Literature in Spain since 1700 (251-0-1)

Instructors

Miguel Caballero

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-420: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This survey course examines the literature in Spain since the eighteenth to the twenty-first century with a focus on poetry. The study of poetry allows to develop an intimate relation with the language, its grammatical constructions, its meaning-making, and its sound patterns in a creative way. We will identify key literary movements (neoclassicism, Romanticism, realism, modernism, avant-garde, existentialism, and others) and explore canonic and non-canonic authors. We will also explore the parallel socio-political and economic transformations, including the emergence of the construction of a liberal state, the persistence of authoritarianism, colonial and decolonial processes, war and exile, and the integration in the European Union. Students will embark in a poetic journey through the history of modern Spain, will streghen their command of Spanish by looking closely into poetic language. Furthermore, they will explore different methodologies of literary analysis and the technicality of building a poem. Prerequisite: SPANISH 200-0 or SPANISH 204-0 (may be taken concurrently), OR have an AP score of 5 for heritage students, OR an AP of 5 in both the Spanish Language and Literature exams for non-heritage students, OR sufficient score on the Spanish Language Placement Exam.

Learning Objectives

1) Learn the literary history of Spain through poetry, from the 18th century to the present through the study of literary theory and close reading practices.
2) Engage with scholarship describing the historical and contemporary structures, processes, human-environment relationships, and practices that shape literature in Spain.
3) Gain awareness of the social, political, and cultural factors influencing, and being influenced by, literary expression, the relations between the writer, the state, and the public, and the potentials of literature to challenge or affirm social and cultural norms. We will explore issues including nationality, cultural identity, empire, colonialism, migration, war, democracy, education, and travel.
4) Explore how literature reveals cultural differences and continuities, serving as both an instrument of power and an instrument of emancipation.
5) Learn how to question traditional taxonomies and the construction of literary canons and counter-canons.
6) Produce persuasive interpretations of literary texts through class participation and writing assignments.
7) Improve their writing skills in Spanish.
8) Improve their spoken Spanish.
9) Improve their listening skills in Spanish.
10) Improve their reading skills in Spanish.

Class Materials (Required)

All course materials will be provided on Canvas.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
SoC Humanities and Fine Arts Distro

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre/Co: SPANISH 200-0 or 204-0 (may be taken concurrently), OR have an AP score of 5 for heritage students, OR an AP of 5 in both the Spanish Language and Literature exams for non-heritage students, OR sufficient Spanish Language Placement Exam score.