Notable Spanish Literary Figures
Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936)
Born in Bilbao, Miguel de Unamuno studied philosophy and literature in Madrid. He held the Chair of Greek at the University of Salamanca, serving as rector in 1901. He faced exile in France due to conflicts with Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship and later served as a deputy for the Republic. Unamuno died in Salamanca. He is considered one of the most brilliant intellectuals of Spanish culture.
Pío Baroja (1872-1956)
Pío Baroja y Nessi, born in San Sebastián, studied medicine
Read MoreMedieval Lyric Poetry: Tradition & Courtly Love
1. Medieval Poetry
Before the 14th century, lyric poetry was primarily oral, passed down through generations with music, often expressing love from a female perspective. Formal written lyric poetry in Castilian doesn’t emerge until the 15th century. While Castilian lacked a tradition of courtly poetry, other Romance languages like Galician, Catalan, and Provençal did.
2. Traditional/Popular Lyric Poetry
Despite diverse origins, traditional lyric poetry shares common traits:
- Thematic and stylistic
Tradition and Modernity in Miguel Hernández’s Poetry
Miguel Hernández
Tradition and Modernity
Miguel Hernández’s poetic journey began as an apprentice, deeply influenced by classical authors. His evolution can be divided into several stages:
The Apprentice Poet (1910-1931)
Born in Orihuela, Alicante, Hernández’s limited formal education ended in 1924. Working as a cattle herder provided ample time for reflection, shaping his early poems. These oscillated between local themes and idealized styles, reflecting influences from Rubén Darío, Juan Ramón
Read MoreSpanish Theater and Literature of the Early 20th Century
Pre-Theater 1936
The Theater that Trumped
The nature of the show, particularly concerning the theater, faced strong commercial constraints due to the dominance of local private entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs had to consider the tastes of the aristocratic and bourgeois public. According to Francisco Ruiz Ramon’s History of the Theater, two trends emerged:
Bourgeois Comedy
The bourgeois public sought entertainment rather than moral dilemmas in theater. Consequently, authors catered to public taste
Read MoreSpanish Theater and Literature of the Early 20th Century
Pre-Theater 1936
The Theater that Trumped
The nature of the show, particularly concerning the theater, faced strong commercial constraints due to the absolute dominance of local private entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs had to consider the tastes of the aristocratic and bourgeois public. According to Francisco Ruiz Ramon’s History of the Theater, two trends emerged:
Bourgeois Comedy
The bourgeois public sought entertainment rather than moral dilemmas in the theater. Consequently, authors catered to
Read MoreOverview of Literary Genres and Subgenres
Literary Devices
Epiphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences (Anaphora is similar but occurs at the beginning).
Homophony: Two or more words with the same pronunciation but different meanings.
Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate natural sounds.
Paranomasia: Use of words that sound alike but have different meanings in close proximity.
Polysyndeton: Repetition of conjunctions (e.g., and, or, but).
Hyperbaton: Alteration of the normal word order in a sentence.