Francisco de Quevedo: Master of Spanish Baroque Poetry and Prose

Francisco de Quevedo: Life and Works

Francisco de Quevedo was a famous poet during his lifetime. He was a prolific writer, producing sonnets, ballads, letrillas, songs, letters, and more. His poems are remarkably varied in content, tone, and intention, ranging from the bold and the grotesque to the lofty and the sublime.

Beyond being an excellent poet, Quevedo was an exceptional prose writer, noted both for his political writings and his satirical and festive plays.

Literary Mastery and Expressive Richness

Francisco de Quevedo demonstrated a masterly and absolute command of the Spanish language and all its poetic forms. His expressive richness, variety of themes, wit, ingenuity, and extreme sensitivity establish him as one of the most relevant Spanish lyric poets of all time.

His poetry is generally classified into four main categories:

• Love Poetry
• Metaphysical Poetry
• Moral Poetry
• Satirical Poetry

Thematic Classification of Quevedo's Poetry

Love Poetry

These poems adhere to the conventions of the amatory poetry of the era. Quevedo, however, infused these verses with such profound feeling and emotion that they often transcend mere literary topics, despite his use of linguistic artifice and beauty, always adjusted to the central idea. Notable examples include the lines dedicated to Lisi or poems like “Cerrar podrá mis ojos la postrera sombra”.

Metaphysical Poetry

In these poems, Quevedo covers profound topics such as anguish, disappointment, resignation, the transience of life, and the presence of death. Excellent samples include the sonnets “¡Fue sueño ayer; mañana será tierra!” or “Miré los muros de la patria mía”, in which his verses acquire an existential tone beyond the mere contemplation of Spain.

Moral Poetry

Quevedo also adopted the critical attitude of the Baroque moralist, satirizing human foibles and vices, such as hypocrisy, greed, selfishness, and envy. A prime example of this moral criticism is his long satirical poem, Epístola censoria de las costumbres de los españoles, addressed to the Count-Duke of Olivares.

Satirical Poetry

Quevedo is unparalleled in Spanish satirical poetry. His wit and acuity are inexhaustible, as is his ability to critique, deride, and use grotesque distortion to address subjects ranging from the serious and important to the most trivial and insignificant. He frequently alluded to the following in his poems:

• Characters in 17th-Century Society: Doctors and pharmacists, women, deceived husbands, and drunkards.
• Writers and Literary Issues: Especially Góngora and culteranismo (Gongorism).
• Myths: Orpheus and Eurydice, Hero and Leander, Apollo and Daphne.
• Historical Figures: Pilate, Nero.
• Literary Characters and Heroes: Orlando, Cid.

Some of these satirical poems are especially well-known, such as the sonnet “A una nariz” (On a nose), which begins “Érase un hombre a una nariz pegado”, or the verses criticizing the power of money and the desire for wealth: “Poderoso caballero es Don Dinero”.