Latin American Poetry: Colonial - Independence

COLONIAL SPANISH AMERICA TO INDEPENDENCE – Poetry

Ercilla y Zúñiga, Alonso de. La Araucana (1569, 1578, 1589; Chile).

-          Basic idea: Poem that talks about the wars between the conquistadors/colonizers and the Andean/Chilean Araucauns. Praises the Araucans and their bravery

-          Literary move: epic poetry, written in octava real

-          Some medieval influence: idea of fortune/fate, courtly love, importance of fama, idea of the perfect knight (in one of the indigenous, Lautaro)

-          Literary techniques: lots of rhetoric (especially since it’s so long), reliable narration (eye witness)

-          New world vision: focus on the process of the conquest and the encounter with the Indians. Looks more at indigenous perspective than that of the Spanish. Idea of the Indian as a “noble savage.”

Balbuena, Bernardo de. La grandeza mexicana. (1604; Mexico)

-          Basic idea: Poem with some octavo real, but mainly tercetos endecasilábicos (classic style that’s reminiscent of renaissance) – epistolary but in poetic form (directed at a nun who requested a description of Mexico City)

-          Literary move: Baroque, but with some renaissance influence

o   Renaissance influence: style (tercetos)

o   Baroque: ornate descriptions, focus on appearances and adornment, idea that language isn’t sufficient to describe things

-          Literary techniques: frequent use of hyperbole/exaggeration

-          New world wow: major awe with the new world, and this city. Describes all the reasons the city is so great. Idealizes the city – praises it to its fullest potential rather than 100% accurately (desire of a utopia).

Juana Inés de la Cruz, Sor. (Her life: 1651-1695; Mexico)

“Éste que ves, engaño colorido”, “¿En perseguirme, mundo, qué interesas?”, “Rosa divina que en gentil cultura”, “Detente, sombra de mi bien esquivo”, “Esta tarde, mi bien, cuando te hablaba”, “Feliciano me adora, y le aborrezco”, “Este amoroso tormento”, “Hombres necios que acusáis”, “¿Cuándo, númenes divinos?”

-          Basic idea: She wrote so much poetry. It’s all very clever, and often has to do with either her [undesired] fame or thoughts about men/women.

-          Literary move: Baroque (negative tone, paradoxical comparisons, )

o   Influenced by culteranismo?: Culteranismo is characterized by ostentatious vocabulary, complex syntactical order, multiple, complicated metaphors, but highly conventional content

-          Literary techniques: rhetoric, play with opposites (ex: antithesis in “Este amoroso tormento”)

-          New world vision: doesn’t address it at all

-          Interesting themes: carpe diem (brevity of life), gender roles / semi-feminism

-          “Este que ves, engaño colorido” – one of her most famous sonnets. Wrote it while looking at a portrait, similar to a poem that Góngora wrote. Presents idea of carpe diem in the sense of the brevity of life.

-          “¿En perseguirme, mundo, qué interesas?” – Talks about persecution against Sor Juana for pursuing intelligence rather than physical beauty. Says that intellectual pursuits are better. (Semi-feminist thoughts, addresses some gender stereotypes).

-          “Rosa divina que en gentil cultura” – one of her most famous poems. Compares rose’s beauty to beauty of a person during life. Carpe diem in sense that life is not eternal, but again, focus on brevity of life. Baroque because of idea of engaño in rose’s beauty despite its inevitable death.

-          “Deténte, sombra de mi bien esquivo” – talks about imperfect and painful love. Baroque because it has a negative tone, compares life and death, and describes movement.

-          “Esta tarde, mi bien, cuando te hablaba” – unrequited love.

-          “Feliciano me adora, y yo le aborrezco” – unrequited love. Baroque duality/opposites.

-          “Este amoroso tormento” – talks about her torturous and all-consuming love for God. Use of antithesis (paradoxes and contradictions) and word play with negatives vs. positives.

-          “Hombres necios que acusáis” – attacks men and their ridiculous double standards. About prostitutes: “Who is worse – la que peca por la paga o el que paga por pecar?”

-          “Cuándo, númenes divinos?” – I am not what you think I am. How can an uneducated woman receive such praise from the most distinguished wits? Why do you think I’m just an exception of my sex?

Valle y Caviedes, Juan del. (His life: 1645-1697; Peru)

“Remedio para ser caballeros los que no lo son en este”, “A una vieja que habiendo sido dama celebrada paró en ser alcahueta como de ordinario sucede”, “Coloquio que tuvo con la muerte de un médico estando enfermo de riesgo”, “Al doctor Yáñez porque no visitó a un enfermo”.

-          Basic idea: Satirical poetry about various colonial figures and professions in new world.

-          Literary move: Baroque in the conceptista current (Quevedo)

o   Conceptismo is characterized by a rapid rhythm, directness, simple vocabulary, witty metaphors, and wordplay. In this style, multiple meanings are conveyed in a very concise manner, and conceptual intricacies are emphasized over elaborate vocabulary.

-          Literary techniques: satire; antithesis and rhetorical questions, play with linguistic contrasts (like Sor Juana – it’s a baroque thing)

-          “Remedio para ser caballeros los que no lo son en este” – mocks supposed ‘gentlemen.’

-          “A una vieja que habiendo sido dama celebrada paró en ser alcahueta como de ordinario sucede”

-          “Coloquio que tuvo con la muerte de un médico estando enfermo de riesgo” – ironic criticism of doctors, who cause more deaths than survivals. Idea that doctors are friends with death.

-          “Al doctor Yáñez porque no visitó a un enfermo” – satire against doctors, says that a sick person didn’t die because the doctor didn’t visit him.