Spanish poetry
Encyclopedia
Spanish poetry is the poetic
tradition of Spain
. It may include elements of Spanish literature
, and literatures written in languages of Spain other than Castilian
, such as Catalan literature
.
In the 19th century, there were many different styles to Spanish poetry. One style was called Fortuname and another Amoramente. These concluded in the great era of Spanish poetry.
was occupied by the Arabs after the early 700s
, the Iberian Peninsula
became dominated by the Arabic language in both the central and southern regions. Latin
still prevailed in the north, but the two languages began to merge to form several idioms called the Romance languages
.
The Jewish culture had its own Golden Age through the span of the 900s
to 1100s
in Spain
. Hebrew poetry was usually in the style of Piyyut
, however, under Muslim
rule in Spain, the style required dramatic change. These poets began to write again in what was the “pure language of the Bible
”. Beforehand, poems were written in Midrash
. This change was a result of the commitment the Arabs had to the Koran. Tempos and secular topics were now prevalent in Hebrew poetry. However, these poems were only reflections of the events seen by the Jews
and not ones practiced themselves.
of the 1500s
and Baroque
of the 1600s
. Poetry became partitioned into culteranismo
and conceptismo
, which essentially became rivals, during the Renaissance.
During the Baroque
period Satire, Neostoicism, and Mythological themes were also prevalent.
and England
were the large forces in this movement. Over the course of the late 1700s
to the late 1800s
Romanticism
spread philosophy
and art
through Western societies of the world. The earlier part of this movement overlapped with the Age of Revolutions. The idea of the creative imagination was rising above the idea of reason. Minute elements of nature, such as bugs and pebbles, were considered divine. There were many variations of the perception of nature in these works. Instead of allegory
, this era moved towards myths and symbol
s. The power of human emotion emerged during this period.
went through drastic changes after the demise of Spain’s colonial empire. French
and German
inspiration along with Modernism
greatly improved the culture of Spain with the works of the Generation of 1898, which were mostly novelists but some were poets.
Post-Franco and Contemporary Spanish Poets:
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
tradition of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It may include elements of Spanish literature
Spanish literature
Spanish literature generally refers to literature written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the state of Spain...
, and literatures written in languages of Spain other than Castilian
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, such as Catalan literature
Catalan literature
Catalan literature is the name conventionally used to refer to literature written in the Catalan language. The Catalan literary tradition is extensive, starting in the Middle Ages....
.
In the 19th century, there were many different styles to Spanish poetry. One style was called Fortuname and another Amoramente. These concluded in the great era of Spanish poetry.
Medieval Spain
The Medieval period covers 400 years of different poetry texts and can be broken up into five categories- Primitive Lyrics
- Since the findings of the KharjaKharjaThe kharja , also known as jarcha in Spanish, is the final refrain of a muwashshah, a lyric genre of Al-Andalus written in Classical Arabic or Hebrew....
s, which are mainly two, three, or four verses, Spanish lyrics, which are written in Mozarabic dialect, are perhaps the oldest of Romance EuropeRomance EuropeRomance Europe is the area of Europe where Romance languages are either official, co-official, or significantly used. It is a major linguistic subdivision of Europe alongside Germanic- and Slavic-speaking subdivisions....
. The Mozarabic dialect has LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
origins with a combination of Arabic and Hebrew fonts.
- Since the findings of the Kharja
- The Epic
- Many parts of Cantar de Mio CidCantar de Mio CidEl Cantar de Myo Çid , also known in English as The Lay of the Cid and The Poem of the Cid is the oldest preserved Spanish epic poem...
, Cantar de Roncesvalles, and Mocedades de RodrigoMocedades de RodrigoThe Mocedades de Rodrigo is the name given to a late, anonymous Castilian cantar de gesta, composed around 1360, that relates the origins and exploits of the youth of the legendary hero El Cid ....
are part of the epic. The exact portion of each of these works is disputed among scholars. The Minstrels, over the course of the 1100s12th centuryAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and is sometimes called the Age of the...
to the 1300s14th centuryAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1301 to December 31, 1400.-Events:* The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age....
, were driving force of this movement. The Spanish epic likely originated from FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. There are also indications of Arabic and VisigothVisigothThe Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
. It is usually written in series of seven to eight syllables within rhyming verse.
- Many parts of Cantar de Mio Cid
- Mester de clerecíaMester de ClerecíaMester de Clerecía is a Castilian literature genre that can be understood as an opposition and surpassing of Mester de Juglaría. It was cultivated in the 13th century by Spanish clergymen....
- The cuaderna vía is the most distinctive verse written in Alexandrine verse, consisting of 12 syllables. Works during the 1200s13th centuryAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 through 1300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era...
include religious, epics, historical, advice or knowledge, and adventure themes. Examples of such themes include the The Miracles of the Virgin Mary, Poema de Fernán GonzálezPoema de Fernán GonzálezThe Poema de Fernán González is a Castilian epic poem, specifically, a cantar de gesta of the Mester de Clerecía. Composed in a metre called the cuaderna vía, it narrates the deeds of the historical Count of Castile, Fernán González. It was written between 1250 and 1266 by a monk of San Pedro de...
, Book of Alexander, Cato’s Examples, and Book of Apolonio, respectively. Some works vary and are not necessarily mester de clerecíaMester de ClerecíaMester de Clerecía is a Castilian literature genre that can be understood as an opposition and surpassing of Mester de Juglaría. It was cultivated in the 13th century by Spanish clergymen....
, but are reflective of it. Such poems are of a discussion nature, such as Elena y María and Reason to Love. Hagiographic poems include Life of St. María Egipciaca and Book of the Three Wise Men. Mature works, like The Book of Good LoveThe Book of Good LoveThe Book of Good Love , considered to be one of the masterpieces of Spanish poetry, is a semi-biographical account of romantic adventures by Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita, dating from 1330....
and Rhyming Book of the Palace, were not included in the genre until the 1300s14th centuryAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1301 to December 31, 1400.-Events:* The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age....
.
- The cuaderna vía is the most distinctive verse written in Alexandrine verse, consisting of 12 syllables. Works during the 1200s
- Collection of verse (CancioneroCancioneroCancionero is name of an early music ensemble based in the Sevenoaks and Maidstone area of Kent who perform the songs and dance music of the Middle Ages and also early Renaissance music from the Tudor court.-Current members:...
)- During this movement, language use went from Galician-PortugueseGalician-PortugueseGalician-Portuguese or Old Portuguese was a West Iberian Romance language spoken in the Middle Ages, in the northwest area of the Iberian Peninsula. It was first spoken in the area bounded in the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and the Douro River in the south but it was later extended south...
to CastilianSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. OctosyllableOctosyllableThe octosyllable or octosyllabic verse is a line of verse with eight syllables. It is equivalent to tetrameter verse in iambs or trochees in languages with a stress accent. It is often used in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese poetry...
, twelve syllables, and verse of arte mayor were becoming the footing of verses. Main themes derive from Provençal poetry. This form of poetry was generally compilations of verses formed into books, also known as cancioneros. Main works include Cancionero de BaenaCancionero de BaenaThe Cancionero de Baena was compiled between around 1426 to 1430 by the Marrano Juan Alfonso de Baena for John II of Castile. Its full title is Cancionero del Judino Juan Alfonso de Baena....
, Cancionero de Estuniga, and Cancionero General. Other important works from this era include parts of Dance of Death, Dialogue Between Love and an Old Man, verses of Mingo Revulgo, and verses of the Baker Woman.
- During this movement, language use went from Galician-Portuguese
- The Spanish ballads
- The romanceroRomanceroA romancero is any collection of Spanish romances, a type of folk ballad . The romancero is the entire corpus of such ballads...
s have no set number of octosyllables, but these poems are only parallel in this form. Romancero Viejo consists of the oldest poems in these epochs, which are anonymous. The largest amount of romances comes from the 1500s16th centuryAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century lasted from 1501 to 1600. It is regarded by historians as the century in which the rise of the West occurred....
, although early works were from the 1300s14th centuryAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1301 to December 31, 1400.-Events:* The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age....
. Many musicians of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
used these poems in their pieces throughout the RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. Cut offs, archaicArchaismIn language, an archaism is the use of a form of speech or writing that is no longer current. This can either be done deliberately or as part of a specific jargon or formula...
speech, and recurrent dialogue are common characteristics among these poems; however the type and focus were diverse. Lyrical romances are also a sizeable part of this era. During the 1600s17th centuryThe 17th century was the century which lasted from 1601 to 1700 in the Gregorian calendar.The 17th century falls into the Early Modern period of Europe and in that continent was characterized by the Dutch Golden Age, the Baroque cultural movement, the French Grand Siècle dominated by Louis XIV, the...
, were recycled and renewed. Some authors still stayed consistent with the original format. By the 1900s20th centuryMany people define the 20th century as running from January 1, 1901 to December 31, 2000, others would rather define it as beginning on January 1, 1900....
, the tradition was still continued.
- The romancero
Early Middle Ages
- MozarabMozarabThe Mozarabs were Iberian Christians who lived under Arab Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Their descendants remained unconverted to Islam, but did however adopt elements of Arabic language and culture...
JarchaKharjaThe kharja , also known as jarcha in Spanish, is the final refrain of a muwashshah, a lyric genre of Al-Andalus written in Classical Arabic or Hebrew....
s, the first expression of Spanish poetry, in Mozárabe dialect
- Mester de Juglaría
- Cantar de Mio CidCantar de Mio CidEl Cantar de Myo Çid , also known in English as The Lay of the Cid and The Poem of the Cid is the oldest preserved Spanish epic poem...
- Cantar de Mio Cid
- Mester de ClerecíaMester de ClerecíaMester de Clerecía is a Castilian literature genre that can be understood as an opposition and surpassing of Mester de Juglaría. It was cultivated in the 13th century by Spanish clergymen....
- Juan RuizJuan RuizJuan Ruiz , known as the Archpriest of Hita , was a medieval Spanish poet. He is best known for his ribald, earthy poem, Libro de buen amor .-Origins:...
, Arcipreste de Hita - Gonzalo de BerceoGonzalo de BerceoGonzalo de Berceo was a Spanish poet born in the Riojan village of Berceo, close to the major Benedictine monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla...
- Juan Ruiz
- Troubadours
- Xohán de CangasXohán de CangasJohan de Cangas was a jograr or non-noble troubadour, probably active during the thirteenth century. He seems to have been from—or associated with -- Cangas de Morrazo, a small town on Pontevedra, Galicia . Only three of his songs survive...
- Palla (troubadour)Palla (troubadour)Palla was a Galician-Portuguese troubadour or minstrel from Santiago de Compostela, active at the court of Alfonso VII of León in the mid-twelfth century....
- Paio Soares de TaveirósPaio Soares de TaveirósPaio Soares de Taveirós or Paay Soarez de Taveiroos seems to have been a minor Galician nobleman and troubadour active during the second and third decades of the 13th century. He was a brother of the troubadour Pêro Velho de Taveirós...
Later Middle Ages
- MacíasMacíasMacías was a Galician troubadour and one of the last Galician medieval poets.-Life:Much is known about the life of Macías. His successor and compatriot Juan Rodríguez de la Cámara establishes that Macías was a native of Galicia. H. A...
- Pero FerrusPero FerrúsPero Ferrús was a Castilian poet. He lived in Alcalá de Henares....
- Juan Rodríguez de la CámaraJuan Rodríguez de la CámaraJuan Rodríguez de la Cámara , also known as Juan Rodríguez del Padrón, was a Galician writer and poet, considered the last poet of the Galician school.Born in Padrón, he was born to a hidalgo family...
- Alfonso Martínez de ToledoAlfonso Martínez de ToledoAlfonso Martínez de Toledo , known as the Archpriest of Talavera , was a Castilian poet and writer. Born in Toledo, Spain, he studied in that city, spent some time in Catalonia and Aragón, and served as a prebendary at the cathedral of Toledo...
, Arcipreste de Talavera - Jorge ManriqueJorge ManriqueJorge Manrique was a major Spanish poet, whose main work, the Coplas a la muerte de su padre , is still read today...
Arabic and Hebrew poetry during the Moorish period
During the time of which SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
was occupied by the Arabs after the early 700s
8th century
The 8th century is the period from 701 to 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era.-Overview:During this century, the Middle East, the coast of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula rapidly come under Islamic Arab domination...
, the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
became dominated by the Arabic language in both the central and southern regions. Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
still prevailed in the north, but the two languages began to merge to form several idioms called the Romance languages
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
.
The Jewish culture had its own Golden Age through the span of the 900s
10th century
The 10th century is the period from 901 to 1000 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era.The 10th century is usually regarded as a low point in European history. In China it was also a period of political upheaval. In the Muslim World, however, it was a cultural zenith,...
to 1100s
12th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and is sometimes called the Age of the...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Hebrew poetry was usually in the style of Piyyut
Piyyut
A piyyut or piyut is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. Piyyutim have been written since Temple times...
, however, under Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
rule in Spain, the style required dramatic change. These poets began to write again in what was the “pure language of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
”. Beforehand, poems were written in Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
. This change was a result of the commitment the Arabs had to the Koran. Tempos and secular topics were now prevalent in Hebrew poetry. However, these poems were only reflections of the events seen by the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and not ones practiced themselves.
- The AlhambraAlhambraThe Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...
Poets:- Ibn al-YayyabIbn al-YayyabIbn al-Yayyab or Abu l-Hasan Ali b. Muhammad b. Sulayman b. `Ali b. Sulayman b. Hasan al-Ansari was a Muwallad statesman and poet from the Nasrid kingdom of Granada. He preceded Ibn al-Khatib as vizir at the court of Granada. He wrote qasidas in a neo-classical style...
- Ibn ZamrakIbn ZamrakIbn Zamrak or Abu Abd Allah Muhammad b, Yusuf b. Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Yusuf al-Surayhi, was a poet and statesman from Granada, Al-Andalus. Some his poems still decorate the fountains and palaces of Alhambra in Granada.He was of humble origin but thanks to his teacher Ibn al-Khatib he...
- Ibn al-KhatibIbn al-KhatibLisan al-Din ibn al-Khatib was a poet, writer, historian, philosopher, physician and politician from Emirate of Granada. Some of his poems decorate the walls of the Alhambra in Granada.He was born at Loja, near Granada...
- Ibn al-Yayyab
- Ibn Sahl of SevillaIbn Sahl of SevillaIbn Sahl of Seville is considered one of the greatest Moorish poets of Andalusia of the 13th century. He was a Jewish convert to Islam....
- Ibn Hazm of CórdobaIbn HazmAbū Muḥammad ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd ibn Ḥazm ) was an Andalusian philosopher, litterateur, psychologist, historian, jurist and theologian born in Córdoba, present-day Spain...
- Ibn Gabirol
- Moses ibn EzraMoses ibn EzraRabbi Moses ben Jacob ibn Ezra, known as ha-Sallah was a Jewish, Spanish philosopher, linguist, and poet. He was born at Granada about 1055 – 1060, and died after 1138. Ezra is Jewish by religion but is also considered a great influence in the Arabic world in regards to his works...
- Abraham ibn EzraAbraham ibn EzraRabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
- Ibn QuzmanIbn QuzmanMuhammad ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Quzman was the single most famous poet in the history of al-Andalus and he is also considered to be one of its most original. He was born and died in Cordoba and has earned his fame by his zajals...
- Ibn ArabiIbn ArabiIbn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Moorish Sufi mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn `Arabī .-Biography:...
After 1492
- Anonymous writers of the RomanceroRomanceroA romancero is any collection of Spanish romances, a type of folk ballad . The romancero is the entire corpus of such ballads...
- Juan Boscán
- Gutierre de CetinaGutierre de CetinaGutierre de Cetina a Spanish poet and soldier, was born at Seville. He was the brother of Beltrán and Gregorio de Cetina, lesser known conquistadors. He served under Charles V in Italy and Germany, but retired from the army in 1545 to settle in Seville...
- Alonso de ErcillaAlonso de ErcillaAlonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga was a Spanish nobleman, soldier and epic poet from the Basque Country. While in Chile he fought against the Araucanians, and there he began the epic poem La Araucana, considered the greatest Spanish historical poem. This heroic work in 37 cantos is divided into three...
- Santa Teresa de JesúsTeresa of ÁvilaSaint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer...
- San Juan de la Cruz
- Fernando de HerreraFernando de HerreraFernando de Herrera , called "El Divino", was a 16th-century Spanish poet and man of letters. He was born in Seville. Much of what is known about him comes from Libro de descripción de verdaderos retratos de illustres y memorables varones by Francisco Pacheco.-Biography:Although...
- Garcilaso de la VegaGarcilaso de la VegaGarcilaso de la Vega was a Spanish soldier and poet. He was the most influential poet to introduce Italian Renaissance verse forms, poetic techniques and themes to Spain.-Biography:...
- Juan del EncinaJuan del EncinaJuan del Enzina – the spelling he used – or Juan del Encina – modern Spanish spelling – was a composer, poet and playwright, often called the founder of Spanish drama...
- Fray Luis de León
- Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
- Lope de RuedaLope de RuedaLope de Rueda was a Spanish dramatist and author, regarded by some as the best of his era. A very versatile writer, he also wrote comedies, farces, and pasos...
- Marqués de Santillana
- Jorge ManriqueJorge ManriqueJorge Manrique was a major Spanish poet, whose main work, the Coplas a la muerte de su padre , is still read today...
- Ausiàs MarchAusiàs MarchAusiàs March was a Valencian poet who was born in Gandia towards the end of the 14th century. He was the son of Pere March, nephew of Jaume March II, and cousin of Arnau March....
(in ValencianValencianValencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...
) - Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
The Golden Century (El Siglo de Oro)
This epoch includes RenaissanceRenaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
of the 1500s
16th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century lasted from 1501 to 1600. It is regarded by historians as the century in which the rise of the West occurred....
and Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
of the 1600s
17th century
The 17th century was the century which lasted from 1601 to 1700 in the Gregorian calendar.The 17th century falls into the Early Modern period of Europe and in that continent was characterized by the Dutch Golden Age, the Baroque cultural movement, the French Grand Siècle dominated by Louis XIV, the...
. Poetry became partitioned into culteranismo
Culteranismo
Culteranismo is a stylistic movement of the Baroque period of Spanish history that is also commonly referred to as Góngorismo...
and conceptismo
Conceptismo
Conceptismo is a literary movement of the Baroque period of Spanish literature. It began in the late 16th century and lasted through the 17th century....
, which essentially became rivals, during the Renaissance.
- Culteranismo used bleak language and hyperbatonHyperbatonHyperbaton is a figure of speech in which words that naturally belong together are separated from each other for emphasis or effect. This kind of unnatural or rhetorical separation is possible to a much greater degree in highly inflected languages, where sentence meaning does not depend closely...
. These works largely included neologisms and mythological topics. These characteristics made this form of poetry highly complex, therefore making comprehension testing.
- Conceptismo was a trend using new components and resources. An example of this new extension is the Germanias. Works included comparative and complex sentences. This movement derives from Petrarchanism.
During the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
period Satire, Neostoicism, and Mythological themes were also prevalent.
- SatireSatireSatire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
tended to be directed to the elites, criticizing the defects of the society. This form of poetry often resulted in severe punishments to the poets. - NeostoicismNeostoicismNeostoicism was a syncretic philosophical movement, joining Stoicism and Christianity.-Lipsius:Neostoicism was founded by Flemish humanist Justus Lipsius, who in 1584 presented its rules, expounded in his book De constantia , as a dialogue between Lipsius and his friend Charles de Langhe...
became a movement of philosophical poetry. Ideas from the medieval period were resurfacing. - Mythological was more common in culteranismo. It was not until Generation of 1927 that these poems gained more importance. La Fabula de Poliferno y Galtea and Las Soledades are two key works.
- Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas
- Luis de Góngora y Argote established culteranismo.
- Félix Lope de Vega Carpio
- Pedro Calderón de la BarcaPedro Calderón de la BarcaPedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño usually referred as Pedro Calderón de la Barca , was a dramatist, poet and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. During certain periods of his life he was also a soldier and a Roman Catholic priest...
Romanticism
GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
were the large forces in this movement. Over the course of the late 1700s
18th century
The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar.During the 18th century, the Enlightenment culminated in the French and American revolutions. Philosophy and science increased in prominence. Philosophers were dreaming about a better age without the Christian fundamentalism of...
to the late 1800s
19th century
The 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
Romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
spread philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
through Western societies of the world. The earlier part of this movement overlapped with the Age of Revolutions. The idea of the creative imagination was rising above the idea of reason. Minute elements of nature, such as bugs and pebbles, were considered divine. There were many variations of the perception of nature in these works. Instead of allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
, this era moved towards myths and symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
s. The power of human emotion emerged during this period.
- Manuel José QuintanaManuel José QuintanaManuel José Quintana y Lorenzo , was a Spanish poet and man of letters. He was born at Madrid. After completing his studies at Salamanca he was called to the bar....
- José Zorrilla
- Gustavo Adolfo BécquerGustavo Adolfo BécquerGustavo Adolfo Domínguez Bastida, better known as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, was a Spanish post-romanticist writer of poetry and short stories, now considered one of the most important figures in Spanish literature. He adopted the alias of Bécquer as his brother Valeriano Bécquer, a painter, had...
- Rosalía de CastroRosalía de CastroMaría Rosalía Rita de Castro , was a Galician romanticist writer and poet.Writing in the Galician language, after the Séculos Escuros , she became an important figure of the Galician romantic movement, known today as the Rexurdimento , along with Manuel Curros Enríquez and Eduardo Pondal...
(in GalicianGalician languageGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
and Spanish) - José de EsproncedaJosé de EsproncedaJosé Ignacio Javier Oriol Encarnación de Espronceda y Delgado was a famous Romantic Spanish poet.-Life:Espronceda was born in Almendralejo, at the Province of Badajoz. As a youth, he studied at the Colegio San Mateo at Madrid, having as teacher Alberto Lista...
- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
1898 until 1926
SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
went through drastic changes after the demise of Spain’s colonial empire. French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
inspiration along with Modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
greatly improved the culture of Spain with the works of the Generation of 1898, which were mostly novelists but some were poets.
- Antonio MachadoAntonio MachadoAntonio Cipriano José María y Francisco de Santa Ana Machado y Ruiz, known as Antonio Machado was a Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish literary movement known as the Generation of '98....
- Manuel MachadoManuel Machado y RuizManuel Machado y Ruiz was a Spanish poet and a prominent member of the Generation of 98....
- Ultraism
1927 until 1936
The Generation of 1927 were mostly poets. Many were also involved with the production of music and theatre plays.- Rafael AlbertiRafael AlbertiRafael Alberti Merello was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27....
- Vicente AleixandreVicente AleixandreVicente Pío Marcelino Cirilo Aleixandre y Merlo was a Spanish poet who was born in Seville. Aleixandre was a Nobel Prize laureate for Literature in 1977. He was part of the Generation of '27. He died in Madrid in 1984....
- Dámaso AlonsoDámaso AlonsoDámaso Alonso y Fernández de las Redondas was a Spanish poet, philologist and literary critic. Though a member of the Generation of '27, his best-known work dates from the 1940s onwards. -Early life and education:...
- Luis CernudaLuis CernudaLuis Cernuda , was a Spanish poet and literary critic.-Life and career:...
- Manuel de FallaManuel de FallaManuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....
; influential on poets, for his vision of Moorish Spain - Juan Ramón JiménezJuan Ramón JiménezJuan Ramón Jiménez Mantecón was a Spanish poet, a prolific writer who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956. One of Jiménez's most important contributions to modern poetry was his advocacy of the French concept of "pure poetry."-Biography:Jiménez was born in Moguer, near Huelva, in...
- Federico García LorcaFederico García LorcaFederico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
- Jorge GuillenJorge GuillénJorge Guillén y Álvarez was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27.-Biography:Jorge Guillén was born in Valladolid. His life paralleled that of his friend Pedro Salinas, whom he succeeded as a Spanish teaching assistant at the Collège de Sorbonne in the University of Paris from 1917 to...
- Emilio PradosEmilio PradosEmilio Prados was a Spanish poet and editor, a member of the Generation of '27.-Life:Born in the Andalusian city of Málaga in 1899, Prados was offered a place at Madrid's famous Residencia de estudiantes in 1914 and moved into its university section in 1918...
- Pedro SalinasPedro SalinasPedro Salinas y Serrano was a Spanish poet and member of the Generation of '27. He was also a scholar and critic of Spanish literature, teaching at universities in Spain, England, and the United States....
1939 until 1975
Poets during the World War II and under General Franco in peacetime:- Juan Ramón JiménezJuan Ramón JiménezJuan Ramón Jiménez Mantecón was a Spanish poet, a prolific writer who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956. One of Jiménez's most important contributions to modern poetry was his advocacy of the French concept of "pure poetry."-Biography:Jiménez was born in Moguer, near Huelva, in...
received the Nobel Prize in Literature 1956, "For his lyrical poetry, which in Spanish language constitutes an example of high spirit and artistical purity". Was the last survivor of Generation of 1898. During the mid 1900s works steadily moved back to literary and political aspects. - Luis BuñuelLuis BuñuelLuis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
- Ángel CrespoÁngel CrespoÁngel Crespo was born in 1926 in Alcolea de Calatrava, Province of Ciudad Real and died in 1995 in Barcelona. He was one of Spain's most significant poets and translators of the second half of the twentieth century....
- Jaime Gil de BiedmaJaime Gil de BiedmaJaime Gil de Biedma y Alba was a Spanish post-Civil War poet.He was born in Nava de la Asunción on November 13, 1929. He stopped writing poetry some ten years before his death...
- Carlos Edmundo de OryCarlos Edmundo de OryCarlos Edmundo de Ory was born in the Spanish city of Cadiz, was a Spanish avant-garde poet.Ory was fundamental in modernizing post-Spanish Civil War poetry by creating work that engaged major twentieth-century European avant-gardes such as Futurism, Dadaism, and Surrealism...
- León FelipeLeón FelipeLeón Felipe Camino Galicia was a Spanish poet.Felipe was born in Tábara, Zamora, Spain, while his parents were on travel. His father was a notary public, and consequently very well off. His family established in Santander. Later on, Felipe would study pharmacy and start a business as a...
- Ángel González Muñiz
- Miguel HernándezMiguel HernándezMiguel Hernández Gilabert was a 20th century Spanish poet and playwright.-Biography:Hernández was born in Orihuela, in the Valencian Community, to a poor family and received little formal education; he published his first book of poetry at 23, and gained considerable fame before his death...
- José HierroJosé HierroJosé Hierro del Real , sometimes colloquially called Pepe Hierro, was a Spanish poet. He belongs to the so-called postwar generation, within the rootless and existential poetry streams. He wrote for both Espadaña and Garcilaso magazines...
- Lluis LlachLluís LlachLluís Llach i Grande is a Catalan composer and songwriter.Though partially dependent on arrangers, like Manel Camp or Carles Cases in his early works, Llach's songwriting has largely evolved from the more basic early compositions to a vastly more complex harmonic and melodic writing...
- Leopoldo PaneroLeopoldo PaneroLeopoldo Panero, Spanish poet born in Astorga in 1909 and deceased in 1962. Member of the Generation of 27, wrote intimate poems of religious and conservative character...
- José María PemánJosé María PemánJosé María Pemán y Pemartín, KOGF was a Spanish journalist, poet, novelist, essayist, and right-wing intellectual....
1975 until present
These works became experimental, using themes, styles and characteristics of traditional poetry throughout Spain’s time and combining them with current movements. Some poets remain more traditional, while others more contemporary.Post-Franco and Contemporary Spanish Poets:
- Blanca AndreuBlanca Andreu-Life:She grew up in Orihuela, where her family still resides, and attended El Colegio de Jesus-Maria de San Agustin, followed by studies in philology in Murcia. At age 20, she moved to Madrid without formally completing her education...
- María Victoria Atencia
- Felipe Benítez Reyes
- Carlos BousoñoCarlos BousoñoCarlos Bousoño is a Spanish poet and literary critic. His work is frequently associated with the post-Spanish Civil War literary group.-Biography:...
- Giannina BraschiGiannina BraschiGiannina Braschi is a Puerto Rican writer. She is credited with writing the first Spanglish novel YO-YO BOING! and the poetry trilogy Empire of Dreams , which chronicles the Latin American immigrant's experiences in the United States...
- Francisco Brines
- José María Caballero Bonald
- Matilde CamusMatilde CamusMatilde Camus is a Spanish poet who has written research works. She was born in Santander, Cantabria.-Research Works:*Vicenta García Miranda, una poetisa extremeña ....
- Antonio Colinas
- Aurora de AlbornozAurora de AlbornozAurora de Albornoz was born in Luarca, Asturias, Spain. As a youth, she lived in Luarca with her parents, sister, and extended family, throughout the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939— an event that inspired her later poetry.- Early life :Her family was a noted family of poets and...
- Luis Alberto de Cuenca
- Francisco DomeneFrancisco DomeneFrancisco Domene is a Spanish writer, narrator, novelist, and poet. He was born in Caniles , .- Bibliography:Francisco Domene is probably one of the most personal poets of contemporary Spanish literature...
- Gloria Fuertes
- Vicente Gallego
- Antonio GamonedaAntonio GamonedaAntonio Gamoneda is a Spanish poet, winner of the Cervantes Prize in 2006.- Biography :Antonio Gamoneda was born in Oviedo, Asturias, on May 30, 1931. His father, named Antonio, was a modernist poet who published only one book, Otra más alta vida in 1919. In 1934, already an orphan, he moved with...
- Enrique García-MáiquezEnrique García-MáiquezEnrique García-Máiquez is a Spanish poet: so far he has published four poetry books. He also writes essays, articles on literary criticism and newspaper columns...
- José Agustín GoytisoloJosé Agustín GoytisoloJosé Agustín Goytisolo Gay, , was a Spanish poet, scholar and essayist. He was the brother of Juan Goytisolo and Luis Goytisolo, also writers.- Biography :...
- Diego Jesús Jiménez
- Chantal MaillardChantal MaillardChantal Maillard is a Belgian writer who lives in Málaga and Barcelona.She was born in Brussels and moved to Málaga in 1963 and she received Spanish nationality in 1968....
- Antonio Martínez SarriónAntonio Martínez SarriónAntonio Martínez Sarrión, poet and translator, born in Albacete in 1939.-Biography:Studied bachelor in Albacete and licensed in Law in the Universidad de Murcia in 1961. In 1963 he moved to Madrid, where he works as a government employee in the Central Administration...
- Carlos Marzal
- Bruno Mesa
- Juan Carlos Mestre
- Luis García Montero
- Luis Javier Moreno
- Lorenzo Oliván
- Salome OrtegaSalome OrtegaSalomé Ortega Martínez was born in the province of Granada, Spain, in Campo Camara. She and her family moved to Madrid in 1965. Despite her short time living in Granada, the summers she spent there left indelible memories that she recounts in her third book, La Sabia Insinuacion de las Cosas and...
- Leopoldo María PaneroLeopoldo María PaneroLeopoldo María Panero , is a Spanish poet, commonly placed in the Novísimos group.Panero is the archetype of a decadence as much cultivated as repudiated, but that decadence has not stopped him from being the first member of his generation in being incorporated to the classic Spanish editorial...
- Francisco Pino
- Juan Vicente Nuevo Piqueras
- Claudio Rodríguez
- Ángel Rupérez
- Jaime Siles
- Jenaro Talens
- Andrés Trapiello
- José Miguel Ullán
- José Ángel Valente
- Álvaro Valverde
- Luis Antonio de Villena
- Luisa CastroLuisa CastroLuisa Castro is a Spanish poet and writer in Galician and Castilian. She has lived in Barcelona, New York, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela. She collaborates with articles in Galician press....
- Isla Correyero
- Clara JanésClara JanésClara Janés Nadal, born in Barcelona , is a Spanish poet, writer and translator. She is regarded as one of the great love poets of contemporary Spanish literature, a designation given her by one of twentieth century Spain's most respected women writers, Rosa Chacel...
- Ana Rossetti
- Rafael Pérez Estrada
See also
- List of Spanish language poets
- Latin American poetryLatin American poetryLatin American poetry is the poetry of Latin America, mostly but not entirely written in Spanish or Portuguese. The unification of Indigenous and Spanish cultures produced a unique and extraordinary body of literature in Spanish America...
- Arabic poetryArabic poetryArabic poetry is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that. Arabic poetry is categorized into two main types, rhymed, or measured, and prose, with the former greatly preceding the latter...
- List of Catalan language poets
Further reading
- D. Gareth Walters. The Cambridge Introduction to Spanish Poetry: Spain & Spanish America. (2002).
- Linda Fish Compton. Andalusian Lyric poetry and Old Spanish Love Songs (1976) (includes translations of some of the medieval anthology of love poems, compiled by Ibn Sana al-Mulk, the Dar al-tiraz).
- Emilio Garcia Gomez. (Ed.) In Praise of Boys: Moorish Poems from Al-Andalus (1975).
- Paul Halsall has a bibliography online, listing journal articles in English on medieval poetry in Spain.
- Carmi, T. (Ed.) The Penguin Book of Hebrew Verse. New York: Penguin Books (1981). ISBN 0-14-042197-1 (includes translations of Judah Al-Harizi, Nahmanides, Todros Abulafia and other Jewish poets from Spain).
- A. Robert Lauer, University of Oklahoma, on Spanish Metrification: the common structures of Spanish verse