18th Century Spanish Literature: From Baroque to Enlightenment
18th-Century Spanish Literature
The Enlightenment
The 18th-century literary movement was based on empiricism and rationalism. During this time, enlightened despotism was practiced, advocating for the elimination of privileges for the clergy and aristocracy. Political power became secular and independent of religious influence.
The Enlightenment in Spain
This period saw a strong French influence on Spanish literature. While moderate, several factors favored its development.
Language and Literature in 18th-Century Spain
Clarity was the ideal language. The modernization of the French language introduced new customs and neologisms. Literature moved beyond reformism and emphasized plausibility and rationality. The 18th century is divided into the following periods:
- Post-Baroque: A continuation of the Baroque style that survived until mid-century.
- Enlightenment (covering the following periods):
- Rococo: Artificial, delicate, and sensual, it focused on classical and worldly pleasures. It served as a transition between the Baroque and Neoclassical periods.
- Neoclassicism: Emphasized harmony between man and nature, based on French classicism. Its ideals were good taste and the combination of pleasure and utility.
- Pre-Romanticism: Derived from Neoclassicism, it maintained the rules and important topics but incorporated the author’s feelings.
Post-Baroque Poetry
This style imitated the culto concepts of Quevedo and Góngora, incorporating both serious and humorous themes. It was characterized by hyperbaton, metaphors, and puns.
Rococo Poetry
Gallant and refined, the language of Rococo poetry featured motility and abundant epithets. It included bucolic or pastoral themes and a sensualist line, with characteristic motifs like flowers, birds, caves, and water.
Neoclassical Poetry
Focused on civic duty and the social circumstances of the enlightened mind. It utilized high art stanzas (hendecasyllables).
Pre-Romantic Poetry
Emerging in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it addressed social and philosophical issues with a sensitive approach and incorporated pre-Romantic themes and tones.
18th-Century Prose
Didactic prose and essays flourished. While Baroque language persisted at the beginning of the century, a new zeal for reform emerged in the first half. The emergence of new ideas led to controversies represented in newspapers. The language was modernized in terms of syntax and vocabulary. Various genres manifested, including articles, diaries, memoirs, epistolary novels, and letters.
A Precursor of the Enlightenment: Feijoo
Feijoo introduced Enlightenment ideas to Spain, influenced by philosophers and scientists. He eagerly wrote encyclopedic works covering all fields with a critical approach, aiming to break down false assumptions and beliefs. His writings were collected in two successful books, utilizing a clear and entertaining language.
José Cadalso: Moroccan Letters
The essay genre, initiated by José Feijoo, was consolidated by Cadalso. Mournful Nights, published posthumously, is a powerful prose work in which the protagonist exhumes the corpse of his beloved by bribing the gravedigger. The dialogues are emphatic and excited, set amidst a stony landscape (a pre-Romantic characteristic). Moroccan Letters is a narrative in which three fictional characters exchange letters expressing their views on society. It features a disordered structure, deep patriotism, touches of humor and irony, and plays with perspectivism.
Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos
Jovellanos was a perfect example of a reformist. His most famous work, “Report on Public Spectacles,” critiques public entertainment and its decline, arguing that the government should reform it. He also produced writings on education.
Scholarly and Polemic Prose
Juan Pablo Forner was a fierce debater who refuted accusations of Spanish scientific backwardness. Philological and historical prose experienced a significant boost during the Enlightenment with figures like Gregorio Mayans, who theorized about and established the precepts of Neoclassical literature.
Popular Theater
Baroque influence persisted well into the century. Comedies featuring magic, saints, and heroic figures proliferated. These works often had many characters and were filled with special effects. The farce, a short piece performed during intermissions of comedies, was widely accepted and reflected popular language. Its main purpose was entertainment.
Neoclassical Theater
Debate continued between Enlightenment thinkers and defenders of popular theater. The enlightened criticized the poor preparation of actors and themes that solely aimed for easy success, rejecting Baroque theater in both content and form. They sought to promote rule-based theater, adhering to the three unities, the separation of tragedy and comedy, and avoiding verbal outbursts.
Neoclassical Tragedy
Based on Italian and French models, it aimed to regenerate Spain. Its main theme was the struggle for freedom, featuring strong characters. An example is the play “Raquel,” which has a historical theme, respects Neoclassical rules, and presents situations with strong language. The author appears opposed to despotism.
Neoclassical Comedy
The Enlightenment created a new type of comedy in which characters and audiences belonged to the middle class. Its features included presenting domestic and social conflicts, emphasizing logic, employing a simple plot, and providing examples of civility.
Sentimental Comedy
These were prose works written in verse with dramatic scenes. Their characters faced social obstacles in their pursuit of happiness. Some critics consider it a manifestation of Pre-Romanticism.
Trends and Milestones within Romanticism
Two different trends emerged: fervent liberals who believed the bourgeoisie had frustrated the enlightened ideals of a new world, and romantic traditionalists who rejected the bourgeois world as revolutionary. The following stages can be distinguished:
- Pre-Romanticism
- Heyday of Romanticism
- Persistence of Romanticism