Renaissance Literature: Key Concepts and Authors

The Diary: Definition and Features

The diary is an autobiographical account that collects daily events from a specific period of life. This type of text is addressed to the author and is inherently subjective. Key features include:

• Management by date
• First-person narrative
• Verb forms in present and past perfect simple
• Colloquial variety
• Chronological and geographical data

The Renaissance: Origins and Humanism

Born in northern Italy in the fourteenth century, the Renaissance spread throughout Europe and reached Spain in the sixteenth century. This revival resulted from the spread of Humanism, which established a new conception of man and the world. Humanist thinking is based on the knowledge of classical antiquity and an anthropocentric approach. This movement led to the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Humanistic ideas were adopted by the nobility and the educated bourgeoisie, driven by universities and the printing press, creating an elitist and urban culture.

Cultural Renaissance

The era was defined by the ideal courtier, influential artists, patrons, and the imitation of antiquity.

Renaissance Poetry

The creation of a new political model has its origins in the work of the Italian poet Petrarch. The model of Renaissance lyric poetry, known as Petrarchism, resulted in a profound renewal of themes and metrical forms.

• Love: Considered a contradictory and painful experience. Beauty is described through metaphors and comparisons based on elements of nature.
• Nature and Mythology: Love scenes typically take place in an idyllic natural setting.

Religious Literature

In the second half of the sixteenth century, religious literature flourished, highlighting two main paths:

• Asceticism: An effort to purify the soul.
• Mysticism: The soul's union with God during human life, experienced through three stages: the purgative, the illuminative, and the unitive.

Key Renaissance Authors

Garcilaso de la Vega

The prototype of the noble courtier: warrior, soldier, and poet. His poetic work includes 40 sonnets, 3 eclogues, 5 songs, 1 letter, and 2 elegies. The most important theme in his poetry is the complaint of love, rejection, or the death of the beloved, often featuring pastoral or mythological characters.

Fray Luis de León

An author of religious poetry related to the classical world. His verses extol the greatness of God as reflected in the universe, serving as an ascetic model.

St. John of the Cross

To explain his mystical experiences, he uses images of human love, portraying the soul as a young woman who desires the love of her beloved husband.

Common Literary Tropes

• Carpe diem: Seize the day; live life.
• Tempus fugit: Time runs away.
• Locus amoenus: A pleasant place.
• Beatus ille: Happy is he who...