Spanish Romantic Literary Theory And Criticism

by Derek Flitter

• ISBN13: 9780521025614
• ISBN10: 0521025613
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-20
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This study provides a fresh assessment of Spanish Romanticism through a sympathetic appraisal of its literary theory and criticism. It identifies the origins of Spanish Romantic thought in the theories of German Romantic thinkers, in particular Herder's historicism. The range of reference, from the articles of Bohl von Faber to the judgements made by Canete and Valera is counterpointed by the detail of close readings of books and articles published between 1834 and 1844, together with an examination of the ideas which informed the creative work of Fernan Caballero. Derek Flitter's use of the history of ideas offers a corrective to the recent preponderance of political approaches to Spanish Romanticism, countering their stress on its radical and liberal associations with a detailed demonstration that the majority of Spanish Romantic writers derived their inspiration from restorative, traditionalist and Christian elements in their contemporaries' theory and criticism.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Bö

hl von Faber and the establishment of a traditionalist Romanticism

2. The consolidation of Romantic ideas: 1820-1833

3. The exiles, liberal Romanticism and developments in criticism

4. Condemnation and clarification in the literary debate

5. Reaffirmation of Schlegelian principles in literary criticism

6. The religious spirit in literary ideas and the influence of Chateaubriand

7. The perception of literature's role in society

8. Romantic traditionalism in the work of Ferná

n Caballero

9. Conclusions: the mid-century

Notes

Bibliography

Index.