Neoclassical Literature and Enlightenment Ideals

Enlightened Despotism and the Age of Reason

The eighteenth-century enlightened despotism was a political model which aimed at improving people's living conditions, but without their involvement when making decisions. The enlightened mind is characterized by a profound trust in reason and science.

Features of Neoclassical Literature

Literary creation in this period is governed by reason and the critical spirit that guides writers toward the world around them. The main features include:

• Literature should have a didactic intent.
• Authors have to comply with mandatory rules and imitate classical Greco-Roman writers.
• The style seeks clarity and appropriateness, and it rejects the involvement and excesses that were considered typical of Baroque literature.

Neoclassical Prose and Essayists

In neoclassical prose, the critical spirit and the desire for didactic teaching are particularly relevant. The most prominent essayists were Feijoo and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos. In prose fiction, José Cadalso stands out, as he developed significant social criticism.

Eighteenth-Century Poetry

The poetry of this era follows the principles of didacticism and usefulness. Two main types of poetry were imposed:

• Social and philosophical poetry: This style praises the ideas of the Enlightenment.
• Classical poetry: This is set in an idealized and harmonious nature.

The main representative of neoclassical poetry was Juan Meléndez Valdés, who was a grower of both formulas.

Anacreontic Odes and Fables

Anacreontic Odes are short metrical compositions with a festive and cheerful tone. Fables are compositions in which a story is told starring animals or inanimate objects to demonstrate a teaching. The most prominent authors of these are Tomás de Iriarte and Félix María de Samaniego.

The Neoclassical Theater

The theater of the eighteenth century was marked by controversy. The scenarios often featured comedies and dramas of Baroque inspiration. However, Enlightenment playwrights maintained that education should contribute to the requisite classical rules imposed against the Baroque, and they used the theater to spread their ideology of reform.

The authors advocated for the mandatory illustrated classics, which included:

• Respect for the units of time, place, and action.
• Separation of the tragic and the comic.
• Defense of verisimilitude in the action and decorum in language.

Leandro Fernández de Moratín

Leandro Fernández de Moratín was the most representative figure of the neoclassical theater. His main works include:

• The New Comedy or The Café: A satire in which the author criticizes the plays that the audience applauded at the time and proposes reforming the theater.
• The Girls' Consent (El sí de las niñas): A critique of arranged marriages, where it was common to marry a young girl to a much older man.