Spanish literature - Early Spanish Literature and the Middle Ages, Literature from Spanish-speaking countries

The earliest major work in Spanish is the Cantar de Mio Cid (c.1140, Song of my Cid), one of the few popular epics to survive in written form. The 14th-c miscellany Libro de buen amor (The Book of Good Love) by Juan Ruiz is a more self-conscious work; but real sophistication had to await the absorption of classical and Italian influences in the 16th–17th-c. The mystical writings of St Teresa (1515–82) and St John of the Cross (1542–91) sounded a distinctive note, and Garcilaso de la Vega and Luis de León (1527–91) began the long tradition of Spanish love poetry, secular and religious. The Golden Age of Spanish literature (c.1500–c.1680) continues with the satires of Francisco de Quevedo and the numerous plays of Lope de Vega and Pedro Calderón. But the greatest single work is Miguel de Cervantes' complex masterpiece Don Quixote (1605–15), considered the forerunner of the modern European novel and an essential reference point in world fiction. Scientific and political thought occupied the 18th-c. A short-lived Romantic movement much influenced by Byron and Scott gave way to a rich Realist tradition in fiction, the most important writer being Benito Pérez Galdós, with over 80 novels on Spanish life and history. The ‘Generation of '98’, including Pío Baroja and novelist and social critic Miguel de Unamuno provided new perspectives; as did the poets Juan Ramón Jiménez (Nobel Prize, 1956) and Antonio Machado. Two other notable poets fell victims to Franco in the Spanish Civil War, Federico García Lorca and Miguel Hernández (1910–42). The Civil War itself was chronicled in the trilogy Volverás a Región (1967); Una meditación (1969) and Un viaje de invierno (1972) by Juan Benet Goita (1927–93). Among the best-known works written in a new type of realism known as tremendismo are the novels of Camilo José Cela, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1989. Among gifted newcomers to the literary scene is Juan Manuel de Prada (1970– ), who published his novel, Las máscaras del héroe in 1996.

Under Spanish literature we most naturally think of the literature of Spain but Spanish literature may also refer to literature written in the Spanish language. For Spanish American literature specifically, see Latin American literature. Here, in this article we use the most common notion of Spanish literature as the literature of Spain.

Early Spanish Literature and the Middle Ages

Jarchas

It was believed that Spanish literature began with the anonymous epic poem, the Poema del Cid, written around 1140AD. Stern published 24 jarchas, "short lyric poems written in very archaic Spanish," which he had found in a synagogue in Cairo. Stern and Spanish scholar Emilio Garcia Gomez found more jarchas since 1948 and their sum total was over fifty.

Poema del Cid

The Poem del Cid was written about a real man--his battles, conquests, and daily life. The poet, name unknown, wrote the epic in about 1140 and Cid supposedly died forty years before in 1099. This type of verse is known as mester de juglaria (verse form of the minstrels).

Part I is about Ruy Diaz de Vivar, who is called Cid (meaning my Lord) by the Moors. It is discovered that the Infantes (princes) de Carrión, the nephews to the king, are the enemies who caused Cid's exile.

Mester de Juglaría

Medieval Spanish poets recognized this form as one written by the minstrels (juglares) and composed of varying line length and use of assonance instead of rhyme.

Mester de Clerecía

This Castilian narrative poetry became popular in the thirteenth century. Two traits separate this form from the mester de juglaría: didacticism and erudition. Castilian priest and poet Gonzalo de Berceo was one of the greatest followers of the mester de clerecía. All of his works were religious and two of the most well-known are Milagros de Nuestra Señora (about the miracles worked by the Virgin Mary) and Vida de Santa Oria. Fourteenth century poet Juan Ruíz, also known as the Arcipreste de Hita, used the cuadernia vía in parts of his famous work Libro de buen amor.

Spanish Prose

Spanish prose gained popularity in the mid-thirteenth century when King Alfonso X el Sabio of Castilla gave support and recognition to the writing form. He, with the help of his groups of intellectuals, directed the composition of many prose works including Las siete partidas, the first modern book of laws of the land written in the people's language. Another work was La primera crónica general which accounted for the history of Spain from the creation until the end of Alfonso's father's reign, San Fernando. For his direction of these works and many others he directed, Alfonso X is called the father of Spanish prose. His nephew, Don Juan Manuel is famous for his prose work El Conde Lucanor which is a frame story or short stories within an overall story. In this work, the Conde Lucanor seeks advice from his wise counselor, Patronio, who gives the advice through the telling of stories. Juan Manuel also wrote lesser-known works such as El libro de los estados on the social classes and El libro del caballero y escudero on philosophical discussions. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, writer Fernando del Pulgar (1436-1490?) created a new type of prose named the verbal portrait. This form is demonstrated by Pulgar's work Claros varones de Castilla in which he represents the detailed lives of twenty-four distinguished contemporaries.

Lyric Poetry of the Middle Ages

Lyric poetry in the Middle Ages can be divided into three groups: the jarchas, the popular poems originating from folk-songs sung by commoners, and the courtly poetry of the nobles. Alfonso X el Sabio fits into the third group with his series of three hundred poems, written in Galician: Las cantigas de Santa María. Another poet, Juan Ruíz, or the Arcipreste de Hita is an outstanding lyricist of the fourteenth century. His only work, Libro de buen amor is a framework tale in which he includes translations from Ovid, satires, little poems called serranillas, twenty-nine fables, a sermon on Christian armor, and many lyric poems that praise the Virgin Mary. Poet Íñigo López de Mendoza, the Marqués de Santillana (1398-1458) begins to show the movement away from the traditions of the Middle Ages. Mendoza was also the first to introduce the sonnet into Spanish literature. He is famous for his work which laments the death of his father, Coplas que hizo por la muerte de su padre.

Siglo de oro Picaresque novel Lazarillo de Tormes Alonso de Ercilla La Araucana Miguel de Cervantes Don Quixote The classical Spanish theater Gil Vicente Lope de Vega Pedro Calderon de la Barca Tirso de Molina The Eighteenth Century Benito Jeronimo Feijoo Jose Cadalso Generation of '98 Miguel de Unamuno Antonio Machado Ramón del Valle-Inclán Azorín Pío Baroja Ramón Pérez de Ayala Generation of '27 Rafael Alberti Vicente Aleixandre Dámaso Alonso Manuel Altolaguirre Luis Cernuda Gerardo Diego Federico García Lorca El maleficio de la mariposa Mariana Pineda La zapatera prodigiosa Amor de Don Perlimpín con Belisa en su jardín Bodas de sangre Yerma Doña Rosita la soltera Retablillo de Don Cristóbal Los títeres de Cachiporra Así que pasen cinco años La casa de Bernarda Alba El público Comedia sin título Jorge Guillén Emilio Prados Pedro Salinas Agustín Díaz Pacheco

Literature from Spanish-speaking countries

Latin America novel boom Literature of Puerto Rico Mexican literature List of Spanish language authors List of Spanish language poets Catalan literature List of Asturian language authors

It may include Spanish poetry, prose and novels. The Premio Cervantes is awarded to honour the career of a writer in the Spanish language.

One of the features of recent Latin American writing has been magic realism.