Catalan Literature: Humanism to Renaissance
Catalan Literature: Humanism to the Renaissance
Humanism
Humanism was the current philosophical school of thought during the Renaissance, marked by significant scientific and technical discoveries.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a movement that focused on the human experience. Scholars were very interested in creating a comprehensive grammar of the Latin language.
The Plight of Catalan
There was a lack of modern Catalan literature (then called the Limousine language) and a separation between the written and oral forms at the grassroots level.
The Golden Age
Christopher Despuig (1510/1561-1580) was one of the few prominent authors of that time. He wrote the famous Colloquia of the city of Tortosa. The work comes from Greek and Latin, and is part of the narrative prose called dialogue.
Baroque
This movement arose from disappointment and the need to escape from reality. At this time, Catalonia endured the Revolt of 1640 and the War of the Spanish Succession in 1705. Baroque utilizes mechanisms of contrast, antithesis, and paradox. The themes of death, the passage of time, and transience are the most important issues.
Francesc Vicent Garcia
Francesc Vicent Garcia is an excellent author of sonnets and decimas. He also devoted himself to prose and drama. His style is elegant and elaborate, but often has a satirical and burlesque intent (e.g., “Hymn to Shit”).
Francesc Fontanella
Francesc Fontanella is the author of the dramatic poem Desengany, in two acts, an example of Baroque theater.
Romance
Romance has an undetermined number of verses, often seven syllables but can be more or less. Assonant rhyme occurs in even-numbered lines, while odd-numbered lines are free (e.g., “The Reapers”).
Renaixença
The Renaixença was a revival movement of Catalan identity. It began during the Enlightenment, as the Catalan language of the people was reborn. Popular literature and oral tradition also played a very important role.
Floral Games
The Floral Games were a public platform for the use of Catalan literature. It was a ceremony where compositions were presented on the themes of:
- Homeland (represented by the englantina flower)
- Faith (represented by the violin)
- Love (represented by a natural flower)
The games became a platform that progressively oriented and popularized the social prestige of literary creation.
Jacint Verdaguer
Jacint Verdaguer (1845 – during the Renaixença) was born in Folgueroles. He is considered a genius of the language. He avoided vulgarisms and Castilianisms, using traditional language that was versatile and accessible to the people. He was the second of six children and became a fadristern, meaning he received instructions at the seminary to gain an education. This led him to the seminary in Vic, where he had access to extensive reading. During this time, he frequented many poets in Vic. He presented his work at the Floral Games and was classified as a rural farmer. He suffered from a brain disease and became a priest at sea.
Atlantis
Verdaguer wrote the important work Atlantis, a poem that refers to Christopher Columbus at the beginning and end. The middle of the poem tells the story of Atlantis and its collapse. It describes the people of Atlantis, who lived well and prosperously, and also explains the geological disasters that befell them. This work won the Floral Games in 1877.
Canigó
Verdaguer first documented his travels through the Pyrenees, learning all about the region’s geography. Canigó has twelve cantos. In it, we find the narrative pace of the epic poem and romance, the charm of the folk song, the freshness of the ode, and the solemnity of the elegy. It incorporates a modern adaptation of the epic poem.