Analysis of Catalan Renaissance Poetry: Aribau, Costa i Llobera, and Maragall
Century and the Fifteenth Century: A Decay and Renaissance
‘The Song of the Homeland’ was written by Bonaventura Carles Aribau (Barcelona, 1798-1862) while working in Madrid. Aribau’s poem was published by The Steamboat in 1833 and became the symbol of the cultural movement known as the Renaixença. It celebrates the Catalan landscape (Montseny, Llobregat) and is considered the first poem published according to the new Romantic tastes.
For Aribau, exiled from Catalonia, there is only one way to satisfy his longing for his homeland: language. He uses syntactic resources, metaphors, and symbols to express his yearning for Catalonia. The poem praises the Catalan language and traditions, with the poet addressing the language as if it were a person. The recovery of language is a central theme of the Renaixença, reflecting the importance of identity.
The poem uses metaphors, such as comparing the poet to a transplanted tree. It also employs hyperbaton, a literary device that alters the typical word order of a sentence. The ode is structured in six eight-line stanzas with Alexandrine verses (12 syllables) rhyming in an ABBA CDDC pattern. The verses alternate between masculine and feminine endings, with the masculine rhymes ending in consonants.
Miquel Costa i Llobera and the Pine of Formentor
Miquel Costa i Llobera wrote the poem ‘The Pine of Formentor’, inspired by the pines clinging to the cliffs of the Formentor peninsula in northeastern Mallorca. The poem’s stanzas express admiration for the pine and Costa i Llobera’s love for nature. The second and third stanzas praise the virtues of the pine, a simple tree that embodies perfection and strength. It withstands all challenges, except for “the love of Heaven.”
The fifth and sixth stanzas speak of a creative genius who dominates everything, similar to the pine’s dominance over its surroundings. The poem then shifts to the present, with “Formentor” becoming a symbol of perfect creation. Costa i Llobera finds inspiration in the pine’s resilience and connection to nature.
The poem features archaisms (“my heart / its leaves”) and Mediterranean imagery (vineyards, olive trees, oranges). It employs comparisons (like a giant) and emphasizes the pine’s vitality and ability to survive. The poem consists of four stanzas with eleven Alexandrine verses each, rhyming AABCCB. It uses rhetorical devices like personification to elevate the pine and emphasize its significance.
Joan Maragall: The Blind Cow and Ode to Spain
The Blind Cow
‘The Blind Cow’ is one of Joan Maragall’s (Barcelona, 1860-1911) most popular poems. Written around 1893, it reflects the poet’s modernist sensibilities and his response to the Disaster of ’98, a period of Spanish colonial losses. The poem’s setting, likely inspired by the area between Camprodón and Sant Joan de les Abadesses, highlights the importance of nature in Maragall’s work.
The poem captures the essence of natural observation, with Maragall’s imagination enhancing reality. It conveys a vitalist spirit, evident in the cow’s struggle to rise again. The repetition of sounds (alliteration) creates a slow rhythm, mirroring the cow’s movement. The poem explores themes of solitude and marginalization, symbolized by the blind cow’s inability to follow the herd. Despite its tragic fate, the cow’s persistence reflects optimism and resilience.
Maragall employs literary devices like encabalgamiento (line breaks that create suspense), polysyndeton (repetition of conjunctions), antithesis (contrasting ideas), and alliteration. The poem consists of twenty-three deca-syllabic verses without a regular rhyme scheme.
Ode to Spain
‘Ode to Spain’ reflects Joan Maragall’s perspective on the crisis caused by the Spanish-American War in 1898. Published in the journal Catalonia, the poem addresses themes of regeneration and national identity. Maragall uses the first person and addresses Spain as a mother, reflecting a complex relationship between Catalonia and Spain.
The poem employs encabalgamiento and rhetorical questions to emphasize key ideas. Maragall critiques Spain’s past glories and calls for regeneration. He uses the Castilian metric system, further highlighting the complexities of Catalan identity within Spain. The poem’s eight stanzas consist of six verses each, with irregular rhyme schemes and varying meters.
Both ‘The Blind Cow’ and ‘Ode to Spain’ showcase Maragall’s modernist approach and his engagement with social and political issues. His use of language, imagery, and poetic devices reflects a deep understanding of human experience and the complexities of national identity.