Renaissance Literature and Humanism: Key Characteristics and Poetic Forms

The Renaissance: Origins and Core Concepts

The Renaissance, meaning "rebirth," launched in Italy in the fourteenth century and spread throughout Europe during the sixteenth century.

Key Characteristics of the Renaissance

• Humanism: A new way of seeing and interacting with the world emerged. The human and the supernatural were separated; the center of the universe ceased to be God, emphasizing man's capacity to think and act.
• Religious Shift: A new, more intimate and personal relationship with religion, based on affection, mystery, and the search for answers. The Protestant Reformation led to the Catholic Counter-Reformation, which strengthened the Inquisition and its repressive, censoring role.
• Political Organization: Consolidation of absolute monarchies led to a new political structure.

Culture, Art, and Scientific Advances

The Renaissance marked a return to the heritage of classical antiquity and an awakening of culture following the Middle Ages.

Artistic and Literary Principles

• Recovery of the art of ancient Greece and Rome, seeking harmony, simplicity, and balance.
• Literature is filled with mythological references, clearly prioritizing style, beauty, and balance.

Humanism and Revolutionary Advances

Humanism brought revolutionary advances in science and technology:

• Copernicus discovered that the planets revolve around the sun (Heliocentrism).
• Gutenberg invented the printing press.

Renaissance Lyric Poetry

This cultural revolution is noted especially in poetry, where classical forms were recovered.

Forms Recovered from Antiquity

• Elegy: A composition in which the poet mourns the death of a loved one.
• Eclogue: A poem in which shepherds speak of their love and sorrows.
• Epistle: A letter with a moral, educational, or familial tone.
• Dialogue.

Petrarchan Influence and Spanish Authors

The influence of Italy and Petrarch, particularly his *Canzoniere* (Songbook), was paramount. This influence popularized the sonnet and the hendecasyllable verse.

• Themes: Love and nature, viewed through the author's subjectivity.
• Imitation: Sought to imitate classical models and nature itself.
• Key Spanish Authors: Garcilaso de la Vega, Fray Luis de León, and San Juan de la Cruz.

The Petrarchan Lyric Tradition

The model for this lyric tradition is Petrarch's *Canzoniere*. The central theme is unrequited love. Its primary Spanish leader is Garcilaso de la Vega, who introduced this poetry to Spain along with Juan Boscán.

Petrarchan Forms and Style

• Forms: Elegy, Eclogue, and Epistle.
• Stanzas Used: Canción, sonnets, and the *lira*.
• Topics: Love and nature.
• Style: Clear, musical, and capable of expressing deep emotions with elegance.

Spanish Religious Lyric Poetry

This genre is divided into two main branches:

• Ascetic Poetry: Describes the activities and efforts of the individual to achieve moral perfection.
• Mystical Poetry: Expresses the direct, ecstatic union of the soul with God.

Fray Luis de León: Ascetic Poetry

Fray Luis de León represents ascetic poetry. His works include:

• Prose Works: *De los nombres de Cristo* and *La perfecta casada*.
• Verse Works: *Ode to Salinas* and *Noche serena*.
• He also translated the *Song of Songs*.
• Style: Uses the *lira* stanza; his style is simple and expressive.

San Juan de la Cruz: Mystical Poetry

San Juan de la Cruz draws on a deep religious sense and is the foremost mystic poet. His major works include:

• *Cántico Espiritual* (Spiritual Canticle)
• *Noche Oscura del Alma* (Dark Night of the Soul)
• Style: Uses simple and varied stanzas, characterized by a rhythmic and profound style.