Humanism and Renaissance: Key Concepts and Literary Genres
Humanism and the Renaissance
Humanism was a cultural movement of the 14th century, a rebirth of ideas encompassing literary and humanist interests and critiques. It was not merely a cult movement but a genuine attitude towards life.
- It was based on the study of Greek and Latin and defended objective thought.
- It embraced the world of man with enthusiasm.
The humanist attitude also promoted and defended the beauty of natural things as a reflection of divine beauty. In humanism, man is the center of the world, and the world ceases to be a vale of tears, becoming a place of beauty worthy of being enjoyed. In Spain, humanism penetrated through common relations, and the Catholic Monarchs favored its development. The most important humanists were Antonio de Nebrija (who wrote the first grammar of the Castilian language), Luis Vives, Thomas More (England), and Erasmus of Rotterdam (Netherlands), considered the most complete humanist.
Poetic Genres
- The Ode: It has a variable extension; the subject matter is diverse but almost always involves serious issues.
- The Song: Of humble origin, it consists of a variable number of stanzas, with the last stanza adding a distinct reputation, “Send.”
- The Elegy: A song of grief inspired by a funeral event.
- Satire: A review of reprehensible individual or collective conduct.
- The Epistle: A letter in verse addressed to a friend in which the poet, under the guise of hearing, lays out ethical arguments on a specific reason. The trio is the most appropriate form.
The three main themes are love, nature, and mythology.
Themes in Humanist Literature
Love takes on a spiritual sense through which one can reach God through the contemplation of beauty, especially in women, who are a reflection of divinity. This woman is discovered in an ideal way and is related to the topic of “puellae described” (description of natural beauty).
Mythology: Greco-Roman culture is valued; old tales and legends are used as examples of vital facts, poetry, or simply as a resource to embellish other stories.
Nature: It provides a suitable, idealized framework where men and women live in the present moment and enjoy life. This ideal setting can have two aspects:
- The natural landscape becomes a place to live and love, in which all elements of nature share the feelings of the person in love.
- It is a refuge for fleeing from the hustle, the material world, and looking inward.
The Renaissance
Beginnings of the Renaissance
There isn’t a single event marking its beginning. For nearly two centuries, Europe transitioned from a feudal society to one of national agriculture and trade, rejecting the idea of life as a vale of tears and discovering the benefits of nature, the joy of living, scientific experimentation, and art.
Real Power During the Renaissance
Real power strengthens, supported by the bourgeoisie and ordinary people who oppose the arbitrariness of those who own land and estates. This period includes the reign of Charles I in the first half-century and Philip II in the second half.
The Economy During the Renaissance
Urban activity progresses, unlike immobile rural areas where feudal society was based on a purely agricultural economy. The bourgeoisie had long been engaged in productive commercial activity and accumulating money.