Jacint Verdaguer: Life, Works, and Impact on Catalan Literature
Jacint Verdaguer: A Cornerstone of Catalan Literature
The Floral Games, championed by figures like Anthony and Víctor Balaguer i Bofarull, served as a crucial public platform for Catalan literature. These games fostered a connection between the literary elite and popular culture, ultimately becoming a springboard for recognition of Catalan literary works. Prominent figures like Angel Guimerà and Jacint Verdaguer (who won awards in 1877) elevated the poetry festival, which also embraced other literary genres. The Floral Games played a fundamental role in the Catalan Renaissance.
Early Life and Influences of Jacint Verdaguer
Jacint Verdaguer was born in 1845 to a poor family in Folgueroles, near Vic. From a young age, he was an apprentice poet, deeply connected to the Romantic and Renaissance movements. He embraced the spirit of the Renaissance, striving to preserve Catalan identity through his writing. Verdaguer received a religious education at the seminary of Vic, where Milan M. Aguilar i Fontanals recognized his potential. He drew inspiration from the linguistic richness preserved in rural villages, incorporating folk tales and poetry into his work. He masterfully blended popular poetry with the literary models he learned at the seminary. Ordained in 1870, Verdaguer had to reconcile his literary aspirations with his ecclesiastical vocation. As he gained recognition in the Floral Games, he began experiencing the first symptoms of tuberculosis. In 1874, while undergoing medical treatment, he became a chaplain on a Transatlantic Company ship, sailing the Antilles-Cuba-Puerto Rico route. It was on this ship that he began writing *L’Atlàntida* in 1876.
Literary Success and Social Impact
In *L’Atlàntida*, Verdaguer explores the epic myth of the lost continent. He masterfully employs Alexandrian verse, weaving together narrative and descriptive details. In 1877, he received a special award at the Floral Games, allowing him to focus almost exclusively on his writing. During this period, he traveled extensively throughout Europe, North Africa, and Palestine, reflecting his impressions in prose. He also dedicated himself to religious poetry, aligning with the combative attitude of the Catholic Church. This type of poetry maintained a strong sense of language and remained accessible to all social strata.
*Canigó*: A Masterpiece of Catalan Literature
To create his epic poem *Canigó*, Verdaguer meticulously researched the Pyrenees, immersing himself in its geography, history, folklore, and legends. This resulted in a work that surpassed *L’Atlàntida* in its variety of forms and situations, establishing it as a masterpiece of Catalan literature. The poem’s 12 songs and two-bell epilogue showcase a variety of styles, adapting to the objective of each section. We find the pace of narrative song, feat and romance, folk song, theatrical elements, and the solemnity of the ode and elegy. Subtitled “Legend of the Pyrenees during the Reconquest,” *Canigó* culminates in an approach that explains the triumph of the Christian religion over the fantasy world of fairies. Allegorically, it conveys the concept of the foundation of Catalonia during the Renaissance, under Christianity. This success is contrasted in the epilogue, “The Two Bell Towers,” which presents a dialogue between the ruins of two church towers: Sant Martí del Canigó and Canigou.
Popular Theater: A Religious and Educational Tool
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Church recognized the educational potential of drama and incorporated dramatic elements into religious rituals. These simple and direct texts aimed to convey the religious message and impress the audience. These representations, known as mysteries, explored themes related to the history of Christianity. Notable examples include the Passions (well-known in Esparreguera and Olesa), the Shepherds (generally performed around Christmas in Catalan Countries), the famous Mystery of Elche, and the Patum of Berga.
Crisis and Confrontation with Society
Verdaguer published *Pàtria* in 1888, a collection of poetry depicting Catalan history and landscape, and *Diary of a Pilgrim to the Holy Land*, a prose work reflecting his excitement and desire to reorient his life after visiting sites from the life of Jesus. This experience led him to perform exorcism sessions, which caused problems with the Marquis and religious authorities. He was expelled from Barcelona and confined to the sanctuary of La Gleva. Later, he moved to Barcelona against the orders of his superiors, who removed his priestly licenses. He used poetry and the press to defend himself, as seen in his work “In Self-Defense.”