SPANISH LITERATURE

Prepared for:

Jessa Mae F. Agutaya

21st Century Literature from the Philippines to the World

Southern Mindanao Institute of Technology, Inc.

Prepared by:

Daisy D. Bañares

Rachalle Guen Batallones

 December 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

I. Title Page --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i

II. Table of Contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ii

III. Overview --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

IV. Content

Objectives ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction to the Spanish Literature ------------------------------------------------------------------

2

Different authors of Spanish Literature ---------------------------------------------------------------

3-5

Assessment ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6

Summary -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7

Conclusion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Overview

Spanish literature, the body of literary works produced in Spain. Such works fall
into three major language divisions: Castilian, Catalan, and Galician. This article
provides a brief historical account of each of these three literatures and examines the
emergence of major genres.

Spanish literature is extraordinarily rich and varied, and yet it is relatively

unknown. Everyone has heard of Cervantes (or at least of his novel Don Quixote), but
most would be unable to come up with another name. What we want to do in these
pages is show what it is that makes Spanish literature exciting and original, and what
contributions Spanish writers have made to world literature.

We should keep in mind, however, that when we speak of “Spanish” literature,

we tend to think in terms of Castilian literature, of works written in the language that is
spoken throughout Spain and most of Latin America.

Nationalists in each of these regions might object to their literature being included
under “Spanish,” but Spain is a political entity and rather than get caught up in
nationalist arguments, we are working on the premise outlined in the 1978 constitution
that Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions in which Catalan, Galician and Basque
(or Euskara) are co-official languages within their respective communities. So, we will
try to convey the contributions of these regional languages as important components of
the Spanish mosaic.

Objectives:
 At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

1. Describe the characteristics of the Spanish literature;

2. Identify the Spanish literature periods, the significant writers of Spanish
literature, and;
3. Understand how writers of the time addressed in Spanish themes.

Spanish Literature

Spain is rich with talented writers, poets, playwrights. Trust us, the list goes on.
One such literary master is Miguel de Cervantes, the creator of the legendary Don
Quijote, who has been used in all aspects of Spanish culture. Lope de Vega is another
example of a Baroque master.

The history of Spanish literature can be traced back centuries and it is clear that
over this time, Spanish literature has not only been influenced by the events happening
within Spain and across the world, but has also influenced the world itself. Spain has
produced some fantastic writers in all genres, many of whom were instrumental in the
developments of some of the biggest literary movements. So why not read on and find
out more about the history of Spanish literature.

Historically, there are another two communities that must be included in the
make up of Spanish literature: the Jews and above all the Muslims (or Moors as they
are more commonly known in Spanish history), writing in Hebrew and Arabic
respectively. Hebrew and Arabic take us back primarily to the Middle Ages when the
Iberian Peninsula was made up of al-Andalus (Moorish Spain) and a jumble of emerging
Christian kingdoms.

The novel is the youngest of the genres and was born in Spain in the 16 th and
17th centuries, Spain’s Golden Age of literature. Prose fiction already existed, but what
happened to it in Spain during this period is truly remarkable. Critics do recognize the
importance of Don Quixote in the history of the novel (as a kind of prelude to its birth in
England or France!), but there are also many other stimulating and original works in the
Golden Age that are a vital part of the historical development of prose fiction.

Spanish drama started off with a bang in the 16 th and 17th centuries, about the
same time as the novel. Poetry is the oldest and most prestigious of the genres. Great
poets have a way of uncovering new worlds for us, and in Arabic culture poets were
venerated as “jewelers of words.” As we move from Medieval to modern times, we hope
to uncover some of those jewels for you.

One of the earliest told stories in Spain is that of 'El Cid' from the 12th century,
which was an epic tale that was transmitted from generation to generation by oral
repetition. The first written works though appeared in the 13th century when literature
began to be cultivated in all of its genres: theatre, poetry and prose. However the real
flourish for Spanish literature came with the Renaissance period where there was a lot
of Italian influence in Spain. Many of the works produced during this time therefore had
a heavy religious tone as well, such as the works of Fray Luis de Leon and San Juan de
la Cruz.

Additionally, the most important times for Spanish literature was the Golden Age,
in which Baroque literature was all the rage. During this time, countless literary works
and productions were produced, among which we can find the ever famous Don
Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. This book has come to represent the height of
Spanish literature. However, we must also remember the likes of the playwright Lope de
Vega and the poet Quevedo who were also writing during this period.

However all this focus on reason and logic couldn’t last, and Enlightenment
literature was soon overshadowed by Romanticism which preferred feelings and
emotions. Romanticist literature was free and did not play by the rules that had
governed previous literary movements. Eventually however, writers got bored of the
movement, and turned instead to a more realistic approach; hence the birth of Realism
in Spanish literature. Realist literature was designed to paint an accurate portrait of
society, and avoided the over imaginative styles of Romanticism.

The 20th and 21st centuries have been a great time of change for Spain,
however Spanish literature has developed in a more stunted manner. There are no
great literary movements during these years as each writer begins to develop their own
individual style. The Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship gave rise to a
number of generations of writers – Generation of ’98, Generation of ’14 and Generation
of ’27 – who helped to develop Spanish literature. Censorship was one of the major
pressures on Spanish literature under Franco as it meant writers had to be much
cleverer and more subtle in order to convey their true feelings.

In more recent times, Spanish literature again has seen very little in the way of
literary movements. Many of the younger writers choose to write in very realistic styles,
commenting and criticizing the modern society they live in. However, with the spread of
globalization, many Spanish authors have had their works read by much larger
international audiences, hence there are a number of Spanish language authors who
have made it on to the lists of top authors in the world.

Some of the most important Spanish Medieval Authors include:

Benito Pérez Galdós (1843 – 1920)

He was a Spanish realist novelist. He was

regarded as the greatest Spanish novelist since Miguel
de Cervantes. His enormous output of short novels
chronicling the history and society of 19th-century Spain
earned him comparison with Honoré de Balzac and
Charles Dickens.

After the success of his first novel, La fontana

de oro (1870; “The Fountain of Gold”), he began a
series of novels retelling Spain’s history from the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) to the
restoration of the Bourbons in Spain (1874). The entire cycle of 46 novels would come
to be known as the Episodios nacionales (1873–1912; “National Episodes”). In these
works Galdós perfected a unique type of historical fiction that was based on meticulous
research using memoirs, old newspaper articles, and eyewitness accounts. The
resulting novels are vivid, realistic, and accurate accounts of historical events as they
must have appeared to those participating in them. The Napoleonic occupation of Spain
and the struggles between liberals and absolutists preceding the death of Ferdinand VII
in 1833 are respectively treated in the first two series of 10 novels each, all composed in
the 1870s.

Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936)

Born near Granada in Fuente Vaqueros, Spain,

to a prosperous farm owner and a pianist, prominent
20th-century Spanish poet and dramatist Federico
García Lorca studied law at at the University of
Granada before relocating to Madrid in 1919 to focus
on his writing. In Madrid he joined a group of avant-
garde artists that included Salvador Dali and Luis Buñuel. The group, collectively known
as the “Generation of ’27,” introduced Lorca to Surrealism, a movement that would
greatly influence his writing.

Lorca published numerous volumes of poetry during his

career, beginning with Impresiones y paisajes (1918). His lyrical work often
incorporates elements of Spanish folklore, Andalusian flamenco and Gypsy culture, and
cante jondos, or deep songs, while exploring themes of romantic love and tragedy.

With the publication of his poetry collection Romancero Gitano, or Gypsy Ballads
(1928), Lorca received significant critical and popular attention, and the following year
traveled to New York City, where he found a connection between Spanish deep songs
and the African American spirituals he heard in Harlem. When he returned to Spain he
co-founded La Barraca, a traveling theater company that performed both Spanish
classics and Lorca’s original plays, including the well-known Blood Wedding (1933), in
small town squares. Despite the threat of a growing fascist movement in his country,
Lorca refused to hide his leftist political views, or his homosexuality, while continuing his
ascent as a writer.

In August 1936, at the onset of the Spanish Civil War, Lorca was arrested at his
country home in Granada by Francisco Franco’s soldiers. He was executed by a firing
squad a few days later.

Arturo Pérez-Reverte (1951 – Present )

This contemporary journalist and

author is best known for his series of novels
following the adventures of Captain Alatriste,
a 17th-century soldier in the Spanish Golden
Age. The author is said to have found the
inspiration for his novels in his
disappointment at the lack of literary
coverage of the time. His historical works of
fiction appeal to a wide audience and he has
been recognised internationally for his work.

Rafael Alberti (1902 – 1999)

Another member of the Generation of

27, Rafael Alberti started off as a painter
before abandoning his studies and turning to
poetry. His first compilation of poems, Marinero en tierra (Sailor on Land) received the
National Prize for Spanish Literature and he gained recognition in the literary circles of
Madrid. Later in life he declared himself a Marxist, and throughout the Civil War he was
politically active and went into exile until the death of Franco.

Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881 – 1954)

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature

in 1956, Juan Ramón Jiménez is one of
Spain’s most acclaimed poets and one of the
most prolific, too. His early life was marked by
a stint at a sanitarium following his father’s
death, and his experiences with the nurses
there are depicted in his first writings.
Throughout the rest of his career, colour and
music, which he related to feelings of love or
lust, were prominent themes in his writing. He
was attracted to the notion of ‘pure poetry’ – poetry without a message, but written for
its lyrical nature.

Rosalía de Castro (1837 – 1885)

One of the first female authors to gain

national recognition, Rosalía de Castro was
born to a wealthy family in Galicia but had a
troubled life marked by family crisis and
illness. She is most admired for her bold and
unexpected move to the Galician language
in her writing, as well as her depictions of
the harsh living conditions of the poor. It is
said that a feeling of saudade transpires in
her work, a Portuguese word that has no
direct translation but describes a sense of nostalgic yearning and sadness.
 Pío Baroja (1872 – 1956)

Born in San Sebastian in 1872, Pío

Baroja was a novelist and founding
member of the Generation of 1898 – a
group of authors and poets who wrote
during the time of the American War, when
Spain lost many of its most important
colonies on the American continent.
Despite training as a physician, he
eventually dedicated himself to his true
passion and published his first novel in
1900. His most acclaimed work is a trilogy called La Lucha Por la Vida (The Struggle for
Life), which depicts the life of the working classes in Madrid’s slums.

Ana María Matute (1925 – 2014)

A member of the Spanish Royal

Academy, Ana María Matute was the third
woman to receive the Cervantes Prize for
literature. Born shortly before the outbreak
of the Civil War, the events that unfolded
throughout her childhood had a profound
impact on her writing, lending a pessimistic
edge, and she went on to be considered one
of the most influential authors of the
posguerra, or post-war period.

Big idea!

Spain’s greatest single literary achievement is Don Quixote, the first

part of which appeared in 1605 and the second in 1615. This
remarkable novel marked the high point of the “golden age,” which
began about the middle of the 16 th century and lasted roughly a
hundred years.
Assessment

I. Instruction/Direction: Identify the correct answer and write it on the space

provided.

_______________ 1. The century where extraordinarily rich and varied, and yet it is
relatively unknown.

_______________ 2. It is started off with a bang in the 16 th and 17th centuries, about
the same time as the novel.

_______________ 3. The oldest and most prestigious of the genres.

_______________ 4. He was best known for his series of novels following the
adventures of Captain Alatriste, a 17th-century soldier in the Spanish Golden Age.

_______________ 5. Spanish literature, the body of literary works produced in

_________.

_______________ 6. He was regarded as the greatest Spanish novelist since

Miguel de Cervantes

_______________ 7. _____ is rich with talented writers, poets, playwrights.

_______________ 8. She was the third woman to receive the Cervantes Prize for
literature.

_______________ 9. His lyrical work often incorporates elements of Spanish

folklore, Andalusian flamenco and Gypsy culture, and canter jondos, or deep songs,
while exploring themes of romantic love and tragedy.

_______________ 10. His most acclaimed work is a trilogy called La Lucha Por la Vida
(The Struggle for Life), which depicts the life of the working classes in Madrid’s slums.

Summary

Spanish literature generally refers to literature (Spanish poetry, prose, and

drama) written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the
Kingdom of Spain. Its development coincides and frequently intersects with that of other
literary traditions from regions within the same territory, particularly Catalan literature,
Galician intersects as well with Latin, Jewish, and Arabic literary traditions of the Iberian
peninsula. The literature of Spanish America is an important branch of Spanish
literature, with its own particular characteristics dating back to the earliest years of
Spain’s conquest of the Americas (see Latin American literature).

Novels become the most popular genre, and social themes are very common,
especially those related to life in Spain during the Spanish Civil War and the following
dictatorship.

Conclusion

Spanish thought in the early modern period was greatly influenced by

Renaissance humanism, the Counter-Reformation, the growth of the Spanish empire,
and the institutionalized persecution of Jews and their descendants. The high-water
mark of Spanish letters is said to have ended in 1681 with the death of the dramatist
Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Spanish literature faded in the eighteenth century, and the
Spanish version of the Enlightenment can properly be considered as a reflection of, or a
reaction against, French influence.

7
II.Instruction/Direction:
Identify the correct answer
and write it on the
III. space provided.
IV. Instruction/Direction:
Identify the correct answer
and write it on the
V.space providedIdentify the
Italian artists and explain how
new ideas affected the
4. arts of the period;

5. Identify the Italian artists

and explain how new ideas
affected the
6. arts of the period;
7. Identify the Italian artists
and explain how new ideas
affected the
8. arts of the period