Baroque Literature: Characteristics, Styles, and Trends
Baroque Literature
Definition of Baroque
The Baroque period, following the Renaissance, extended and finalized its artistic renewal while also representing a reaction against its ideological and aesthetic principles. It reached its peak in Spanish literature, crowning the Golden Age initiated by the Renaissance. The Baroque period was not just a historical era but a broader societal movement.
Literary Aesthetics and Stylistic Trends
The core themes of Baroque literature include:
- Epic: Drawing upon the
16th Century Spanish Literature and Culture: Renaissance
Society and Culture of the 16th Century
- On the political side, states consolidated their power.
- In the religious sphere, the Reformation and Protestant movements emerged, driven by Martin Luther and John Calvin. The Church attempted to address this with the Counter-Reformation, but its division into Catholics and Protestants was inevitable.
In Spain, the unification of the medieval kingdoms took place during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, a period of splendor marked by the discovery of America.
Read MoreThe History of Jazz: From Congo Square to Avant-Garde
The History of Jazz
Early Influences (Early 1800s – 1920s)
Congo Square
Born in the early 1800s in New Orleans, Congo Square was a place where slaves were made to dance every Sunday. This fusion of African and Caribbean cultures formed the foundation of jazz.
Creole Musicians
Influenced by the Baptist church, Creole musicians were classically trained. Some even had their own slaves. Creole refers to a person of mixed European and African or Caribbean descent.
Minstrel Music
Minstrel shows featured black
Read MoreLiterary Genres: Narrative, Lyric, and Dramatic
Literary Genres
G. Lyric
Basic elements: the subjectivity of the issuer, the expressive function characteristic of the genre, the poetic function of literary creation, and the use of verse.
Essential manifestations:
- Oda: Lyric tone and variety of meters, high subjects.
- Anthem: Solemn tone poem focused on the praise of a person or event.
- Song: Poem expressing different emotions.
- Idyll: Poem showing feelings of pastors.
- Epistle: Poem offering confidence, in letter form, on doctrinal issues.
- Elegy: Poem reflecting
Spanish Baroque Theatre: Society, Culture, and Playwrights
Society and Culture in the Baroque Theatre
The decline of the Spanish Empire during the Baroque period (loss of European possessions, war debts, and weakened monarchs) had significant economic, political, and social consequences. Social clashes arose between the bourgeoisie and nobility, leading to an alliance between the royalty and nobility. This weakened the bourgeoisie and the absolute monarchy. The court became a means to distract the people with an illusion of wealth and power through extravagant
Read More20th Century Spanish Theater: From Triumph to Renewal
General Situation of Spanish Theater in the First Third of the 20th Century
From the late 19th century until 1936, Spanish theater was closely linked to renewed models and experimental theater. As a result, we cannot conceive of a history of European drama in the first half of the 20th century in which the work of Valle-Inclán and García Lorca do not occupy a prominent place. This explains the theater scene in the first third of the century, whose different trends can be divided into: