Luis de Góngora and Francisco de Quevedo: A Literary Analysis
Luis de Góngora y Argote (1561-1627)
Luis de Góngora y Argote (1561-1627) was born in Córdoba into an illustrious family. He studied at the University of Salamanca and soon returned to his city, where he held a position at the cathedral for 50 years. He was ordained as a priest and moved to Madrid as chaplain of honor to the King. He was known for his contentious relationship with other writers, particularly Quevedo.
Literary Work
Góngora’s literary work is almost exclusively poetic. He cultivated poetry in both traditional and popular forms, and the tone of his poetry ranges from serious and noble to humorous.
Letrillas and Romances
Letrillas and romances cover a wide variety of themes, maintaining liveliness, beauty, and grace in their verses. Góngora’s language is elaborate in works such as “The Child Was Crying” and “Sister Marica.”
Romances
In his romances, the author addresses a wide range of themes and motifs, including love, religion, and mythology. An example is “Angelica and Medoro.”
Sonnets
Góngora was also an accomplished author of sonnets, creating learned poems.
- Góngora’s sonnets are perfect in their complex structure.
- The poet seeks to create a distinct and accomplished poetic language full of verbal beauty.
- He uses hyperbaton, lengthy statements, and metaphors extensively.
- His brilliant poetry can be complex and sometimes difficult to read.
Senior Poetry
Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea
Written in 63 stanzas, Góngora draws inspiration from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. It tells the story of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who is in love with the nymph Galatea, and the shepherd Acis, whom Polyphemus kills out of jealousy by throwing a rock. Galatea transforms Acis into a river. The poet’s originality lies not in the story itself but in the perfect construction of the poem and Góngora’s language.
The Solitudes
The poem begins with the landfall of a shipwrecked man rejected in love. Góngora poured all his poetic energy into these verses, which are difficult to read. Dedicated to the Duke of Béjar, the poem remained incomplete. Góngora intended to structure the poem in four parts but only wrote two, leaving the second unfinished.
Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645)
Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (1580-1645) studied at Alcalá and Valladolid. His life was tied to the court and political activity. He spent time in Italy with the Earl of Osuna. In his later years, by order of the Duke of Olivares and without knowing the cause, he was imprisoned in San Marcos de León. Quevedo was acutely aware of the beginning of Spain’s decline.
Poetic Works
Quevedo had an absolute mastery of the language, and his poetic wealth makes him one of the most relevant Spanish lyricists of all time. His poetry can be classified as:
Love Poetry
Besides the beauty of language, Quevedo always infused these verses with feeling and emotion.
Metaphysical Poetry
These poems cover topics such as anguish, disappointment, and the transience of life.
Moral Poetry
Quevedo adopts the attitude of the baroque moralist, critiquing human foibles such as hypocrisy, selfishness, and envy.
Satirical Poetry
His satirical poetry displays inexhaustible wit and a critical capacity for derision, ranging from the serious to the insignificant. In his poems, he alludes to characters in seventeenth-century society, writers, literary myths, and historical figures.