Spanish Poetry: From the Silver Age to the Post-War Era
Spanish Poetry: A Historical Overview
The Silver Age (1898-1936)
The period between 1898 and 1936 is considered the Silver Age of Spanish literature. This era encompasses three significant generations of writers: the Generation of fin de siglo, the Generation of 14, and the Generation of 27.
1. The Generation of fin de siglo
This generation saw the development of two main aesthetic directions:
- Modernism: A reaction against realism, Modernism sought to create an imaginary world characterized by beauty,
Catalan Literature: A Journey Through History
1. Catalan Literary Crisis: Underlying Causes
Remoteness of the Court
Moving the court to Castile replaced Catalan with Spanish.
Radiance of Castilian Literature
The 17th century, the Spanish Golden Age, attracted Catalan writers.
Weakening of Catalan’s Official Status
Emerging Catalan dialects and the Nueva Planta Decree led to its suppression.
Historical Events
Wars like the War of the Brothers, the Reapers’ War, and the War of the Spanish Succession resulted in the loss of self-government.
Emergence of
Read MoreCatalan Literature: A Journey Through History
1. Medieval Literature
The Middle Ages (476-1453)
- Emergence of the Western Roman Empire to the fall of Constantinople
Characteristics:
- Economic organization based on feudalism, three social groups (knights, clergy, and peasants)
- Christianity and the Church played a central role in medieval culture
- Romance languages were formed and developed
Poetry of the Troubadours
Poetry created by troubadours, accompanied by music and written in Occitan. Authors include Wilhelm Bergueda and Ramon Vidal de Basalú. Courtly
Read MoreGeneration of ’98: Literary Modernism in Spain
Formal Renewal: Style
A generational language characterized by simplicity and sobriety, emphasizing accuracy and expressiveness over prosaic realism. The value of castizo is manifested in the use of archaic words, known as terruñeras (traditional). The authors used a lexicon to express subjective assessments and inner feelings, because the landscape is not what the eyes see, but what the heart feels (landscapes of the soul).
Authors and Works
The Generation of ’98 favored lyrical modernism, utilizing
Read MoreBaroque Mentality and Golden Age Spanish Literature
Baroque Mentality and Society
Essential Features
The Baroque mentality’s essential feature was a distrust in itself and a fear of social downfall. Key issues included disillusionment, the perception of life as a dream, and obsession. Society, however, loved holidays (especially theater) and luxury. Honor was another significant topic.
It was a period of conservatism and caution in freedom of expression, a consequence of the counter-spirit. A feature of Baroque art was artifice—the concealment
Read MoreSpanish Golden Age Literature: A Comprehensive Overview
Spanish Golden Age Literature
Historical Background
The Spanish Golden Age (circa 1500-1700) witnessed a flourishing of arts and literature, coinciding with the rise of the Spanish Empire. However, this period also saw economic decline due to mismanagement of wealth from the New World, poor governance, expulsion of Jews and Moors, and continuous wars. These factors led to emigration and depopulation.
Literature of this time reflected a didactic and moralistic approach, emphasizing the fleeting nature
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