Brief description
This module looks in depth at three major Spanish poets of the twentieth century. Emphasis is placed on developing close-reading skills and an awareness of key aspects of modern European thought. All three poets, though intensely Spanish, offer vital perspectives on modern ideas: Pedro Salinas, Spain's greatest love poet since Becquer, with his deceptively simple technique, but whose work probes challenging metaphysical issues; Lorca, at his most avant-garde in New York, where he experiments with Freudian free association in an attempt to understand his enigmative self; Jorge Guillen, a vitalist who celebrates the joy of existence in a Whitmanesque and phenomenonological way that owes much to Ortega. All three poets share the conviction that poetry is the medium in which to probe important issues, notably that of self and reality.

Syllabus:

Weeks 1-4 Jorge Guillen, Cantico
5-8 Pedro Salinas, La voz a to debida
9-12 Garcia Lorca, Poeta en Nueva York

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students should have:

1) a sound knowledge of three poets of the 1927 Generation in Spain
2) a good knowledge of how to apply close reading skills