Spanish Golden Age Literature: Authors, Forms, and Masterpieces

Spanish Renaissance Lyric Poetry: Forms and Themes

Formal Aspects of Renaissance Lyric

• Poetic Forms: Hendecasyllable, Tercets (chained), Lira (lyre stanza), Ottava Rima, Sonnet, Sapphic Stanza.
• Style and Resources: Emphasis on simplicity and naturalness, rich use of adjectives, epithets, metaphors, and hyperbaton.

Key Topics in Renaissance Lyric

• Imitation of classical authors like Virgil and Horace.
• Courtly love and reasons for pain.
• Beauty canon responding to the Renaissance woman ideal.
• Latin topoi: Carpe Diem (seize the day), Beatus Ille (blessed is he), Locus Amoenus (pleasant place).
• Introspection and spiritual reflection.

Garcilaso de la Vega: Pioneer of Spanish Lyric

Major Works and Influence

Garcilaso's Petrarchan lyrical poetry, particularly his first book of Spanish poetry, revolutionized the Spanish lyrical model, profoundly influencing later poets.

Key Themes

• Love
• Nature
• Friendship
• Fate and Fortune
• Carpe Diem
• Locus Amoenus

The Eclogues

His Eclogues (I, II, III) primarily explore themes of love and suffering.

Garcilaso's Poetic Style

Characterized by naturalness and simplicity, with significant use of epithets and metaphors often associated with nature.

Fray Luis de León: Moral and Religious Poetry

Poetic Works

Fray Luis de León's poetry includes moral and religious poems. His sources of influence include Horace and Virgil, Neoplatonism, and Stoic philosophy. His themes often incorporate Latin topoi such as vivir secum (living with oneself), beatus ille, and locus amoenus.

Poetic Style

His style features nature metaphors, repetitions, anaphora, hyperbaton, asyndeton, and polysyndeton.

Prose Works

• Exposition of the Song of Songs
• Exhibition of the Book of Job
• The Perfect Wife
• In the Name of Christ

San Juan de la Cruz: Mystical Lyricism

Poetic Works

San Juan de la Cruz's poetic works include representations of traditional, classical, Italianate, and biblical lyricism. Notable titles include:

• Dark Night of the Soul
• Living Flame of Love
• Spiritual Canticle

Miguel de Cervantes: Master of the Novel

Exemplary Novels (Novelas Ejemplares)

Cervantes's collection of short novels, the Novelas Ejemplares, includes:

• The Gypsy Girl (La Gitanilla)
• Rinconete y Cortadillo
• The Glass Licentiate (El Licenciado Vidriera)
• The Jealous Extremaduran (La Celosa Extremeña)
• The Illustrious Scullery Maid (La Ilustre Fregona)
• The Deceitful Marriage (El Casamiento Engañoso)
• The Dialogue of the Dogs (El Coloquio de los Perros)

These novels, while lacking a common overarching framework, share themes such as love and friendship.

Lazarillo de Tormes: The Picaresque Prototype

Genre and Characteristics

Lazarillo de Tormes is a foundational picaresque and pseudo-autobiographical story. It narrates the life of a character from miserable origins who abandons his family, characterized by his cunning and eagerness to thrive.

Structure: Lazarillo's Life Stages

• First Module (Childhood): Lazarillo learns to survive while serving masters like the Blind Man (who increases his hunger), the Clergyman (Clérigo), and the Squire (Escudero).
• Second Module (Adolescence): He serves the Friar, the Pardoner, and the Master of painted tambourines, learning new tricks for survival.
• Third Module (Adulthood): He serves the Archpriest, the Chaplain, and the Sheriff, securing paid employment and eventually marrying.

Narrative Style

The narrator, Lazarillo himself, tells his story to "Your Worship," the implied reader.

Key Topics

• Honor
• Religion (often satirized)