Renaissance Lyric Poetry & Word Formation: A Comprehensive Study

Innovation in Renaissance Lyric Poetry

This section delves into the evolution of lyric poetry during the Renaissance, particularly focusing on the Second Renaissance period.

The Second Renaissance Context

• Pope Pius and the Counter-Reformation: A significant period marked by religious and cultural shifts.
• Educational Restrictions: Young people were forbidden from studying in foreign universities, and reading was carefully monitored to control the spread of ideas.

Poetic Currents of the Second Renaissance Lyric

Petrarchism

Poets following this pattern showed a strong preference for love themes, often characterized by idealized beauty and unrequited affection.

Horatian Lyric

Some authors cultivated poetry focused on moral themes. The favorite stanza form was the lyre, and its language was typically terse and clipped, emphasizing conciseness and wisdom.

Religious Lyric

Religious lyric encompasses two main forms:

• Asceticism: Seeks to improve individuals through a life of effort and sacrifice, aiming for spiritual purification.
• Mysticism: Aspires to the soul's direct union with God. Both are theological concepts asserting the possibility of achieving this profound union before death.

Key Figures in Religious Lyric

Fray Luis de León

A leading figure in ascetic poetry, Fray Luis de León wrote both prose and verse, and translated classical and biblical texts.

Themes of Fray Luis de León

• Desire for solitude and retreat from the bustle of city life.
• Seeking refuge in nature as a path to peace.
• Pursuit of peace and knowledge as a way of approaching God.

Style of Fray Luis de León

His work consists mostly of odes, characterized by:

• Subtle humor and irony.
• Linguistic perfection and precision.
• Use of second-person address.
• Frequent rhetorical figures of speech, including:
  • Enumerations
  • Interrogations
  • Enjambments
• Symbols associated with nature.
• Effective use of epithet, personification, and metaphor.

Notable Works by Fray Luis de León

• 'Ode to the Retired Life': Explores the peace found in nature as a means to understand one's existence.
• 'Night Quiet': Uses the image of a starry night to relate the harmony in the universe with Christian love.

San Juan de la Cruz

A prominent figure in religious literature of the second half of the sixteenth century, known for his profound mystical writings.

Themes of San Juan de la Cruz

His work is driven by deep religious inspiration, aiming to communicate mystical experiences that often transcend simple words and rational explanation.

Style of San Juan de la Cruz

He masterfully employs symbols and allegories, often using the union between a man and a woman to symbolize the mystical union between the soul and God. His poetry also features rich comparisons and metaphors.

Major Works by San Juan de la Cruz

• 'Dark Night of the Soul': Describes the soul's journey, leaving its earthly home in the middle of the night, guided by the love of God towards spiritual freedom.
• 'Spiritual Canticle': An explanation of the Song of Solomon, detailing the mystical path through its stages:
  • Purgative Way
  • Illuminative Way
  • Unitive Way
• 'Living Flame of Love': Composed in the lyre stanza, it expresses the soul's intense love for God.

Understanding Word Formation

This section defines different types of words based on their morphological structure.

• Simple Words: Consist of a lexeme (root) plus inflectional and grammatical morphemes (e.g., 'cat', 'cats').
• Derived Words: Formed by adding derivative morphemes (prefixes or suffixes) to a lexeme (e.g., 'unhappy', 'kindness').
• Compound Words: Created by combining several lexemes (e.g., 'sunflower', 'blackboard').
• Parasintéticas Words: Formed by simultaneously adding a prefix and a suffix to a lexeme, or by combining a lexeme with a theme and a suffix (e.g., 'enlarge' from 'en-' + 'large' + '-en', or 'quinceañera' from 'quince' + 'años' + '-era').