Exactly solvable models and spontaneous symmetry breaking

We study a few two-dimensional models with massive and massless fermions in the hamiltonian framework and in both conventional and light-front forms of field theory. The new ingredient is a modification of the canonical procedure by taking into account solutions of the operator field equations. After summarizing the main results for the derivative-coupling and the Thirring models, we briefly compare conventional and light-front versions of the Federbush model including the massive current bosonization and a Bogoliubov transformation to diagonalize the Hamiltonian. Then we sketch an extension of our hamiltonian approach to the two-dimensional Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model and the Thirring--Wess models. Finally, we discuss the Schwinger model in a covariant gauge. In particular, we point out that the solution due to Lowenstein and Swieca implies the physical vacuum in terms of a coherent state of massive scalar field and suggest a new formulation of the model's vacuum degeneracy.