The campus map in chapter 2 has three streets names after people that I will bring up in the blog at some point this semester. While the main focus of the blog is Latin America, Miguel de Cervantes is one of the best known Spanish novelists from the golden era of Spanish literature.
He was born in 1547, served in the military, and was a tax collector. When his books did not add up in the latter job, he was sent to prison for three years. In the former job, he was wounded and lost use of his left arm. There are different accounts of his life, and some are more interesting than others: he left Spain to go to Italy possibly after winning a duel, or wanting to avoid prison again, or simply to be exposed to the world. Either way, records from those days are incomplete but it is known that he moved around a bit.
His biggest bodies of work are the Novelas Ejemplares and El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha. The Novelas Ejemplares are a series of very short novels where he explored different styles of writing, one for each novel, published in 1613. Don Quijote was published in two parts, one in 1605 and the second in 1615. Readers had given Cervantes feedback after the first part of the Quijote, and he took it into account when he wrote the second part. This novel is considered one of the masterpieces of Western literature, and one of the earliest novels.
Cervantes passed away on April 23, 1616 - by coincidence, the same day Shakespeare did.
Here is a link to his wikipedia page if you want more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Cervantes. There is also a picture of him on the page.
First of all, tell me if you had ever heard of Cervantes and/or of El Quijote. How did you hear of him and what episodes of the novel did you know of? If not, just tell me that too.
Second - answer only one of these questions. A number of the questions can be repeated with different info...do not use info that others have posted. Keep in mind this post focuses on Spain only, not Latin America.
1.- When was the golden era of Spanish Literature? Why is it called that?
2.- Find one play from that era, and tell a little about the author and the play - 6 or 7 sentences. Do not cut and paste, but use your own words.
3.- How many Nobel prizes in literature have been won by Spanish authors? Obviously these are MUCH later!
4.- Discuss one Nobel Prize winning author and summarize one of his or her books very briefly.
5.- Another well-known period in Spanish Literature is the Generacion del 98. Explain what traits this group had.
I first heard of Miguel de Cervantes in my 7th grade Spanish class around 11 years ago. I have fond memories of his book,Don Quixote, which we read in English and recall vividly his quest to woo his lady Dulcinea. The scene where he charges a windmill believing it is a Giant is particularly memorable. I also recall an episode in which Don Quixote attempts to help set a young boy free who had been tied up for asking for wages from his superior. It was sad and amusing to learn that the boy was just beaten again as soon as our hero had vacated the premises.
ReplyDelete3. There have been 5 Nobel prizes in literature awarded to Spanish Authors.
1. José Echegaray, Literature, 1904
2. Jacinto Benavente, Literature, 1922
3. Juan Ramón Jiménez, Literature, 1956
4. Vicente Aleixandre, Literature, 1977
5. Camilo José Cela, Literature, 1989
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_by_country
I hate to admit, I have never read Don Quixote. The work still resonates through my life however; as I am quite aware of the influence Cervantes has had on academic as well as a global culture. If ever asked to describe the happenings of Don Quixote; I am sure I could do a tolerable job.
ReplyDelete1- The Golden age of Spanish literature began around the 15th century and came to an end at about the 17th century. It began shorty after the age of reconquest; when explores such as Christopher Columbus returned trailed with an influx of foreign goods. The rulers of the current dynasty, Hasburg, stimulated the art and literature community with large donations, ushering in this golden era.
-Chris S
Chris - Most people have never read Don Quijote! The whole novel was published in two parts, and each part is long.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this blog, i came accross to realize that i cannot
ReplyDeleterecall who Miguel de Cervantes is or have never heard his name, though
he does sound like a very intelligent, respectful role model in
writing.
A nobel Prize winning book that i would like to discuss is "Arabian
Nights and Days". This book is about a fairy tale and anyone who has
questioned the quote " They lived happily ever after" and this book
begins after the Thousand and First night. This book also has to do
with genies.
Angelo C (Spn 101)
I have never heard of Miguel De Cervantes or maybe i cant remember but i dont recall ever hearing of him.
ReplyDeleteGeneracion del . 98 was a group of novelists,poets,essayists and philosophers in spain. They were known to be the critics of spanish literacy. They had characteristics as ignorant and lack of any true spirit. They would bring back traditional and lost words. -Nadine C
I've heard of Miguel De Cervantes...A lot. I've heard of him as a young girl mostly from my parents, mainy because my mom was a literature teacher in The Dominican Republic. At a young age she made me and my brothers read his Master piece (As my Mother would say), El ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quiojte De La Mancha. Although i don't remember much, because I was younger I know that his books were good, and an influence on Spanish literature, and also that they were really really long.
ReplyDeleteThe golden Age of Spanish Literature is said to not really have a starting DATE, but that it took place sometime no earlier then the reconquest, the voyages of Christopher Cloumbus to the new world, and with the publication of Antonio de Nebrija's grammar of the Castillian language.
I think that this era is called the Golden Age of Spanish Literature, because this is when great books like Don Quiojte, and Lope De vega were created. This was an age of great literature, that was more in depth with the world and mystical worlds as well.
-Michelle V.
No I have not heard of Cervantes or of El Quijote.
ReplyDeleteCamilo José Cela won a Nobel Prize for literature in 1989. He was born in 1916 and died in 2002. Cela attended the university of Madrid and also fought in the Spanish Civil War. One of Cela's was The Family of Pascual Duarte written in 1942 about which was about a person waiting to be executed. The book was banned but later aloud in 1946.
Spencer B.
Never heard of Cervantes before, but I've heard of El Quijote (I've seen it as "Don Quixote" and never knew until now how to pronounce it) and vainly aspired to read it one day (it was in the B&N Classics aisle in B&N and I was being ridiculous- I'm a horrible, unmotivated reader).
ReplyDeleteGolden Age/Era occured in between the 16th-17th century, and the epic discoveries that took place in Columbus's discovery of Hispanola in 1492, as well as paintings and books written, made these skills occuring in the age "Golden", I think.
- AJ
I had briefly heard of Don Quijote in high school but not about its author, Miguel de Cervantes.
ReplyDeleteCamilo José Cela was a Spanish writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1989. He wrote many books that represented the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Cela's first novel The Family of Pascal Duarte (1942) contained a lot of violent content that didn't sit well with many. The violence and negative views on society didn't improve in future books. In Pascal Duarte's prison memoirs, a soul mate of Albert Camus's Mersault awaits execution for the murder of his mother. Pascal Duarte is a victim of a destructive social environment which was supposed to respresent the reality of rural Spain. The book banned for a while but was eventually published in 1946.
-Kim Lamiroult
I have not read El Quijote but I remember in 7th grade Spanish that we watched the movie. I do not really remember the movie but that has been my only run-in with El Quijote. As for Miquel de Cervantes I had not heard of him anywhere.
ReplyDeleteJuan Ramon Jiminez won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956. He is from Spain but died in Puerto Rico in 1958. He was a professor at the University of Maryland and unfortunately had many bouts with depression. His main focus in literature was poetry and one of his most famous works was Platero y Yo, which was a narrative poetry about the life and death of a donkey, Platero. This was a book that was both popular with children because of the imagination that it delivered and adults because of the intelligence of the writing and the underlying meanings that were in the text. The final printing of the book had 190 chapters.
-Chris Hopkins
I have never heard of El Quijote or Miguel de Cervantes before reading this passage, butI did find them both very interesting. The golden era in Spain started in 1492 with the end of the Reconquista and ends politically in the year 1659.
ReplyDelete- John Carroll
I heard of Don Quixote and Miguel Cervantes around 7th or 8th grade when we were taught about Cervantes and also a lil about Don Quixote. I also remember reading a few passages from Don Quixote in my 11th grade spanish class.
ReplyDeleteThe golden age of spanish liturature was a period of time in Spain where the arts and literature flourished. It is said to begin around 1492 with the Reconquista. In 1681 when Pedro Calderon de la Barca died, the golden age is said to have ended.
-Andrew W
I have never heard of Cervantes or of El Quijote. Although, after researching both further in detail it seems as though they were extremely influential people.
ReplyDeleteThe Spanish Golden Age period of flourishment was pertaining to arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty. The Golden Age began no earlier than 1492 pertaining to the sea voyages of Christopher Columbus. It is said that it ended no later than 1659, with the Treaty of the Pyrenees, ratified between Spain and France.
Liam
I have never heard of Cervantes or of El Quijote. Although, after researching both further in detail it seems as though they were extremely influential people.
ReplyDeleteThe Spanish Golden Age period of flourishment was pertaining to arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty. The Golden Age began no earlier than 1492 pertaining to the sea voyages of Christopher Columbus. It is said that it ended no later than 1659, with the Treaty of the Pyrenees, ratified between Spain and France.
Liam
I have never heard of Cervantes before but I have heard of the name El Quijote from my dad and from the local Mexican restaurant by me. I have never heard of Generacion del 98 either until I did some research. Also called the Generation of 1898, this Spanish period held some of the great novelists, poets and philosophers of Spain at that time. This was during the Spanish American war and they had just lost Cuba , Puerto Rico and the Philippines after defeat. In Raymond Carr’s work of 1808-1900 he defines the Generation of 98 as the “group of creative writers who were born in the seventies, whose major works fall in the two decades after 1898. They criticized Spanish literature and educational establishments to try and better the world for the generations to come. Leo S. (sp101)
ReplyDelete