20th Century Spanish Literature: Avant-Garde & Lorca
20th Century Spanish Literature
Early Avant-Garde
In the early 20th century, a reaction against bourgeois values and traditional aesthetics emerged. Key features of this movement include:
- Formation of literary groups and publications.
- Opposition to previous cultural and artistic traditions.
- Rejection of realism and narrative imitation.
- Rejection of sentimentality in favor of vitalism and playfulness.
- Poetic experimentation: metaphor, imagery, free verse, unique typography, and neologisms.
The movement
Read More27 Generation of Spanish Poets: An Overview
27 Generation: An Overview of Spanish Poets
Pedro Salinas
A key figure in the Generation of ’27, Salinas’ poetic significance lies in his renewal of language, commitment to capturing the essence of things, and vital experiences. A champion of “pure poetry,” his work is marked by authenticity, beauty, and wit. Known for his sensitivity and perfectionism, he is considered a leading love poet of his generation. His work can be divided into three stages: pure poetry influenced by Juan Ramón Jiménez,
Read MoreEarly & Second Renaissance Poetry: Styles, Authors, and Works
The Poetry of the Early Renaissance
- Lyric Educated in Castilian Verse: The best representative was Cristóbal de Castillejo.
- Traditional and Lyrical Ballads
- Italian Poetry: In the sixteenth century, Petrarchism spread rapidly throughout Europe. In 1526, a meeting took place in Granada, Barcelona between the poet Juan Boscán and Andrea Navagero. Navagero encouraged Boscán to introduce Italian themes and forms into Spanish poetry. Boscán sought advice from his friend Garcilaso de la Vega, and both
Story of a Castaway: Ten Days Adrift at Sea
Story of a Castaway
Summary
In 1955, Luis Alejandro Velasco recounted his ordeal to Gabriel García Márquez, then a reporter for The Spectator in Bogotá. Velasco’s story, often misrepresented before, detailed his ten days adrift at sea after the Colombian Navy destroyer Caldas suffered an accident on February 28, 1955. He was eventually found shipwrecked near San Juan de Uraba on March 9. While this book is a novel by Gabriel García Márquez, it’s based on Velasco’s firsthand account, originally
Read MoreSpanish Literature: Renaissance & Baroque Guide
Types of Discourse
Direct Discourse
Reproduces the exact words of the characters.
Indirect Discourse
Reproduces the words of the characters, introducing a “say” and deferred tense.
Discourse of Value
The narrator gives their opinion about an event or a character.
Descriptive Discourse
The narrator explains how something or someone is, giving details.
Referential Discourse
The narrator recounts the facts objectively.
Poetic Discourse
Language is embellished with expressive resources.
Universal Discourse
Consists
Read MoreMedieval Lyric and Narrative Poetry
Theme 1: The Medieval Lyric
Introduction
The lyric is the literary genre predominantly expressing the author’s voice, or more precisely, the lyrical or poetic voice. Lyrical expression is associated with formal models like poems, verses, meter, rhyme, and stanzas, while prose can also be lyrical. Especially since the twentieth century, all these conventions have been challenged. The medieval period spans the fifth century through the fifteenth, but when discussing Spanish literature, we will focus
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