Rompí, corté, abollé, y dije e hice
más que en el orbe caballero andante;
fui diestro, fui valiente y arrogante,
mil agravios vengué, cien mil deshice.

Hazañas di a la fama que eternice;
fui comedido y regalado amante;
fue enano para mí todo gigante,
y al duelo en cualquier punto satisfice.

Tuve a mis pies postrada la Fortuna
y trajo del copete mi cordura
a la calva ocasión al estricote.

Mas, aunque sobre el cuerno de la luna
siempre se vio encumbrada mi ventura,
tus proezas envidio, ¡oh, gran Quijote!

You can find the poem and translation to English on this site.
https://allpoetry.com/Miguel-de-Cervantes

Time frames of major literary periods you should know.

The Beginnings of Spanish Literature1099 - 1400

 

This was the pre-Renaissance of Spanish literature. Spain was greatly influenced by Italy, hence religious undertones in many works. Most works were passed down through oral story-telling. Lazarillo de Tormes was written during this time, which set off a wave of popularity for the picaresque novel.

Mesteres de Clerecía y Juglaría1300 - 1400

 

The clerecía consists of the oral poems told by trained poets and clerics. These poems were carefully crafted to represent a set rhyme scheme and rhythm. Popular themes included saints and Christianity. The juglaría is the poems written by minstrels; they do not follow a set form, use assonance instead of rhyme, and were recited to uneducated audiences.

 

Much conflict between Spain and Italy during this time spurred new ideas in literature. There were two schools of poetic thought: Salmantine was concise and realistic, and Sevillan was complex and grandiloquent. Much of the literature of the time had to do with Christianity (ordered by the Crown to reaffirm the faith of the country) and romantic thought. Christian apologetics was an important thought in prose. The picaresque novel was popular. Carpe Diem became an important theme.

Baroque1600 - 1700

 

Baroque writing is characterized by pessimism, disillusionment, and worry about passing time. Don Quixote is the most important work of the period.

Enlightenment1700 - 1800

 

The Enlightenment was characterized by a few key thoughts:
Anti-Baroquism fought the ideas of Baroque writing; it focused more on simplicity and satire.
Neo-Classicism was experienced by Spain alongside Italy and France. It was influenced by Greek classics.
Pre-Romanticism began to seek new unhappiness with the tyranny of reason and authority.

Romanticism1800 - 1850

 

Romanticism focused on rebellion against authority but also a return to the Catholic religion. The thought of costumbrismo prominently focused on the lives of common people. Romanticism was replaced by realism.

Realism1850 - 1900

 

Realism focused on familiar conflicts such as marital woes. It was often in defense of a literary thesis of the author. Characters often were psychological studies.

Generation of '981898 - 1938

This period was filled with criticism for the Spanish literary establishment and its conformity. The group of writers and philosophers were young Spanish people born in the 1870s who lived during the Spanish Civil War. They brought back old and lost Spanish words, and they showed support for old Spanish regionalism instead of the Spanish country being supported again by the Restoration movement.

Modernism1900 - 1970

 

Modernism rejected the ideals of realism. Art was now created for art's sake, and everything was heavily embellished and ornate. Characters were grandiose. Symbolism was frequently used.

Generation of '271923 - 1927

 

This generation of avant-garde poets rose over a 4 year period and had their first meeting in 1927. They used a wide variety of styles, but the majority tried to incorporate both traditional Spanish lore and sophisticated European thought into their works.

El Boom1960 - 1967

 

The Boom was a major time period in Latin American literary history. Mixing of languages, crossing of styles, and pushing of traditional Latin American societal norms was frequent. The Boom introduced Latin American literature to the world stage as a serious category.