18th-Century Spanish Literature: Trends and Authors
Social Background: 18th Century in Spain
Trends in Literature
Poetry (Anacreontic, Pastoral, and Fable). Authors and trends in the second half imposed Neoclassical or illustrated poetry. There are two schools of poetry: Salamanca (Cadalso, Jovellanos, and Meléndez Valdés) and Madrid (Nicolás and Leandro Fernández de Moratín).
- José Cadalso cultivated all literary genres; he published his poems under the title Pastimes of My Youth. His sonnets noted the power of time and renounce love.
- Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos was famous for his satires, which contain a deep desire for social reform (Satire to Arnesto, in which he criticizes the nobility, and the Epistle from Jovino to Anfriso from El Paular).
- Juan Meléndez Valdés, known for his famous Anacreontics about love (At a Fountain and Phyllis, Ungrateful Phyllis). His models are Garcilaso and Fray Luis de León.
- Nicolás Fernández de Moratín wrote poems of great plastic value, such as Fiesta de Toros in Madrid. His son Leandro was one of the greatest writers, known for his satirical poetry that decries the bad manners of the time (Claudius).
Prose: The Essay and Criticism
The prose is attached to the teaching effort of the era. In the first half, there are living saints (Villaroel). At mid-century, the Neoclassical period begins fully, highlighting two genres: the essay and criticism.
The essay covers topics such as the decline of the country, education, the social and cultural situation of women, the dignification of work, religion, and customs. The first essayist is Fray Benito Jerónimo Feijoo. His best-known works are Universal Critical Theater, which aimed at eliminating errors in the fields of knowledge, and Letters. Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos. Among his works are: Report on the Law of Public Spectacles and Entertainments, in which he defends that the forms of entertainment are included in the reform plans. He was critical of bloody spectacles, like bullfights.
Criticism was often used to satirize customs and services. One of its top representatives was José Cadalso with his work Moroccan Letters. This work is modeled after Montesquieu’s epistolary Persian Letters. Another vehicle for transmitting culture was the newspaper article. Prose fiction was not as successful.
Preromantic and Neoclassical Theater
The theater genre remains of the highest social importance. In the eighteenth century, theater became a true public school; hence, from the stage, educational and reformist ideas spread. In the early decades of the century, Baroque comedies survived, such as Antonio Zamora’s The Trickster of Seville, Don Juan Tenorio.
Neoclassical Theater
It surged at mid-eighteenth century. Linked to enlightened ideas, it targets the middle class and has a didactic purpose. The most represented classical genres are tragedy and comedy, offering examples for society. Examples include Guzmán el Bueno by Nicolás Fernández de Moratín and Raquel by Vicente García de la Huerta.
Neoclassical Comedy
The Neoclassical comedy, or comedy of good manners, achieved popular success with Leandro Fernández de Moratín. In his five comedies, he censors bad habits: El sí de las niñas criticizes arranged marriages; La comedia nueva or El café satirizes those who want to write plays.
Preromantic Theater
Illustrated sentimental comedy is a genre of French origin, for example, The Honest Offender (Jovellanos).