18th Century Literature: Enlightenment, Neoclassicism, and Prose
18th Century Literature
1. The Eighteenth Century
An age of population growth and improved standards of living. This need favors the development of agriculture and boosts the industrial revolution. Politically, absolute monarchies persisted into the 18th century, until the French Revolution. Spain faced a political crisis following the disappearance of the Habsburg dynasty and its replacement by the enlightened Bourbons. They intended to modernize the country but found much resistance. Throughout the century, major cultural institutions were founded: the National Library, the Royal Spanish Academy, etc.
2. The Enlightenment
A philosophical and political movement characteristic of the eighteenth century, also known as the century of lights. It was based on reason as the foundation of knowledge. The Enlightenment promoted scientific development and discoveries. Numerous technical works, often in dictionary form, aimed to summarize the knowledge of the era. In aesthetics, Neoclassicism dominated the arts. Balanced composition prevailed in painting. In literature, epic and lyric poetry were distinguished from dramatic works like comedies.
3. Prose
Many Enlightenment works of the eighteenth century aimed to disseminate ideas and contribute to reforming society. The first periodicals appeared. Narrative, an early literary genre, disappeared in the 18th century. The preferred prose form for Enlightenment writers was the essay, written with didactic intention and expansive explanation.
4. Poetry
During the eighteenth century, the pace of Baroque poetry slowed down, giving way to illustrated poetry. The most important poet of this period is Juan Melendez Valdes. Neoclassical poetry, inspired by Greco-Roman classical writers, served as a model for Spanish poets of the eighteenth century. Common themes included praise of the fine arts, criticism of ignorance and superstition. Alongside this, there was another type of poetry, characterized by philosophical and delicate pastoral themes, reflecting on nature and everyday life. It praised the pleasures of the century, and one could even speak of a pre-Romantic sensibility in poetry.
5. Theater
Baroque theater, long preferred by the public, continued to hold sway. Slowly, Neoclassical theater began to impose itself through the works of Enlightenment playwrights. Although farces, short comical pieces performed during intermissions of longer Neoclassical comedies, enjoyed the highest acceptance, Neoclassical comedy didn’t achieve success until later, with the works of Leandro Fernandez de Moratin. His plays are characterized by their adherence to the three unities and their intention to be believable.