Modernist Catalan Literature: A Survey of Poetry, Theatre, and Narrative
Modernist Catalan Literature:
A survey of its major genres and authors.
Poetry, Theatre, and Narrative
Modernist Catalan literature flourished through three major genres: poetry, theatre, and narrative. These genres explored themes of regeneration, societal critique, and individual identity.
Theatre
Modernist theatre in Catalonia encompassed several movements, each with its unique characteristics and aims.
Regeneracionisme
Regeneracionisme plays, such as Enchanted Waters and The Woman in Love, emphasized
Read MoreBaroque Poetry: Characteristics, Themes, and Main Authors
Baroque Poetry
1. The Ideology of the Baroque
The Baroque is considered the artistic expression of a worldview influenced by a socio-historical context of conflict.
1.1 Sense of Crisis, Contradiction, and Time
Events leading up to the Baroque period fostered a pessimistic outlook and a sense of disappointment. Uncertainty grew due to the veil of appearances and constant change, causing mistrust and intrigue in the rare and exotic. Reality was perceived as a clash of opposites, both individually and
Read More16th-Century Renaissance Thought & Culture: Humanism, Poetry, and Mysticism
16th-Century Renaissance Thought & Culture
Humanism
The Renaissance, spanning from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, saw a revival of classical studies and a veneration of Greco-Latin authors. Humanism, a cultural movement originating in Italy, placed man at the center of the universe and focused on the study of humanities. This movement reached its peak in the first third of the 16th century. Influential Italian humanists arrived in Spain, and the universities of Salamanca and Alcalá de
Read MoreCatalan Literature of the Modern Age
The Modern Age (fifteenth century):
General Characteristics:
- The political arena: powerful monarchies and authoritarian states were implanted.
- Science: the experimental method was applied, producing progress in all fields of scientific research and leading to technical advances.
- Thought: reason prevailed, fostering a critical anthropocentric vision of the universe and new social and political values.
- Spirituality: increasing skepticism led to religious conflict between Protestants and Catholic reformers.
Medieval Spanish Lyric Poetry: Origins and Evolution
1. Medieval Lyric Poetry in Spain
The first manifestations of lyric poetry in the Iberian Peninsula reflect the confluence of languages and cultures that characterized the Hispanic Middle Ages. Thematic and formal similarities are evident in both the cultured lyric (Catalan, Galician-Portuguese, Arabic, and Hebrew poetry) and the popular lyric (jarchas, ballads of friend, and carols).
1.1. Cultured Lyric Poetry
This category includes the sirventes in Catalan and Provençal, the Arabic and Hebrew muwassaha,
Read MoreThe Troubadours: History, Poetry, and Courtly Love
The Troubadours
History and Origins
Troubadours were lyric poets who flourished in Occitania (southern France) during the 12th and 13th centuries. Their influence extended to Catalonia, where poets adapted the Occitan language and troubadour traditions. The first exhibition of poetry in a Romance language, Occitan, emerged in the 12th century. Catalan troubadours initially composed in Occitan, a practice that continued until the 15th century with poets like Ausias March, marking the end of the troubadour
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