San Juan de la Cruz: Mystical Poetry and the Spanish Renaissance
San Juan de la Cruz and Mystical Poetry
San Juan de la Cruz was a Carmelite friar who pushed for the reform of his order. He promoted a new way of understanding faith, based on a life of solitude, austerity and contemplation, which led to his imprisonment. In his work, poetry shows the influence of medieval religious literature and the Renaissance, especially the Song of Songs.
Themes
The main theme is the communication of mystical experience, the enamoration of the soul, and the approach and union with God. Within this, there is a love that takes the lover out of himself, supported by a long tradition of symbolism.
Style
The lyric, the poetry of love that allows the poet to communicate his spiritual experience, is the most important form. Its expression...