Spanish Literature - Renaissance

Renaissance

During the 15th century the pre-Renaissance occurs. Literary production increases very greatly. Some outstanding poets of this century are Juan de Mena and Íñigo López de Mendoza (Marquess of Santillana). The Spanish literature of the Middle Ages concludes with the work La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas.

In the Renaissance important topics are Renaissance poetry, with Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán; religious literature, with Fray Luis de León, San Juan de la Cruz, and Santa Teresa de Jesús; and Renaissance prose, with the anonymous El Lazarillo de Tormes. The principal features of the Renaissance were the revival of learning based on classical sources, the rise of courtly patronage, the development of perspective in painting, and the advances in science.

The most important characteristics of the Renaissance are:

• The language in this age is dominated by naturalness and simplicity, which avoids affectation, amaneramiento and the over-searched phrase. Thus the vocabulary and the syntax will be simple.
• The preferred themes are, fundamentally, love, conceived from the platonic point of view; nature, as somewhat idyllic (bucolic); pagan mythology, from which the histories of gods and the female beauty are reflected, following always the same classical ideal. In relation to these themes mentioned, various Renaissance points exist, some of them taken from the classical world:
  • Carpe Diem, whose translation would be "seize the day" or "take advantage of the moment". It advises the enjoyment of life before the arrival of old age.
  • Female beauty, described always following the same plan: a young blonde, with serene, clear eyes, white skin, red lips, rosy cheeks, etc.
  • The Beatus Ille or praise of life in the country, apart from material things, as opposed to life in the city, with its dangers and intrigues.
  • The Locus Emoenus or description of a perfect and idyllic nature.