18th-Century Spanish Literature: From Baroque to Romanticism
Theater
The Baroque and Its Aftermath
The 18th century began with a lively debate between proponents of Baroque theater and those of the Enlightenment. Leandro Fernández de Moratín championed a neoclassical, didactic style, while others defended the existing Baroque tradition. Enlightenment thinkers criticized Baroque theater for its disregard of the three unities, its lack of realism and didacticism, and its violent and immoral themes.
Different Currents
- Post-Baroque Theater: This style, particularly swashbuckler comedies, autos sacramentales, and short sketches, thrived in the first half of the century.
- Neoclassical Theater: Attempts to establish a neoclassical style, though championed by authors like Moratín, did not gain widespread popularity.
- Pre-Romantic Theater: Sentimentalism, a precursor to Romanticism, emerged in the late 18th century.
Leandro Fernández de Moratín
Moratín stands out as a key figure in neoclassical theater. His comedies offered subtle critiques of contemporary customs.
Poetry
Romantic Poetry
Two main trends characterized Romantic poetry:
- Intimate Lyric Poetry: This style explored personal feelings like love, disappointment, loneliness, as well as social and religious issues.
- Narrative Poetry: This trend focused on legends and historical themes.
Common themes included rejection of societal norms, emotional intensity, longing for freedom, and communion with nature.
José de Espronceda
Espronceda, a quintessential Romantic, wrote passionate, liberal poetry celebrating freedom. His style was vibrant, musical, and dramatic. He addressed social outcasts, lamented lost youth, and expressed political and social ideals. His most famous works include The Student of Salamanca and The Devil World. His emphatic, grandiloquent style, filled with vivid imagery and metrical variations, created powerful and evocative works.
Late Romantic Poetry
The late Romantic period saw a shift towards a simpler, more introspective lyricism, exemplified by Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro.
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Bécquer ushered in modern poetry with his intimate, pure, sensitive, and authentic style. Drawing inspiration from German Romanticism and Andalusian folk songs, he created short, musical poems. His most renowned works are his Rimas and Legends (prose stories with a fantastical, medieval atmosphere, expressing his intimate feelings).
Rimas
Bécquer’s Rimas explore intense emotions with formal simplicity, avoiding rhetorical excess. The tone is deep, intimate, and evocative:
- Rimas I-XI: Poetry as something inexplicable and mysterious.
- Rimas XII-XXIX: Hopeful love, evoking moments of happiness.
- Rimas XXX-LI: Disappointment, lost love, and desperation.
- Rimas LII-LXXVI: Fear of loneliness, pain, and the anxiety of approaching death.
Prose
Romantic Prose
The dominant prose genres were the historical novel, the legend, costumbrismo (literary sketches of local customs), and journalism.
- Historical Novels: Often set in the Middle Ages.
- Legends: Bécquer’s prose legends complemented his Romantic poetry.
- Costumbrismo: Closely linked to journalism, this genre offered humorous depictions of everyday life.
Mariano José de Larra
Larra’s newspaper articles on customs, politics, and literature secured his place as a prominent figure. His direct and uncomplicated style served his journalistic purpose. His articles can be categorized as:
- Articles of Customs: Satirical and critical observations of society, aiming for reform and modernization.
- Political Articles: Commentary on the political landscape.
- Literary Articles: Critical reviews of contemporary literature, especially theater.
Larra is considered a pioneer of modern Spanish prose.
Theater (continued)
Romantic Theater
Romantic theater, dominated by drama, aimed to evoke strong emotions in the audience, often drawing inspiration from Baroque playwrights like Lope de Vega and Calderón. Tragic and comic elements, prose and verse, were blended, and the three unities were disregarded. Themes of love and freedom, often with tragic endings, were common. Key figures include Ángel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas (Don Álvaro, or the Force of Destiny) and José Zorrilla (Don Juan Tenorio).