Spanish literature

Author: Dong Yansheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-10-01
Features: This book uses the metaphor of an endless river to vividly outline the panorama of the evolution and development of Spanish literature. In the 10th century, the precursor of modern Spanish had already emerged from popular Latin, forming a branch of Romance words. As a carrier, oral narrative art simultaneously emerged in various regions of the Iberian Peninsula, like the gushing source of a mighty river. Between 1120 and 1140, the long epic "Cantar de Mio Cid" was edited and published, marking the beginning of scholars using Romance words to engage in literary creation. Their activities were like a cheerful, bubbling brook, constantly sparkling with brilliant waves. Among them, the most dazzling were the translation of ancient classics led by the wise King Alfonso X, the "Cantos de Amor" by the monk Itagoras, the story collection "Conde Lucanor" by Juan Manuel, and the pinnacle work of the time, "La Loba" by Fernando de Rojas. By then, Spanish literature had already formed a surging river, advancing into its most fertile and glorious tributary—the Golden Age. Thus, humanity was blessed with Cervantes, immortalized for his timeless masterpiece "Don Quixote," with the Baroque masters Gongora and Quevedo, who could mold language at will, and with Lope de Vega, the genius from heaven, the father of Spanish national drama. However, after a period of roaring surges, the river grew weary. It flowed silently, meandering along while quietly absorbing the nourishment from its banks, preparing to regain its former vigor. Indeed, with the end of the silent Neoclassicism, ripples once again rose on the river's surface. Romanticism, Realism, and Modernism vied for prominence, and Spanish literature, in the turbulent waves, sought and explored. Despite the devastation of war and tyranny, it remained unyielding, like a vast, rolling forward toward the eternal flow of history.