Catalan Literature and Art Movements
Catalan Literature
Joan Salvat-Papasseit (1894-1924)
Known primarily for his poetry, Joan Salvat-Papasseit also authored articles, manifestos, and other prose works exploring political and social themes. His work is characterized by nonconformity, idealism, and the poignant awareness of his impending death. His poems, influential on both avant-garde and traditional poets, evolved from the experimental style of Poems (1919) to the mature artistry of The Kite (1922), culminating in the passionate critique
Read MoreSpanish Literature: Narrative and Theater Trends 1940-Present
The Narrative from 1940 to the 1970s
The decade of the 1940s focused on individuals of extreme cruelty in what has been called sensationalist realism, a style that emphasizes the more sordid and unpleasant aspects, but avoiding sociohistorical references to avoid collision with the censorship of the time. Carmen Laforet and Miguel Delibes are the main representatives of the narrative of this decade. No need arises at this time for other trends such as the fantastic and humorous novel or traditional
Read MoreMiguel de Unamuno and Pío Baroja: Life, Works, and Philosophy
Miguel de Unamuno: Faith, Reason, and the Intrahistory
Miguel de Unamuno lived with the internal conflict of wanting to believe but being unable to. For Unamuno, reason and faith were intertwined, and he believed that life was impossible without faith. In 1894, he joined the PSOE, but by 1897, he had distanced himself from the party. Unamuno thought one had to act as if one had faith, even without truly believing.
Early Works and the Concept of Intrahistory
In 1895, Unamuno wrote “Around Casticismo,
Read MoreSpanish Golden Age Theater: Lope de Vega’s Influence
17th Century Theater: The New Comedy
- Not respecting the place, 3 units of time, and action
- The book is structured in three acts or days
- Mixed genres
- All works are written in verse
- Polymetry is used
- Language fits each of the characters
- Includes folk dances and songs
Themes and Issues
The plots of the plays used to be complicated, very energetic, and full of intrigue, with fast action.
Variety of issues (mythological, pastoral, foreign, classic)
- Themes of national and popular character drawn from tradition and
Spanish Poets of the Generation of ’27: Diego, Cernuda, Lorca
Gerardo Diego: Thematic and Formal Variety
1st Stage, on Poetry:
- Traditional lyrical influences: Bécquer, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Modernism.
2nd Stage, Absolute Poetry:
- Avant-Garde: elimination of anecdote, new poetic reality.
Luis Cernuda: Life and Poetic Evolution
Born in Seville, Luis Cernuda spent his childhood and youth there. He studied law and, in 1928, moved to Madrid, where he came into contact with the literary world and developed a political consciousness from a leftist position. After the Civil
Read MoreSpanish Golden Age Literature: Theater, Poetry, and Prose
The Dawn of National Comedy in Spain
Medieval dramatic production preserved in Castile is scarce. During the 16th century, major events took place that led to the creation of a rich and varied national theater in the following century. Our medieval drama has two milestones: the oldest dramatic text in Castilian and the work of Manrique in the second half of the 15th century.
Renaissance Theater
In Renaissance theater, different trends are distinguished: religious theater, classical, nationalist (Juan
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