Spain and the Western Tradition: The Castilian Mind in Literature from El Cid to Calderón, Volumes 1-4The late Renaissance in Spain was a period of progressive military, diplomatic and social defeat, and the spirit of the Spaniards, moving from confidence to doubt, reflected a growing disillusion with grandeur. After an examination of optimism and pessimism in terms of the baroque period, Professor Green discusses 'desengaño' - dillusion - as a related and prevalent factor. In its positive aspect, disillusion was a form of wisdom, that the Stoic Sapiens who was fully aware of what constituted the supreme good and was enticed by nothing else. The factors are apparent in the Spanish attitude toward death. When he writes in seriousness, the Spaniard of the baroque period recognises death the obedient executor of the will of a just and merciful God. Thus, the concept of the Spanish seventeenth century as one of total despair collapses in the presence of the evidence adduced. Far removed from attitudes of despondency, the originality of Spain's literary accomplishments reached full tide in the baroque period, a literary age characterized by the growth of a new sophistication. The use of brilliant metaphor, of allegory, of double and triple meanings of words to form bridges of intellectual association, is the result of a consistent growth that developed inevitably from the Renaissance style. -- Publisher's description. |
Contents
The Book of Good Love | 27 |
Courtly Love | 72 |
Courtly Love and Platonic Vision | 123 |
Copyright | |
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Alfonso alma Amadís Amadis de Gaula amante Auzias March Azpilcueta Baroque beauty beloved bien blessed suffering Boscán Buen Amor C. S. Lewis Calderón Calisto Cancioneros Celestina century Cervantes chapter chivalry Christian comedia confession copla courtly love death desire Dios doctrine Don Quijote Doña drama Egloga españoles expressed eyes Fray Galaor Galatea Garcilaso give heart Hebreo hero Herrera honor ibid idea Juan Ruiz knight La Galatea lady León Libro de Buen literary literature Lope de Vega Lope's lover Macías Madrid Malkiel Martín Martín de Azpilcueta medieval Melibea mortal muerte NBAE Neoplatonic novel Obras en verso Oriana palinode parody passion Pedro perfect Persiles Petrarch philosophy Platonic Platonic love poem Poesías poet poetic poetry pues Quevedo quoted razón reason Renaissance Rimas romances says sensual siglo Soneto sonnet soul Spain Spanish theme things tion Tirso Torres Naharro tradition truancy verse vida virtue voluntad woman words