18th Century Spanish Literature: Enlightenment and Neoclassicism
The Encyclopedic Mind and the Rise of the Essay
The 18th century witnessed a profound impact of the encyclopedic mind on Spanish culture, with literary creation shifting towards research and teaching. The essay emerged as the predominant genre, serving educational and moralizing purposes. Initially, literature aimed to instruct society without direct criticism, but later evolved to critique societal customs.
Fray Benito Jerónimo Feijoo (1676-1764)
Feijoo’s polemical essays achieved widespread prestige. His most important work, Teatro crítico universal (8 volumes), comprises essays on medicine, literature, and other topics. He sought to disseminate European advancements and debunk superstitions, employing a simple, natural, and didactic style.
Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1744-1811)
Jovellanos, an astute observer of Spanish reality, sought solutions to contemporary problems based on Enlightenment ideology. His writings addressed Spain’s material progress (Report on the Agrarian Law), public instruction (Plan of Public Instruction), cultural history (Report on Public Entertainment), and politics (Defense of the Central Board). While didactic, his prose maintains a sober elegance and literary quality.
José Vázquez Cadalso (1741-1782)
In The Pseudo-Intellectuals, Cadalso humorously attacked ornate erudition. His most significant work, the posthumously published Moroccan Letters, critiques Spanish society through the eyes of Gazel, a Moroccan who describes his impressions of Spain. Despite his pessimism, Cadalso maintained faith in human progress through observation of advanced societies.
Poetry in the Eighteenth Century
Early 18th-century poetry continued the Baroque lyricism of the 17th century. The latter half saw the triumph of Neoclassicism, characterized by balanced forms, restraint, and sentimental confession.
Fables of Samaniego and Iriarte
The fable flourished as a blend of literature, didacticism, and social critique.
Félix María Samaniego
Samaniego’s Moral Fables ridiculed human failings like ambition, pride, and hypocrisy. Irony, humor, and a prosaic tone characterize fables such as “The Dairy,” “The Grasshopper,” and “The Crow and the Fox.”
Tomás de Iriarte
Iriarte’s Literary Fables reflected Neoclassical aesthetic concerns, emphasizing clear and simple style, and the unity of aesthetics and utility.
Juan Meléndez Valdés and Anacreontic Poetry
Meléndez Valdés, perhaps the most important lyric poet of the century, synthesized Anacreontic and philosophical-social poetry.
Anacreontic Poetry
Characterized by light, graceful forms, and an affable tone, Anacreontic poetry celebrates love, bucolic settings, and the pleasures of life. Sensuous descriptions of nature, including colors, seasons, and sounds, are prominent in poems like “Dorila’s Lips,” “The Phillies,” and “The Dove Lunarcito.”
Philosophical and Social Poetry
Influenced by Jovellanos, Meléndez Valdés also developed philosophical and moral poetry reflecting Enlightenment ideas. Philanthropic themes like agriculture, education, work, and poverty are addressed in a more sentimental tone, using forms like epistles and fragmented verses, as seen in “Beneficence” and “Columnia,” and romances like “The Afternoon,” “The Rain,” and “Winter.”
Theater in the 18th Century
The first half of the century saw the continuation of Baroque drama. However, Neoclassicism and French classical theater influenced the second half, emphasizing the didactic purpose of theater.
Tragedy
Notable tragedians include Nicolás Fernández de Moratín (influenced by French theater, e.g., Guzmán the Good) and Vicente García de la Huerta (Rachel, neoclassical with Baroque overtones).
Comedy and Leandro Fernández de Moratín
Moratín focused exclusively on comedy, believing it best expressed national customs and vices. His didactic and moral plays addressed themes like freedom in marriage and equality between spouses, as seen in The Old Man and the Girl and The Eligible Girls. Adhering to Neoclassical rules, The Eligible Girls portrays the happy resolution of an unequal engagement. The Coffeehouse satirizes contemporary theater.