Spanish Baroque Literature: A Comprehensive Guide
1. Society and Culture of the 17th Century
During the reigns of Philip III and Philip IV, the Spanish Empire began to suffer from military failures and the consequences of armed conflicts, such as the struggle against the Protestants, which politically and economically weakened the empire.
Economically, there was financial impoverishment and a decline in industry, banking, and business. Agriculture also entered a period of crisis, worsening the living conditions of peasants.
Socially, tensions between the bourgeoisie and the nobility were prominent. The nobility partnered with the church to suppress the bourgeoisie and maintain the values of the Old Regime.
A worldview marked by pessimism and disappointment prevailed. There was great confusion in society, with strong contrasts in daily life: living and roguish gallantry, misery and luxury, waste and economic hardship, the pursuit of worldly pleasures and religious exaltation, corruption of political office and exaggerated patriotism.
By the last quarter of the century, Charles II, son of Philip IV, became king. During his reign, the crisis reached its climax: massive currency devaluations, a decline in economic activity, and armed conflict with France. Charles II died childless, marking the end of the Habsburg dynasty.
2. 17th Century Literature
The Spanish language and culture retained the prestige they had gained throughout Europe during the Renaissance.
- Writers continued to use the same metric structures in poetry and followed the narrative patterns established in the Renaissance. They sought sonority, ingenuity, and originality through an abundance of ornaments.
- Themes of love, nature, and the influence of classical myths remained dominant. However, the perspective shifted towards pessimism and disappointment, with some writers adopting a satirical tone and employing rough and sharp irony.
This new literature is categorized as Baroque. Within this style, we can distinguish two trends:
- Conceptismo: Led by Francisco de Quevedo, this style is characterized by puns, double meanings, and a quest for originality through wit. It explores the possibilities of language, utilizing resources such as simile and hyperbole.
- Culteranismo: With Luis de Góngora as its main representative, this trend also seeks originality but focuses on the sound and brilliance of language. It employs elaborate metaphors, astonishing hyperbole, Latinate syntax, and vocabulary.
3. Baroque Lyric Poetry
The sonnet, reflecting pessimism and disappointment, was used extensively. Romances and letrillas were also frequent.
There were two levels of composition: cultivated, characterized by elaborate and carefully crafted works, and popular.
Quevedo and Conceptismo
Quevedo’s poetry is characterized by:
- A taste for puns based on dilogía (double entendre)
- Frequent use of antithesis
- Frequent use of hyperbole
His work is diverse and can be classified as follows:
Serious Poetry:
- Philosophical, religious, and moral themes: Quevedo reflects on the meaning of human existence, the transience of life, power, and wealth. He criticizes ambition and advocates for following the Christian model.
- Courtly poetry: Quevedo depicts court life, creates celebratory descriptions, or commemorates death.
Love Poetry:
- Characterized by the deep intensity with which Quevedo expresses the feeling of love.
Satirical and Burlesque Poetry:
- Employs hyperbole to showcase wit, wordplay, and humorous twists.
- Criticizes greed and materialism with satirical intent.
Góngora and Culteranismo
Góngora’s poetry is characterized by:
- A cultist style
- Linguistic complexity
- A quest for beauty through colorful metaphors
His poetry can be divided into two stages:
- Popular poetry: Utilizes the romance form.
- Cultivated poetry: Features complex and challenging compositions with intricate hyperbolic metaphors.
In his work Solitudes, Góngora tells the story of a shipwrecked man disillusioned by love for a cruel court lady.
The Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea depicts the Cyclops Polyphemus’s unrequited love for the nymph Galatea.
4. Baroque Narrative
Miguel de Cervantes is the leading figure of the Spanish novel during this period.
Development of the Picaresque Novel
The Buscon by Quevedo, an autobiographical picaresque novel, is one of the most significant works in this genre.
Cervantes and Don Quixote
Cervantes’s work encompasses various trends, including the pastoral and Byzantine novels. However, his most enduring work is Don Quixote de la Mancha.
This masterpiece, belonging to the chivalric romance genre, is a parody with humorous and critical intent. It consists of two parts: the first published in 1605 and the second in 1615.
In the first part, the protagonist, Alonso Quijano, renames himself Don Quixote de la Mancha and embarks on a quest to become a knight-errant. His madness is short-lived, and he returns home defeated. In his second outing, he enlists Sancho Panza as his squire and sets off on new adventures, including the famous encounter with the windmills, which Don Quixote mistakes for giants.
In the second part, Cervantes skillfully blends reality and fiction. During Don Quixote’s third outing, the adventures at the Duke’s Palace and Sancho’s governorship of the island of Barataria unfold.
5. Baroque Theatre
The Baroque period witnessed a flourishing of Spanish theatre. Plays provided an outlet for people from all walks of life during this time of crisis and reflected the customs and values of the 17th century.
Notable playwrights of this era include Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca.
Lope de Vega and the Creation of Baroque Theatre
Lope de Vega is best known for his comedies. He revolutionized Spanish drama, introducing the following characteristics:
- Plays divided into 3 acts
- Written in verse, using sonnets for love scenes and romances for descriptions or narratives
- A mix of characters from different social classes, employing both popular (lower class) and cultivated (upper class) language
- A combination of tragic and comic elements
- The use of subplots and parallel action
Themes in Lope de Vega’s Works
- Abuse of power by nobles towards lower classes: Fuenteovejuna
- Love explored through entanglements and comic situations arising from love triangles: La dama boba
- Issues of honor and glory: The Knight of Olmedo