Spanish Baroque Literature: Decline and Innovation in the Golden Age

The Baroque Cultural Movement in 17th Century Spain

The Baroque cultural movement took place across Europe in the seventeenth century. In Spain, it formed the latter part of the Golden Age (Siglo de Oro), characterized by a sense of decline. This situation is perfectly reflected by a literary genre effect: the picaresque novel. Pessimism and disappointment were the dominant feelings, with rebellion or escape often presented as the only exits.

Stemming from these values, there was a strong taste for moral and religious issues, dominated by the religious spirit of the Counter-Reformation. In art and literature, one appreciates formal and elaborate complication. In Spain, two primary stylistic trends were implemented: Conceptismo and Culteranismo.

Evolution of Lyric Poetry in the 17th Century

Lyric poetry in the 17th century featured two main trends:

1. Traditional Poetry: This included carols (villancicos) and letrillas. It is characterized by the use of minor art lines and stanzas (like seguidillas).
2. Cultured Lyric Poetry: The tone here is pessimistic, reflecting the disappointment dependent on the era. Topics represent an evolution of Renaissance themes: love and death, the passage of time, and reality.

There was also a less ornate Baroque poetry, exemplified by the work of the Argensola brothers (Lupercio and Bartolomé). Notable examples include the Ode on the Ruins of Italica or the Moral Epistle to Fabio. Despite the general sense of decline, arts and poetry flourished during this era.

Luis de Góngora: The Apex of Culteranismo

Luis de Góngora y Argote (born in Córdoba in 1561) is the highest representative of Culteranismo. He was ordained a priest. Góngora's poetry is generally divided into two stylistic periods:

• The Prince of Light: A simpler style, with fewer Culteranista features.
• The Prince of Darkness: A darker, more complex Culteranista style, characteristic of his later poems.

Juvenile Poetry (The Prince of Light)

Góngora wrote many sonnets covering diverse subjects:

• Love: Love is represented as a fleeting, often unrequited feeling, frequently utilizing the classical locus amoenus (pleasant place).
• Circumstantial and Laudatory: Praise directed toward famous people or cities.
• Philosophical and Religious: Concerns regarding the brevity of life and the theme of death.
• Satire and Burlesque: Works directed against rivals (like Lope de Vega and Quevedo), the court, or society.

He also wrote letrillas and older verse romances, such as the famous Romance of the Captives, which range in tone from burlesque to serious matters.

Older Poems (The Prince of Darkness)

These works fully display his complex Culteranismo:

1. The Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea: This work recreates the classic myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. It consists of sixty-three octaves and is based on Ovid's Metamorphoses.
2. The Solitudes (Soledades): This work was conceived in four parts, though the author only completed the first. The most notable feature of this poem is the elaborate description of nature.