17th Century Spanish Literature
17th Century Spanish Literature
Culteranismo and Conceptismo
Culteranismo (Góngora)
Culteranismo aimed to create beauty through formal complexity and intricate language, departing from everyday speech. It emphasized sensory values and employed literary devices such as metaphors, hyperbaton, Latinisms, mythological allusions, cultisms, hyperbole, euphemism, and circumlocution.
Conceptismo (Quevedo)
Conceptismo, with Quevedo as its primary representative, prioritized the concept over form. Writers sought to express profound ideas concisely, using common language in innovative and unexpected ways. Conceptismo avoided complicated syntax and relied on wit, antithesis, and paradoxes to create intellectual depth. Baltasar Gracián, a key theorist of Conceptismo, famously stated, “Lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno” (“What is good, if brief, is twice as good”).
Prose
Cervantes, a significant figure bridging the 16th and 17th centuries, published most of his work in the 16th century. Two narrative models from the 16th century, the picaresque novel and the Italian novella, influenced 17th-century prose.
The Picaresque Novel
The picaresque novel, a genre featuring a series of interconnected stories, flourished throughout the 17th century. These narratives often offered social commentary and a pessimistic view of human life. Notable examples include Mateo Alemán’s Guzmán de Alfarache (published across two centuries) and Quevedo’s El Buscón, which provides a satirical and distorted portrayal of society.
The Courtly Novel
In contrast to the picaresque novel, the courtly novel focused on amorous intrigues and elegant settings. María de Zayas excelled in this genre, demonstrating psychological insight, composure, and keen observation of social customs.
Didactic Prose
Didactic prose was also prevalent during this period. Baltasar Gracián stands out for his insightful definitions of aesthetic concepts and his contributions as a political writer, moralist, and thinker.
Poetry
The transition from Garcilaso de la Vega’s Renaissance poetry to Góngora’s Baroque style was gradual, with several trends contributing to the diverse poetic forms of the 17th century.
Lyric Poetry
Lope de Vega, a prolific Spanish poet, incorporated poetry into his plays and published collections such as Rimas Sacras and Rimas Humanas y Divinas. Góngora, the leading figure of Culteranismo, influenced a group of poets who embraced Gongorism or explored Conceptismo. These poets included the Count of Villamediana, Soto de Rojas, and Pedro Espinosa. The classicist line of poetry featured the “Seville group” (Francisco de Rioja, Rodrigo Caro, and Fernando de Andrade) and the “Aragonese group” (the Argensola brothers). Quevedo also ranks among the most important lyric poets of the 17th century.
Theater
Three main types of drama existed: religious, courtly, and popular. Popular theater, performed in corrales (open-air courtyards), experienced significant growth. Italian theater companies introduced the concept of a permanent theater space to Spain. Corrales were outdoor patios enclosed by several houses, with a simple stage at one end and a seating area (cazuela) for women on the opposite side. Nobles occupied the balconies and windows of surrounding houses, while commoners (mosqueteros) stood in the courtyard. Madrid had two main corrales: the Cruz and the Príncipe. Performances, organized for charitable purposes, lasted several hours and included a loa (introductory verse), acts interspersed with farces and entremeses (short plays), and a concluding dance. Plays typically ran for eight to ten days, and the demand for new material led to a surge in playwrights.
Courtly Theater
Philip III commissioned the conversion of a palace courtyard into a theater for courtly performances. Lavish productions also took place in palace halls and royal residences like La Zarzuela and Buen Retiro.
Religious Drama
Religious drama evolved from liturgical drama into autos sacramentales, one-act plays with allegorical characters and spiritual themes, often performed during Corpus Christi celebrations. Renowned playwrights, including Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca, wrote autos sacramentales.
Formation of the Comedia
Plays performed in corrales encompassed comedies, dramas, and tragicomedies. Lope de Vega revolutionized theater with his “new comedy,” breaking away from the classical conventions of the 16th century. Key features of the comedia nueva include:
- Blending of tragedy and comedy, mirroring real life.
- Rejection of the three unities (action, place, and time). The action is dynamic and varied, spanning years and diverse locations.
- Mix of noble and commoner characters.
- Division into three acts (exposition, climax, and resolution), further subdivided into short scenes that may shift in time and place.
- Integration of lyrical elements, such as songs and dances.
- Variety of metrical forms, primarily using heroic verse (11 syllables) and octosyllabic verse (8 syllables).
- Consistency between characters’ speech and behavior.
- Typical plot involving a young, handsome nobleman and a beautiful lady who overcome obstacles together, often with the assistance of a witty servant (gracioso) who may also be involved in a romantic subplot.
- Focus on themes of love, honor, and honor lost and regained. Love is portrayed as a powerful and universal emotion, while honor represents the impeccable reputation that individuals strive to maintain. The theme of honor lost and regained frequently appears in comedies.