16th Century Spanish Renaissance: Literature & Society
Historical, Cultural, and Literary 16th Century
In the 16th century, Spain was a vast empire stretching across Europe and America. Politically, there were two periods:
– Charles I (1516-1556): A time of openness to outside influences, Spain was influenced by other countries.
– Philip II (1556-1598): Closer ties to Italian influence. This period was marked by continuous wars to maintain Spanish dominance and papal authority against reformist ideas from Germany and the Netherlands. Funding these wars led to increasing debt for the Spanish crown. During this century, a vital attitude emerged, encouraging the enjoyment of life and enhancing human capabilities. The ideal person combined intellectual and physical qualities: The Courtier.
The nobility and clergy retained their privileged estates. However, the bourgeoisie flourished with money, while the common people’s status remained unchanged.
The Renaissance and its Features
The Renaissance, a cultural and artistic movement of the 16th century, brought a new conception of humanity and life, represented by humanism (a school of thought originating in Italy in the 17th century, advocating anthropocentrism and the revival of Greco-Roman culture).
The Renaissance began in Italy and spread throughout Europe. Italian artists set new standards in art, and literature influenced writers like Dante and Petrarch.
Features:
- Style based on simplicity and clarity, aiming for natural spoken language.
- New forms and styles introduced: the hendecasyllable, the sonnet, the octave real, satire, the eclogue, and the ode.
- Revival of classical themes.
- Love conceived as a psychological process idealizing the lady.
- Nature symbolizes perfection and serves as a setting for relationships.
- Greco-Roman myths and motifs like “Carpe Diem” are revisited.
- Two trends: idealization of reality (chivalric novels) and critical realism (picaresque novel).
Philosophical Influences:
- Epicureanism: Encouraging the enjoyment of life’s pleasures.
- Skepticism: Criticizing dogmatism and emphasizing reason.
- Stoicism: Advocating a lifestyle based on balance and natural order.
- Neoplatonism: Exalting earthly beauty as a reflection of divine beauty.
- Erasmus: Promoting a more intimate and genuine religion, advocating for greater purity in religious customs.
Renaissance Poetry
Two stages are distinguished in the 16th century:
1. First half of the 16th century: Italianate poetry with Italian themes and verse forms. Notable poets include Garcilaso de la Vega and Boscan.
2. Second half of the 16th century (under Philip II): Religious poetry focusing on spirituality and intimate, sincere expression. Two trends: Asceticism and Mysticism, describing the soul’s journey through prayer and sacrifice to perceive God. Authors include Luis de León, San Juan de la Cruz, and Santa Teresa de Jesus.
Authors
Garcilaso de la Vega (1501-1536): Ideal courtly man of arms and letters. Introduced Italian themes and verse forms, influenced by Petrarch’s Laura. His works include 40 sonnets, five songs, three eclogues, two elegies, and one epistle, emphasizing inner feelings and idealized love. His Eclogues are particularly notable:
- First Eclogue: Dialogue between Salicio and Nemoroso about unrequited love and the pain of Elisa’s (Fleire) death.
- Second Eclogue: More narrative, continuing the theme of love and praising the Duke of Alba.
- Third Eclogue: Nymphs weaving mythological scenes along a river gorge.
Fray Luis de León (1527-1591): Embodied the union of humanism and religion, continuing Garcilaso’s tradition. Imprisoned by the Inquisition for translating the Bible into the vernacular. His odes reflect on the values of a simple life, the desire for solitude, spiritual peace, and harmony with the universe. His style emphasizes simplicity and uses questions and exclamations. Examples include “Oda a la vida retirada” and “Oda a la vida serena” (stanza using the lira).
San Juan de la Cruz (1542-1591): Wrote poems expressing mystical union with God. A Carmelite reformer, his poetry is detached from the real world, using conceptual images and nature as symbols. Love is transformed into divine love. Major works include Spiritual Songs, Dark Night of the Soul, and Llama de Amor Viva, all using the lira.
Santa Teresa de Jesus (1515-1582): Known for her attraction to reading (lives of saints and chivalric books) and her Carmelite reforms. Wrote natural and simple mystical poetry. Notable works include Camino de Perfección and Castillo Interior.
Renaissance Prose
Two main trends:
1. Idealistic novels: Chivalric and sentimental novels.
2. Realistic novels: Pastoral, Moorish, Byzantine, and picaresque novels.
Chivalric novels: Popular adventure stories featuring a gentleman embodying age ideals. Examples include Amadis of Gaul by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.
Sentimental novels: Imported from Italy, introducing sadness. Examples include Cárcel de Amor by Diego de San Pedro.
Pastoral novels: Focus on love, with shepherds in idealized nature settings. Examples include Diana by Jorge Montemayor.
Moorish novels: Based on border ballads about adventures between Arabs and Christians. Example: Abencerraje.
Byzantine novels: Adventures and travels of two lovers facing numerous hazards. Example: Persiles y Sigismunda.
Picaresque novels: Realistic fictional autobiography with an antihero protagonist, social uprooting, realistic vocabulary, and moral degradation. The quintessential example is Lazarillo de Tormes (published anonymously in 1554), the first realistic work of European literature. The protagonist recounts his adventures over seven chapters, preceded by a prologue.
Structure of Lazarillo de Tormes:
- Chapter 1: Lineage, birth, and family life of Lazarillo.
- Chapters 2-6: Lazarillo’s adventures with different masters.
- Chapter 7: Lazarillo’s current life and situation.
Style of Lazarillo de Tormes:
- Autobiographical character.
- Leisurely pace of action.
- Spontaneous, common lexicon with proverbs and idioms.
- Reflection of the social and historical environment (realistic with irony and criticism).
- Sense of verisimilitude.