Renaissance Literature: Humanism, Petrarchism and the Picaresque

The Renaissance Movement

The Renaissance emerged in the cities of northern Italy in the fourteenth century. It reached Spain by the sixteenth century. This rebirth was the result of the dissemination of humanism, which established a new conception of man and the world.

Renaissance Poetry

The most characteristic feature of Renaissance lyric was the creation of a new style originating from the Italian poet Petrarch. He brought a profound renewal to themes and metrical forms, focusing on man as an individual.

The Petrarchan Model

The Petrarchan model focuses on the theme of love through a reflexive lens. Key topics include:

• Carpe diem: Seize the day.
• Ideal woman: The focus of romantic devotion.

Humanism and Cultural Values

Humanism was a philosophical and literary movement that looked back to antiquity. It emphasized the glorification of the human figure—not just as a male, but as mankind—in culture, sport, and art. It celebrated everything that makes human existence transcendent.

Poetic Forms and Classical Topics

Renaissance poetry utilized specific structures and themes:

• The Sonnet: Composed of two quartets and two tercets.
• Metrical forms: The lira, the royal octave, and the hendecasyllable triplet.
• Beatus ille: The joy of one who leaves the world to enjoy nature.
• Locus amoenus: The pleasant place.

Prose and the Picaresque Novel

Before the rise of the picaresque novel, other genres flourished, including:

• Pastoral novels
• Byzantine novels
• Moorish novels
• Chivalric romances

Lazarillo de Tormes is a seminal picaresque work featuring an antihero. Key characteristics include realism and the physical growth of the protagonist. The work was published anonymously, as the author intended to critique society.

Garcilaso de la Vega

Garcilaso de la Vega represents the prototype of the noble courtier: a man of arms and letters. He introduced the Petrarchan model to Spain. The most important theme in his poetry is the complaint of love caused by the refusal or death of the beloved.