Spanish Renaissance Poetry: Themes, Forms & Major Poets

16th Century Spanish Poetry: Renaissance Influence

In the sixteenth century, considerable diversity and poetic harmony existed between traditional folk poetry and the new Renaissance poetry. Starting in the 1520s, poetry from Renaissance Italy was introduced by Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán.

Key Renaissance Themes

The sources for Renaissance poets were often Latin poetry, exploring various topics and subjects:

  • Collige, virgo, rosas: Urges the young to enjoy their youth and love before time destroys
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Key Movements in 20th Century Latin American Novels

Realism in Latin American Novels

This movement focused on the life difficulties within Hispanic American republics, often with a testimonial purpose. Realist novels frequently addressed the oppression of Indigenous peoples, generating indignation.

Notable authors and works include:

  • Mariano Azuela
  • Rómulo Gallegos: Doña Bárbara
  • Ricardo Güiraldes: Don Segundo Sombra
  • José Eustasio Rivera: La Vorágine (The Vortex)
  • Jorge Icaza: Huasipungo
  • Ciro Alegría: El mundo es ancho y ajeno (The World is Broad and
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Miguel Hernández and Spanish Poetry After 1936

The Generation of ’36 and Miguel Hernández

The period from 1936-1939 saw the development of ideological propaganda literature, often lacking in literary quality. However, Miguel Hernández stands out.

Miguel Hernández (1910-1942)

He bridges the Generation of ’27 and the Generation of ’36. His work typically explores three main themes:

  • The tragic sense of life
  • Love
  • Social commitment

His poetry utilizes both traditional verse forms and free verse. He employs symbols, including erotic (belly, pain), feminine

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Greek Mythology: Zeus, Athena, and the Divine Reigns

The Reign of Divine Chronos: 2nd Generation

Uranus hated his monstrous children and kept them locked in Tartarus. Gaia (Earth) was angry with Uranus and asked the Titans to avenge their father. Only Cronus accepted, receiving a sickle from his mother to castrate Uranus. From the blood of Uranus that fell to Earth, a new generation of monsters, the Gigantes, were born. Cronus then overthrew his father and seized power on Mount Olympus. He married his sister Rhea, with whom he had three children: Hestia,

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Medieval Narrative Verse & Prose: A Literary Journey

Medieval Narrative Verse and Prose

Narrative Verse

Narrative verse, typically composed in rhyming eight-syllable lines, offered a rich channel for storytelling. These verses allowed for complex plots, diverse characters, and interwoven subplots. Drawing inspiration from legends, they fueled the imagination with tales of King Arthur, Merlin, and other fictional characters. The primary aim was entertainment and pleasure, though exemplary values were often incorporated.

The Romance genre featured knights

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Spanish Novels: Post-War to Late 60s – Existentialism & Realism

The Spanish Novel: From Post-War Era to the Late ’60s

Existentialism in the Novel

In 1942, during the post-war period, Camilo Jose Cela published Pascual Duarte’s Family. Its main features include:

  • Its central theme is the uncertainty surrounding the human condition.
  • It features scenes of harshness: its characters solve their problems violently. His characters are oppressed and marginalized.
  • The narrative predominantly uses a first-person narrator.

Cela began his career as a novelist in the mainstream,

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