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Josep Carner i Puig-Oriol (1884-1970)

Early Life and Career

Josep Carner i Puig-Oriol, born in Barcelona on February 9, 1884, was a prominent Catalan poet, journalist, playwright, and translator. He became a leading figure of the Noucentisme movement. In 1897, he entered the University of Barcelona, where he discovered Catalan literature and graduated in Law and Philosophy. Carner worked for several publications, including Montserrat and Atlantis, and led Catalunya (1903-1905), Emporis (1907-1908), and Catalonia (1913-1914). In 1911, he was appointed a member of the Philological Section of the Institute of Catalan Studies, contributing to the enrichment of the Catalan language.

Journalism and Family

In the early 20th century, Carner joined La Veu

16th-Century Spanish Literature: Key Trends

Two main narrative trends emerged in 16th-century Castilian literature: idealistic and realistic novels. Idealistic narratives, such as sentimental novels and books of chivalry, initially triumphed. However, other forms appeared, including Moorish romances and the picaresque novel, known for its intense realism.

The Idealistic Novel

Several types of idealistic novels gained popularity:

• Novel of Chivalry: Set in the Middle Ages, featuring a knight as the protagonist (an epic hero).
• Pastoral Novel: Love stories between shepherds in a bucolic setting.
• Byzantine Novel: Adventures of a pair of high-born lovers.
• Moorish Novel: Action set in the Muslim world.

Lazarillo de Tormes: A Picaresque Masterpiece

The picaresque... Continue reading "16th-Century Spanish Literature: Trends & Context" »

Petrarchism and its Influence

Petrarch's songs had a huge significance and a decisive influence on later lyrics, both for their subjects and their forms, to the point of constituting an entire style or way of making poetry that is called Petrarchism.

Spanish Poetry in the 15th and 16th Centuries

In the 15th century, there was both learned poetry and folk poetry. A good example of the first is court poetry and songs, which mainly used octosyllables. In the 16th century, both types of poetry continued. Learned poetry was influenced by the popular song.

Features of Italian Poetry in Spanish Literature

• Complete and thorough metric renovation in Spanish poetry.
• Major innovation: the hendecasyllable.
• Idealization of the beloved and intense expression of

The House of Bernarda Alba: Poetic Symbolism and Social Commentary

Symbolic Level

This book demonstrates the author's ability to combine traditional and avant-garde aesthetics through a very personal take on theater. The House of Bernarda Alba is full of symbolic elements:

• Proper names have symbolic meaning. For example, "Magdalena" suggests a tendency to mourn and suffer martyrdom; "Angustias" evokes anguish, hatred, and envy; "Adela" represents a noble character eager for liberty. Several characters have no proper name and are referred to by their social role or personal characteristics, such as "Mendiga" (beggar woman) and "Muchacha" (girl).
• Characters are accompanied by objects that represent their aspirations or function. For instance, Bernarda'

Contemporary Poetry: 1975 to the Present

The 1980s and 1990s

Since the early 1980s, the prevailing aesthetics of the 1970s continued. The work of promoting poets from the 1960s continued, experiencing a stage of artistic fulfillment in book publishing. Different trends developed, among them, realistic poetry. The 1980s saw a recovery of the importance of poetic commitment and humor. Irrelevant matters of everyday life, contemporary, and urban realities appeared. The poetry of experience was the mainstream trend until the mid-1990s. There is great diversity of traits among the poets included in this trend, but we may cite the following general characteristics:

• Emphasis on the fictitious nature of the poem and the individual's experiences and visions

Miguel Hernández (1910-1942)

Four stages are established in his poetry:

• a) A stage characterized by Baroque-tone poetry.
• b) In 1936, he published "El rayo que no cesa" ("The Unending Lightning").
• c) During the war, a battle poetry that seeks to serve the Republican cause and published "Viento del pueblo" ("Wind of the People"). These are poems that mourn the death of Lorca. Miguel Hernández: "Man is a hunter."
• d) Naked and deep poetry.

1940s: Poetry and Literary Magazines

Poetry developed around three magazines: "Escorial," "Garcilaso," and "Espadaña."

• "Escorial": Poets of the Generation of '36 met, opting for intimate poetry with traditional lyrical themes: love, death, land, and landscape.
• "Garcilaso": Officially supported the Franco regime, consolidating

The Religious Lyric: Fray Luis, San Juan, and Santa Teresa

Two Schools of Thought

School of Salamanca: Focused on religious, moral, and philosophical issues, with a clear and simple style. Content is prioritized over form. Fray Luis de Leon is its primary representative.

Seville School: Characterized by a rhetorical style full of literary devices. Form is prioritized over content. The chief representative is Fernando de Herrera, who was in love with Leonor de Milan (platonic). Juan de Mal Lara influenced Fernando de Herrera.

Fray Luis de Leon

Fray Luis de Leon was closely linked to Salamanca, where he taught at the University. In his poems, he learned to synthesize the essence of the Christian Renaissance. His poetry is not extensive. The central... Continue reading "Religious Lyric Poetry: Fray Luis, San Juan, Santa Teresa" »

Lyric Genre

The lyric genre is characterized by the subjective attitude of the issuer; it expresses personal feelings. It may occur in verse or prose, although its most frequent manifestation is in poetry (verse).

• Satire: A lyrical composition, in verse or prose, that censors individual or collective vices.
• Eclogue: A poetic composition of love feelings and exaltation of nature, placed in the mouths of shepherds.
• Elegy: A poetic composition expressing feelings of grief at individual or collective misfortune.
• Sonnet: A composition consisting of two quartets and two triplets with rhyme and verse, generically heroic verse.
• Song: Expresses emotions, usually of the lovely type.
• Lyrical Romance: A poem composed of an indefinite number of eight-syllable

Juan Ramon Jimenez: A Journey Through Poetic Evolution

"Pure poetry rejects the narrative, personal, and circumstantial, and finds the essence of reality through the idea of the naked word." - Juan Ramon Jimenez (VRBS pks)

Jimenez utilizes a simple syntax with short, often truncated, exclamatory, and interrogative sentences.

Sensitive Stage 1 (Until 1916)

This stage includes the writing of his most important books, such as Jardines Lejanos (1904), Elegias (1908), and Baladas de Primavera (1910). Also included in this stage is Platero y yo (1914), and Estio (1915). During this period, Jimenez embraces Modernist sounds, as seen in Sonetos Espirituales (1915). Typical themes of Modernism, such as beauty and love, are treated personally. The tone is... Continue reading "Juan Ramon Jimenez & Ramon Gomez de la Serna: Spanish Literature" »

Mester de Clerecía

Traditionally, medieval poetry of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was divided into two blocks:

• Mester de Clerecía: Works by educated poets, cultivated sources, regular verse, and a university poetic school.
• Mester de Juglaría: Works by popular authors, intuitive inspiration, irregular verse, and anonymous authors.

The cuaderna vía was used to express during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Its features are:

• Unoriginal themes, religious or mythical, but sometimes with a lyrical purpose.
• Moral and didactic purpose.
• Metric: Cuaderna vía is used (four Alexandrine verses in consonant rhyme: 14A, 14A, 14A, 14A).
• Oral transmission or reading aloud.
• Cultivated and careful language.

Authors

• 13th Century: Gonzalo de Berceo,