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Spanish Verbs: Tenses and Moods

Indicative Mood

• Preterite Imperfect: singing
• Preterite Perfect Simple: I sang
• Future Imperfect/Conditional Simple: sing
• Preterite Perfect Compound: I sang
• Preterite Pluperfect: had sung
• Preterite Anterior: I had sung
• Future Perfect: I will have sung
• Conditional Perfect: could sing

Subjunctive Mood

• Present: singing
• Preterite Perfect: has sung
• Preterite Imperfect/Preterite Pluperfect: had sung
• Future Imperfect: sing
• Future Perfect: he has sung

Non-Personal Forms

• Gerund: singing
• Participle: sung

Verbal Expressions

• Obligation: haber de, tener que, deber
• Probability: deber de, poder, venir a

Verbal Aspects

• Inchoative: burst out, get to, begin to
• Repetitive: go back to
• Terminative: finish, stop
• Durative: being, walking, followed
• Resultative:

Contemporary Poetry

During the war, poetry was the most cultivated genre, and the most prominent theme was exile. The poetry was characterized by continuing with the symbolist tradition, but the symbolism evolved into pure poetry. Avant-garde, experimental, and visual resources appeared. In the sixties, historical or social realism emerged.

Crisis of Realism in the Seventies

Since the seventies, realism entered a crisis, and poetry became characterized by eclecticism and a certain trend. New proposals emerged, and poetic works were published by authors of the postwar era because these poets coexisted with the realistic trend, moving away from realism.

New Poetry: Intimacy and Experience

Realism intended to achieve social change, but many poets felt... Continue reading "Evolution of Contemporary Poetry: From Exile to Experience" »

Miguel de Cervantes: Life and Works

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) was born in Alcalá de Henares and died in Madrid. His life was marked by adventure and hardship. In 1570, he traveled to Italy, where he was deeply influenced by the art, literature, and culture. He served as a soldier, fighting against the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto (1571), where he sustained a severe injury to his left hand. On his return to Spain, he was captured by Turkish pirates and spent five years as a prisoner in Algiers. After being rescued by Trinitarian Fathers, he returned to Madrid and began writing plays to alleviate his financial struggles.

Cervantes lived in various locations, working as a tax collector, and faced imprisonment due to irregularities... Continue reading "Cervantes: Life, Works, and Don Quixote" »

Poets at the Turn of the 1960s to 1970s

The poets at the turn of the 1960s to 1970s adopted a more intimate, individualistic, and dualistic stance. They were more concerned with personal freedom and their own destiny. The end of Francoism, the creation of publishing houses, new literary prizes, the relaxation of censorship, and the recognition of linguistic rights facilitated the work of poets of the 1970s. This period involved social and cultural consequences suffered from the war, experiencing the culture of mass media and the youth of the 1960s, and revolting in the street fight against Francoism. They also had more information about European culture.

Characteristics

• Break with realism
• Culturalism
• Ideological and moral transgression
• Return to

Modernism in Visual Arts and Literature

Modernism is a movement that significantly impacted the visual arts (painting, sculpture, decoration, and architecture) and literature. Nicaraguan writer Rubén Darío (1867-1916) marked an important milestone in 20th-century Castilian poetry. His collection of short stories and poems, titled Blue (1888), initiated his modernist path under the influence of French poetry. This new aesthetic is emphasized in his verses in Profane Prose (1896), which features exotic, elegant, and sensual expression, colorful language, and rhythmic verse. Songs of Life and Hope (1905), his masterpiece, includes poems of great brilliance and a marked formal pace. However, it is more guarded in book form and more intimate and... Continue reading "Modernism in Visual Arts and Literature: Key Figures" »

Miguel de Unamuno

Miguel de Unamuno was born in Bilbao in 1864.

Work

Unamuno's work spans culture, poetry, plays, novels, and essays. His writings maintain continuity through the repetition of certain themes and a personal style.

Topics

• Early works reveal a juvenile stage dominated by concerns about regeneration and evolution.
• Later works transition toward existential and religious themes, reflecting maturity.

Style

His style is characterized by expressiveness, passion, vividness, and directness, often incorporating exclamations.

Theater

Unamuno's philosophical theater recalls classical tragedy. It directly addresses the existential issues that obsessed him.

Lyric Poetry

Two broad themes dominate his poetry:

• His reaction to scenery
• His existential and religious

Avant-Garde Narrative: An Introduction

Vanguard Narrative: In the early decades of the twentieth century, avant-garde movements exerted great influence on narrative. From a refreshing perspective, the novel sought to break with traditional approaches and explore new forms.

Key Features of Avant-Garde Narrative

• Urban Environments: Avant-garde narratives reflect the changes in rural and urban life. Cities are modernized, and their conflicts are explored.
• Prevalence of the Intelligentsia: The narrative often prioritizes the problems and perspectives of intellectual characters.
• Inner Worlds: Principal characters express their innermost thoughts and feelings, drawing the reader into their subjective experiences.
• Use of Imagination: Imagination becomes

San Juan de la Cruz (1542-1591)

San Juan de la Cruz undertook to reform the Carmelite order, aiming for monks to return to a more austere and contemplative lifestyle. His reform efforts led to his imprisonment.

Major Works

• Dark Night of the Soul
• Spiritual Canticle
• Living Flame of Love

Literary Style and Influence

His literary style was influenced by Italian metrics (like the lira) and biblical texts. He expressed the union of the soul with God as a loving relationship, where the soul (the beloved) seeks Christ (the Beloved). He utilized symbols drawn from nature, such as the night and fire.

Lasting Relevance

Centuries later, his work influenced the poetic current known as Symbolism, which recognized San Juan de la Cruz as an important forerunner.

Spanish