Renaissance and Baroque Literature: A Comparative Overview

Renaissance Literature

Cultural and Artistic Movement

The Renaissance, originating in Italy, was a cultural and artistic movement that revived the ideals of humanism. It sought to restore classical ideals, breaking with the immediate past. The goal was to link ancient and modern, emulating the old to achieve the new.

Renaissance Art

Renaissance art involved the classical imitation of reality, following principles of balance, harmony, and serenity.

Literature

Classics utilized common topics:

  • Locus Amoenus: Description of an idealized, eternally spring-like landscape.
  • Carpe Diem: Incitement to enjoy the moment due to the transience of life.
  • Beatus Ille: Praise of the quiet life and withdrawal.

Poetic Creation

Symposium and eclogue, derived from Latin tradition, as well as the sonnet and other forms, were employed. Notable poets include Garcilaso de la Vega and Pierre Ronsard.

Prose

Ideas were explored through essays and dialogues. Important thinkers include Desiderius Erasmus and Juan Luis Vives.

Catalan Renaissance Poetry

Petrarchism triumphed, with common themes of love, nature, and classical myth. Metrical forms included the sonnet and Italian decasyllable. Pere Serafí (1505-1567) was a key poet, blending medieval tradition with humanism and Renaissance innovations. His lyricism ranged from naive and delicate to expressions of desperate love.

Catalan Renaissance Prose

Humanists used dialogue to express their thoughts and reflections. Catalan writers developed their own style. In the 16th century, dialogues like Colloquies of the Famous City of Tortosa by Cristopher Despuig gained prominence. This book features six dialogues between three characters, debating cultural and political topics. Key ideas defended include Tortosa’s heritage, the Catalan language, and criticism of Spain’s suppression of Catalan history.

Catalan Renaissance Drama

A new civilian drama emerged. Renaissance courts hosted dances, parties, and plays, reflecting aristocratic life and the prevailing diglossia. Joan Ferrandis d’Herèdia (1480-1549) authored farces depicting Valencian customs and social hypocrisy with ironic humor. His trilingual work represents the realistic and satirical tradition of Valencia.

Baroque Literature

The Baroque movement, predominant in 17th-century Europe, arose during a time of crisis. In contrast to the Renaissance’s optimistic universalism, the Baroque embraced diversity. It either embellished harsh reality through artifice and ornamentation or accentuated its negative aspects through parody, caricature, and satire. Baroque artists sought originality, giving rise to opera and ballet. Key literary figures include Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. The Baroque aesthetic flourished in Spanish literature, particularly in poetry and theater, with notable authors like Luis de Góngora and Francisco de Quevedo. French theater adhered to classicism, emphasizing genre differentiation, the three unities, and didacticism, with prominent playwrights like Pierre Corneille and Jean Racine.

Catalan Baroque Poetry

Poetry became an exercise in rhetorical virtuosity, using metaphors, hyperboles, and paradoxes. Francesc Vicent Garcia, rector of Vallfogona, produced diverse poetic works, ranging from elegant sonnets to obscene, Quevedo-esque poems. A highlight is his “Tribute to a Beautiful Lady.”

Catalan Baroque Prose

Josep Romeguera‘s University of Greatness stands out. This book contains fourteen moral and philosophical reflections called “eminences,” each with four parts. Romeguera’s allegorical style is highly artificial, inspired by Baltasar Gracián.