Spanish Literature in the 18th Century: Poetry, Theater, and Neoclassicism
Poetry
Ignacio de Luzán’s work brought poetic, classical forms to Spanish literature, imposing French trends. This included teaching sentimental and Anacreontic themes. Poets gathered at gatherings, the most prominent being that of St. Sebastian, founded by Nicolás Fernández de Moratín in Madrid. The Salamanca group, whose most important poet was Meléndez Valdés, cultivated a poetry close to the pre-Romantic school of Seville, whose main representative was Pablo Forner. Several stages occurred in this poetry:
Post-Baroque Poetry
First half of the century, imitating Góngora and Quevedo.Rococo Poetry
Between 1750 and 1770, containing new European trends (pastoral themes, love, sensual pleasure of life and country, and around the Greco-Roman world).Enlightenment Poetry
From 1770 to 1790, treating themes of friendship, solidarity, the pursuit of happiness, and the common good. It emphasizes the importance of education and the role of women in society. It critiques manners and understands that the purpose of poetry is educational, hence the abundance of fables that follow the models of Aesop and La Fontaine. Notable authors include Félix Tomás de Iriarte and Samaniego.Pre-Romantic Poetry
Appears in the last years of the century with themes that anticipate Romanticism (hopeless love). The most significant author is José Cadalso and his work Noches lúgubres, divided into three parts (three nights), which tells of the passionate love that leads him to unearth his dead girlfriend while reflecting on the misery of human life and the inevitability of death. It was so successful that publishers added a fourth night. It was influenced by Edward Young’s Night-Thoughts.Theater
It’s the most important genre in this century. During the first half of the century, it was dominated by Baroque theatrical forms (Lope de Vega and Calderón). In the second half, the so-called neoclassical theater emerged, influenced by Molière, whose features are:
- Didactic intent.
- Submission to neoclassical rules:
- Clear dialogue, appropriate to the sexual and social status of the character.
- Elimination of the funny character.
- The argument must be credible.
- Respect for the three unities (action, time, and place).
- No more than three characters on stage at the same time, and the stage should never be empty.
- No mixing of tragedy with comedy.
- Few interior sets.
All this begs the controversy around the theater. On one side were the followers of the French theater of Luzán, whose chief proponent was Nicolás Fernández de Moratín. On the other side were the defenders of 17th-century drama (Lope de Vega and Calderón), championed by Tomás de Iriarte, which was the most successful theater among the people. Three genres were cultivated:
Tragedy
A copy of the Greco-Roman classical tragedy, represented by Raquel García de la Huerta, who presented a national issue based on the play The Jewess of Toledo by Juan Bautista Diamante, foreshadowing the romantic drama (La Raquel).Sainetes
Folkloric in character, the most typical are those of Don Ramón de la Cruz. They were very popular in the area, and the public’s favorites were Manolo and San Isidro.Comedy
Comedy is the theater of the bourgeoisie, which follows all of the neoclassical rules. Its representative is Leandro Fernández de Moratín, with his book El sí de las niñas, where the problem of individual freedom is addressed, namely the right of youth to freely choose a husband, amid the usual practice of marriage for convenience. This book shows the absurdity of marriage between a girl and an old man, and the absurdity of education that turns young people into hypocrites. When these two absurdities disappear, man is guided by reason. The play has three acts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Regarding the three unities, there is a single action, one place, and one time. The dramatic tension centers on the love triangle, with an axis of authenticity (Don Carlos, Simón, Rita, and Calamocha) and an axis of interests (Doña Irene and Don Diego). The highlight is the social critique of the education of the time and the lack of freedom.