Renaissance Lyric Poetry: A Guide to Spanish Literature
1. The Renaissance
1.1. Political, Social, and Economic Aspects
In 16th-century Spain, political stability and peace (except for minor disturbances) were coupled with an influx of gold and silver from the Americas. Spain’s emergence as a world power led to ongoing conflicts and wars abroad. In the 1520s, Charles I became Holy Roman Emperor. His early reign faced internal conflict with the Revolt of the Comuneros. Due to his imperialist policies, Charles V also fought wars against France, the Turks,
Read MoreGolden Age of Spanish Literature: A Deep Dive into Four Literary Giants
Garcilaso de la Vega (1501-1536)
Overview
Garcilaso de la Vega revolutionized Spanish lyric poetry in 1543 with his Petrarchan-influenced works. His collection, comprising sonnets, eclogues, songs, elegies, an epistle, and traditional poems, set a new standard for Spanish poetry.
Themes and Poetic Evolution
Love, melancholy, and the pain of absence are central themes in Garcilaso’s poetry. Nature, often depicted as a locus amoenus, reflects his inner world and provides solace. Other recurring themes
Read More18th & 19th Century Spanish Literature: From Neoclassicism to Romanticism
18th Century Spanish Literature
Post-Baroque, Neoclassicism, and Pre-Romanticism
18th-century Spanish literature showcased diverse styles. The Post-Baroque, marked by exhausted meaning and form, attempted to emulate Góngora without his creative genius. Neoclassicism, the defining style of the Enlightenment, prioritized reason over emotion. Finally, Pre-Romanticism emerged, emphasizing emotion and foreshadowing the Romantic era.
Lyrical Subgenres
Key lyrical subgenres included:
- Anacreontic and pastoral
Generation of ’98: Literature, Renewal, and Existentialism in Spain
1. The Generation of ’98
The “Generation of ’98,” a term coined by Azorín in 1913, refers to a group of Spanish writers who grappled with the nation’s decline following the Spanish-American War. These writers, including Azorín himself, Pío Baroja, Miguel de Unamuno, Ramiro de Maeztu, Antonio Machado, and Ramón del Valle-Inclán, sought solutions to transform Spain. Their characteristic features include:
- A critical view of Spain
- Natural language in the service of thought
- Renovation of all literary
Spanish Poetry’s Silver Age: A Golden Era of Literature
Spanish Poetry’s Silver Age (1900-1939)
Spanish poetry flourished from the advent of Modernism until the Spanish Civil War. This era, known as the Silver Age, featured prominent figures like Antonio Machado, Juan Ramón Jiménez, and Federico García Lorca.
Historical Context of the Spanish Civil War
The 19th century concluded with the Disaster of ’98, marked by the loss of Cuba and the Philippines. The reign of Alfonso XIII began, during which Spain engaged in a war with Morocco. This, coupled with
Read More20th Century Spanish Theater: From Commercial to Avant-Garde
20th Century Spanish Theater
Introduction
The first half of 20th-century Spanish theater, beyond Valle-Inclán and Lorca, often receives negative critical assessment. Theater, as a unique literary genre, requires actors and an audience for completion. Before the Civil War, two distinct trends emerged:
- Commercial Theater: Catering to a bourgeois audience, this trend offered minimal critical or technical innovation, yet dominated the era’s theaters.
- Innovative Theater: This movement sought to introduce