Alonso de Ercilla's La Araucana: Defining the Spanish Renaissance Epic

The Epic Genre: Definition and Characteristics

Epic poetry (or Épica), as a literary genre, consists of poems in verse whose central theme is extraordinary and heroic action, often featuring mythical, historical, legendary, or fictitious characters.

Synonyms and Core Concepts

• Epic: Long narrative poems focusing on heroic deeds, war activities, and significant historical characters.

Comparison: Chronicle vs. Epic Poetry

• Focus:
  • Chronicle: Recounts factual events, particularly the discovery and conquest of America.
  • Epic: Focuses on extraordinary and heroic deeds, belonging to its own literary (artistic) genre.
• Form:
  • Chronicle: Written in prose.
  • Epic: Written in verse (poetry).
• Subject Matter:
  • Chronicle: Relates important facts of discovery and conquest.
  • Epic: Centers on the extraordinary and the heroic.
• Characters:
  • Chronicle: Features various characters (often historical figures).
  • Epic: Features actors of extraordinary and heroic deeds.

Alonso de Ercilla's La Araucana

La Araucana introduces the epic tradition to America. Key details about its publication and creation:

• Publication History: The work was published in three parts: the first part (15 cantos) appeared in 1569; the second part in 1578; and the final part in 1589.
• Composition: Ercilla documented parts of the poem directly on the battlefield or during nighttime rests, reportedly using scraps of leather for writing material.
• Literary Merit: "His real merit is not in its veracity, but the conviction in his voice that inspires."
• Significance: Considered the foundational text of Chilean and Hispanic epic language.

Author's Purpose and Renaissance Context

The author's primary purpose was to leave a remarkable memory of feats of arms and to exalt the victors. However, Ercilla also weighed the merits of the enemy to elevate the victor, utilizing an epic resource common during the Renaissance.

Image of the Araucanian People

Ercilla portrays the Araucanian people with complex characteristics:

• Profound love of the land and valor.
• Ability to endure suffering.
• Arrogance in the face of death (muerte).
• Cruelty (as perceived by the Spanish).

Relationship to the Epic Tradition

The poem relates to the epic tradition by exalting the physical strength and endurance of the indigenous people, emphasizing exotic and picturesque elements. Notably, the work sometimes includes the author's personal confessions.

It is important to note that the organization of the work does not strictly reflect the chronological order of the poem's creation.

Literary Features of La Araucana

The first part of the poem provides detailed information regarding the campaign into Chile.

Structure and Meter

The poem is written in stanzas of eight lines (known as octava real or Royal Octave). The rhyme scheme is alternate, with the last two verses forming a couplet (A B A B A B C C). Ercilla established the octava real as the standard meter for the Spanish epic poem, utilizing the hendecasyllable (eleven syllables).

Themes and Style

The primary themes defined by the octava real include historical and epic excitement, love episodes, and a notable contrast between war and love. The narrative incorporates stories featuring historical, legendary, and mythological characters.

While the influence of Renaissance culture might be less extensive than sometimes supposed, the literary value concerning the invocation of Arauco lies in its aesthetic freedom.

Ercilla's Poetic Virtues

Ercilla's literary virtues include:

• Moderation and rigor.
• Accuracy in historical perspective.
• Sobriety of his voice and poetic sensibility.

A particularly valuable asset is Ercilla's unwavering focus on the struggle of a handful of men operating in a strange environment against a formidable enemy. He powerfully addresses the inhumanity of war and the bloodshed inflicted by one people upon another.