Spanish Renaissance Literature: Garcilaso, Fray Luis, San Juan
Garcilaso de la Vega
As a poet and a man, Garcilaso de la Vega can be considered the prototype of the courtier: gallant, conversationalist, humanist, and poet. He renewed love poetry concepts and introduced a new sensibility, recovering classical forms and introducing new metrical forms.
Topics
Key issues are:
- Petrarch’s love-conception: It is an impossible love inspired by his muse. Garcilaso always presented his beloved with the Petrarchan canon of beauty.
- Idealized nature, refined and harmonious:
Renaissance Poetry: Themes, Styles, and Influences
Renaissance Poetry
Overview
Renaissance poetry was initially popular and oral, expressed through traditional lyrics and old ballads. With the advent of printing, these oral texts were collected into anthologies and songbooks, preserving folk poetry and learned lyrics. Court poets continued cultivating troubadour love songs, focusing on octosyllabic verse. By mid-century, artistic ballads about nature worship emerged.
Formal Aspects
The Italian hendecasyllable had a significant impact, influencing Juan
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Spanish Literature: Middle Ages and Renaissance
Medieval Literature
Many of these features are influenced by historical, social, ideological, or cultural factors. The transmission of texts was primarily oral, leading to many anonymous works closely tied to the sense of community and tradition. Many works of Castilian literature display a sharp realism. The desire to moralize and teach is typical of many authors. Medieval didacticism favors genres that serve to teach and educate (stories, parables,
Read MoreThe Modern Age in Catalan Literature: Renaissance to Neoclassicism
The Modern Age (15th-18th Centuries)
Introduction
The Modern Age, spanning from the fall of Constantinople (1453) to the French Revolution (1789), witnessed a profound shift in European society, politics, and art. Humanism laid the groundwork for major artistic and literary movements: the Renaissance (15th-16th centuries), the Baroque (17th century), and Neoclassicism (18th century).
Characteristics of the Modern Age
- Socioeconomic: Population growth, economic expansion, and the rise of the urban bourgeoisie.
Catalan Literature Revival (Renaixença): A Romantic Movement
Catalan Literature Revival (Renaixença): 1833-1877
Introduction
The Renaixença (Catalan for “rebirth”) refers to the period of revival of Catalan language and literature between the decline of Neoclassicism and the rise of Modernism (approximately 1833-1877). This movement, emerging in opposition to the perceived decline of Catalan culture, was intrinsically linked to a growing sense of Catalan nationalism that gained political momentum in the late 19th century. The Renaixença was a multifaceted
Read More17th-Century Spanish Literature: Baroque Era
Item 16: 17th-Century Spanish Literature
Historical and Cultural Context
History & Society
The 17th century in Spain was marked by social and political decay. It was the era of absolute monarchy, where luxury and misery coexisted, revitalizing old social and religious prejudices. Political and social discontent manifested itself repeatedly. Spanish society showed great contrasts: the misery caused depopulation of the countryside, hunger, and an abundance of beggars, coexisting with a taste for
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