Epic Poetry: Archaic, Classical, and Roman National Epic
Epic Poetry: A Narrative in Verse
Epic poetry is a narrative in verse where the poet sings of the exploits of a hero. The earliest appearances of this genre were unwritten and expressed in festivals, military victories, banquets, and funerals.
The Archaic Epic
The first epic was Odussia by Livius Andronicus, a translation of Homer’s Odyssey. The metric is typical Latin, using Saturnian verse, of which about 50 verses are preserved.
Nevio is considered the first original epic poet. His poem, Bellum Punicum,
Read MoreGalician Literature in Exile: Franco Era Authors & Works
Galician Literature in Exile
Historical and Political Context
After the Spanish Civil War began a long historical period characterized by the absence of freedom and citizenship rights, whether political, cultural, or religious. Until the 1960s, Spain suffered isolation and economic sanctions imposed by the victorious powers of World War II. This caused an agonizing internal economic situation that encouraged emigration, mainly to Latin American countries. Galicia lived through the years of hunger,
Read MoreThe Poetry of Exile: Voices of Loss and Resilience
The Poetry of Exile
The list of poets who went into exile is long. It’s important to distinguish:
- The case of Antonio Machado, who died just days after leaving Spain.
- Poets of the “Generation of 14” (postmodernist, Novecento) like León Felipe and Juan Ramón Jiménez.
- Poets of the “Group of 27”. Lorca had died, but of the others, all but three were exiled. Along with all of them are poets who just began their work before the war or whose work consists entirely of exile experiences. Let us refer to
Fray Luis de León, Góngora, and Manrique: Spanish Literature
Fray Luis de León: Salamanca Professor
Fray Luis de León, a professor at the University of Salamanca, was imprisoned for translating the Song of Songs into the vernacular and commenting on the Vulgate.
Works:
Most of his work consists of odes, compositions of varied matter, and short stanzas of indefinite verse.
Metrics:
He mainly used the lira, but also 4, 6, and 7 stanzas of verse.
Topics:
Mixed.
Style:
Forging a new language, learned and reinforced.
Beatus Ille:
The collection of poems by Fray Luis de
Read MoreSpanish Language: Origins, Evolution, and Dialects in Spain
Spanish Phonetic Segments
Consonants by Place of Articulation
- Bilabial: /p/, /b/, /m/
- Labiodental: /f/
- Interdental: /θ/ (represented as ‘z’ or ‘c’ before e, i in some descriptions)
- Dental: /t/, /d/
- Alveolar: /s/, /l/, /ɾ/, /r/, /n/
- Palatal: /tʃ/ (represented as ‘ch’), /ʝ/ (represented as ‘y’ or ‘ll’)
- Velar: /k/, /g/, /x/ (represented as ‘j’ or ‘g’ before e, i)
Consonants by Manner of Articulation
- Occlusive (Plosive): /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/
- Fricative: /f/, /θ/, /s/, /ʝ/, /x/
- Affricate: /tʃ/
- Lateral:
Medieval Troubadour Culture in the Crown of Aragon
Who Were the Troubadours?
The troubadours were often sons of noble families associated with convents (though not professed as monks) who lived in royal courts, composing songs in the vernacular tongue.
Provençal Poetry and the Crown of Aragon
After the conquest of Valencia by James I, the Valencian lands became part of the Crown of Aragon.
Provençal poetry was the most important in Europe from the eleventh to the thirteenth century. Early authors used this language not only for its prestige but also
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