Literature and Poetry

Early literature in Spain

The history of literature in the Spanish language is a relatively short one; however, when the Muslims ruled Spain literature flourished in the Arabic and Hebrew languages. It was only after the Christian conquest of Spain that literature in the Spanish language began to develop.

Literature in Spain first started to develop seriously under the rule of King Alfonso X of Spain who championed and encouraged the development of literature in Spain. Perhaps the most famous and enduring example of literature to come out of Spain is the story of El Cid which was written around this time.

Poetic literature in Spain

Possibly the most celebrated name in poetic literature in Spain arises in the 16th century. This was a time of great cultural development in Spain and Europe and saw advances in Spanish art. Luis de Gongora was a famous master poet whose literature was popular in Spain around the time he lived. His literature is said to be very sensuous with much of his playful words alluding to physical pleasures.

Theatrical literature in Spain

Theatrical literature developed greatly in Spain during the 16th century. The most famous Spanish playwright of the middle ages in Spain was Lope de Vega whose literature was prolific and is still read in Spain today. His vast corpus of literature is said to number around 800; however, of these, only 300 still survive today. Among the themes explored in his literature was the contemporary political situation in Spain.

Narrative literature in Spain

The novel was a relatively under developed part of literature in Spain until quite recently. Towards the end of the 19th century a master of literature by the name of Benito Perez lived and worked. He is widely regarded to this day to be the best novelist that ever lived in the history of Spain. Much of his literature focuses on providing critiques of Society in Spain through following the lives of the protagonists in his novels.

Modern literature in Spain

Literature in Spain suffered greatly during the 20th century. The dearth in 20th century Spanish literature can be attributed largely to the Spanish civil war followed by four decades of dictatorship in Spain under the rule of General Franco. One leading light in the world of literature in Spain was Camilo Jose Cela who won a Nobel Prize for literature for his novels and died in 2002.

Famous Spanish Poems: Catalan & Galician

Spain is a country with immense cultural contributions to the world in the fields of art architecture and literature. While there have been several famous Spanish poets whose poems have become immortalized over the centuries it is important to note that Spain has never been a culturally or linguistically homogeneous country. There are in fact two distinct languages used in Spanish poems; Catalan & Galician. While the majority of famous Spanish poems have been written in Galician, Catalan still represents a vibrant cultural communitywith interesting poems that are still classified as Spanish.

Famous Spanish Poems & Poets

Spanish poet Garcia Lorca was a gifted artist and a member of the 'Generation of 1927', a group of writers who promoted avant-gard literaturec and poems. Through recitals of his Spanish poetry García Lorca became famous even before the publication of his first book of poems. As a writer García Lorca made his first appearance with 'Libro De Poemas' (1921), a collection of Spanish poems.

By 1928, with the publication of Rimer Romancero Gitano he became the most famous of all Spanish poets, and leading member of the 'Generation of 27', which included Jorge Guillen, Pedro Salinas, Rafael Alberti and Luis Cernuda.

After the death of his friend, a bullfighter, García Lorca wrote lament for the Death of a Bullfighter(1935), which has been proclaimed by the majority of critics as his most famous Spanish poem. The work is divided into four parts, whose individual motifs are weaved together. The figure of one man facing death in the bullring articulated the author's tragic sense of death.

Famous Spanish Poems

Francisco Gómez de Quevedo y Santibáñez Villegas was a politician and writer of Spanish poems during the Golden Age. Along with his enduring competitor, Luis de Góngora, Quevedo was one of the most famous Spanish poets of the period. His style of poems is exemplified by what was called conceptismo.

Quevedo wrote a large number of famous Spanish poems. His poems, which were not published as a complete book while he was still alive, display a vision of man that is sometimes deformed by a cruel and violent nature. Despite his satirical poems, Quevedo was primarily a serious Spanish poet who could write tender and popular love poems.

Garcia Lorca's poem: 

EVILLANAS DEL SIGLO XVIII

1

¡Viva Sevilla!
Llevan las sevillanas
en la mantilla
un letrero que dice:
¡Viva Sevilla!

¡Viva Triana!
¡Vivan los trianeros,
los de Triana!
¡Vivan los sevillanos
y sevillanas!

2

Lo traigo andado.
La Macarena y todo
lo traigo andado.

Lo traigo andado;
cara como la tuya
no la he encontrado.
La Macarena y todo
lo traigo andado.

3

Ay río de Sevilla,
qué bien pareces
lleno de velas blancas
y ramas verdes.

and translated into english..

EVILLANAS XVIII CENTURY

1
Viva Sevilla!
They Sevillanas
in the blanket
a sign that reads:
Viva Sevilla!
Triana Viva!
Long live the Triana,
the de Triana!
Vivan los Seville
and Seville!

2

I bring it went.
La Macarena and all
I bring it went.
I bring walked;
face like yours
I have not found.
La Macarena and all
I bring it went.

3

Ay river in Seville
look how well
filled with white candles
and green branches.