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Novecentismo and the Generation of '14

The Novecentismo movement, also known as the Generation of '14, sought to revitalize Spanish art and literature. These authors championed "pure art," an aesthetic detached from Romantic sentimentality. This dehumanized approach, with art existing for its own sake, was a key principle. Philosopher José Ortega y Gasset and Catalan writer Eugeni d'Ors were central figures in this movement.

Poetry

Juan Ramón Jiménez, a prominent poet of this era, saw his work evolve through three distinct phases:

• Sensory Phase: Works like Water Lilies showcase the influence of Modernism, blended with Jiménez's unique poetic voice.
• Intellectual Phase: This period features prose poems like Platero and I, exploring themes of

Miguel Hernández: Life, Love, and Death in Poetry

Miguel Hernández, while stylistically aligned with the Generation of '27, is considered part of the post-war generation due to his age and poetic career. He died in 1942. His predominant themes are life, love, and death. His poetic journey can be divided into four stages:

• First Compositions: Rooted in traditional *culteranismo*. Example: Perito en lunas (1933).
• Love Poetry: The most representative work is El rayo que no cesa (1934-1935), which includes the impressive "Elegy to Ramón Sijé."
• Poetry and Social Commitment: Viento del Pueblo (1937).
• Poetry of Recent Years: After the war, Miguel Hernández wrote most of Cancionero y romancero de ausencias (1938-1941) in jail.

Some of Miguel Hernández'... Continue reading "Miguel Hernández and Post-War Spanish Poetry: A Deep Dive" »

Rome: Republic and Empire

Roman Art

Roman art adopted Greek forms, creating a realistic and sober style that prioritized practicality and functionality over pure aesthetics.

Roman Architecture

• Imitated Greek models, emphasizing practicality and functionality in large cities and public buildings.
• Utilized arches and barrel vaults.
• Common materials included brick, marble, and concrete.
• Combined architectural orders.
• Civil architecture was more prominent than religious architecture.

Arches and Vaults

Used in homes and temples, these structures were often clad with exterior marble panels. The Colosseum exemplifies a composite order, featuring Doric on the first floor, Ionic on the second, and Corinthian on the third.

Civil Architecture

Cities

Initially agricultural,... Continue reading "Roman Architecture and Art: Republic and Empire" »

Aesthetic Affinities of the Generation of '27

Aesthetic affinities between the components of the Generation of '27:

• From dehumanization and human authenticity: the human concern is increasing, not to mention the aesthetic requirements.
• Among the tightness and clarity: the cultured and popular.
• Among the intellectual and the emotional: emotion restrained by the intellect.
• Between the universal and the Spanish: receptivity to foreign poetry and poetry with strong national roots.
• Between tradition and renewal: combine art with respect for tradition (J.R.J., Bécquer, Góngora, etc.).

Themes of the Generation of '27

• The city: comfort and frivolities, inventions, communications, transport, etc.
• Nature: near the city or assumed by it. From exile, the reason

Baroque Lyricism in the 17th Century

Features

• The artist seeks original creation, leading to the admiration of the reader.
• Tends towards balance, exaggeration, and the expression of strong contrasts.
• Nature and harmony are not considered a reflection of divine order.

Themes

• Love: Inspired by the Petrarchan ideal, but often appears with a tone of despair.
• Nature: No longer seen as an ideal world, an image of the divine, but used simply as a decorative background.
• Mythological Legends: Become topical and are used continuously, sometimes mechanically.
• Disappointment: Fear of the transience of time and pessimistic thoughts about death. Avoids ordinary burlesque.

Culteranismo

Seeks to impress the reader by using exaggerated language and literary devices.... Continue reading "Baroque Lyricism and Theater in the 17th Century" »

Key Spanish Poets (1891-1963)

Pedro Salinas (1891-1951)

• 1923 - Omens: Books influenced by Juan Ramon Jimenez and the avant-garde.
• 1929 - Seguro azar: Poems dedicated to the typewriter or the movies.
• 1933 - The Voice Due: Item you love, that is not suffering or frustration, but a source of joy and mysterious force that gives meaning to life and the world.
• 1936 - Name of Love
• 1946 - The Poetry Referred: Tinged drama and anguish over the events.
• 1949 - A Vivid Clearer: (war, etc.).

Jorge Guillén (1893-1984)

Considered the prototype of the pure poet and intellectual. His poetry is the result of a rigorous selection process: look for the idea or feeling, eliminating the anecdotal or accessory.

• Song: Collected in successive editions (from 1928-1950). Topic:

Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (1580–1645)

Born in Madrid, Quevedo studied at Alcalá and lived in Valladolid, his life intertwined with the court and political activity. Imprisoned in León in his later years by order of the Count-Duke of Olivares, Quevedo experienced firsthand the suffering of confinement. A master of language and poetic forms, his work is divided into several poetic categories:

• Love poems: Written according to the conventions of the era's amatory lyric.
• Metaphysical poems: Covering themes such as anguish, disappointment, resignation, and the transience of life.
• Moral poems: Adopting the stance of a moralist, Quevedo criticizes and satirizes human weaknesses.
• Satirical poems: Alluding to characters in 17th-century society,

La Celestina: A Tragic Love Story

Story: A tragic love story where Calisto, a young bourgeois, falls deeply in love with Melibea, a beautiful young woman of a higher class. She initially rejects him. Calisto seeks help from his servant Sempronius, who suggests the bawd Celestina. Celestina uses her wisdom and spells to unite the young lovers. However, the servants are killed for not sharing their payment. Calisto dies after falling from Melibea's house wall, and Melibea commits suicide out of love.

Editions:

• Comedy of Calisto and Melibea (Burgos, 1499): 1st edition, 16 acts. Includes the Author's letter to his friend, detailing the text's creation.
• Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea (Seville, 1502): 21 acts. A foreword explains the title change

Federico Garcia Lorca

Federico Garcia Lorca was an excellent poet and playwright. His works often explore the topics of love, frustration, and tragic destiny, featuring many marginalized people doomed to pain, loneliness, and death. His style is personal and bright, with plastic images, and his poetry is suggestive and dramatic. His work, in both senses of the word, is theatrical and tragic: theatrical because it is expressed through characters, and tragic because it reflects fatalism, presenting humans in a fight against an adverse fate. Along with tragic fate appear frustration and impossible desire. Notable works include Poet in New York and Gypsy Ballads. His theater is poetry that presents a stylized reality, posing a single theme: the... Continue reading "Spanish Poets: Lorca, Alberti, Salinas, and Diego" »