Spanish Baroque Literature: A Comprehensive Guide
1. Society and Culture of the 17th Century
During the reigns of Philip III and Philip IV, the Spanish Empire began to suffer from military failures and the consequences of armed conflicts, such as the struggle against the Protestants, which politically and economically weakened the empire.
Economically, there was financial impoverishment and a decline in industry, banking, and business. Agriculture also entered a period of crisis, worsening the living conditions of working peasants.
Socially, tensions between the bourgeoisie and the nobility were prominent. The nobility partnered with the church to suppress the bourgeoisie and maintain the values of the Old Regime.
A worldview marked by pessimism and disappointment prevailed. There was great confusion in society, with strong contrasts in daily life: living and roguish gallantry, misery and luxury, waste and economic hardship, the pursuit of worldly pleasures and religious exaltation, corruption of political office and exaggerated patriotism.
By the last quarter of the century, Charles II, son of Philip IV, became king. During his reign, the crisis reached its climax: massive currency devaluations, a decline in economic activity, and armed conflict with France. Charles II died childless, marking the end of the Habsburg dynasty.
2. 17th Century Literature
The Spanish language and culture retained the prestige they had gained throughout Europe during the Renaissance.
- Writers continued to use the same metric structures in poetry and followed the narrative patterns established in the Renaissance. They sought sonority, ingenuity, and originality through an abundance of ornaments.
- Love, nature, and the influence of classical myths remained dominant themes. However, the perspective shifted towards pessimism and disappointment, with some writers adopting a satirical tone and employing rough and sharp irony.
This new literature is categorized as Baroque. Within this movement, we can distinguish two trends:
- Conceptism: Led by Francisco de Quevedo, this style is characterized by puns, double meanings, and a pursuit of originality through wit. Conceptists explored the possibilities of language, utilizing resources such as simile and hyperbole.
- Culteranismo: With Luis de Góngora as its main representative, this trend also sought originality but focused on the sound and brilliance of language. Culteranistas employed elaborate metaphors, astonishing hyperbole, Latinate syntactic structures, and cultisms.
3. Baroque Lyric Poetry
The sonnet, reflecting pessimism and disappointment, was used extensively. Romances and letrillas were also common poetic forms.
There were two distinct levels of composition: cultivated, characterized by elaborate and carefully crafted works, and popular.
Quevedo and Conceptism
Quevedo’s poetry is known for its:
- Taste for puns based on dilogía (double entendre)
- Frequent use of antithesis
- Frequent use of hyperbole
His extensive work can be classified into the following categories:
Serious Poetry:
- Philosophical, religious, and moral themes: Quevedo reflected on the meaning of human existence, the transience of life, power, and wealth. He criticized ambition and advocated for following the Christian model.
- Courtly Compliment: Quevedo depicted court life, created monumental descriptions or celebrations, and composed elegies.
Love Poetry:
- Characterized by the deep intensity with which Quevedo expressed the feeling of love.
Satirical and Burlesque Poetry:
- Employed hyperbole to showcase wit, talent for wordplay, and humorous twists.
- Targeted greed and materialism with critical intent.
Góngora and Culteranismo
Góngora’s poetry is characterized by a cultist style, linguistic complexity, and the pursuit of beauty through colorful metaphors.
His poetry can be divided into two stages:
- Popular Poetry: Utilized the romance form.
- Cultivated Poetry: Created complex and challenging compositions, employing strong and intricate hyperbolic metaphors.
In his work Solitudes, Góngora narrates the story of a castaway disillusioned in love by a cruel court lady.
The Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea depicts the Cyclops Polyphemus’s unrequited love for the nymph Galatea.
4. Baroque Narrative
Miguel de Cervantes emerged as the leading figure in the Spanish novel.
Development of the Picaresque Novel
The Buscon by Quevedo, a significant picaresque novel, is written in an autobiographical style.
Cervantes and Don Quixote
Cervantes’s work encompassed various trends, including the pastoral novel and the Byzantine novel. However, his most enduring work is Don Quixote de la Mancha.
This masterpiece, belonging to the chivalric romance genre, is a parody with humorous and critical intentions. It consists of two parts: the first published in 1605 and the second in 1615.
In the first part, the protagonist, Alonso Quijano, renames himself Don Quixote de la Mancha and embarks on a quest to become a knight-errant. His madness is short-lived, and he returns home defeated. In his second outing, he enlists Sancho Panza as his squire and sets off on new adventures, including the iconic episode of the windmills, which Don Quixote mistakes for giants.
In the second part, Cervantes skillfully blends reality and fiction. During Don Quixote’s third outing, the adventures at the Duke’s Palace and Sancho’s governorship of the island of Barataria unfold.
5. Baroque Theatre
The Baroque period witnessed a flourishing of Spanish theatre. People from all walks of life found an outlet in these performances during a time of crisis. The plays reflected the customs and values of the 17th century.
Prominent playwrights of this era include Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca.
Lope de Vega and the Creation of Baroque Theatre
Lope de Vega’s most significant impact was as a writer of comedies. He also initiated a dramatic renewal characterized by:
- Plays divided into 3 acts
- Use of verse, employing the sonnet for love scenes and romance for descriptions or narratives
- A mix of characters from different social classes, resulting in the use of two linguistic styles: popular (lower class) and cultivated (upper class)
- A combination of tragic and comic elements
- The inclusion of parallel plots, such as secondary actions
Themes in Lope de Vega’s Works
- Abuse of power by nobles towards lower classes: Fuenteovejuna
- Love explored through entanglements and comic situations arising from love triangles: La dama boba
- Issues of honor and glory: The Knight of Olmedo