Renaissance Literary Transformation in Spain

The Renaissance in Spanish Literature

The Renaissance, a period of profound renewal, significantly shaped Spanish literature during the sixteenth century. This era can be broadly divided into two distinct stages:

Early Renaissance: Charles I's Reign

The first stage, coinciding with the reign of Charles I, saw the introduction of new literary trends from Italy. However, these innovations largely coexisted with traditional forms, rather than fundamentally altering them.

Later Renaissance: Philip II's Reign and Religious Literature

During the second stage, under the reign of Philip II, these new trends became firmly established and widely embraced. As the kingdom solidified its Christian identity, a distinct body of religious literature emerged, marking a significant shift in literary focus.

Poetic Innovations: Boscán and Garcilaso

In Spain, Juan Boscán and Garcilaso de la Vega were instrumental in introducing a new form of poetry, characterized by several key innovations:

Metric Renewal

• Adaptation of Italian Meter: Castilian poetry adapted Italian meters, including hendecasyllables (heroic verse) and heptasyllables, grouped into new stanzaic forms.
• The Sonnet: A fourteen-line poem, often in hendecasyllables, with a specific rhyme scheme, becoming the quintessential Renaissance poetic form.
• The Lyre: A five-line stanza, typically combining hendecasyllables and heptasyllables, known for its concise expression.
• The Octave Real (Ottava Rima): An eight-line stanza, usually in hendecasyllables, with a specific rhyme scheme.
• The Tercet (Terza Rima): A three-line stanza, commonly in hendecasyllables, with an interlocking rhyme scheme.
• The Pentameter: A longer line than the traditional octosyllable, allowing poets to delve deeper into the analysis of inner emotions and perceptions of reality.

Introduction of New Genres

Beyond the sonnet, other genres were cultivated, including the song, eclogue (pastoral poem), and the letter (epistle).

New Themes in Poetic Compositions

• Love: Following the Petrarchan tradition, love was spiritualized, emphasizing elevated feelings and the idealized beauty of the feminine form.
• Nature: Expressed as a reflection of perfect natural and divine beauty, nature was often described in idealized settings (locus amoenus), symbolizing peace and harmony in contrast to the chaotic urban world.

Ascetic and Mystical Literature

In the second half of the sixteenth century, religious poetry flourished, developing along two distinct paths:

Asceticism

Ascetic literature focuses on the practices human beings should undertake to achieve spiritual perfection and attain salvation for their souls.

Mysticism

Mystical literature expresses the unique, ineffable experience of the soul's direct contact with God, typically after a process of purification and spiritual ascent.

Fray Luis de León is a prominent figure in ascetic writing, while Saint John of the Cross is renowned as a mystical poet.