The Masters of Spanish Baroque: Quevedo and Góngora's Literary Legacy

Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (1580–1645)

Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas, author of an exceptional body of work, is distinguished by a stunning command of language, both in the field of poetry and in narrative prose. His poetry appeared posthumously in Parnassus Spanish (1648) and The Last Three Muses (1670).

Quevedo's Poetic Classification

Quevedo's poetry can be classified into three main categories:

• Philosophical, Moral, and Metaphysical Poetry: Addresses serious, deep issues that demonstrate his personal distress, such as death, the passage of time, and the brevity of life.
• Love Poetry: Although sometimes labeled misogynist and misanthrope, Quevedo is considered one of the greatest poets of love in the Spanish language.
• Mock-Satiric Poetry: Through satire, he could deploy his verbal virtuosity more freely and highlight the defects of society through experimental language.

Works in Prose Satire

The Dreams (Los Sueños)

The full title is indicative of its intention: Dreams and Speeches Discoverers of Truths, Abuse, Addictions, and Delusions in All State Offices and the World.

Published in 1627, these are short pieces in which the narrator dreams that he is in hell or at Doomsday, or accompanying Death or Disappointment, or conversing with a demon inhabiting the body of an alguacil (constable). These works showcase verbal virtuosity, wit, bitterness, and desengaño (disillusionment).

The World From Within (El Mundo por Dentro)

In this dream, Quevedo presents himself as a young hopeful who roams the world. In the main street, called the Street of Hypocrisy, he meets an old man, the Dodsworth, who will teach him to unmask everything presented. The result is a bleak vision of reality: the noble and beautiful are mere appearance, while the reality is ugly.

Luis de Góngora y Argote (1560–1627)

Góngora's work is often discussed in terms of “two styles” or stages of development:

The Two Styles of Góngora

1. Simple, Popular Poetic Style (Youth Stage, up to 1610)

   This style coincides with his most popular works (romances and letrillas). The poetry is fresh, young, popular, and easy to understand. An example of this popular sentiment is captured in the phrase: “I'll go hot and people laugh.”

2. Difficult, Obscure Poetic Style (Mature Stage)

   This period features a more difficult and obscure poetry, exemplified by the Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea and the Solitudes. This style is highly complicated and artificial, characteristic of Culteranismo.

Góngora's Attitude and Philosophy

Góngora displayed a mistaken and cynical attitude, often acting as a maverick who mocked the dominant ideals of his time. His haphazard life precluded a quiet existence made of simple pleasures. This contrasts sharply with the classical ideal of the “Beatus ille” (Happy is the man) celebrated by poets like Fray Luis de León.

(Long as I'm hot and people laugh)

Major Work: Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea

The Fable consists of 73 stanzas. It recounts the love of the Cyclops Polyphemus for the nymph Galatea, who, in turn, loves the shepherd Acis, the son of a faun and a nymph. Polyphemus kills Acis with a rock, and Acis's blood transforms into water flowing to the sea.

The work is characterized by intricate mythological allusions and language, demonstrating the Baroque taste for contrasts: the beautiful Galatea versus the monster Polyphemus.