Fray Luis de León and San Juan de la Cruz: An Overview
Fray Luis de León (1527-1591)
Biographical Profile
Fray Luis de León was born in Belmonte in 1527 and died in 1591. He studied at Salamanca and entered the Order of St. Augustine as a teenager. A theologian, philosopher, philologist, and humanist, he held several professorships at the University of Salamanca. His translation of the Song of Songs from Hebrew and theological differences with the Dominicans led to a lengthy Inquisition process, resulting in imprisonment in Valladolid for several years. In 1591, he was appointed provincial of the Augustinians in Castile and died shortly after. His personality was marked by vehemence and passion, contrasting with the serenity and balance found in his work.
Thinking
Fray Luis’s thinking rests on two pillars: classical Greco-Roman culture and religious tradition from the Bible and Church Fathers. Stoicism also heavily influenced his thought. His main themes include:
- The defense of a retired life of spiritual tranquility
- Longing for the eternal abode and contempt for earthly desires
His work primarily explores the intellectual world of ideas. His sense of universality, independent mind, intellectual curiosity, and broad humanistic education solidify his place as one of the greatest Renaissance figures of the Spanish Golden Age.
Work
Fray Luis translated Virgil’s Eclogues and the Song of Songs into verse. His original poetic production, published in 1531 by Quevedo, is limited to 20 odes. His poetry delves into the transcendent and intellectual. Though rooted in sincere feelings, his poems are spiritual. He explores the longing for peace, contemplation of the universe, and nature of emotion through intellectual transposition rather than direct expression.
Style
Sobriety, simplicity, accuracy, and fluency characterize his style, drawing inspiration from Horace, Virgil, Petrarch, and Garcilaso. His odes consist of a variable number of lines (7 and 11 syllables).
Odes
The most representative odes are I, III, and VIII. Ode I, titled “Retired Life,” reimagines the “Beatus ille” theme, praising retirement and celebrating nature. Ode XXIII, seemingly written on a jail wall, revisits the same theme with a disillusioned tone. Ode III, “A Salinas,” addresses his musician friend and explores how art, specifically music, elevates the spirit to celestial spheres, allowing the soul to join them. Ode VIII, “Night Serena,” captures the meditation inspired by a starry night. This admiration leads to a yearning for divine vision.
San Juan de la Cruz (1542-1591)
Biographical Profile
Born in Fontiberos, Avila, in 1542, San Juan de la Cruz entered the Carmelite order. He initiated Carmelite reform, leading to imprisonment in a Toledo convent by the opposing faction. He spent his final years in Andalusia and died in Granada in 1591. His brother, Francisco, provided his humanistic, religious, and poetic education. He studied grammar, Latin, and Greek at the Jesuit school of Medina del Campo and became acquainted with Castilian poetry, particularly Garcilaso’s works.
His primary influences were the Bible and Garcilaso de la Vega, with lesser contributions from learned poetry and popular songbooks.
Poetic Works
His three major lyrical works are Dark Night of the Soul, Spiritual Canticle, and Living Flame of Love. From a literary perspective, all three depict a loving union through symbols representing the experiences of a couple in love, highlighting the erotic character of his poetry.
These poems progress from the lovers’ search and approach to the consummation of their union in the night and song, culminating in the joyful explosion of the Living Flame of Love. The Spiritual Canticle portrays the mystical process through the allegory of love: the impatient search, the joyous encounter, and the undeniable union, drawing inspiration from the Song of Songs. The “Flame” lacks dramatic or narrative elements. It is the shortest but most lyrically interesting of the three, featuring the soul singing from its intimate union with God, her beloved husband.
Style
San Juan de la Cruz’s poetry blends various sources, including elements from Garcilaso’s renewal, biblical tradition, and popular Castilian songbooks. His lyricism isn’t original but lies in the artistic arrangement and combination of elements and symbols, achieving new and significant resonances. He primarily uses the lira meter but also employs traditional Castilian meters in children’s poems, romances, and ballads. His poetry revolves around inner experience, employing unusual forms and striking oppositions and contrasts.
Lexicon
He uses a rustic lexicon, imbuing common terms with new nuances (e.g., “wet” and “ejido”). His poetry reveals the condensed expressive power of the bare word, emphasizing nouns over verbs. A single verbal action often involves several nouns added or juxtaposed. The noun’s dominance also relates to the limited use of adjectives.