Spanish Golden Age & Enlightenment Literature Highlights

Lope de Vega (1562-1635)

Founder of the ‘new comedy’, his works reflect this successful theatrical formula. His main characteristic is agility in action. Born in Madrid, he had a very intense life, with many love passions and great religious devotion. His works gave theatre great popularity.

Drama Types:

  • Dramas of Unjust Power: Depict abuses by a nobleman in a rural area. In the end, the king dispenses justice, not favouring the villain. E.g., Fuenteovejuna.
  • Swashbuckling Comedy (Comedia de Capa y Espada)
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Postmodernism in Spanish Literature & The Latin American Boom

Postmodernism in Literature

Characteristics of Postmodernism

The postmodern aesthetic often rejects overarching ideologies, mixing distinct disciplines such as literature, movies, and music culture. It defends popular styles and involves the fusion of genres (e.g., incorporating elements from comics) and concise references. Relativism, favoring individual thinking, irony, and humor, are common features.

Postmodern Spanish Literature (Since 1975)

Postmodern Spanish Poetry

Key characteristics include:

  • Focus
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Miguel de Cervantes: Life, Works, and Literary Contributions

Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)

Born in Alcalá de Henares, Miguel de Cervantes studied in Seville. In 1569, he traveled to Italy and participated in military campaigns. At the Battle of Lepanto, he was wounded in his left hand. In 1575, he headed back to Spain and was captured by Barbary pirates. After five years of captivity in Algiers, he was rescued and was able to return. Installed in Madrid, he began his life as a writer. It is known that he swept Andalusia, where he served as commissioner

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Spanish Literature: Modernism, Generation of ’98 & Silver Age

Tema 8

Bilingualism is when one person dominates two or more languages equally.

Diglossia: when one person dominates two or more different languages, but understands one more than another.

Slang language variants are motivated by the context or situation. It is a special language of a distinct social group used by its speakers only within that group.

Stylistic varieties or registers are language variations based on the communicative situation in which they are used.

Factors defined in registration:

  • Generality
  • Degree
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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,

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Galician 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,

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