Spanish Baroque Literature: Quevedo, Cervantes, and 17th Century Crisis

Francisco Quevedo

Francisco Quevedo y Villegas was born in Madrid in 1580. He became famous at a young age and participated in various political intrigues. He later retired, ill, to Torre Juan de Abad. He died in Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real) in 1645 and is considered the highest representative of the conceptismo style.

His style is characterized by a masterful use of language, irony, parody, puns, and metaphors. He also uses vulgar and colloquial expressions, adopting a playful attitude towards language. His works include:

• Love poems, both idealized and torn visions of love.
• Moral and philosophical poems addressing the passage of time, the transience of life, and death.
• Satirical and burlesque poems, which caricature different aspects of society.

His prose works cover varied fields, including satirical, ascetic, and political themes. Notable works include Dreams and The Life of the Swindler Don Pablos.

Dreams is a set of short satirical pieces targeting various characters, estates, and offices. The Swindler is a picaresque novel recounting the miserable life of Don Pablos, the son of a barber-thief and a witch. Quevedo's language is acidic and expressive, full of originality and hyperbole.

Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra is considered the creator of the modern novel. Born in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) in 1547, he fought in the Battle of Lepanto and was imprisoned for five years. He later worked as a tax collector. He died in Madrid on April 23, 1616. He cultivated poetry, drama, and the novel. He wrote the pastoral novel La Galatea and The Trials of Persiles and Sigismunda. However, his most famous work is Don Quixote.

Exemplary Novels is a collection of twelve short stories, each offering examples and lessons for the reader.

His main novel, Don Quixote, was published in two parts: the first in 1605, which was a great success, and the second in 1615. The work explores:

• The confrontation between fiction and reality.
• The contrast between madness and sanity.
• The conflict between idealism and pragmatism.

Cervantes' style is characterized by the use of various literary forms and linguistic registers, adapting the language to each character and parodying the chivalric novel.

17th Century: A Time of Crisis

The seventeenth century was a period of deep economic, social, and political crisis. Spain lost its political and military hegemony. Conflicts between Catholics and Protestants led to religious wars, creating a climate of intolerance and persecution. The economic recession stagnated trade and the development of the middle classes. Poverty was widespread, while the nobility and clergy were reinforced.

The concern for religion led to the pursuit of foreign ideas, isolating society and seeking answers in religion. Society was torn between dreams of grandeur, military defeat, and misery. This conflict resulted in a quest for appearances and a taste for spectacle.

The Baroque period is characterized by a pessimistic and skeptical worldview and a deep distrust of humanity. Life was conceived as a hoax and an appearance cut short by death, and the world as a chaotic place full of vices, hypocrisy, and corruption.

Baroque Literature

The pessimistic view of reality is evident in the themes of Baroque literature. Concerns about moral norms, the transience of life, the universal presence of death, and disappointment are common. Writers aimed to create surprising contrasts and effects, valuing originality and employing complex rhetorical devices.

Culteranismo: Sought beauty of form through the use of learned words and the creation of an artificial language.

Conceptismo: Based on ingenuity, frequently using irony, paradox, and caricature.

Grammatical Concepts

Direct Object: The noun or object on which the action rests.

Indirect Object: Designates the recipient of the action named by the verb.

C. Prep: Introduced by a preposition required by the verb itself.

CC: Indicates the circumstances surrounding the verbal action.

C. Agent: The noun performing the action in the passive voice (BE + past participle).

C. Predicts: In a sentence, a quality of the subject or a statement of the direct object.