Spanish Literature Golden Age: Genres & Styles Overview
Spanish Literature Golden Age
Poetry of San Juan de la Cruz
The poetry of San Juan de la Cruz represents a milestone for its radiant Western lyricism. It explores themes of love and the literary excellence needed to express union with divinity, highlighting the limitations of language. His work incorporates traditional motifs from poetic, lyrical, classical Italianate, traditional, and biblical sources.
Prose Work
San Juan de la Cruz’s prose consists of four treatises: Mystical Ascent of Mount Carmel, Dark Night (incompletely discussed), Dark Night of the Soul, and Spiritual Canticle. These works explore themes of love, the mystical journey, and the challenges of spiritual growth.
Byzantine Novel
The discovery of Ethiopian texts and early translations of Byzantine works provided a model for the Greek romance, a subgenre of adventure novels. These narratives often featured young lovers facing obstacles such as pirates, storms, shipwrecks, and captivity. Deception and resilience were common themes.
Pastoral Novel
The Italian work Arcadia by Jacopo Sannazaro (1456-1530) was a significant source for the Renaissance pastoral novel. Drawing inspiration from Greek storytellers like Longo and Theocritus, and the Latin poet Virgil, the pastoral genre depicted a bucolic atmosphere. Courtiers engaged with these stories through allusions and connections to real-life events.
History
Characters in pastoral novels were often idealized shepherds who behaved like courtiers and were characterized by their chastity. Female characters sometimes held prominent roles. Dialogue became crucial, limiting the narrator’s role. The dialogues of the shepherds could be interrupted by letters, poems, or other narrative devices.
Celestina Novel
These narratives tell love stories that unfold with the assistance of servants and a madam with a strong erotic presence.
Novelette
Novelettes, popular in the late fifteenth century, explored themes of unhappy passion and incorporated historical events.
Novel of Chivalry
This subgenre experienced significant development between 1510 and 1560. It combined elements of love and heroism from medieval stories with the Christian knight battling infidels in Constantinople and the adventurous gentleman.
Moorish Novel
This genre evoked life on the border between Castile and the last Muslim kingdom in the fifteenth century. It often used real place names. A celebrated example is the History of the Beautiful Jarifa and Abencerraje, which appeared in print in 1561. This story explores the possibility of coexistence between Muslims and Christians.
Lazarillo de Tormes
Lazarillo de Tormes is a foundational work of Spanish literature that inaugurated the picaresque genre. These narratives take the form of pseudo-autobiographical accounts of a character from humble origins who serves various masters. The protagonist typically displays a roguish nature and a desire to improve their social standing. Picaresque stories often aim to explain a final state of misfortune.
Date and Authorship
The earliest surviving editions of Lazarillo date back to 1554, suggesting an initial edition a few years prior. The book is believed to have been composed around 1540.
Sources
Lazarillo draws inspiration from various sources, including the novel of manners, adventure stories, and the Italian poem Baldus by Teofilo Folengo. It also incorporates elements of sentimental novels and folklore.
Level of History
Forced to leave his family as a child, Lázaro serves several masters. The first module, focusing on childhood, depicts his time with a blind cleric and a squire. The second module, covering adolescence, shows Lázaro navigating new situations and experiencing sexual awakening. The third module portrays Lázaro’s adulthood as he settles into a paid occupation and marries. The absence of love in Lázaro’s life highlights the harsh realities of his urban environment.
Themes
Honor: Depended on the perception others had of an individual.
Religion: Five of Lázaro’s masters belong to the ecclesiastical establishment, primarily its lower ranks.