Spanish Baroque Literature: Góngora, Quevedo & Lazarillo

Luis de Góngora (1561-1627)

Luis de Góngora wrote both popular poems and cultos (cultured) ones. He is considered the greatest exponent of Culteranismo, a style that pursues formal beauty through the sound of words and an abundance of stylistic resources. His sonnets cover topics like love, carpe diem, or moral issues. He also used satire and letrillas (short poems) to criticize other writers of his time. His popular romances (ballads) are cheerful, lively, and have a mocking tone.

Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645)

Francisco de Quevedo is the leading exponent of Conceptismo, a style characterized by conveying many ideas concisely. This involves the frequent use of puns, clever associations, antitheses, and striking images. He is one of the best love sonnet poets in Spanish literature. His themes often retain Renaissance elements but are treated with Baroque depth and exaggeration. In his satirical and burlesque poetry, Quevedo sharpens his wit and command of language to attack social types, customs, and vices of his era. At times, the tone of his writing reveals a profound pessimism.

Lazarillo de Tormes and the Picaresque Novel

The novel Lazarillo de Tormes, published anonymously in 1554, initiated the picaresque novel genre, which continued and peaked during the Baroque period in the 17th century. Earlier novels often pursued escapism into ideal, fantastic worlds, far removed from the country's reality. These included chivalric romances, pastoral, Byzantine, sentimental, and Moorish novels.

Key Picaresque Characteristics in Lazarillo

Lazarillo de Tormes marked a significant break for several reasons:

1. It is written in the first person.
2. As the protagonist is a marginal character (a pícaro), the narrative transmits a raw, critical vision of reality. It offers social criticism, often peppered with irony and humor.
3. The character evolves throughout the novel as he serves different masters and learns from experience.
4. The novel's realism is evident in its language, featuring colloquialisms and sayings.

Plot and Structure of Lazarillo de Tormes

The novel presents the autobiography of a pícaro (rogue) serving various masters, often taking advantage of them to survive. As a boy, Lázaro begins working for a blind beggar. Later, his masters include a ruined squire, a clergyman, a Friar of the Order of Mercy, a seller of indulgences (pardoner), a chaplain, and finally, a constable (sheriff). With each master, Lázaro learns to survive, doing whatever it takes to get by and avoid being caught. His strong desire to live is evident throughout the work.

Sequence of Masters

The main events, following Lázaro's service chronologically:

1. Lázaro serves a blind man (ciego).
2. Lázaro serves a clergyman (clérigo).
3. Lázaro serves a squire (escudero).
4. Lázaro serves a friar (fraile).
5. Lázaro serves a pardoner (buldero).
6. Lázaro serves a chaplain (capellán).
7. Lázaro serves a constable (alguacil).
8. Lázaro marries a servant and seemingly settles down.

The ending highlights a certain willful ignorance or acceptance by the protagonist. An older Lázaro is married to a maid who is the Archpriest's mistress, a fact known to everyone except, perhaps, Lázaro himself, who claims to have reached the peak of good fortune.