movements:
Post-Baroque (1680-1725)
Also known as Postbarroquismo, this period maintained the ornate style of Baroque literature. Authors like Góngora, Quevedo, and Calderón continued to influence writing, even as new ideas began to emerge.
Neoclassicism (1726-1780)
Neoclassicism is characterized by a focus on reason, a sensualist perspective, the rise of
Read MoreRomanticism: A Movement of Freedom and Individualism
In the late seventeenth century in Europe, new currents of thought emerged. These principles and values opposed the Enlightenment:
- Reason → Emotion and Feeling
- The Social → The Individual
- Rules → Freedom of Conduct and Creation
Romanticism developed in the nineteenth century, opposing the tenets of Enlightenment rationalists.
Originating in Britain and Germany, it soon spread through Europe via France. It presented a new attitude to life based on the desire for freedom and individualism.
Key Features
Read MoreThe Enduring Influence of Epic Poetry: Restoration & 18th Century
The Epic Tradition in Restoration and 18th-Century Literature
The aim of this essay is to identify and relate the epic elements found in 18th-century literary production and the Restoration. In this period, the literary ideal was an elegant simplicity to express a new, more moderate, clear, and regular form of weight and attitude, as well as the concept of “decorum.” This way of understanding literature is closely related to classical art, where order and clear and established organisation prevailed.
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