Renaissance Lyric Poetry: Themes, Styles, and Schools
Lyric poetry in the first Renaissance: In the early 16th century, Spain entered the Italian sphere through lyric poetry. Spanish poets lived in the Neapolitan court. The drivers of this trend were Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán. Renaissance poets sought the expression of beauty. The most common themes are:
Love
Its conception is purely platonic. Through love for a woman who is idealized, the person is ennobled. The poet analyzes and transmits the mood experienced during infatuation. Sometimes
Read MoreThe Four Great Catalan Chronicles: History and Feats
The Four Great Catalan Chronicles
Book of the Facts of James I
The narrative of the reign of James I. The king died in 1276, and the text was likely finished shortly thereafter. The chronicle is written in the form of an autobiography and gives special importance to the conquest of the Kingdom of Majorca. It was written so that “men would know what we did after this mortal life, what we should have done.” The king presents himself as a heroic and providential figure. This work of justification of
Read MoreSymbolism in Modern Poetry: Baudelaire, Rimbaud, and Mallarmé
Symbolism in Modern Poetry
This explores the human condition. The poem itself is an enigma, and the poet works with the suggestive power of words. The clan of synesthesia and music will emerge. The poet is in the Gouffre (gap) and captures the mixture of angelic and diabolical elements.
Symbolism and Modern Poetry: Key Authors
Generally speaking, symbolist poetry is post-Romantic poetry permanently marked by the names of Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Mallarmé, and Verlaine.
Anna Balakian traces the origin of
Read MoreAnglo-Saxon Poetry: Characteristics and Composition
Old English Literature: General Remarks
Some 30,000 lines of Old English (OE) poetry have come down to us from Anglo-Saxon times. Their alliterative form appears, with minor modification, in the oldest poetic remains of other early Germanic languages, such as Old Icelandic.
Certain features of its diction, even verse formulas and themes, are similarly shared and betray a common Germanic inheritance.
In England itself, the earliest poetry of the Anglo-Saxon settlers was necessarily composed orally,
Read MoreQuiz: Test Your Knowledge of Classic Literature
Classic Literature Quiz
Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator”
What is the primary theme of Charlie Chaplin’s final speech in The Great Dictator?
- a) War and conquest
- b) Freedom and humanity
- c) Scientific advancements
- d) The power of dictatorship
Answer: b) Freedom and humanity
In his speech, Chaplin warns against the dangers of:
- a) Democracy
- b) Dictatorship and oppression
- c) Industrialization
- d) Religious beliefs
Answer: b) Dictatorship and oppression
What literary device is used in the line, “More than machinery,
Medieval Literature: Society, Culture, and Key Themes
Introduction to Medieval Literature
In 476 AD, the Western Roman Empire fell to various groups often referred to as barbarians, who occupied its provinces (e.g., France by the Franks, Italy by the Ostrogoths, England by the Angles and Saxons). The period from the late 5th to the 15th or 16th century is known as the Middle Ages. This era generally concluded with the discovery of America (1492) in most European countries, although cultural shifts began earlier in places like Italy, around the 13th
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