Spanish Renaissance Literature: Lazarillo, Garcilaso, and San Juan

Lazarillo de Tormes

The earliest known editions date to 1554, though the first may have appeared a year or two earlier.

Sources and Originality

Written as a long letter from Lazarus, the novel may have been inspired by sentimental epistles. It is rich in popular folklore anecdotes. The originality of Lazarillo lies in its realism; the book reads like the authentic autobiography of a real character.

Plot and Structure

The novel is structured as an autobiographical letter in which the protagonist chronicles his life to defend himself against certain accusations.

Interpretations

It can be considered a Bildungsroman, detailing the protagonist's evolution from childhood to adulthood. It also reflects the Erasmian critique of prevailing religious concepts.

Style

Representing ideal Renaissance prose, the work emphasizes naturalness, verisimilitude, and the constant use of irony.

Garcilaso de la Vega

Little can be said of this gentleman, who was the prototype of the Renaissance man of both sword and pen. His compositions sing of his love for a woman named Elisa.

Works

Published in 1543, Garcilaso's work consists of:

• 3 Eclogues
• 2 Elegies
• 1 Epistle
• 4 Songs
• 38 Sonnets

His poems are filled with love, utilizing a typical Petrarchan tone where love is a painful feeling.

Sonnets and Songs

These works are dominated by Petrarchan influence, serving as the best examples of balance and elegance, while also highlighting the carpe diem theme.

Eclogues

Based on the concept of Arcadia, Garcilaso sets his eclogues in an idyllic landscape, known as the locus amoenus.

Style

He uses simple vocabulary to achieve a harmony where rhetorical devices go almost unnoticed. His descriptions of beauty employ epithets, similes, hyperbatons, repetitions, and symmetries without hindering the reader's understanding.

San Juan de la Cruz

A unique poet, his literary importance derives from three primary works: Spiritual Canticle, Living Flame of Love, and Dark Night of the Soul.

Themes and Style

The theme of these works is the mystical union with God. His compositions operate on a dual plane: the literal and the symbolic.

• Structure: Frequent use of lyres.
• Expression: A desire to express the ineffable through frequent paradoxes.
• Musicality: The depth of his poetry does not reduce its musicality, which is enhanced by frequent sound figures.