Spanish Renaissance: Literature, Art, and Society
The Spanish Renaissance (14th-16th Centuries)
Social and Economic Changes
The 16th century in Spain was a time of economic prosperity fueled by gold and silver from the Americas. This newfound wealth propelled Spain to become a global power, leading to numerous conflicts and wars. The reign of Charles I (later crowned Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) was marked by internal and external struggles, including the Revolt of the Comuneros and wars with France and the Ottoman Empire. Despite economic growth
Read MoreRomanticism: A Literary and Artistic Movement
Romanticism in Europe
Historical Context
With the rise of the bourgeoisie and Napoleon’s expansionist policies, the ideals of the French Revolution (liberty, equality, fraternity) spread throughout Europe. However, this expansion triggered a reaction from traditional monarchies and values (religion, throne, home), leading to an upsurge in nationalist sentiments as countries reaffirmed their historical identities against the perceived invader.
It is within this environment that Romanticism emerged in
Read MoreRomantic Lyricism of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: An Analysis
ITEM 2: Romantic Lyricism of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Historical Context of Romanticism
Napoleon’s expansionist policies in Europe spread the ideals of the French Revolution (liberty, equality, fraternity). However, this expansion led to a reaction from traditional monarchies and values (religion, throne, home) and the exaltation of nationalist sentiments reaffirming historic identities against the invader. This environment in Europe during the first half of the nineteenth century gave rise to Romanticism.
Read MoreSpanish Romanticism: Society, Culture, and Literature (1800-1850)
The Nineteenth Century (1800-1850)
Society & Culture
The transition from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century coincided with the French Revolution, whose final outcome did not appease the prevailing European sentiments.
Ferdinand VII’s absolutist policies hindered Spain’s cultural and economic development, despite the opening of the Museo del Prado and the rise of the bourgeoisie.
Romanticism
Romantic ideals originated in Germany during the last quarter of the eighteenth century.
Goethe’s work
Read MoreSurrealism: A Journey into the Unconscious
Origins
Emerging between 1920 and 1930, Surrealism officially appeared in 1924 with André Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism. Initially a literary and philosophical movement, it soon incorporated painters. Growing out of Dadaism, Surrealism reflected a nihilistic protest against Western culture, emphasizing the creator’s unconscious in a more structured and serious way. It sought to express the unconscious world of dreams and hidden thoughts.
Inspired by dreams and fantasies, Surrealists were influenced
Read MoreAnalysis of Rhymes of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Analysis of Bécquer’s Rhymes
Themes of Love
Group 1: Rhymes I-XI (Observations on Poetry)
These poems revolve around poetry itself, reflecting Bécquer’s preoccupation with the art form. This reveals his struggle to articulate his feelings. Poetry is presented as a quality of mind, an internal impulse seeking expression. It’s often linked to nature, mystery, or the feeling of love embodied in a woman. Although intangible, poetry finds expression through the ‘living, breathing’ woman, becoming the
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