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The Spanish Renaissance: Literature and Key Figures

The Renaissance period profoundly shaped Spanish literature, introducing new forms, themes, and sensibilities, particularly influenced by Italian models.

Key Authors of the Spanish Renaissance

Garcilaso de la Vega (1501–1536)

Garcilaso was the quintessential Renaissance gentleman: noble, gallant, courtly, and military. His poetic works address essential themes of the Renaissance.

• Sonnets: He wrote 40 sonnets, drawing composition from Italian literature. They are almost entirely focused on the theme of love, often inspired by court poetry and songbooks.
• Eclogues: He composed 3 eclogues, characterized by their bucolic (pastoral) nature.

Fray Luis de León (1527–1591)

Born in Belmonte (Cuenca), Fray... Continue reading "Spanish Renaissance Masters: Poetry, Mysticism, and the Picaresque" »

Spanish Golden Age Novels

The Idealistic Novel: The most abundant during the Renaissance, it tells the story of heroes in unrecognizable landscapes and among idealized people.

The Byzantine Novel: Also known as a novel of adventures. It recounts adventures that take place during a typical journey, often involving travel by boat to discover small islands and exotic landscapes. This novel represents a journey where a young protagonist must deal with multiple disabilities and handicaps. Key themes include pirates, storms, islands, and abduction.

The Pastoral Novel: Constitutes a journey where characters travel in search of happiness. Two types of actions are distinguished: one internal and slow, and another made up of stories of past shepherds. The... Continue reading "Spanish Golden Age Novels: Types and Key Examples" »

18th Century Spanish Prose: The Essay

During the first half of the 18th century, the influence of French Neoclassical ideas and the reaction against the Baroque style fostered a literature aimed at renewing Spanish culture and society. The essay was the most appropriate form, especially for Father Feijoo and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos.

Benito Jerónimo Feijoo: A Visionary Thinker

• His work had a clear didactic purpose and a social dimension: it aimed to teach people what he considered the truth and to attack misconceptions and superstition.
• Example: Teatro Crítico Universal.
• His style was clear and precise. He was one of the founders of modern scientific language.

Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos: Reformer and Writer

• Besides being a writer, Jovellanos

Garcilaso de la Vega: A Renaissance Poet

Early Life and Influences

Garcilaso de la Vega, born in Toledo in 1501, was the quintessential Renaissance man, skilled in both arms and letters. He married Doña Elena de Zúñiga. However, his encounter with Isabel Freyre ignited a passionate and inspiring love that would deeply influence his poetry. This love was unrequited, as Isabel married another man and tragically died young in childbirth. Garcilaso's travels to Italy exposed him to the new poetic styles of the time, further shaping his work.

Poetic Evolution

Garcilaso's poetic journey can be divided into three stages:

• Traditional Cancionero Poetry: Initially, Garcilaso cultivated a traditional style of poetry known as "cancionero".
• Petrarchan Influences:

Spanish Golden Age Poets: Themes and Styles

Garcilaso de la Vega

Poetic Themes and Evolution

• Love, often expressed with melancholy and sadness due to frustration or unrequited feelings.
• Connection between love and nature, relating to the locus amoenus theme, reflecting the inner world as a poetic refuge from pain.
• Other themes include friendship, fate, fortune, and the mastery of passions.

Stylistic Development

• Early Petrarchan poems show influence from cancionero lyric and the Valencian poet Ausiàs March, characterized by a more intense and dominant use of traditional lyric resources.
• From 1532, increased contact with Petrarchan poetry led to the incorporation of classical genres like the ode, elegy, epistle, and eclogue into his work.

The Eclogues

Garcilaso'... Continue reading "Spanish Golden Age Poets: Themes, Styles, and Key Works" »

The Generation of '98: Defining the Literary Movement

2.1. Defining the Generation of '98: The Critical Debate

A) Arguments Denying a Separate Generation of '98

Some critics argue for the denial of the existence of a distinct Generation of '98. For these authors, Modernism and '98 would be different manifestations of the same attitude and concern. Key figures in this line include:

• José Martínez Ruiz 'Azorín': In a text from 1913, he characterized the Generation of '98 by:
  • Spirit of protest against the establishment.
  • Deep love of art.
  • Influences of Parnassianism and Symbolism.

  The matter is further complicated when Azorín cites the most important authors of the "Generation" and includes Rubén Darío alongside Unamuno, Baroja, Machado, Maeztu, Valle-

Classical Deities and Attributes

Zeus / Jupiter:

sovereignty over all the universe. Crown, Eagle, ray, scepter.

Poseidon / Neptune:

sovereignty over the waters. Crown, trident, chariot and hippocampus, newts, trident, dolphin.

Hera / Juno:

Queen of Olympus, protector of marriage and parties. Crown, scepter, peacock, pomegranate.

Hades / Pluto:

sovereignty over the subterranean world. Chariot + black horses, ivory throne, scepter, horn of abundance.

Demeter / Ceres:

protector of agriculture. Ear of wheat, sickle, torch.

Athena / Minerva:

protector of intelligence, some arts (philosophy, literature, and crafts) and war (for justice). Helmet, spear, Aegis, armor, owl, olive, winged victory.

Hestia / Vesta:

protector of the family, home, and State. Flame of

Epic Poems and the Mester de Juglaría

Epic poems are medieval narrative works that recount the heroic deeds of a figure representative of a people. They were recited by minstrels (juglares), who were itinerant artists performing poems and songs. These epics belong to the tradition known as the Mester de Juglaría (Minstrelsy).

Key Features of the Mester de Juglaría

• Popular Origin: Created for and by the common people.
• Irregular Meter: Verses do not have a fixed number of syllables.
• Assonance Rhyme: Relies on the repetition of vowel sounds rather than consonant sounds.
• Variable Stanza Length: Composed of an undetermined number of verses.
• Heroic Deeds: Focuses on the great feats of heroes.
• Oral Transmission: Passed down verbally from one minstrel to

Garcilaso's Poetic Legacy

Petrarchan Songbook Organization

Garcilaso's poetic works were modeled on Petrarch's songs. In the fifteenth century, a 'songbook' referred to a collection of poems and songs by various authors. However, in the Petrarchan tradition, a songbook is a collection of poems by a single author, narrating the sentimental or romantic journey of the poet.

Petrarch's Canzoniere is divided into two main parts:

• A collection of poems dedicated to his beloved while she lived.
• A set of poems written in memory of his beloved, once she's dead.

The collection begins with a sonnet serving as a prologue and concludes with another sonnet. In this final sonnet, Petrarch seeks eternal comfort through a prayer to the Virgin Mary.

Garcilaso's work... Continue reading "Garcilaso de la Vega: Poetic Themes, Style, and Petrarchan Influence" »