Baroque Poetry and Theater: Góngora, Quevedo, Calderón
Baroque Poetry: Thematic Aspects
Thematic Aspects:
- Love Poetry: Continuous love, from the Renaissance ideal to the survival of physical description, to the images of the Petrarchan beloved.
- Philosophical and Moral Poetry: Marked by pessimism, disappointment, the contrast between reality and appearance, the fugacity of life, and awareness of death.
- Burlesque Poetry: Abounds in humorous parody, mockery, personal attacks, and degradation of classical myths, themes, and style of earlier literature.
Luis de Góngora
Considered the most innovative language creator of his time. His work provoked both rejection and admiration among readers.
Poetry
- Minor Art Poetry: Includes cultural romances like the Fable of Pyramus and Thisbe, a parodic version of the classic love story, and letrillas.
- Sonnets: Highlight themes of love, disappointment, and the transience of life.
- Major Poems: Include the Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea and Solitudes, both from 1613. Polyphemus is based on Ovid’s version of the myth: The cyclops Polyphemus loves Galatea, and, spiteful, kills Acis, Galatea’s lover. The sea gods turn the young man’s blood into a river. Its theme is love and it is written in stanzas.
Style
Characterized by difficulty, mythological allusions, the use of cultured lexicon, and the accumulation of rhetorical devices.
Francisco de Quevedo
An author of extensive work, with quality and variety of themes, attitudes, and meters consistent with the literature of his time.
Poetic Themes
His production is classified by themes:
- Love Poetry: Rooted in Petrarchan poetry, it develops themes such as the beauty of the unattainable beloved, suffering, and constant love beyond death.
- Metaphysics and Morality: Influenced by Christian morality and Stoic ideas, these poems reveal a profound disappointment. They reflect on the brevity and fugacity of life, as well as censoring the vices of his time while defending virtue.
- Satirical and Burlesque Poetry: Critiques human behavior and social types of the time. In this set, female figures stand out, within the misogyny of the century.
Calderón de la Barca
His work has two stages: The first with works for theaters, and the second, after his ordination, in which he creates his most spectacular dramas. From then on, Calderón only wrote plays for the Palace and morality plays.
Characteristics of His Work
He is the last Spanish Baroque dramatist. His works reflect concern for religious, philosophical, and moral themes, making his theater much more reflective than Lope’s. He focuses on a serious dramatic exploration of the most important problems and their resolution. He offers a pessimistic view of human nature and focuses on the confrontation between reason and passions, the intellectual and the instinctive.
Life is a Dream
This drama features Prince Sigismund, imprisoned in a tower as a child. King Basilio has locked him up, advised by a horoscope that predicted his son would be a tyrant. The king brings him to court to see how he behaves, and Sigismund reacts with violence. He is returned to the tower, and upon waking, he does not know if what he experienced was a dream or reality. The fundamental themes are fate, free will, and life as a dream.