Spanish Golden Age Literature: Renaissance and Baroque
Spanish Golden Age
Historical Framework
This period spans from 1526 (with Garcilaso de la Vega) to 1681 (death of Calderón de la Barca). During this time, Spanish literature reached its highest aesthetic quality.
16th Century: The Renaissance
Beginning in 1492 (discovery of America) and lasting until the French Revolution (1789), the Renaissance is characterized by:
- Politics: The emergence of modern nations ruled by absolute monarchies. In Spain, this began with Ferdinand and Isabella, whose marriage united the crowns of Castile and Aragon. Aragon’s territories in Italy influenced Spanish literature. Castile began colonizing America, with significant implications. Between 1492 and 1492, the kingdom of Granada ceased to exist. Charles I, heir to the German Empire, succeeded the Catholic Monarchs, followed by Philip II, a proponent of the Counter-Reformation.
- Economics: The rise of Capitalism. This marked a shift in power from landowning nobles to those with money.
- Intellectual Current: Humanism, characterized by a revival of Greco-Roman culture, anthropocentric views, and the elevation of vernacular languages.
- Religion: A period of crisis. The Reformation led to Protestantism, followed by the Catholic Counter-Reformation, emphasizing stricter dogma, austerity, and control of dissenting ideologies (establishment of the Inquisition). Erasmianism also flourished in Spain.
In Spanish literature, the Renaissance began in 1526 with the work of Garcilaso de la Vega.
17th Century: The Baroque
This period coincided with the declining reign of the later Habsburgs. Absolute monarchy persisted, but power was often delegated to incompetent individuals. Corrupt administration, bureaucracy, and political ineptitude, along with the Thirty Years’ War, led to national decline.
- Economics: Crop failures, the expulsion of Moors and Jews, and a demographic crisis caused by emigration to America led to bankruptcy.
- Social Issues: Conflict arose between the underdeveloped bourgeoisie and the nobility, who were allied with the Church. The bourgeoisie was defeated, exacerbating class divisions and creating widespread discontent, poverty, and begging.
- Thought: Modern nationalism prevailed in Europe, alongside explanations of the world based on divine providence. The Inquisition suppressed reason-based ideologies.
San Juan de la Cruz
His lyrical work, inspired by deep religious feeling, is limited to under a thousand verses. A scholar of the Bible, Aristotle, and Plato, he wrote romances and adapted Petrarchan poems. He is known for his mystical works: “Dark Night”, “Spiritual Canticle”, and “Living Flame of Love”.