Spanish Literature: 18th Century Authors and Works

Spanish Literature in the 18th Century

The Essay

The essay is a literary genre written in prose, usually brief, in which the author reflects on an issue, making us sharers in his personal view on that subject. The essay genre is characterized by not being exhaustive and offering a personal and novel view. It tends to be subjective, as the author expresses his intimate thoughts, establishing a dialogue of ideas with the reader, lacking a fixed structure.

Fray Benito Jeronimo Feijoo

Feijoo gave his work a distinctly didactic tone. He was distinguished by his relentless critique of superstition and false miracles, but he could talk about biology as easily as about literature.

Joseph Cadalso

Undoubtedly, "Moroccan Letters" is his most important work. It is a book of 90 fictional letters exchanged between Gazel, a Muslim who was visiting Spain, his friend and teacher Ben-Beley, and Nuño, a Christian friend of the former. They discuss and judge the historical past of Spain and its current life.

Melchor Gaspar de Jovellanos

He began writing lyric poetry but soon found it somewhat frivolous. Jovellanos devoted himself to prose, becoming the best prose writer of the century. In his essays, he addressed historical, political, economic, moral, and philosophical issues.

His best-known works are the tragedy plays such as "El Pelayo" or the comedy "The Honored Offender," since most of his writings are political and legal reports aimed at carrying out major reforms. This is the case with:

• "Reports on Events": He advocates for theater reform to make it a fun show but also useful and educational.
• "Reports on Public Education": He argues that culture should be free, open, and accessible.
• "Reports on the Farm Bill": He attempted to apply to the Spanish reality the economic ideas that were circulating in Europe.

Poetry

Meléndez Valdés

He was the best Spanish poet of his time, thanks to his excellent training and modern, classic, and uncommon lyrical gifts.

His poems are a sampling of all the genres practiced throughout the period. He spread the ode called Anacreontic, which he continued to practice until his death. He also composed the first philosophical and sacred odes, the most important intimate poetry illustrated in the elegies and epistles dedicated to friends or the leaders of the nation, and started the trend of descriptive and historical romance and legendary patriotic song.

In prose, he wrote the comedy The Marriage of Camacho the Rich and a collection of forensic speeches, very interesting and illustrated by his advanced ideas.