Literary Concepts and 20th Century Spanish Literature

Denotation and Connotation

Denotation refers to the objective meaning of a word, the literal definition found in dictionaries. It represents a shared understanding among speakers.

Connotation refers to the subjective meanings, whether positive or negative, added to a word by individuals or social groups, beyond its denotative meaning.

The Essay: Form and Purpose

The essay is a form of short prose where the author presents a personal and subjective vision on various subjects. Its primary purpose is didactic and interpretive.

Structure of an Essay

• Introduction: Presents the theoretical framework or thesis.
• Development: Contains personal opinions, digressions, and supporting arguments.
• Conclusion: Confirms the thesis, though it may not always be explicitly stated and can vary widely.

Essay Characteristics

• Thematic Focus: Essays often seek to open avenues for discussion and reflection. They can frequently be found in the press.
• Style: Typically elegant, entertaining, and highly personal.
• Language: Achieves technical vocabulary through abstract nouns, descriptive adjectives, examples, anecdotes, comparisons, and rhetorical questions.

The Lyric in 20th Century Castilian Literature

Lyric poetry was the most cultivated and innovative literary genre in Castilian literature during the early decades of the twentieth century. It was also the one most affected by the consequences of the Civil War, leading to the death of some poets and the exile of others.

1940s: Post-War Lyric Poetry

The 1940s saw the emergence of two main currents:

• Rooted Poetry: Identified with the established political regime, its themes included religious devotion, patriotism, and love. Key representatives include Ridruejo and Rosales.
• Unrooted/Existential Poetry: Expressed anguish and the pain of living in a chaotic and unjust world. Represented by authors like Dámaso Alonso, Eugenio de Nora, and José Luis Hidalgo. Its style often featured prose-like verse and colloquial language, full of powerful imagery.

1950s: Social Lyric Poetry

Social poetry emerged in the 1950s, prioritizing the analysis of the country's problems. It employed a style of great simplicity of expression. Main representatives, such as Blas de Otero and Gabriel Celaya, used free verse and considered their work more useful than beautiful.

Narrative in 20th Century Castilian Literature

1950s: Social Realism in Narrative

The 1950s saw the rise of the social realism movement in narrative. The most important works from this period include: El Jarama by Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio and Pequeño teatro by Ana María Matute.

The subject matter of these novels often revolved around Spanish society. The style was characterized by great simplicity, sometimes employing a subjective viewpoint and other times an objective one.

1960s: Experimental Narrative

The 1960s marked a period of stylistic revival among Spanish authors, moving towards non-traditional narrative techniques. This included the use of interior monologue, digressions, and the combination of multiple viewpoints.

This experimental period produced significant works such as: Tiempo de silencio by Luis Martín-Santos, Últimas tardes con Teresa by Juan Marsé, and Cinco horas con Mario by Miguel Delibes.