Spanish Romantic and Realistic Literature: Key Authors
Romantic Lyric: Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Sevillano, orphaned at a young age, Bécquer lived with his godmother. He moved to Madrid and contributed to periodicals and magazines. His wife inspired some of his verses, but another woman also influenced him. He died at the young age of 34.
His poetic style calls for compositions of rhymes. His tone is intimate, and his style is simple. His entire work is compiled in The Book of Sparrows, which is organized in a specific order:
- Rhymes 1-11: The mystery of poetry, inspiration, and lyrical genius.
- Rhymes 12-29: Promising and joyful love.
- Rhymes 30-51: Loving and the failure of love.
- Rhymes 52 onward: Disappointment and the sense of loneliness and emptiness in time and without love.
Works in Prose
Bécquer’s prose work is made up of two parts:
From My Cell
A set of letters written from Veruela Monastery, capturing impressions of life, art, and the landscape.
Legends
Legendary and exotic short stories, usually set in the Middle Ages, treating themes of love, death, terror, and reality. Some are supernatural, such as The Mount of Souls and Maese Pérez the Organist.
Rosalía de Castro: Galician Poet
Married to Manuel Murguía, Rosalía de Castro was of a sickly nature and suffered from sadness and the death of a son. Her two key works in Galician are:
Galician Songs
Where her style reflects popular Galician songs, describing customs, people, love, and a report on how to be Galician instead of Castilian.
New Leaves
Subjective poems expressing injustices faced by Galicians. Her work in Castilian, On the Banks of the Sar, reflects her experiences, using simple language and varied perspectives.
Realistic Writing: Benito Pérez Galdós
Galdós’s National Episodes capture the historical context of 19th-century Spain, from the War of Independence to the era of Cánovas del Castillo.
Key Works
Primroses
A thesis novel reflecting a conflict between traditional and modern ideas, exemplified by characters and their stances.
Dña Perfecta
Reflects the political and religious problems of a provincial town, a theme repeated in Roch.
Marianela
Idealistic, stressing the goodness of character.
Other Notable Novels
Galdós wrote more than 20 novels, among the most important are The Disinherited, Fortunata y Jacinta, Miau, and Mercy.
Leopoldo Alas Clarín: Asturian Novelist
A law professor and trenchant critic, Clarín’s narrative work is not extensive, but his stories abound with humor and tenderness, featuring both simple and intellectual characters. He wrote short stories such as Pipá and Doña Berta, and two novels.
Key Novels
His Only Son
Published after La Regenta, it addresses the issue of paternity. Bonifacio Reyes narrates a story of betrayal and disillusionment.
La Regenta
A long and complete novel with natural detail, humor, and irony, written with good prose. Chapters 1 to 15 introduce characters and the environment. Chapters 16 to 30, set three years later, develop the facts. Key characters include:
- Ana Ozores, the Regent, frustrated by her mother’s failure to marry her off in Vetusta.
- Fermín de Pas, the Regent of the cathedral, an intelligent and ambitious priest.
- Víctor Quintana, Hannah’s husband, much older than her, indulging her hobbies.
- Álvaro Mesía, Ana’s lover, mediocre, engaged in frivolous political and social life.