San Juan de la Cruz: Spanish Mysticism and Poetic Legacy

San Juan de la Cruz: Mystic Poet of Spain

Biography and Spiritual Journey

San Juan de la Cruz, born in Ávila in 1542, stands alongside Santa Teresa de Jesús as a paramount figure in Spanish mystical literature. Juan, later canonized as San Juan de la Cruz, joined the Carmelite order and studied in Salamanca. He then pursued his studies with great activity and determination, becoming a reformer. For this, he was imprisoned in Toledo in 1577, where he suffered beatings and fell into a state of weakness, almost illness, due to fasting and penances. He escaped from jail and took refuge in a monastery. The rest of his life was spent in Andalusia, dedicated to social life.

Literary Output and Themes

His writing is totally detached from the real world. His poems are composed of images that suggest intellectual perceptions, in which nature has a place only as a symbolic element of the "dark night." The night becomes an evocation of eternity and also symbolizes the loneliness of the soul, full of temptations which, if overcome, allow divine light to pass. It is, therefore, a poetry of evasion of reality, exclusively expressing a spiritual feeling: the love of God.

Poetic Style and Key Works

His poetry is the most intense expression of love and beauty existing in Castilian letters. Emotion, feeling, and sometimes a fiery sensuality are reflected through profane love transposed to divine love: the beloved who goes to meet the beloved, the wife who lies beside the husband, the hunter who goes in search of prey are some of the motifs the poet uses to describe the sensations produced after the union of love, in this case, the mystical union with God.

Major Poetic Works

San Juan's poetry can be summarized in three key poems:

• The Dark Night of the Soul: This work concerns the soul's experience in reaching a high state of perfection, which is union with God.
• The Spiritual Canticle (or Songs of the Soul and the Bridegroom): Poetry almost entirely composed of exclamatory cries from a soul scorched by the flame of divine love.
• Love Lance: Among remaining poems, this one stands out, beginning with the theme of hunting as a symbol referring to the attainment of God.

Literary Devices and Lexical Richness

The lyrical quality of love in San Juan achieves an insuperable level. The lexical treatment shows richness and variety, blending common words with learned terms. The treatment of nature is rustic but very emotive. The sensorial expression of landscapes is exquisitely described. The literary use of resources is precise and successful, especially in the use of images, antithesis, paradoxes, opposites, and exclamations.