16th-Century Spanish Literature: Poetry, Prose, and Novels
16th-Century Spanish Literature
Poetry
Traditional Songs and Romances
In the 16th century, poetry, often transmitted orally or in writing, remained a popular form of expression. From the late 1520s to mid-century, the influence of Italian poetry became prominent.
Renaissance Lyric Themes
Common themes in Renaissance lyric poetry included:
- Carpe diem (Enjoy today)
- Collige, virgo, rosas (Gather, maiden, roses)
- Golden mean (Happiness in moderation)
- Beatus ille (Happy is he)
Love was the overarching theme of Renaissance poetry.
Garcilaso de la Vega (1501-1543)
Garcilaso’s work, published posthumously, is concise yet influential. His sonnets explore love, echoing themes found in traditional songs and Renaissance lyrics. His eclogues, poetic dialogues often centered on love, are considered his finest works. Eclogue I depicts shepherds lamenting the deaths of loved ones. Eclogue II is the only one with dramatic action. Eclogue III, the most refined, portrays nymphs embroidering tales of love and death on the banks of the Tagus River.
Key Themes and Style:
- Love (Platonic love, indifference, pain, hope, despair)
- Nature
- Natural and elegant style
- Simple language, sweet, sad, and melancholic tone
Fray Luis de León (1527-?)
Known for his prose (The Dialogue of the Names of Christ, The Perfect Wife) and, more importantly, his concise poetry.
Key Themes and Style:
- Nature, longing for the countryside, quiet life
- Night and music (beatus ille themes, contemplation, universal harmony)
- Elaborate style with figures of speech
Prose and Novels
Lazarillo de Tormes (1554)
This anonymous novel, comprising a prologue and seven treatises, follows a poor boy’s experiences with various masters. Drawing from folk tradition, the novel’s structure is innovative, using autobiography and epistolary form. Realistic details ground the story, marking the beginning of the European realist novel. Character development and social critique are key features. The novel criticizes society, highlighting the exploitation of the boy by clerics and masters. Material concerns overshadow love and friendship, offering a stark contrast to idealistic pastoral or chivalric tales.
Miguel de Cervantes
Cervantes was a poet, playwright, and novelist. While he wrote religious poems and plays, his novels are his most significant works. La Galatea and Persiles are examples of his diverse output.
Don Quixote
Don Quixote, a two-part novel, features Don Quixote, a man driven to madness by chivalric tales, and his squire, Sancho Panza. Don Quixote’s comical figure also possesses wisdom. Sancho Panza is a complex character who transcends his comic role. The novel also offers literary criticism and theory. Its language reflects the varied styles of the Renaissance.