Culteranismo and Conceptismo: Baroque Poetry in Spain
Trends in Baroque Poetry
Cultured Baroque poetry continued the legacy of Renaissance meters and maintained its achievements. Among these, the hendecasyllable verse, suitable for lyrical expression, and the sonnet and song, as more strophic poems, are to be highlighted. Poets formed two very distinct groups:
- Those who broke the classical balance between content and expression, i.e., culteranos and conceptistas, and, like Lope de Vega, harmonized both trends.
- Those who maintained the aesthetic ideal
Spanish Medieval Literature: Key Authors and Forms
Mester de Minstrelsy and Mester de Clergy
The Mester de Minstrelsy was a literary movement in which minstrels recited epic poetry from memory and oral transmission. This was the main genre of epic poems, intended to enlarge the figure of a hero.
The Mester de Clergy was a poetic school of clergy, characterized by educated, written transmission of religious and moralizing themes. It often used the frame narrative, the Bible, and writings of educated Latin authors.
Cuaderna Vía
Cuaderna Vía is an Alexandrian
Read MoreAncient Greek Sculpture: Evolution and Masterpieces
Greek Sculpture
Greek art seeks knowledge of man and, because of this, makes a rational study of the human body and idealized representations. Greek sculpture, in contrast to the Egyptian law which was based on strict and inflexible rules, evolved over time toward naturalism through three periods or stages:
Archaic Stage (7th-6th Centuries BC)
Its most important features are:
- Represents human figures (naked men and dressed women because the ideal of female beauty at the moment lies in decent attire)
Spanish Narrative: Generation of ’98 and Noucentisme
The Generation of ’98 and Noucentisme in Spanish Narrative
The Generation of ’98
The narrative of the Generation of ’98 emerged during an era dominated by a sense of crisis and cultural decadence. There was a rejection of positivist realism and rationalism. In 1902, four significant works were published in Spain:
- The Will by Azorín
- Love and Pedagogy by Unamuno
- Way of Perfection by Baroja
- Autumn Sonata by Valle-Inclán
These works initiated an innovative path in the novel, culminating in the following
Read MoreCervantes’ Don Quixote: Themes, Characters, and Structure
Don Quixote: A Literary Analysis
Don Quixote is a seminal work of Spanish literature. Part 1 appeared in 1605 under the title “The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha” and consists of a prologue, poems burlesque, and 52 chapters in four parts. Part 2 was published in 1615 under the name “The Ingenious Knight Don Quixote,” consisting of a prologue and 74 chapters. A year before, in 1614, the Second Volume of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote de la Mancha appeared, signed by Alonso Fernandez
Read MoreGarcilaso de la Vega: Spanish Renaissance Poet
Garcilaso de la Vega
Work
Garcilaso is one of the greatest Spanish poets, known for formal perfection and significant influence across centuries. However, his poetry remained unpublished during his lifetime. His works were first published in 1543 in Barcelona by the widow of Juan Boscán, who edited the poetry of the two friends in a volume titled *Las obras de Boscán y algunas de Garcilaso de la Vega*.
The Toledo-born author cultivated two types of poetry of the time: traditional Castilian poetry
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