Spanish Literary Periods and Masterpieces

La Celestina: A Hybrid Work

La Celestina is a hybrid work, mixing two genres: drama and comedy. The author's intention is to warn young people of the dangers of unrestrained passion for love and the evils of avarice. The work presents two distinct worlds: the bourgeoisie and the servants.

Key Themes in La Celestina

• Religio Amoris
• Descriptio Puellae
• Death and Fate

The Early Spanish Renaissance

The Early Renaissance sought beauty, with themes of love, nature, and mythology. Key authors of this period include Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán.

Style and Metrics of the Early Renaissance

Poets imitated Italian forms. Endecasyllabic and heptasyllabic verses are commonly used. The most frequent stanzas are:

• Triplets
• Octava Real
• Sonnet
• Lira
• Silva
• Estancia

Common Subgenres

• Égloga
• Elegy
• Ode
• Epistle

The Later Spanish Renaissance (17th Century)

The second phase of the Renaissance reflects religious concerns and national issues of the 17th century. There are three main literary schools or streams:

The Sevillian School

Its most representative figure is Fernando de Herrera, known for his polished and enriched style, which serves as a prelude to the Baroque period.

The School of Salamanca

Its most representative figure was Fray Luis de León, known for his religious and mystical themes.

Asceticism and Mysticism

There are two distinct paths within this period:

• Asceticism: Represented by Fray Luis de León.
• Mysticism: Represented by Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint John of the Cross.

To achieve union with God, mystics followed three paths: purgative, illuminative, and unitive.

El Lazarillo de Tormes

Literary Devices in El Lazarillo

Autobiography is used, allowing the reader to perceive the character's development. The novel's style reflects Renaissance simplicity, written in clear language. Irony is an outstanding technique in the work.

Themes in El Lazarillo

The three main themes are: hunger, honor, and religion.

Miguel de Cervantes

Cervantes wrote two types of novels: realistic and idealistic.

Realistic Novels

• Rinconete y Cortadillo
• The Jealous Extremaduran
• La Gitanilla

Idealistic Novels

• La Española Inglesa
• The Two Maidens

Don Quijote: Resources and Style

Numerous narrative techniques are introduced, including:

• Dialogues
• Subplots
• Summary
• Contrast
• Mood

Themes in Don Quijote

The primary theme is the parody of chivalric romances.