Baroque Poetry: Quevedo, Góngora, Themes and Techniques
Quevedo’s Style: Characterized by a focus on the “bottom,” Quevedo’s work is marked by ingenious ideas and sharp language. He employs short phrases, rhythm, and a prose filled with antitheses, paradoxes, and parallels, creating both mobility and difficulty. His style is evident in both prose and verse. Quevedo uses a variety of puns, contributing multiple meanings through words with different but similar sounds (paronomasias). He uses syntactic devices, such as hyperbaton, to upset the logical order
Read MoreCatalan Literature: Renaissance to 20th Century
The Renaissance
The Renaissance encouraged humanism, the current scholarly and philosophical movement of the Renaissance. The Renaissance, in a broad sense, takes on the role of the liberator of mankind. The problem seems to start in the Trastamara dynasty in 1412. There was a loss of linguistic consciousness, although Catalan continued to be the official language until the beginning of the 18th century. In addition, the dynastic unity between Castile and Aragon through the marriage of the Catholic
Read MorePetrarch’s Influence on Renaissance Literature and Spanish Poetry
Petrarch and the Renaissance
Francesco Petrarca: An Italian poet of the 14th century, whose character embodies the ideals of Humanism. His most famous works are the *Songbook*, written in the vernacular language, and *The Triumphs*. *The Triumphs* is an allegorical poem composed of six parts with unequal extensions, written in *tercetos encadenados*. Its themes are love, death, and fame. The *Songbook* influenced Spanish poetry in the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as French and English poetry.
Read MoreEdmund Spenser: Life, Works, and Influence on English Literature
Edmund Spenser: Life and Work
Edmund Spenser is one of the most influential writers in poetry, not only in literature but also in culture and society. Ironically, despite being the most influential poet at court, little is known about his life. In the previous period, authors were very well known, but now people valued the text and its meaning more than the poet. Born in London and educated at Cambridge University, Spenser was considered an intellectual writer. He served as Secretary to the Lord
Read MoreCatalan Romantic Drama in the 19th Century: Key Features and Authors
Catalan Theatre in the 19th Century
In Catalonia, the first Romantic plays were written in Spanish. It was not until the second half of the 19th century that a great Catalan Romantic drama emerged. It was born from the influence of Romanticism during the Renaixença, breaking with neoclassical theatre, which had established very rigid regulations and did not admit any deviation. The Romantic author, who sought freedom, expressed it through the following features:
- Disappearance of the border between
The 16th Century: Renaissance Art, Literature, and Religious Poetry
The 16th Century: A New Era
The 16th century saw the rise of humanism, shifting focus to a more personal relationship with religion. European monarchies, especially Spain, consolidated their power. This era, known as the Renaissance, marked a revival of classical antiquity in culture and art. It was a cultural awakening after the Middle Ages. Italy, particularly Rome and Florence, was the cradle of Renaissance art. The recovery of Greek and Roman art emphasized simplicity, balance, and humanism,
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