Key Movements and Authors in Spanish Literature

Heritage Words: Latin Roots in Castilian

Heritage words are derived from Latin and have been part of Castilian Spanish since its origins. They undergo phonetic changes that result in words distinct from their Latin predecessors.

Romanticism in Spain: Ideals and Development

Romanticism was a social and artistic movement that flourished during the first half of the nineteenth century. Its principal objective was the exercise of the right to liberty. In Spain, it developed late because the political situation during the absolutist reign of Ferdinand VII did not allow the expression of its ideology. However, after the death of this monarch in 1833, Romanticism lasted until the second half of the century.

Key Characteristics of Spanish Romanticism:

• Expression of deep sentiments
• Social withdrawal and individualism
• Preoccupation with the problems of others
• Emphasis on nature
• Evocation of an idealized medieval past

Notable Authors and Works:

• José de Espronceda: El Estudiante de Salamanca and El Diablo Mundo
• Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: Rimas y Leyendas

Spanish Narrative: Historical and Costumbrista Traditions

Spanish narrative shaped the national identity in two key ways:

1. Some authors chose to develop their arguments from the evocation of the past (sixteenth and seventeenth centuries). A significant author in this tradition was Enrique Gil y Bembibre.

2. Alternatively, from the observation of contemporary life, the novel of manners emerged, exemplified by Cecilia Böhl de Faber (Fernán Caballero), and the article of manners.

Costumbrismo: Social Critique through Manners

Costumbrismo, particularly through the work of Mariano José de Larra, often served to criticize society.

Mariano José de Larra: Master of Journalistic Prose

Mariano José de Larra's work spread primarily through journalistic articles. Larra's journalistic prose style is direct and clear. He employs irony, and the tone of his later articles becomes increasingly bitter and pessimistic.

Spanish Theater: 17th-Century Influences and Romantic Drama

Romantic theater authors were inspired by seventeenth-century Spanish drama, adopting themes and formal aspects such as:

• The use of verse
• The replacement of acts by 'jornadas' (days)
• The rejection of the three dramatic unities

Themes often preferred medieval origins.

Key Examples of Romantic Drama:

• Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino by the Duque de Rivas
• Don Juan Tenorio by José Zorrilla

Duque de Rivas: Exile, History, and Romantic Drama

The Duque de Rivas was a prominent politician. After suffering exile and returning to Spain, his work incorporated historical themes, vivid descriptions, and mysterious or fate-driven traditionalist situations. His most famous work was Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino, which masterfully combined verse and prose, incorporating all these dramatic elements.